little sir cat meets "the maiden all forlorn"

after leaving cinderella's house little sir cat continued his journey with a happy heart, for had he not had a fine night's rest and a good breakfast, and for a traveler that is a good beginning. the road now led through the country, with well-kept farm lands on either side.

"that looks like the house that jack built!" he exclaimed, as he neared a big farm house. sure enough it was, for there in the meadow close by was the cow with the crumpled horn, and leaning against the turnstile at the corner of the fence was the maiden all forlorn.

"good morning, miss," said little sir cat, but for an answer the maiden began to cry.

"don't cry," he said, wiping the tears from her eyes, for he was a very tender-hearted puss. "don't cry."

"i can't help it," whimpered the maiden all forlorn. "you'd cry, too, if you'd been kissed by the man all tattered and torn."

"did it tickle?" inquired little sir cat.

"tickle!" exclaimed the maiden all forlorn. "it scratched! but where are you going?"

"where am i going?" he repeated. "why, i'm seeking my fortune." and then piggie porker began to cry. i guess he felt that nobody cared much about him for the maiden all forlorn hadn't noticed him at all.

"nobody, nobody cares for me,

i feel as lonely as can be.

i'm a character in mother goose,

so i consider you've no excuse

not to speak a word to me,

piggie porker, diddle dum dee."

"you naughty pig," said the maiden all forlorn, "how did you get out of your sty?" so he told her how georgy porgy had teased him until he had run-away. well, after that she invited little sir cat to visit the house that jack built, which was just a little ways off on the green hill. so the three went through the stile and by-and-by they found jack himself making a garage in which to keep his new automobile, for in mother goose land, now-a-days, automobiles are quite the thing, you know.

but, oh, dear me! as soon as the dog that worried the cat saw little sir kitten, he commenced to growl. but pretty soon he stopped, and, wagging his tail, asked about old mother hubbard's dog. after that all the people who lived in the house that jack built came out to say "how do you do," even the man all tattered and torn, and the nice old priest all shaven and shorn, and the rooster who crowed in the early morn. and, let me see! who else greeted little sir cat? why, little boy blue with his bright tin horn, and the sheep that trampled the waving corn, and, oh, dear me again, i can't go on like this any longer, unless i can find a word to rhyme with corn.

"i must be going, my pretty maid," said little sir cat, gallantly taking off his hat with the long feather and bowing. then away he went to find his fortune.

and maybe he will in the next story, unless—

the big high church steeple

falls down on the people.