Laura Rountree Smith

“ Old Mother Kit-Cat straightened her cap and called.
“Come in, come in, the hearth is wide,
There’s room for one and all inside.”
They all held their breath for no one came in this time.
The Three Little Kittens whispered to each other “What if it should be the Three Little Foxes coming in next? What if it should be the Three Little Foxes who stole our mittens?” ”

“ GRANDPA GROWLER AND THE THREE BEARS Next morning early, Dot and Tot and Trot woke up crying,
“We’re good Little Kittens,
May we find our mittens?
Old Mother Kit-Cat, we’re coming down stairs,
We’re good Little Kittens,
We’ll go find our mittens,
If we may repair to the home of Three Bears.”
Old Mother Kit-Cat answered, “What do you know about Bears? You cannot understand Bear Language.” ”

“ Still Dot and Tot cried, “Boo-hoo, we do not want to go to the Foxes’ den.”
Trot went out and got the washboiler and said, “Cry it full so Mother Catastrophe [Pg 39] can perhaps make use of it.”
But still they cried. While Tot cried loudly, Dot moved the washboiler so that none of their tears would fall inside.
“We are afraid of the Foxes, we do not want to go to their den.”
Old Mother Catastrophe waited for them to stop crying but they would not stop.
“It’s silly quite for you to cry,
You’ll lose all fear by and by.”
“Must we go to the Foxes’ den?” asked both Dot and Tot. ”