Page:The art of story-telling, with nearly half a hundred stories, y Julia Darrow Cowles .. (IA artofstorytellin00cowl).pdf/145

 She was a very polite old cat, so she knocked at the door of the first house.

"Come, Mr. Rus; please let me in!" said she.

"Oh, no," said Rus; "you can't come in."

Tabby was a wise old cat. She put her soft paw into the hay and caught poor Rus.

Then she went to the next house. "Come, Mr. Fus; let me in," she said.

"Oh, no!" said Fus, "you can't come in."

But Tabby knew better than that. She put her paw through the paper door and caught poor Fus. Then she went to the next house.

"Come, Mr. Mus; let me in!" said she.

"Oh, yes!" said Mus; "when I am ready."

So Tabby sat down to wait. She laughed when she thought what a nice supper Mus would make.

When she had waited a long time, she grew tired.

"Are you ready now, Mr. Mus?" she asked.

"Not yet," said Mus.

By and by Tabby knocked loudly on the door.