The Jumble Book Part 29

LITTLE SIR CAT

Little Sir Cat Visits the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe

_There was an Old Woman who lived in a shoe, And it was a pity she didn't have two.

It was crowded so tight from the heel to the toe The children were packed like sardines in a row._

Well, as Little Sir Cat went on his way to find his fortune in Mother Goose Land, he came in sight of a queer-looking little house, and when he drew nearer he found it wasn't a house at all, but a big shoe, with a little chimney on top and a tiny door in the toe and two small windows above the heel.

"I'd ask you to make us a visit," said the Old Woman, "but, dearie me! I haven't even a spare closet, and rents are so high I've not been able to hire another old shoe."

"Thank you just the same," replied Little Sir Cat, and off he went, and by-and-by, after a while, not so very long, he saw a little bear dressed in a red cap and khaki trousers, but I don't think he wore anything on his feet because his claws were so sharp they made holes in his shoes and his mother wouldn't buy him any more.

[Ill.u.s.tration: LITTLE SIR CAT VISITS THE OLD WOMAN WHO LIVED IN A SHOE]

"If you want to find your fortune?" said the little bear, "follow me,"

and he led Little Sir Cat down a narrow path till they came to a cave in a great rock. And, oh my, it looked dark inside, but the little bear wasn't afraid, and by-and-by he found a candle. And when he had lighted it, they went farther into the big dark cave till they came to a little iron door. But before the little bear opened it, he said, "If anybody speaks to you, you mustn't say anything but 'b.u.mpty b.u.mp!'" Then the little bear opened the door and there sat twenty-one little dwarfs at a table filling little bags with gold.

"What are you doing here?" they asked, all in one voice.

"b.u.mpty b.u.mp!" replied the little bear.

"And what are _you_ doing here?" And, oh, dear me! for a moment Little Sir Cat forgot what the little bear had told him. And if he hadn't remembered to say "b.u.mpty b.u.mp!" pretty quick I guess something dreadful might have happened.

Then all the little dwarfs looked frightened to death, and they whispered together and tried to hide the bags of gold under the three-legged stools. But the little bear wouldn't go away, and of course Little Sir Cat did just what the little bear did, for he didn't know what else to do, you know.

Well, after a while the dwarfs asked, "What do you want?" And Little Sir Cat replied, "b.u.mpty b.u.mp!" And then the little dwarfs looked at one another, and, oh, dear me! how they did scowl. But pretty soon one of them filled two small bags with gold and gave them to him.

"b.u.mpty b.u.mp!" said Little Sir Cat with a bow, and then the little bear opened the door and led him back through the big cave till they came out into the sunlight again.

And that's how Little Sir Cat found his fortune.

Transcriber's Notes:

Obvious punctuation errors repaired.

As this book had no page numbers, errata will be listed by story or rhyme instead.

Little Sir Cat Helps Piggie,

"Chesire" changed to "Cheshire" (his from Cheshire)

What to Do at Night:

The final line of the first stanza was not indented in the original.

This was changed to match the form of the rest of the poem.

d.i.c.k's Valentine:

"litle" changed to "little" (speak the little waif)