Puss Junior and Robinson Crusoe Part 7

"Good-by," cried Puss, waving his cap to the old salt.

OVER THE WATER

WHEN the old dock and the gray-haired sailor, the tall church spire and the flag on the little red schoolhouse were out of sight, Puss, Junior, turned to the little girl and said: "Let's go down in the cabin. I'll show you the cutest little baby you ever saw. It's the 'rock-a-by, baby, upon-the-tree-top.' His mother always hung the cradle on a willow tree so that the breeze might rock him to sleep. But now the ocean does the rocking and baby sleeps almost all the time."

So the little girl followed Puss down the stairs to the cabin, where they heard a sweet voice singing:

"Over the water, and over the sea, And over the water to Charley.

I'll have none of your horrid beef, Nor I'll have none of your barley: But I'll have some of your very best flour To make a white cake for my Charley."

"S-s-s.h.!.+" said the mother of the baby as Puss and the little girl came in.

"Are you going to make a cake with the flour the miller brought on board?" asked Puss in a whisper.

"Yes," said the baby's mother. "But what's your name?" turning to the little girl.

"She's looking for Bobby Shafto," answered Puss.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

"What's your name, little girl," asked the rock-a-by-baby's mother.

"Alice," said the little girl.

"A pretty name."

"I'm glad you like it," said the little girl. "And what is yours?"

"Mine? Oh, you can call me 'The Rock-a-by Baby's Mother.'"

"Let's go out on deck," suggested Puss. "Won't you come, too?" he asked, turning to the baby's mother.

Rolling in the sea were huge black porpoises. Over and over they rolled like great footb.a.l.l.s. Flying fish rose out of the water, and overhead the gulls sailed back and forth on their great wings. The breeze was blowing strong and steady, and now and then the salt spray came over the railing. Some of it wet Puss, Junior's, whiskers.

"Did you get wet?" asked Alice.

"Not much," said Puss. "Besides, I don't care for a little spray, anyway."

"Come over here and sit down on this coil of rope," said the Rock-a-By-Baby's Mother, and I'll sing you a song:

"Rock-a-by, rock-a-by on the deep blue, Sailor Boy, Mother is dreaming of you.

Thinking of Sailor Boy out on the foam, Hoping that Sailor Boy soon will be home."

CUSTARD AND MUSTARD

FOR several days the good s.h.i.+p, with the four and twenty sailor mice and the duck captain, sailed over the big blue sea. Puss, Junior, learned to climb the mast and to run out to the very tip of the great boom to tie a rope for Captain Duck when it was blowing a gale. The Rock-a-By-Baby's Mother made a most delicious cake with the flour which the 'rusty, dusty' miller had sent on board, and altogether it was a most enjoyable trip, and when the good s.h.i.+p put into port on the fifth day everybody was sorry.

Even the little girl who was waiting for Bobby Shafto to come home told Puss she had forgotten all about him.

Well, as soon as the s.h.i.+p was fast to the dock, Puss said good-by to Captain Duck and the sailor mice.

"I hope Bobby Shafto will return soon," he whispered to the little girl as he kissed her good-by.

"I shall miss you very much," he said to the Rock-a-By-Baby's mother.

"Will you, my dear Puss?" she answered, giving him a hug. "You're a dear little cat! I hope you soon find your father. When you do, tell him he has a fine little son--tell him that from me, won't you?"

And after that Puss went upon his way, and by and by, after a while he found himself on a broad highway. "I wonder what will happen next?" he said to himself, and just then he came to a small house near the road.

So he stopped at the front gate to listen to a sweet voice singing:

"When Jacky's a very good boy He shall have cakes and a custard; But when he does nothing but cry He shall have nothing but mustard."

Puss opened the gate and peeped through the window. In the centre of the room stood a small boy, wiping his eyes with a little pink handkerchief.

"Nothing but mustard," repeated his mother, "if you don't stop crying."

"Meow!" cried Puss at the window. "Won't you give me some custard?" And then, my goodness! didn't that little boy stop crying!

"Look at the cat with boots on!" he cried, running up to the window.

"You both shall have some custard," said Jack's mother, "and then you may go out to the swing and have a good time."

Well, it didn't take long to eat the custard, and then Jacky and Puss went out under the big tree.

"Swing high, swing low.

Away we go, Up to the skies, Down to the ground; This is the finest Sport I've found,"

sang Puss, Junior.

"After supper, Jacky, I'll tell you how I was a sailor boy for almost a week on the ocean blue!"

ROWLEY FROG

NOW let me think what happened after Puss finished telling how he had been a sailor for a week on the ocean blue.

Oh yes, of course. He had scarcely said good-by to the little boy when whom should he meet but Mr. Rowley Frog and a big rat.