The Little Gray Kitten

: ANIMAL STORIES
: Boys And Girls Bookshelf

BY MARY LAWRENCE TURNBULL



Once upon a time there was a little gray kitten, who had wandered far

away from home. At first she liked all the strange sights she saw, but

by and by she began to feel very homesick, and wished she was once more

cuddled up with her brothers and sisters.



Now the only word this little gray kitten knew was "Mew, mew!" So when

she was lonely she would say "Mew;" when s e was hungry, "Mew;" when she

was cold or tired, glad or sad, it was always "Mew." At home they knew

what she meant when she said "Mew," but out in the wide, wide world,

nobody seemed to know.



Wandering along the street, she came upon a little squirming earthworm.

"Mew," said she, meaning, "Where is my home?"



The earthworm, however, did not notice little gray kitten, but crawled

away across the street.



Next, the little gray kitten met a butterfly on the top of a dandelion.

"Mew," said the little gray kitten, meaning, "Can you tell me where my

home is?" But the butterfly did not say anything, and flew away.



The little gray kitten walked on, and then she spied a robin on a stone

wall near-by. "Mew," said the little gray kitten, "Where is my home?"



But the robin, cocking his head on one side, answered, "Chirp, chirp,"

and then spreading his wings, flew away.






She felt very sad indeed, but running along she came up to a big black

dog. "Mew, mew!" said the little gray kitten, "Oh, can you not tell me

where my home is?"



But the big black dog shook his tail, and barked "Bow-wow,

bow-wow-wow-wow!" so loudly that the little gray kitten ran away from

him as fast as she could go.



The little gray kitten was very tired, but she still ran on, and soon

met a big red cow. "Mew, mew-ew," said the little gray kitten, "Can you

not tell me where my home is?"






The big red cow, however, hardly looking at the little kitten, stretched

out her big head, and shouted, "Moo, moo-oo!" which so frightened the

little gray kitten that she jumped over a fence and landed right in the

middle of a flower-bed.



There she caught sight of a little girl running up to her, and with such

a sweet smile on her face that the little gray kitten ran toward her and

said once more, "Mew, do you know where my home is?"



"Oh, you dear fluffy gray ball!" said the smiling little girl, catching

the kitten up in her arms. "I'm going to take you right home to live

with me."



The little girl was the only one who had understood, and the little gray

kitten purred softly. She was happy for she had found a home.