Part 10 (1/2)

”Because I am lost, and I don't know my way home. I guess you would mew if you couldn't find your papa or mamma.”

”No,” said Susie, ”I wouldn't mew, but I would be very much frightened.

But why don't you go home?” And Susie sat up and wrinkled her nose, just like water when it bubbles in the tea kettle, for that was the way she smelled, and she wanted to see if she could smell danger.

”How can I go home when I don't know the way?” asked the white kitten.

”Which way did you come in here?”

”If I knew that, I would know which way to go back home,” the p.u.s.s.y replied, and the large tears, one in each eye, fell out and dropped on the ground, while two more came into her eyes.

”Are you crying because you are lost?” asked Susie.

”Of course. Wouldn't you?”

”Perhaps,” answered Susie. ”But you see I never was lost. I can always smell my way home, no matter how far off I go,” and she wiggled her nose so fast that it made the kittie quite cross-eyed to watch it, and being cross-eyed made p.u.s.s.y sneeze. Then the p.u.s.s.y felt better.

”Can you show me the way home?” asked the kittie of Susie.

”Not to your house, for I don't know where it is,” answered Susie, ”but I could show you the way to mine.”

Then the white kittie wanted Susie to do this, but the little rabbit girl thought it might not be safe, for the little kittie might show the big cats where the new underground house was.

”What is your name?” asked Susie of the kittie.

”My name is Ann Gora, but every one calls me Ann.”

”That is a funny name,” said Susie.

”I don't think it is at all,” went on the kitten. ”It is no funnier than Susie,” and she began to cry again.

”Oh, don't cry!” exclaimed Susie, and she patted the kittie on the back with her foot. ”Come with me. We will walk through the field, and maybe we will see your house. I think you must live in a house with people, for kitties never live in the woods like the squirrels, or in burrows as we do. We will look until we find a house with people in it, and maybe you belong there.”

”That will be fine!” cried the kittie, and she dried her tears on her paw. So Susie and the kittie walked on together. And pretty soon Susie saw a little girl coming toward them. The little girl was looking in the gra.s.s, and calling, ”Ann--Ann,” in a soft voice. And when she saw the little kittie she ran to her and caught her up in her arms and hugged her. Then Susie Littletail ran home, for she was afraid of little girls, and on the way she saw that the clover was coming up nicely, so she told Uncle Wiggily. Now, if it is not too cold to-morrow night, I am going to tell you about Sammie and the black doggie.

XVIII

SAMMIE AND THE BLACK DOGGIE

One day, when Sammie Littletail was on his way home from Dr. Possum's house, where he had gone to get some sweet-flag root, for Uncle Wiggily Longear's rheumatism, something happened to the little boy rabbit. He was coming through a big field, where the gra.s.s was quite high, when he heard a little bark. He knew at once that it was a dog, and Sammie was afraid of dogs, as all rabbits are, so he started to run. But the dog called out:

”Don't run, little rabbit.”

”Why not?” asked Sammie. ”I'm afraid of you.”

”But I won't hurt you,” went on the dog.

”You might,” answered Sammie. ”Dogs always hurt rabbits.”