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Three Little Kittens-Katharine Pyle · Three Little Kittens Who Lost Their Mittens

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  Speaker 1: Chapter one of the Three Little Kittens. This is a
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  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
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  Speaker 1: For more information or to volunteer, please visit w w
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  Speaker 1: W dot LibriVox dot r G Three Little Kittens by
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  Speaker 1: Katherine Pyle. Chapter one, Jasburry came scampering gaily up the
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  Speaker 1: stairs to where his mother and aunt Tabby were sitting
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  Speaker 1: on the windows silk, washing their faces and cleaning their fur.
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  Speaker 1: Jasberry was a small black kitten with white markings on
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  Speaker 1: his face and dressed in loft, little white paws. Soft
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  Speaker 1: as those little paws were, they were sharp needled claws
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  Speaker 1: hidden in their velvet, and Jasburry knew how to use
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  Speaker 1: them when necessary too. Mother Brunch's tail hung down from
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  Speaker 1: the window seat, waving softly. It looked almost like a mouse,
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  Speaker 1: so soft and gray. Jasberry made a jump and caught
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  Speaker 1: it with his claws. His mother growled and drew her tail.
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  Speaker 1: Crowded around her, Jasbury jumped up after it and tried
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  Speaker 1: to tease his mother into playing with him. Johnsbury, you
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  Speaker 1: haven't washed yourself this morning, his aunt said severely. Look
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  Speaker 1: at your paws. You've been in the colpin again. You
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  Speaker 1: naughty kitten.
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  Speaker 2: I thought I had a mouse. There, knew Jasberry a mouse.
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  Speaker 2: What will a mouse be doing in a colbin? No,
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  Speaker 2: you just wanted an excuse for clambering about among the
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  Speaker 2: coal and making up rattles. And now look how dirty
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  Speaker 2: you are. Sit down and make yourself clean, Jaspberry said
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  Speaker 2: his mother.
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  Speaker 3: No, that my tailor.
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  Speaker 2: I'm not going to plade. And if you want any breakfast,
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  Speaker 2: you'd better make haste to wash yourself. I will not
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  Speaker 2: have such a dirty kidney. Leave from the saucer with him.
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  Speaker 2: Jaspberry sat down and began to wash his face with
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  Speaker 2: one of his granny little paws. His aunt sighed, paws first,
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  Speaker 2: She said, you'll only make yourself dirty if you try
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  Speaker 2: to wash your face before you clean your paws.
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  Speaker 1: Oh, dear me, mute jaspery crossly.
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  Speaker 2: I really don't know what's going to become of you
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  Speaker 2: if you don't keep yourself cleaner. His ants went on,
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  Speaker 2: I'm really afraid something terrible may happen to you. I
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  Speaker 2: knew a cat once who wouldn't wash herself, and so
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  Speaker 2: her mistress used to do it for her with water.
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  Speaker 2: She was sweat over water and soap and a sponge
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  Speaker 2: how would you feel if it happened to you some day?
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  Speaker 2: And it may unless you learn to keep yourself cleaner.
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  Speaker 1: Jasper was frightened at the thought that such a thing
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  Speaker 1: might happen to him too if he didn't keep himself clean,
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  Speaker 1: and he set about washing himself in earnest. First he
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  Speaker 1: washed his paws, and after he had cleaned them, he
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  Speaker 1: cleaned his face, licking his paws with his little pink
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  Speaker 1: tongue and currying it round over his furry little cheeks
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  Speaker 1: and forehead and chin, and even behind his ears. But
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  Speaker 1: by breakfast time he was clean enough to be a
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  Speaker 1: law to eat with his mother, and at Tabby, the
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  Speaker 1: human people and the cat people had their breakfast at
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  Speaker 1: the same time. The human people had theirs in the
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  Speaker 1: dining room and the cat people had theirs in the pantry.
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  Speaker 1: The cat people always had very good meals, bread and
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  Speaker 1: milk and fish twice a week, and sometimes meat and potatoes.
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  Speaker 2: What's the use of my honoring to catch mice?
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  Speaker 1: Jasburry often said.
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  Speaker 2: I get all I want to eat anyway.
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  Speaker 1: And is aun't but answer?
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  Speaker 2: You ought to feel grateful enough for your good meals
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  Speaker 2: to want to catch mice of people.
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  Speaker 1: But Jaspburry paid little attention to such advice while he
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  Speaker 1: cared folks having a good time and play about, and
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  Speaker 1: if mice had to be caught, he left it to
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  Speaker 1: his mother and aunt Tabby to do it.
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  Speaker 3: End of chapter one, Chapter number two of The Three
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  Speaker 3: Little Kittens. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings
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  Speaker 3: are in the public For more information or to volunteer,
• 4:02
  Speaker 3: please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by Mike Stanish. Three
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  Speaker 3: Little Kittens by Katherine Pyle, Chapter two. Jasberry's best friend
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  Speaker 3: was a little white kitten named Fluffy. Fluffy lived in
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  Speaker 3: the house next door to Jasberry's. On the other side
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  Speaker 3: of Jasburry's house was an open lot. The gentlemen cats
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  Speaker 3: of the neighborhood had a club that met in this
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  Speaker 3: lot every night. It was a singing club, but sometimes
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  Speaker 3: the cats quarreled amongst themselves and were very noisy. Mother
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  Speaker 3: Bunchnot Tabby said that they wished the cats would meet
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  Speaker 3: some other place, but Jasberry liked to hear them. He
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  Speaker 3: wished he were old enough to belong to the club
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  Speaker 3: and sing and fight and stay out all night the
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  Speaker 3: way they did, but he was still only a soft,
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  Speaker 3: playful little kitten who had not even caught his first
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  Speaker 3: mouse yet. Once Jasberry climbed up on the fence and
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  Speaker 3: jumped over into the lot. There he had prowled about
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  Speaker 3: among them weeds and chased grasshoppers and shiny black crickets.
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  Speaker 3: It was great fun. Another kitten was hunting there too,
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  Speaker 3: but he was hunting birds. He laughed at Jasberry for
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  Speaker 3: catching grasshoppers. He told Jasberry that his name was Yowler
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  Speaker 3: and that he belonged to the Baker who lived a
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  Speaker 3: little further down the street. Yewlller had a broad, ugly
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  Speaker 3: face and a stubby tail. His fur looked dirty and
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  Speaker 3: uncared for. He was a yellow cat. Jawsberry liked him
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  Speaker 3: because he was strong and big and bold. And when
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  Speaker 3: Jasberry told his mother about Yowler, she said she did
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  Speaker 3: not want Jasberry to play with him. She said she
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  Speaker 3: knew all about him, that he was a very coarse,
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  Speaker 3: noisy cat, and she told Jasberry he must not go
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  Speaker 3: over in the lot again. Jasberry was allowed to go
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  Speaker 3: over into Fluffy's yard whenever he wanted to. Mother Bunch
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  Speaker 3: and Aunt Tabby both liked Fluffy. They thought he was
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  Speaker 3: a very nice, well behaved little kitten. One day, when
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  Speaker 3: Jawsberry climbed up on the fence that separated his yard
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  Speaker 3: from Fluffy's, he saw his little friend sitting down on
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  Speaker 3: the kitchen steps, watching something in the grass below him.
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  Speaker 3: He was so intent on what he saw he did
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  Speaker 3: not notice Jasberry. Hello, Fluffy muled Jasberry. Fluffy jumped. Then
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  Speaker 3: he looked around. Hello, what have you got there, asked
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  Speaker 3: Jasberry curiously. A toad going to catch it? No, I
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  Speaker 3: don't like them. They haven't got any fur, and I
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  Speaker 3: don't like the feel of them. Well, come up here,
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  Speaker 3: I want to show you something. Fluffy climbed up the
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  Speaker 3: step ladder that was leaning against the fence. What are
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  Speaker 3: you going to show me?
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  Speaker 4: Do you see this fence? Well, I walked all the
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  Speaker 4: way round the top of it yesterday. I never fell
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  Speaker 4: off once.
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  Speaker 3: Fluffy looked at the fence in silence for a moment
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  Speaker 3: or so. Then he said, that's not so much to do.
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  Speaker 4: I guess it is too. You couldn't do it, Yes,
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  Speaker 4: I could if I wanted to. Well, let's see you.
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  Speaker 3: I don't want two.
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  Speaker 4: You're afraid. No, I'm not either, Yes, you are too.
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  Speaker 4: Freddy Gat, Freddy Gat never catch him as he read,
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  Speaker 4: I can. I can catch mice, and I can walk
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  Speaker 4: on the fence too. I'll show you walk to the
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  Speaker 4: post and back, and I'll give you a chicken moon
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  Speaker 4: I found down back of the rain barrel. All right,
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  Speaker 4: it's a promise. Now watch me.
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  Speaker 3: Fluffy set out along the top of the fence, walking
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  Speaker 3: very slowly and carefully, one paw before the other.
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  Speaker 4: Hurry up, hurry up, No fair walking so.
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  Speaker 3: Slowly, said Jasberry.
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  Speaker 4: Yes it's fair too, and don't you mew at me.
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  Speaker 3: Fluffy reached the post safely and then tried to turn,
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  Speaker 3: but that was not such an easy maneuver. He lost
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  Speaker 3: his balance, his tail waved wildly, his claws clutched the fence.
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  Speaker 3: He teetered back and forth, and then with a loud mew,
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  Speaker 3: he half jumped, half fell down on the flower bed below.
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  Speaker 3: Jaspberry laughed and laughed the way kittens doom. You wouldn't
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  Speaker 3: have known, he was laughing. You couldn't have heard it,
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  Speaker 3: but a cat or kitten could. And it hurt Fluffy's
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  Speaker 3: feelings to be laughed at. I don't care. I don't
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  Speaker 3: believe you could do it either, he muted. Now watch me,
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  Speaker 3: said Jasberry. He ran gaily out along the fence top,
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  Speaker 3: with never a pause or misstep. He ran all the
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  Speaker 3: way down one side without stopping, and then started across
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  Speaker 3: the back fence toward the other side. Now, back of
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  Speaker 3: Jasberry's yard was another yard, and a very rough boy
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  Speaker 3: lived there. The boy was out in the yard now
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  Speaker 3: he was squirting a hose, and another boy with a
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  Speaker 3: very dirty face was there with him. I cried the
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  Speaker 3: dirty faced boy. Look at that kitten walking along the fence. Yeah,
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  Speaker 3: answered the other. I'm gonna squirt those on him. Go ahead,
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  Speaker 3: cried the other, see what he'll do. Jasberry was very
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  Speaker 3: much frightened. He began to run. He might have jumped
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  Speaker 3: down off the fence, but he never thought of that.
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  Speaker 3: He ran as fast as he could, But before he
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  Speaker 3: could reach the other side, a torrent of cold water
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  Speaker 3: struck him, almost sweeping him off the fence. The boy
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  Speaker 3: was squirting the hose on him, as he had said.
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  Speaker 3: Jawsberry tried to hold fast to the fence. He tried
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  Speaker 3: to yowl, but the rush of water filled his mouth,
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  Speaker 3: his ears, his eyes blinded and drenched. He was finally
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  Speaker 3: carried off the fence by it and landed in the yard.
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  Speaker 3: Below his own yard. Luckily there the fence protected him.
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  Speaker 3: Fluffy looked on, horrified by what he saw. Jawsberry struggled
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  Speaker 3: to his feet and ran toward the house, trailing water
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  Speaker 3: after him. You mean, and he cried, Oh.
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  Speaker 4: Mamma, mamma, come quick.
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  Speaker 3: New miu youw Mother Brunch heard him crying and burst
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  Speaker 3: open the screen door of the kitchen and came running
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  Speaker 3: to meet him.
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  Speaker 4: What is it?
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  Speaker 5: What is it?
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  Speaker 3: She cried, what's the matter? Jowsberry?
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  Speaker 4: Oh, I'm so wet, I'm so o what?
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  Speaker 3: He shivered.
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  Speaker 4: Oh, my child, come over here.
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  Speaker 3: Mother Branch hurried him over to a warm, sunny corner
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  Speaker 3: beside the kitchen steps and began to dry him with
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  Speaker 3: her pink rough tongue.
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  Speaker 4: But how did it happen?
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  Speaker 3: She asked again?
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  Speaker 4: Did you fall into a bucket? I didn't fall into
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  Speaker 4: anything except the yard. There was some boys and they
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  Speaker 4: put water.
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  Speaker 3: On me, And Jasberry told his mother the whole story.
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  Speaker 3: Aunt Tabby sat by and listened gravely.
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  Speaker 4: Well, Jasberry, it's really no more than I expected, said she.
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  Speaker 4: It's just as I told you. If you won't wash yourself,
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  Speaker 4: you'll get washed by some one else. And I must
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  Speaker 4: say you're looking cleaner than you've looked for many a day.
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  Speaker 3: His mother said nothing. She thought Jasberry had been punished
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  Speaker 3: enough by the drenching without being lectured as well. End
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  Speaker 3: of chapter two, Chapter three of The Three Little Kittens.
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  Speaker 3: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 11:06
  Speaker 3: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
• 11:09
  Speaker 3: visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by Mike Stanish. Three Little
• 11:14
  Speaker 3: Kittens by Katherine Pyle. Three Jawsburry. I've found a fresh
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  Speaker 3: mouse hole, said Aunt Tabby one day. It's in the
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  Speaker 3: cupboard under the sink, and the cook has left the
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  Speaker 3: door open. Come with me and I'll show it to you.
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  Speaker 3: I have great hopes the mouse may come out before
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  Speaker 3: very long, and if you sit there and watch, you
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  Speaker 3: may catch him.
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  Speaker 4: Aunt Tabby, Oh, I don't want to watch the mouse.
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  Speaker 3: Holes to day, mute Jawsberry.
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  Speaker 4: I told Fluffy I would come out and play with him,
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  Speaker 4: mayn't I, mother, I said I wouldn't. I don't want
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  Speaker 4: to sit in a cupboard and watch. Maybe the mouse
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  Speaker 4: wouldn't come out anyway, And Fluffy expects me.
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  Speaker 3: You always have some excuse, Jasberry said his aunt severely.
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  Speaker 4: If you have your way, you would never do anything
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  Speaker 4: but play. But as long as you have to learn
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  Speaker 4: to mouse sometime, I don't see why to day isn't
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  Speaker 4: as good a time to begin as any Yes, Jaspberry,
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  Speaker 4: go with your aunt, said his mother, and don't look sulky.
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  Speaker 4: I'm sure you ought to be very grateful to her
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  Speaker 4: for telling you about the hole. But I don't want
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  Speaker 4: to sit in the cupboard all morning. And I can
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  Speaker 4: find holes too. I've found one out in the shed yesterday,
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  Speaker 4: a big, big one. I'd rather watch that one if
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  Speaker 4: I have to watch any Oh, very well.
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  Speaker 3: Said his aunt.
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  Speaker 4: You may do as you please about it, but I
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  Speaker 4: think you'd be much more likely to catch a mouse
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  Speaker 4: in the cupboard. I'd rather watch it the shed.
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  Speaker 3: His mother too, said he might do as he chose
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  Speaker 3: about it, but neither she nor Aunt Tappy had much
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  Speaker 3: hopes he would catch anything.
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  Speaker 4: I'll have to go out and tell Fluffy I can't
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  Speaker 4: play this.
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  Speaker 3: Morning, said Jasberry. Don't be long, said his mother.
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  Speaker 4: Comes straight back as soon as you've told.
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  Speaker 3: Him, Jaspberry promised he would, and then ran out into
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  Speaker 3: the kitchen and mute for the cook to open the
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  Speaker 3: outside door for him. Bothers, cuts scolded the cook.
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  Speaker 4: It takes all my time letting them in and out.
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  Speaker 3: She left the soup she was stirring, and came over
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  Speaker 3: and opened the door, and the kitten ran past her
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  Speaker 3: out into the sunny yard. Fluffy was sitting on the
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  Speaker 3: top step of the ladder, looking over the fence and
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  Speaker 3: waiting for him.
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  Speaker 4: I can't come out to play with you now. I
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  Speaker 4: have to catch a mouse for mother and aunt Tabby.
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  Speaker 3: Fluffy was much interested. Where are you going to catch it?
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  Speaker 3: He asked?
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  Speaker 4: In the shit, I've found the hole myself. It's a big, big,
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  Speaker 4: big hole. I guess the biggest mouse you ever saw
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  Speaker 4: lived in it. I guess you'd be scared if you
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  Speaker 4: tried to catch a mouse as big as that one,
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  Speaker 4: wouldn't you?
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  Speaker 3: Maybe I wouldn't. Maybe I wouldn't.
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  Speaker 4: I know you would.
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  Speaker 3: I've got some big mice, too, said Fluffy, not.
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  Speaker 4: As big as this one, though. I'll show him, do you,
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  Speaker 4: after I catch him.
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  Speaker 3: Jasberry ran back and mute for the cook to open
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  Speaker 3: the door again. The cook was so angry she did
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  Speaker 3: not open it for quite a while, but Jasberry muted
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  Speaker 3: so loudly that at last she was obliged to for
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  Speaker 3: the sake of peace. When she did open it, she
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  Speaker 3: cried scat at him and pushed out her foot at
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  Speaker 3: him as he ran past her. Jasbery did not mind that.
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  Speaker 3: He hurried past her and out into the shed, the
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  Speaker 3: door of which was luckily open. The hole he had
• 14:28
  Speaker 3: found was down back of a bench, and some unused
• 14:32
  Speaker 3: buckets were piled up in front of it. Jasberry crouched
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  Speaker 3: down in the shadow of the buckets. He crouched there
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  Speaker 3: for a long time, without moving, and with his eyes
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  Speaker 3: fixed patiently on the whole. Aunt Tabby would have been
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  Speaker 3: pleased and surprised if she could have seen how still
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  Speaker 3: he kept. After a while, however, he began to feel discouraged.
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  Speaker 3: He wondered whether there were any mouse there after all.
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  Speaker 3: Maybe Aunt Tabby was right and he should have watched
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  Speaker 3: in the cupboard. Just as he was thinking this, he
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  Speaker 3: heard a scratching rushing sound inside the hole, and a
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  Speaker 3: gray head with a pointed nose and two gleaming round
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  Speaker 3: black eyes appeared at the mouth of the hole. Jawsburry
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  Speaker 3: quivered all over as he crouched still lower and made
• 15:12
  Speaker 3: ready to leap upon the mouse. Then suddenly he stiffened
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  Speaker 3: and stared with big eyes. Surely no mouse had ever
• 15:21
  Speaker 3: had such a big head as this. After the head
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  Speaker 3: followed a great fat body and a long, long, long tail.
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  Speaker 3: The mouse was not a mouse at all, but a
• 15:31
  Speaker 3: huge gray rat. Jasberry was terrified. His tail grew big,
• 15:35
  Speaker 3: and every separate hair stood on end. The rat looked
• 15:38
  Speaker 3: at him with a wicked grin. Oh ho, so you
• 15:42
  Speaker 3: thought you'd catch me, did you? Cried the rat. I
• 15:46
  Speaker 3: knew you were there. I heard you, and I smelled you.
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  Speaker 3: You thought you'd catch me, did you? Well? Here I am.
• 15:54
  Speaker 3: Now let's see you catch me. The rat saddled over
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  Speaker 3: toward Jasburry, and just as fast as he saddled over,
• 16:00
  Speaker 3: Jasberry backed away. He tried to spit and growl, but
• 16:04
  Speaker 3: he was too frightened. Thought you'd catch me, Maybe I'll
• 16:07
  Speaker 3: catch you. I like little kittens for supper, like him
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  Speaker 3: as much as cheese. He gave a heavy jump toward Jasberry,
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  Speaker 3: and his sharp teeth showed in a wicked grin.
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  Speaker 4: Mamma, mamma, had Tobby, come.
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  Speaker 3: Quick, new Jawsberry shrilly. Suddenly the rat started. His eyes
• 16:28
  Speaker 3: glared past Jawsberry toward the kitchen door. A look of
• 16:31
  Speaker 3: terror came over his face. He wheeled about and scuttled
• 16:34
  Speaker 3: back towards his hole. At the same moment, there was
• 16:36
  Speaker 3: an angry growl and a gray shape shot past Jawsberry.
• 16:40
  Speaker 3: It was Aunt Tabby. She had heard Jaspberry's cry of
• 16:42
  Speaker 3: distress and flown to help him. She rushed at the
• 16:45
  Speaker 3: rat and made a wild grab at him, but he
• 16:47
  Speaker 3: was too quick for her. Already he was disappearing in
• 16:50
  Speaker 3: his hole. She did catch his tail, but it slipped
• 16:52
  Speaker 3: away from her, and at the last moment the rat
• 16:54
  Speaker 3: was gone. Jasberry began to mew pitifully. Why Jasberry, what
• 16:58
  Speaker 3: are you crying about?
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  Speaker 6: Now?
• 17:00
  Speaker 3: You're all safe, said his aunt you you?
• 17:04
  Speaker 4: Oh, he frightened me. So I never knew there were
• 17:07
  Speaker 4: mouses like that mouse that wasn't a mouse, kitten, that
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  Speaker 4: was a rat, and a very big and savage rat too.
• 17:14
  Speaker 4: No wonder you were frightened. You'll have to be a
• 17:17
  Speaker 4: bigger kitten before you can grapple with a rat. I've
• 17:20
  Speaker 4: been trying to have a chance at him myself, but
• 17:23
  Speaker 4: I've never seen him till to day. He always stays
• 17:25
  Speaker 4: hidden when I'm around. And Tabby talked on comforting the
• 17:30
  Speaker 4: kitten until at last he stopped trembling, and his hair
• 17:33
  Speaker 4: smoothed themselves down into the usual smoothness. Now, Jawsberry, perhaps
• 17:38
  Speaker 4: you watch one of my mouse holes, she ended. I
• 17:42
  Speaker 4: promise you nothing but mice ever comes out of it.
• 17:45
  Speaker 4: Very well, then, thank you, Aunt.
• 17:47
  Speaker 3: Daddy, said Jasberry meekly, and he followed her back from
• 17:51
  Speaker 3: the shed into the kitchen, wondering what he would say
• 17:54
  Speaker 3: to Fluffy when he saw him again, and how he
• 17:57
  Speaker 3: could explain not having caught anything after all. However, he
• 18:01
  Speaker 3: need not have been troubled. Fluffy was such a gentle
• 18:03
  Speaker 3: little kitten that he never would tease or make fun
• 18:06
  Speaker 3: of anyone, no matter what they did or didn't do.
• 18:09
  Speaker 3: End of chapter three. Chapter four of Three Little Kittens.
• 18:19
  Speaker 3: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 18:22
  Speaker 3: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
• 18:25
  Speaker 3: visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by Mike Stanish. Three Little
• 18:30
  Speaker 3: Kittens by Katherine Pyle. Four. The next morning, Aunt Tabby
• 18:36
  Speaker 3: again offered to show Jasberry the mousehole in the cupboard.
• 18:40
  Speaker 3: Jasberry looked very sulky. He was ashamed to try to
• 18:43
  Speaker 3: beg off again, particularly after what Aunt Tabby had done
• 18:46
  Speaker 3: for him the day before, but it seemed hard to
• 18:49
  Speaker 3: have to give up another morning of play. He followed
• 18:51
  Speaker 3: Aunt Tabby into the kitchen. The cook had gone to market,
• 18:54
  Speaker 3: and the door of the cupboard was ajar. Aunt Tabby
• 18:57
  Speaker 3: pushed it open and led the way into the darkness
• 18:59
  Speaker 3: where the pots and pans were stored. Here's the hole, Jowsberry,
• 19:03
  Speaker 3: she told him in a low voice. I have a
• 19:05
  Speaker 3: feeling the mouse is out, and if you only keep
• 19:07
  Speaker 3: perfectly quiet, I feel sure it will try to get
• 19:10
  Speaker 3: back into the hole again. That will be a chance,
• 19:13
  Speaker 3: and I shall be very much disappointed if you did
• 19:16
  Speaker 3: not catch your first mouse this morning.
• 19:18
  Speaker 4: I don't realize if I could catch anything to.
• 19:21
  Speaker 3: Day, said Jaspberry sulkily. Now, Jowsberry, don't go about it
• 19:25
  Speaker 3: that way. If you don't catch it, it will be
• 19:28
  Speaker 3: your own fault, and I shall feel very much provoked
• 19:32
  Speaker 3: with you. Then Aunt Tabby went away and left him there.
• 19:35
  Speaker 3: She did not go far, however, she was so anxious
• 19:38
  Speaker 3: to have him get the mouse that she lingered close
• 19:41
  Speaker 3: by where she could hear everything that went on in
• 19:44
  Speaker 3: the cupboard. Though this the kitten did not know. Jasberry
• 19:47
  Speaker 3: crouched down in the shadow of the kettle as his
• 19:49
  Speaker 3: aunt bade him, and kept perfectly quiet with his eyes
• 19:53
  Speaker 3: fixed on the hole. Not even a whisker stirred. He
• 19:57
  Speaker 3: did wish that he could catch that mouse, if only
• 19:59
  Speaker 3: to show Aunt Tobby what he could do if he chose,
• 20:03
  Speaker 3: how pleased and surprised she and his mother would be
• 20:06
  Speaker 3: if he were really to get one. Outside the kitchen
• 20:10
  Speaker 3: was very still, the clock dick tocked, and the kettle
• 20:14
  Speaker 3: simmered on the stove. Suddenly, Jasberry heard a little scratching,
• 20:19
  Speaker 3: scraping sound at the back of one of the pots.
• 20:22
  Speaker 3: It was so very little and faint that only a
• 20:24
  Speaker 3: cat's ears could have heard it. Jasberry's eyes grew round,
• 20:28
  Speaker 3: his muscles stiffened, ready for a leap. Suddenly, out from
• 20:33
  Speaker 3: behind the pot wined a winged grasshopper. It flew so
• 20:37
  Speaker 3: close to Jasberry it almost brushed his nose. Forgetting all
• 20:40
  Speaker 3: about the mouse, Jasberry made a leap for it. He
• 20:43
  Speaker 3: knocked against a tin pan that clattered down with a
• 20:46
  Speaker 3: tremendous stin At the same moment, a little gray shape
• 20:49
  Speaker 3: flitted out from behind him like a tiny shadow, slipped
• 20:52
  Speaker 3: across the floor and disappeared down the mousehole. It was
• 20:55
  Speaker 3: the mouse and Jasberry had lost it. Almost at the
• 20:59
  Speaker 3: same moment, Jasbery received a sharp box on the ear
• 21:03
  Speaker 3: that almost upset him. You bat boy, cried his aunt.
• 21:07
  Speaker 3: I'm just all out of patience with you. Even when
• 21:10
  Speaker 3: a mouse runs right by under your nose, you can't
• 21:12
  Speaker 3: catch it, Jasberry began to me.
• 21:15
  Speaker 4: Well, you didn't have to box my years anyway. I
• 21:18
  Speaker 4: couldn't help it.
• 21:19
  Speaker 3: Yes, you could. That's what provokes me.
• 21:22
  Speaker 4: So Fuffy's not half as quick an active as you.
• 21:25
  Speaker 3: And look at the way he catches mice.
• 21:27
  Speaker 4: I'm ashamed of you.
• 21:28
  Speaker 3: Mother Bunch's round furry face appeared at the door, looking
• 21:32
  Speaker 3: in at them.
• 21:32
  Speaker 4: What's the matter? Has Jasberry been doing anything? No, he
• 21:37
  Speaker 4: hasn't been doing it, that's the matter.
• 21:40
  Speaker 3: And Aunt Tabby poured out the whole story, while Jaspberry
• 21:43
  Speaker 3: stood by, looking both sullen and ashamed.
• 21:47
  Speaker 6: I don't care.
• 21:48
  Speaker 4: I couldn't help it, he said. Don't say don't care
• 21:52
  Speaker 4: to me, said mother Bunch. It isn't respectful, not to me,
• 21:57
  Speaker 4: not to your aunt either. The mouse this has gone,
• 22:00
  Speaker 4: I suppose, so there's no use in you staying here.
• 22:04
  Speaker 4: You may go out on the kitchen steps, but you
• 22:07
  Speaker 4: mustn't play around or go over to see Fluffy. That
• 22:10
  Speaker 4: is your punishment for being so callous and disrespectful to.
• 22:14
  Speaker 3: End of chapter four, Chapter five of The Three Little Kittens.
• 22:24
  Speaker 3: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 22:27
  Speaker 3: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
• 22:30
  Speaker 3: visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by Mike Stanish Three Little
• 22:35
  Speaker 3: Kittens by Katherine Pyle. Five. Jaspberry sat out on the
• 22:39
  Speaker 3: kitchen steps and sulked. He did not think Aunt Tabby
• 22:42
  Speaker 3: had any right to box his ears, and instead of
• 22:45
  Speaker 3: being sorry for him, his mother had scolded him. It
• 22:48
  Speaker 3: wasn't fair. He was always getting scolded and punished. Well,
• 22:53
  Speaker 3: he'd just run away, That's what he'd do. He'd run
• 22:56
  Speaker 3: away and never come back. Then they'd be sorry. Maybe
• 22:59
  Speaker 3: they'd cry. He just wished they would. He'd be glad
• 23:03
  Speaker 3: if they cried. Suddenly, Fluffy's little furry white face peered
• 23:08
  Speaker 3: over the fence. Hello, Jawsberry. Jasberry did not answer at once.
• 23:12
  Speaker 3: Then he said, no, what's the matter.
• 23:15
  Speaker 4: Nothing the matter?
• 23:17
  Speaker 3: What you looking so cross about?
• 23:19
  Speaker 4: Nothing? Ain't looking cross.
• 23:21
  Speaker 3: Fluffy climbed over the fence and came and sat down
• 23:24
  Speaker 3: by Jasberry. He looked at him once or twice, but
• 23:27
  Speaker 3: he did not say anything. He was rather afraid of Jasberry.
• 23:30
  Speaker 3: When Jasberry was in one of his tempers, can't you
• 23:33
  Speaker 3: come over in my art to play? He asked? At last,
• 23:37
  Speaker 3: don't want to? At this moment, there was a scratching
• 23:40
  Speaker 3: sound on the fence between the yard and the lot,
• 23:42
  Speaker 3: and a third kitten, a large yellow one, scrambled to
• 23:46
  Speaker 3: the top of one of the fence posts and seated
• 23:48
  Speaker 3: himself on it. It was Yowler. Oh Jazz, he cried
• 23:52
  Speaker 3: down in the yowling voice that had given him his name. Hello,
• 23:57
  Speaker 3: answered Jasberry, still very sulky. Comer took no notice of Fluffy.
• 24:02
  Speaker 3: I got some to tell you. What can't tell you here?
• 24:07
  Speaker 3: Come on over to me in the lot now, I
• 24:10
  Speaker 3: tell you, Kit, Why not? Cause, oh, come on, I.
• 24:17
  Speaker 4: Tell you, I can't. I got to sit here for
• 24:19
  Speaker 4: a while.
• 24:20
  Speaker 3: Why Because I tell you? Yowler jumped down into the
• 24:24
  Speaker 3: yard and came over and seated himself beside Jasberry. Fluffy
• 24:28
  Speaker 3: drew away. The newcomer was very dirty. You gone home, Kit,
• 24:32
  Speaker 3: said Yowler to Fluffy. Me and Jazz want to talk.
• 24:37
  Speaker 3: I shan't go home unless I want to answered, Fluffy,
• 24:40
  Speaker 3: bristling up. I don't have to go, do I, Jasberry?
• 24:44
  Speaker 4: No, If you have anything to say, Yowler, say it.
• 24:49
  Speaker 3: I'm afraid this kit'll tell.
• 24:52
  Speaker 4: Oh go ahead.
• 24:53
  Speaker 3: Cried Jasberry impatiently. He won't tell, will you, Fluffy? Of
• 24:57
  Speaker 3: course not well. Yowler paused and looked carefully round to
• 25:02
  Speaker 3: see that no one was listening. I'm gonna run away,
• 25:07
  Speaker 3: Jaspberry started violently.
• 25:09
  Speaker 4: Run away.
• 25:10
  Speaker 3: How strange for Yowler to say that it was exactly
• 25:13
  Speaker 3: what he had been thinking about. Yeah, run away. I'm
• 25:18
  Speaker 3: tired of sticking around in the baker's shop and catching
• 25:23
  Speaker 3: his mice for him. Let him catch his own mice
• 25:28
  Speaker 3: if he wants him. I'm tired of it. I tell you, where.
• 25:33
  Speaker 4: Are you going to run to?
• 25:35
  Speaker 3: Somewhere? I think maybe I'll go and live in the
• 25:39
  Speaker 3: woods for a while. Want to come along. It's gonna
• 25:44
  Speaker 3: be fine. The woods broke in, Fluffy. If you couldn't
• 25:48
  Speaker 3: live there, you'd get reined on, you'd get wet. Oh
• 25:52
  Speaker 3: you keep quiet, mute, yeller. Roughly, I ain't talkin to you.
• 25:57
  Speaker 3: And don't you wanna come? Jall, there's lots of places
• 26:02
  Speaker 3: to live, hollow trees and things and birds and field
• 26:08
  Speaker 3: mice and fish. We just have a great time. But
• 26:14
  Speaker 3: you don't know how to get there, said Jasberry. Sure
• 26:17
  Speaker 3: I do. Some man brought me in from the country
• 26:22
  Speaker 3: when I was a kitten, a little kitten. I mean,
• 26:26
  Speaker 3: we came past a wood, and I could find my
• 26:30
  Speaker 3: way back there just as easy as not if I tried.
• 26:35
  Speaker 3: Come on, Jazz, it's gonna be fine, I tell you, I,
• 26:42
  Speaker 3: just as life as not, said Jasberry slowly. When are
• 26:46
  Speaker 3: you going tomorrow morning? I guess just as soon as
• 26:51
  Speaker 3: the paper opens, this hyop and I can get you.
• 26:55
  Speaker 3: You come to, Fluffy, cried Jasberry. Suddenly, I'll go if
• 26:59
  Speaker 3: you will. Oh no, muled Fluffy, and Yowler chimed in, Oh,
• 27:05
  Speaker 3: he can't go. He's too much of a mama's pet.
• 27:11
  Speaker 3: We don't want him.
• 27:13
  Speaker 4: Yes, we do too, and I won't go on as
• 27:17
  Speaker 4: he will. Come on, Fluffy, we'll have lots of fun,
• 27:21
  Speaker 4: and we needn't stay unless we want to come on.
• 27:24
  Speaker 3: It took a great deal of persuasion before Fluffy would
• 27:27
  Speaker 3: agree to the plan, but at last he said he
• 27:29
  Speaker 3: would go if Yowler would promise to let him come
• 27:31
  Speaker 3: home any time he wanted to. He also made Yowler
• 27:34
  Speaker 3: promise that they would come straight back again that very
• 27:38
  Speaker 3: next day if they could not find a cave or
• 27:40
  Speaker 3: a hollow tree for shelter before nightfall. It was arranged
• 27:44
  Speaker 3: that they should all three meet in them lot the
• 27:47
  Speaker 3: next morning as sooner after breakfast as possible. Yowler wanted
• 27:51
  Speaker 3: them to start before breakfast, but to this Fluffy would
• 27:54
  Speaker 3: not consent. Jaspberry, too, thought it would be well to
• 27:57
  Speaker 3: have a last saucer of milk before they say. They
• 28:01
  Speaker 3: would not be apt to find much milk in the wood.
• 28:04
  Speaker 3: That night, Jasberry was very restless. He was too excited
• 28:08
  Speaker 3: to sleep well. When he did those off at last,
• 28:10
  Speaker 3: he dreamed he was trying to run down a road
• 28:12
  Speaker 3: toward a wood, and a dog was after him, two dogs,
• 28:15
  Speaker 3: three dogs. He dug his nails into the ground and
• 28:18
  Speaker 3: tried to pull himself along, but his paws seemed to
• 28:21
  Speaker 3: have grown fast to the ground, and the first dog
• 28:24
  Speaker 3: was upon him and caught him. Was crying in.
• 28:26
  Speaker 4: His ear Jawsberry, Jasberry, wake up, you must be having
• 28:29
  Speaker 4: a night, ma'am.
• 28:30
  Speaker 3: You are mewing. So he opened his eyes and there
• 28:33
  Speaker 3: he was safe in the warm, snug home. Cellar and
• 28:36
  Speaker 3: Aunt Tabby was patting him and telling him to wake up.
• 28:40
  Speaker 3: Jasbury was still trembling and panting from the terror of
• 28:43
  Speaker 3: his dream. What were you dreaming, dear, asked his mother.
• 28:47
  Speaker 3: Oh nothing, said Jasberry, just something about dogs. And then
• 28:51
  Speaker 3: he snuggled up against his mother and went to sleep again.
• 28:54
  Speaker 3: And this time he slept quietly and undisturbed by dreams.
• 28:58
  Speaker 3: End of chapter five.
• 29:05
  Speaker 7: Chapter six of Three Little Kittens. This is a LibriVox recording.
• 29:09
  Speaker 7: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
• 29:12
  Speaker 7: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
• 29:16
  Speaker 7: by Rosy Roberts from California. Three Little Kittens by Katherine Pyle,
• 29:21
  Speaker 7: Chapter six. When Jasberry awoke the next morning, the sun
• 29:25
  Speaker 7: was shining in through the sallow window, The birds were singing,
• 29:28
  Speaker 7: and the air was full of dewy freshness. His ugly
• 29:31
  Speaker 7: dreams of the night before were all forgotten. There could
• 29:33
  Speaker 7: not have been a more wonderful day for three little
• 29:35
  Speaker 7: kittens to start out on their adventures. The three of
• 29:39
  Speaker 7: them met in the lot soon after breakfast. As they
• 29:41
  Speaker 7: had agreed, y'all are at once to command now, Kit
• 29:45
  Speaker 7: said he we won't go altogether in a bunch that
• 29:48
  Speaker 7: will look queer, and some one would be sure to
• 29:50
  Speaker 7: notice us. I'll start off first, Fluff can come next,
• 29:54
  Speaker 7: and then Jazz. You keep about half a square behind me,
• 29:57
  Speaker 7: Fluffy and Jazz half a square behind you. Then you
• 30:00
  Speaker 7: can see which way I go. But nobody will think
• 30:03
  Speaker 7: we're together to this plan. The others agreed. Suppose we
• 30:07
  Speaker 7: meet some dogs, said Fluffy. If you do, you'll just
• 30:10
  Speaker 7: have to do the best you can. Run up an
• 30:12
  Speaker 7: alley or climb a fence or something. Now, come on,
• 30:15
  Speaker 7: we'll go as far as the edge of the lots. Together.
• 30:19
  Speaker 7: The three little kittens stall away through the weeds, and
• 30:21
  Speaker 7: when they came to the edge of the lotch, Jasberry
• 30:24
  Speaker 7: and Fluffy stopped. They watched Yowler cross to the other
• 30:28
  Speaker 7: side of the street and turned a corner. Then, after
• 30:31
  Speaker 7: a moment or so, Fluffy followed, then Jasberry. The others
• 30:36
  Speaker 7: were still in sight when Jasberry turned the corner, Yowler
• 30:39
  Speaker 7: quite a distance up the street, and Fluffy not so far.
• 30:43
  Speaker 7: Two women with brooms in their hands were sweeping their
• 30:45
  Speaker 7: pavements and gossiping together as they swapt. Look at that kitten,
• 30:50
  Speaker 7: said one of them, as Jasberry ran past them. That's
• 30:53
  Speaker 7: the third kitten that's gone by in the last few minutes.
• 30:57
  Speaker 7: I know, I noticed that, replied the other funny wonder
• 31:01
  Speaker 7: where they come from. As Jasberry near the next corner,
• 31:05
  Speaker 7: he heard a sound of voices in loud talk, and
• 31:08
  Speaker 7: then the bark of a dog. Some boys were coming
• 31:11
  Speaker 7: that way, and a dog was with them. They were
• 31:13
  Speaker 7: just around the corner. Luckily there was an alleyway close by.
• 31:18
  Speaker 7: Jasberry ran into it and crouched there, and a moment
• 31:21
  Speaker 7: later a group of rough looking boys passed by it,
• 31:24
  Speaker 7: with a couple of dogs at their heels. Luckily none
• 31:28
  Speaker 7: of them thought of looking into the alleyway. Jasberry waited
• 31:32
  Speaker 7: till the sound of voices had died away, and then
• 31:35
  Speaker 7: he came out and ran on again. Yowler and Fluffy
• 31:38
  Speaker 7: were far ahead now, and he had to hurry to
• 31:41
  Speaker 7: get near them again. A little later, Fluffy had an
• 31:45
  Speaker 7: adventure that might have been very serious. He was going
• 31:48
  Speaker 7: past the little brown wooden house when the door opened
• 31:52
  Speaker 7: and a little girl came out, followed by an ugly
• 31:54
  Speaker 7: looking cur Almost at once, the dog so Fluffy. He
• 31:58
  Speaker 7: gave a sort of half yop, half bark, and started
• 32:01
  Speaker 7: after him. Fluffy saw him coming. There was no fence
• 32:05
  Speaker 7: and no alleyway where he could take shelter. Fortunately, there
• 32:09
  Speaker 7: was a tree a little further down the street, and
• 32:12
  Speaker 7: it was towards this tree that Fluffy ran for his life,
• 32:15
  Speaker 7: his tail big and every hair on end. The dog
• 32:18
  Speaker 7: was close at his heels when he dashed up the tree.
• 32:22
  Speaker 7: He clung there part way up, the dog leaping and
• 32:25
  Speaker 7: yelping below him. Jaspberry watched from behind a flight of steps,
• 32:30
  Speaker 7: trembling and terrified. It seemed as though any moment the
• 32:34
  Speaker 7: dog's teeth might close on the kitten. Fluffy clung there,
• 32:38
  Speaker 7: afraid to try to climb higher lest he lose his
• 32:41
  Speaker 7: hold and fall back into the dog's jaws. The little
• 32:45
  Speaker 7: girl had been shouting at the dog, and now she
• 32:48
  Speaker 7: found a stick, and running up, she beat him until
• 32:50
  Speaker 7: he whined and ran a little distance away. He did
• 32:53
  Speaker 7: not go far, however, but stood watching eagerly while the
• 32:57
  Speaker 7: little girl tried to coax Fluffy to come down to her.
• 33:00
  Speaker 7: But this Fluffy would not do. He had now scrambled
• 33:04
  Speaker 7: up to a crutch of the tree and sat there meowing. Presently,
• 33:09
  Speaker 7: the door of the house opened, and a woman looked out, pansy.
• 33:13
  Speaker 7: She called to the child, you go on and get
• 33:15
  Speaker 7: me the yeast cake. I'm waiting for it. But mother,
• 33:20
  Speaker 7: there's a kitten of this tree. I can't help it.
• 33:23
  Speaker 7: If there is, you go on and hurry too, it's
• 33:26
  Speaker 7: almost school time. Reluctantly, the little girl left the tree
• 33:30
  Speaker 7: and went on down the street and round the next corner. Fortunately,
• 33:34
  Speaker 7: she took the dog with her. Carefully and warily, Jaspberry
• 33:38
  Speaker 7: crept along a gutter to the foot of the tree. Hurry, Fluffy,
• 33:42
  Speaker 7: he me owed, Come down, we must get away before
• 33:45
  Speaker 7: the dog comes back. Oh I'm afraid, wailed Fluffy. I
• 33:50
  Speaker 7: want to go home. Me Ow, me ow, don't stop
• 33:54
  Speaker 7: to cry, called Jaspberry impatiently. You can't get home now,
• 33:57
  Speaker 7: and if you don't hurry, the dog will be back again.
• 34:01
  Speaker 7: So urged Fluffy managed to half scramble, half fall down
• 34:04
  Speaker 7: the tree, and he and Jasberry made off the street
• 34:07
  Speaker 7: as fast as they could go. They had come almost
• 34:10
  Speaker 7: to the end of the village now, and Yowler was
• 34:13
  Speaker 7: waiting for them. What kept you so long, he ma
• 34:16
  Speaker 7: out crossly. I've been waiting and waiting for you. A
• 34:20
  Speaker 7: dog room was called Fluffy, said Jasberry, and he told
• 34:23
  Speaker 7: Yowler the story of Fluffy's adventures wasn't that terrible, asked Jawsberry. Oh,
• 34:29
  Speaker 7: I don't know. He didn't get him anyway, said Yowler impatiently.
• 34:34
  Speaker 7: We'll get to the fields in a minute now, and
• 34:37
  Speaker 7: then we can all keep together. There won't be any
• 34:40
  Speaker 7: one to see us. A little later they were out
• 34:45
  Speaker 7: of the village altogether. Before them lay the sunny breath
• 34:48
  Speaker 7: of the country, a meadow and a stream, a field,
• 34:51
  Speaker 7: and far away the dark edge of a shady wood.
• 34:55
  Speaker 7: The kitten slipped through a fence and into the deep
• 34:57
  Speaker 7: grass of the meadow, insects about them. A butterfly fluttered
• 35:02
  Speaker 7: by so close above them that when Jasberry leaped for it,
• 35:06
  Speaker 7: he almost caught it. He would have liked to chase
• 35:09
  Speaker 7: some of the insects that flitted about, but Yowler told
• 35:12
  Speaker 7: him to wait. There are plenty of other things to catch,
• 35:16
  Speaker 7: he said, bigger things that we can really eat. Isn't
• 35:20
  Speaker 7: it fun, Fluffy, cried Jasberry. Aren't you glad we came? Yes,
• 35:24
  Speaker 7: it is fun, answered Fluffy, But he did not seem
• 35:28
  Speaker 7: quite as joyous over it as Jasberry. A little later,
• 35:34
  Speaker 7: Yowler crept away from them through the grasses. They saw
• 35:37
  Speaker 7: him pounce, and a moment later he came back with
• 35:39
  Speaker 7: a little field mouse in his mouth. What did I
• 35:42
  Speaker 7: tell you, he burred proudly. Guess we won't starve here.
• 35:45
  Speaker 7: The fields are full of them. They divided the field
• 35:48
  Speaker 7: mouse amongst them, and though none of them were hungry,
• 35:51
  Speaker 7: it was fun to eat out there in the open meadow,
• 35:53
  Speaker 7: with the blue sky overhead and the warm wind ruffling
• 35:56
  Speaker 7: their fur. They went on again, presently, take their time
• 36:01
  Speaker 7: and making side excursions through the grasses, or stopping to
• 36:04
  Speaker 7: rest and sun themselves in the more open places. Not
• 36:07
  Speaker 7: until late afternoon did they come to the wood. By
• 36:10
  Speaker 7: that time they were hungry again. Fluffy managed to catch
• 36:13
  Speaker 7: a small bird, which delighted the other two. Isn't he
• 36:17
  Speaker 7: a fine catcher? What did I tell you? Boasted Jasberry.
• 36:22
  Speaker 7: After they had eaten the bird, y'aller told the others
• 36:25
  Speaker 7: to wait where they were while he went to find
• 36:27
  Speaker 7: a place for them to sleep. After he left them,
• 36:30
  Speaker 7: the two younger kittens dropped into silence. Dusk was drawing down.
• 36:34
  Speaker 7: How big and dark and lonely it seemed in the wood.
• 36:37
  Speaker 7: Jasberry thought of his mother and aunt Tabby. They must
• 36:40
  Speaker 7: have missed him by now, How troubled they would be.
• 36:43
  Speaker 7: It would be good milk in the saucer in the pantry.
• 36:46
  Speaker 7: They must be eating their supper by now, but maybe
• 36:49
  Speaker 7: they would be too sad and sorry to eat. Fuffy
• 36:52
  Speaker 7: snuggled up close against him Jasberry. He whispered, Yes, don't
• 36:56
  Speaker 7: you wish we were home? Well, I wouldn't mind it.
• 36:59
  Speaker 7: Let's go home, Let's go before Yowler gets back. No,
• 37:03
  Speaker 7: that would be mean, But maybe tomorrow only I don't
• 37:07
  Speaker 7: know the way. Miow came Yowler's loud voice, breaking harshly
• 37:12
  Speaker 7: through the silence of the wood. Come on over here, kits,
• 37:15
  Speaker 7: I found a fine place to sleep. The other kittens
• 37:18
  Speaker 7: hurried towards the place from which his voice had come,
• 37:21
  Speaker 7: and found him standing in front of a hollow tree.
• 37:25
  Speaker 7: There was a bed of moss and dry leaves in
• 37:26
  Speaker 7: the hollow, and it was snug and dry. The three
• 37:30
  Speaker 7: kittens crept into it and snuggled down together, and soon
• 37:33
  Speaker 7: they were fast asleep, worn out by their journey and
• 37:36
  Speaker 7: the adventures they had passed through. End of chapter six,
• 37:49
  Speaker 7: Chapter seven of Three Little Kittens. This is a LibriVox recording.
• 37:54
  Speaker 7: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
• 37:57
  Speaker 7: information or to volunteer, please visit lib vaux dot org.
• 38:01
  Speaker 7: Recording by Rosy Roberts from California. Three Little Kittens by
• 38:05
  Speaker 7: Katherine Pyle, Chapter seven. Jasberry opened his eyes and looked
• 38:11
  Speaker 7: about him. For a moment, he could not think where
• 38:14
  Speaker 7: he was instead of the white washed walls and beams
• 38:17
  Speaker 7: of the cellar, the size of the tree arched up
• 38:20
  Speaker 7: above him, and there was Fluffy cuddled up close against him,
• 38:25
  Speaker 7: instead of Mother Bunch and Aunt Tabby. Then he remembered
• 38:28
  Speaker 7: he had run away. He was in the wood, But
• 38:31
  Speaker 7: where was Yowler? He had been there when Jasberry went
• 38:34
  Speaker 7: to sleep. Surely Yowler had not gone away and deserted them. Fluffy,
• 38:39
  Speaker 7: he me out, without opening his eyes. Fluffy gave a
• 38:42
  Speaker 7: sleepy little answering me out. He stretched himself and yawned,
• 38:46
  Speaker 7: showing his little pink tongue curled up inside his mouth.
• 38:50
  Speaker 7: Then he opened his eyes. Why, Jasberry, he said in
• 38:53
  Speaker 7: a surprised tone. He looked about him in a startled way.
• 38:57
  Speaker 7: Why Why I've forgotten we ran away? Where's Yowler? I
• 39:01
  Speaker 7: don't know, Let's call him.
• 39:03
  Speaker 3: But at this.
• 39:04
  Speaker 7: Moment Yowler came strolling around from behind the tree. Hello, Kits,
• 39:08
  Speaker 7: He said, he had a comfortable, lazy look. He was
• 39:11
  Speaker 7: licking his lips, and there was a tiny feather sticking
• 39:13
  Speaker 7: to one of his whiskers. Where have you been, asked Jasberry. Oh,
• 39:17
  Speaker 7: I just went out to look about. Well, I'm hungry.
• 39:20
  Speaker 7: What shall we do about breakfast? Yes? What shall we
• 39:23
  Speaker 7: do about breakfast? Chimed in Fluffy. Oh you'll have to
• 39:27
  Speaker 7: catch something. There's plenty here in the woods. But aren't
• 39:30
  Speaker 7: you going to help us, asked Jasberry anxiously, No, I
• 39:34
  Speaker 7: don't feel hungry. You kits. Go ahead. You won't have
• 39:37
  Speaker 7: any trouble about it. If I want anything, I'll catch
• 39:39
  Speaker 7: you later on. But I don't know how to catch things.
• 39:43
  Speaker 7: I never learned, said Jasberry. All the worse for you,
• 39:47
  Speaker 7: But I can't help it, said Yowler cruelly. Fluffy had
• 39:51
  Speaker 7: been looking sharply at Yowler. Now he said, Yowler, there's
• 39:54
  Speaker 7: a feather on your whiskers, Yaller started, Oh is there?
• 39:58
  Speaker 7: He said, and he hastily wiped it off with his paw.
• 40:02
  Speaker 7: You'd better hurry up if you want to catch anything,
• 40:04
  Speaker 7: he added. I'm sleepy, guess I'll take another snooze. He
• 40:09
  Speaker 7: went inside the tree and curled himself up in the
• 40:11
  Speaker 7: warm spot that Jaspberry and Fluffy had just left, and
• 40:14
  Speaker 7: closed his eyes. The two smaller kittens stood looking at
• 40:18
  Speaker 7: him for a moment. Come on, Jasberry, me out, Fluffy.
• 40:21
  Speaker 7: Let's go and look for something to eat. The two
• 40:25
  Speaker 7: little kittens wandered away from the tree and on deeper
• 40:28
  Speaker 7: into the wood. Jasberry felt very much hurt that Yowler
• 40:31
  Speaker 7: would not come with them. He didn't see why he
• 40:34
  Speaker 7: wasn't hungry too. I know why he wasn't hungry, said
• 40:38
  Speaker 7: Fluffy mysteriously. Why oh, I'll tell you sometime. Why won't
• 40:43
  Speaker 7: you tell me now? I don't want to, but I'll
• 40:45
  Speaker 7: tell you sometime. Jasberry looked about him. I don't see
• 40:49
  Speaker 7: where everywhere to get anything to eat? He me out.
• 40:52
  Speaker 7: I do right now, whispered Fluffy. Keep still now. He
• 40:58
  Speaker 7: crept silently forward through the bushes. There was a sudden leap, squeak,
• 41:02
  Speaker 7: a flutter, and a moment later Fluffy came back, proudly
• 41:05
  Speaker 7: carrying in his mouth a young bird he had killed.
• 41:08
  Speaker 7: Oh goody, cried Jasberry. I just love bird, and I've
• 41:12
  Speaker 7: never tasted it, but once Aunt Tuppy caught one in
• 41:15
  Speaker 7: the yard at home and gave me a piece. Won't
• 41:18
  Speaker 7: Yowler be pleased, Let's hurry back with it and i'll
• 41:21
  Speaker 7: have breakfast. Fluffy dropped the bird and put his pow
• 41:24
  Speaker 7: on it. I'm not going to give Yowler any he declared,
• 41:28
  Speaker 7: Not give Yowler any Oh, Fluffy, why not, because now
• 41:32
  Speaker 7: I'll tell you what I was going to tell you
• 41:33
  Speaker 7: a while ago and didn't. I'm just sure that Yowler
• 41:37
  Speaker 7: caught a bird this morning and ate it all himself
• 41:40
  Speaker 7: before we were awake. Jasberry could hardly believe such a
• 41:44
  Speaker 7: thing could be true. Oh, Fluffy, he wouldn't be so mean,
• 41:46
  Speaker 7: he cried, Well, I'm sure of it. Don't you remember
• 41:49
  Speaker 7: the feather on his whiskers. Anyway, you might as well
• 41:53
  Speaker 7: eat your share of the bird, for I sha'n't give
• 41:55
  Speaker 7: Yowler even a single bone, whether you eat any of
• 41:58
  Speaker 7: it or not. So the two little friends sat together
• 42:02
  Speaker 7: on the soft moss and divided the bird between them.
• 42:05
  Speaker 7: How delicious it was. The kittens purred and smacked their
• 42:08
  Speaker 7: lips over it. It was so good. But all the
• 42:11
  Speaker 7: while Jasberry had an unhappy feeling that they were treating
• 42:14
  Speaker 7: Yowler very badly, for he couldn't have done such a
• 42:17
  Speaker 7: mean thing as to catch a bird and eat it
• 42:19
  Speaker 7: without telling them a word about it. They had finished eating,
• 42:23
  Speaker 7: Fluffy sat down and began to wash himself. You'd better
• 42:27
  Speaker 7: wash yourself, too, Jasberry, he said. Just look how dirty
• 42:31
  Speaker 7: and dusty your fur is. I don't care me out, Jasberry.
• 42:35
  Speaker 7: I didn't come out in the woods to wash myself,
• 42:38
  Speaker 7: and I don't mean to do it. I'm never, never, never,
• 42:41
  Speaker 7: going to wash myself until we go home again. You'd
• 42:44
  Speaker 7: feel a whole lot more comfortable if you were nice
• 42:46
  Speaker 7: and clean, said Fluffy, and he went on washing himself
• 42:49
  Speaker 7: until his fur fairly shone with whiteness. Then the two
• 42:54
  Speaker 7: kittens strolled back toward the tree. Jasberry was almost ashamed
• 42:58
  Speaker 7: to face Yowler anyway. It was not his fault. It
• 43:01
  Speaker 7: had not been his bird. Suddenly, Fluffy stopped his eyes
• 43:05
  Speaker 7: wide and excited. There look at that, he cried, What,
• 43:09
  Speaker 7: asked Jasberry? There under that bush? Jasberry looked, and then
• 43:14
  Speaker 7: he saw a little heap of feathers lying under the bush,
• 43:18
  Speaker 7: a wing, a tail. Fluffy went over to where they
• 43:21
  Speaker 7: lay and sniffed about. I knew it, he me out.
• 43:25
  Speaker 7: Yowler has been here. This is where he killed the
• 43:27
  Speaker 7: bird and ate it. Now you'll believe me, I guess.
• 43:31
  Speaker 7: Jasberry too went over to the bush and sniffed about,
• 43:34
  Speaker 7: and he could very easily tell that Yowler had been there.
• 43:38
  Speaker 7: It made him feel very sad that their companions should
• 43:41
  Speaker 7: have played such a trick upon them. When they came
• 43:45
  Speaker 7: to the hollow tree, they found Yowler still fast asleep.
• 43:49
  Speaker 7: They're coming awakened to him. Did you catch anything? He
• 43:51
  Speaker 7: asked eagerly. Yes, we caught a bird? Where is it?
• 43:55
  Speaker 7: Yowler sprang to his feet. Did you bring it home?
• 43:58
  Speaker 7: Jasberry and Fluffy looked at each other. Then Fluffy said, no,
• 44:01
  Speaker 7: we ate it, ate it without giving me any What
• 44:05
  Speaker 7: do you mean by that? Ain't we partners? You are
• 44:08
  Speaker 7: bring you along with me and show you a good
• 44:10
  Speaker 7: place to sleep, and you go and eat up all
• 44:13
  Speaker 7: the breakfast without giving me even a taste. You didn't
• 44:17
  Speaker 7: give us any of the bird you caught, retorted Fluffy Bird.
• 44:20
  Speaker 7: I caught what you mean? When did I catch any
• 44:23
  Speaker 7: bird before we were awake? And you ate it all
• 44:26
  Speaker 7: yourself and never saved a bit for us. I don't
• 44:30
  Speaker 7: know what you mean, don't know what you're talking about,
• 44:33
  Speaker 7: blustered Yowler. But I'm not going to argue with you.
• 44:36
  Speaker 7: If you can catch things, so can I And I
• 44:38
  Speaker 7: can eat them all myself too, just as much as
• 44:41
  Speaker 7: you can. And he stalked away and would not answer
• 44:43
  Speaker 7: them when they called after him. After that, Yowler hunted
• 44:47
  Speaker 7: by himself, and the other kittens by themselves. At first,
• 44:51
  Speaker 7: Jaspberry found it very hard to catch anything. The bird
• 44:54
  Speaker 7: and mice all got away from him. He would have
• 44:57
  Speaker 7: to go hungry, but to content himself with grass and
• 45:00
  Speaker 7: beetles if it had not been for Fluffy. But Fluffy
• 45:04
  Speaker 7: was such a good little hunter that he always managed
• 45:07
  Speaker 7: to catch enough to eat, and whatever he caught he
• 45:09
  Speaker 7: always shared with Jasberry. He was a better hunter than Yowler.
• 45:13
  Speaker 7: And after a while Yowler said maybe they all better
• 45:16
  Speaker 7: hunt together and share whatever they might catch. Only, of course,
• 45:19
  Speaker 7: Jasberry ought to let us have the best pieces, he added,
• 45:23
  Speaker 7: because he's no good about catching things. Yes he is too,
• 45:27
  Speaker 7: meaw Fluffy indignantly. He's learning anyway. I'd rather share with
• 45:31
  Speaker 7: him than with you any day. And you can hunt
• 45:34
  Speaker 7: by yourself, and we'll hunt by ourselves. That's the way
• 45:38
  Speaker 7: you wanted us to do it at first, and now
• 45:40
  Speaker 7: that's the way we like best. This made Yowler very angry,
• 45:44
  Speaker 7: and he would not speak to Fluffy for a whole day.
• 45:48
  Speaker 7: Jasberry indeed was becoming very fine hunter, better even than
• 45:52
  Speaker 7: Fluffy himself. Fluffy was very skillful, but Jasberry was not
• 45:57
  Speaker 7: only quick, he was also strong and brick stronger and
• 46:01
  Speaker 7: braver than the gentle little Fluffy had ever dreamed of being.
• 46:05
  Speaker 7: Fluffy admired Jasberry very much and was proud of the
• 46:09
  Speaker 7: way he caught things. But one thing troubled him. Jasberry
• 46:13
  Speaker 7: would not wash himself. Every day he grew dirtier and rougher,
• 46:18
  Speaker 7: until at last he looked more like some wild creature
• 46:20
  Speaker 7: of the wood than a little town kitten who should
• 46:23
  Speaker 7: have known enough to wash and care for himself. End
• 46:27
  Speaker 7: of chapter seven. Chapter eight of Three Little Kittens. This
• 46:37
  Speaker 7: is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the
• 46:41
  Speaker 7: public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit
• 46:45
  Speaker 7: LibriVox dot org. Recording by Rosy Roberts from California. Three
• 46:52
  Speaker 7: Little Kittens by Katherine Pyle, Chapter eight. For some time,
• 46:57
  Speaker 7: the weather was beautiful, clear and warm and sun but
• 47:00
  Speaker 7: after about a week it changed. Clouds gathered, there was
• 47:04
  Speaker 7: a feeling of rain in the air, and the wind
• 47:06
  Speaker 7: was chilly. The kittens huddled close together at night for warmth.
• 47:11
  Speaker 7: Yalla always took the warmest corner, the one furthest back
• 47:14
  Speaker 7: in the tree, where the leaves were thickest and softest.
• 47:19
  Speaker 7: In the daytime, he went off on long prowls. Sometimes
• 47:22
  Speaker 7: the other kittens did not see him from the time
• 47:24
  Speaker 7: he set out in the morning till he came back
• 47:27
  Speaker 7: at night. They no longer liked or trusted him, but
• 47:31
  Speaker 7: he troubled them that he should stay away so much.
• 47:34
  Speaker 7: One day, Jasberry asked him whether he wouldn't show them
• 47:37
  Speaker 7: the way home. They were tired of staying in the woods,
• 47:40
  Speaker 7: and he wanted to see his dear mother and his
• 47:42
  Speaker 7: aunt Tabby again. When Jasberry said this, he felt so
• 47:46
  Speaker 7: sad that he began to me out pitifully. Fluffy joined in,
• 47:50
  Speaker 7: and the two little kittens cried bitterly. Let's go home,
• 47:54
  Speaker 7: they cried, Oh, let's go home. We don't want to
• 47:57
  Speaker 7: stay here any longer. Hush, cried Yoler angrily. Oh, Hush,
• 48:02
  Speaker 7: I tell you I'm not going home, not for a
• 48:05
  Speaker 7: long time. Anyway. You may go if you like, but
• 48:08
  Speaker 7: I sha'n't. But we don't know the way. We don't
• 48:11
  Speaker 7: know the way, wailed the kittens. Well, I can't help that,
• 48:15
  Speaker 7: retorted Yowler, and he stalked away and left them still crying.
• 48:20
  Speaker 7: It was the very next night that a rain set in.
• 48:24
  Speaker 7: Yowler had come home late. Jasberry and Fluffy had already
• 48:27
  Speaker 7: cuddled down together in the tree as far back as
• 48:30
  Speaker 7: they could, for the night was chilly and damp. But
• 48:34
  Speaker 7: as soon as Yowler came, he crowded them out of
• 48:36
  Speaker 7: their snug nest and took it himself. Oh, Yowler, we
• 48:41
  Speaker 7: just got that place warm, mewed Fluffy. I don't care
• 48:46
  Speaker 7: you can get another place warm. This is where I
• 48:49
  Speaker 7: am going to sleep. I don't think that's fair, said Jasberry,
• 48:54
  Speaker 7: But Yowler paid no attention to him. He curled down
• 48:56
  Speaker 7: and soon was fast asleep. It was not long after
• 49:01
  Speaker 7: this that the rain began. It beat into the tree.
• 49:04
  Speaker 7: Oh dear, said Jasberry, I'm getting so wet. Listen, Jasberry,
• 49:09
  Speaker 7: whispered Fluffy. Yowler has the only dry place here. Do
• 49:13
  Speaker 7: you remember that sort of little cave I've found to
• 49:15
  Speaker 7: day under that big rock. It isn't far away, and
• 49:20
  Speaker 7: I'm sure we could keep dry there. It isn't very big,
• 49:23
  Speaker 7: not big enough for all of us to sleep in,
• 49:26
  Speaker 7: but there would be plenty of room for you and me,
• 49:29
  Speaker 7: all right, said Jasberry. One thing, sure, we'll soon be
• 49:32
  Speaker 7: dripping wet if we stay here. The two little friends
• 49:36
  Speaker 7: crept out of the hollow without wakening Yowler, and ran
• 49:40
  Speaker 7: quickly over to the cave Fluffy had spoken of. It
• 49:44
  Speaker 7: was indeed a cozy little cave, and perfectly dry, really
• 49:48
  Speaker 7: much better than the hollow of the tree. The two
• 49:51
  Speaker 7: little kittens crept in and huddled down together outside the
• 49:55
  Speaker 7: rain beat. The leaves hung down from the trees, drenched
• 49:59
  Speaker 7: and with water. The ground was sodden, but the two
• 50:03
  Speaker 7: little kittens cared nothing for all this. All night they
• 50:07
  Speaker 7: slept there as dry and comfortable as though they had
• 50:10
  Speaker 7: been in their cellar at home, instead of out in
• 50:13
  Speaker 7: the wild wood with only a rock cave to shelter them.
• 50:16
  Speaker 7: The next morning, Fluffy and Jasberry were awakened by a
• 50:19
  Speaker 7: loud me ow, me ow. It was Yowler calling them.
• 50:24
  Speaker 7: That's Yowler, said Fluffy. He must have awakened. Jasberry rose
• 50:29
  Speaker 7: and stretched himself and stepped outside the cave. It had
• 50:32
  Speaker 7: stopped raining, The sun was shining down through the leaves,
• 50:36
  Speaker 7: but the woods were still wet. Here we are, Yowler,
• 50:40
  Speaker 7: he called Yowler came over toward the cave. He was
• 50:43
  Speaker 7: dripping wet. Where have you been all night? He asked crossly?
• 50:47
  Speaker 7: What did you mean by going off without telling me?
• 50:50
  Speaker 7: Look how wet? I am? A mean trick? I call it? Well, Yowler,
• 50:55
  Speaker 7: we thought you were dry, said Jasberry. You took the
• 50:58
  Speaker 7: only dry place there was, so we came over here,
• 51:02
  Speaker 7: dry a place. I look as if i'd been in
• 51:04
  Speaker 7: a dry place, don't I? I just guess, not sopping wet?
• 51:08
  Speaker 7: I am? Oh, be quiet, I don't care anyway. I'm
• 51:14
  Speaker 7: tired of the woods. I know a farm house near
• 51:18
  Speaker 7: here where they want another cat, and I'm going there
• 51:21
  Speaker 7: to live. I met a cat that lives there, and
• 51:24
  Speaker 7: he asked me to come. Oh but Yowler, what's going
• 51:28
  Speaker 7: to become of us? Can we come too, cried Jasberry.
• 51:32
  Speaker 7: No you can't. They only want one cat. If you
• 51:36
  Speaker 7: try to tag along, they'd drive us all away. But
• 51:39
  Speaker 7: won't you show us the way home? First begged Fluffy,
• 51:43
  Speaker 7: Please please do. We're tired of the woods too, but
• 51:46
  Speaker 7: we don't know where else to go. You find some place,
• 51:50
  Speaker 7: said Yowler. I did, so you can too, if you
• 51:53
  Speaker 7: try hard enough. With that, he turned tail and stalked
• 51:57
  Speaker 7: away through the wood. Jasberry followed him, me owing until
• 52:02
  Speaker 7: he turned on them so fiercely that they were frightened.
• 52:06
  Speaker 7: Then they stopped and stood looking after him until he
• 52:09
  Speaker 7: disappeared in the wood, and never once did he look
• 52:12
  Speaker 7: back or say one word of goodbye to them. End
• 52:17
  Speaker 7: of chapter eight. Chapter nine of Three Little Kittens. This
• 52:25
  Speaker 7: is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the
• 52:29
  Speaker 7: public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit
• 52:34
  Speaker 7: LibriVox dot org. Recording by Rosy Roberts from California, United States.
• 52:39
  Speaker 7: Three Little Kittens by Katherine Pyle, Chapter nine. There he's
• 52:45
  Speaker 7: gone away, mad meled Fluffy. Now what shall we do?
• 52:49
  Speaker 3: Do?
• 52:50
  Speaker 7: Why? Just what we have been doing? Said Drawsberry. He
• 52:53
  Speaker 7: wasn't any good to us anyway. Yes, but I want
• 52:56
  Speaker 7: to go home. Oh I do want to go home,
• 52:58
  Speaker 7: and we don't know the way. Why don't we guess
• 53:02
  Speaker 7: I could find it just as well as Yowler? Oh
• 53:05
  Speaker 7: could you could you? Jasberry? Listen? Fluffy, said Jasberry. There
• 53:09
  Speaker 7: was something mother told me, and I'd forgotten all about it.
• 53:13
  Speaker 7: I just remembered a little while ago. She said, kats
• 53:17
  Speaker 7: and kittens too, if they weren't too little, could always
• 53:21
  Speaker 7: get home from any place if they just didn't worry
• 53:24
  Speaker 7: about it and try to remember the way to go.
• 53:27
  Speaker 7: All they have to do is to love their home
• 53:30
  Speaker 7: and run along without thinking, and then they'll get there.
• 53:34
  Speaker 7: I don't know what you mean, said Fluffy, but let's
• 53:37
  Speaker 7: go anyway. Even if we don't get home, we can't
• 53:40
  Speaker 7: be any more lost than we are now. But we
• 53:43
  Speaker 7: will get there, declared Jasberry. Come on, we might as
• 53:46
  Speaker 7: well go right now. All right, I'm ready. The two
• 53:50
  Speaker 7: little kittens set out at once, and without any more
• 53:53
  Speaker 7: talk about it, they trotted away through the green depths
• 53:56
  Speaker 7: of the wood, and after a while the trees grew,
• 54:00
  Speaker 7: and then they came out of the wood upon a hot,
• 54:03
  Speaker 7: sunny stretch of dusty road. We go this way, said Jasberry,
• 54:08
  Speaker 7: and he set off down the road, just as he
• 54:10
  Speaker 7: knew exactly where he was going. Are you sure this
• 54:13
  Speaker 7: is the right way, asked Fluffy. Now, Fluffy, you mustn't
• 54:17
  Speaker 7: ask me that, said Jasberry. I mustn't think about it,
• 54:20
  Speaker 7: but just run along and we'll get there. Don't you
• 54:23
  Speaker 7: be afraid? Fluffy said no more, but patted along after Jasberry.
• 54:28
  Speaker 7: Jasberry never stopped or looked around. He just went running
• 54:32
  Speaker 7: straight on down the dusty road. After they had gone
• 54:36
  Speaker 7: for quite a distance, Fluffy heard a noise behind them,
• 54:40
  Speaker 7: a thudding sound, and with it a sound of rumbling
• 54:43
  Speaker 7: and rolling. He looked around, and there behind them came
• 54:47
  Speaker 7: a great enormous horse and a buggy with two ladies
• 54:51
  Speaker 7: driving in it. Jasberry, he meiled softly, there's something coming.
• 54:56
  Speaker 7: Jasberry stopped and looked round. Then he ran and over
• 55:00
  Speaker 7: to the side of the road and crouched down. Come
• 55:03
  Speaker 7: over here till they get past, Fluffy, he said. Fluffy
• 55:06
  Speaker 7: trotted over and crouched down beside him. Nearer and nearer
• 55:10
  Speaker 7: came the horse and buggy, the horse studding along and
• 55:13
  Speaker 7: the buggy rumbling after it. Just as the buggy came
• 55:17
  Speaker 7: to where the kittens were, one of the ladies cried out, oh, Sarah,
• 55:21
  Speaker 7: look there, Look at those kittens. The buggy stopped, and
• 55:25
  Speaker 7: the two ladies leaned forward, staring at Jaspberry and Fluffy.
• 55:30
  Speaker 7: How do you suppose they ever got here, asked the lady.
• 55:33
  Speaker 7: I don't know, answered her companion. I suppose some one
• 55:37
  Speaker 7: wanted to get rid of them and drop them here.
• 55:40
  Speaker 7: Isn't that wicked? What shall we do about it. The
• 55:43
  Speaker 7: talking went on. The kittens could hear the voices, one
• 55:47
  Speaker 7: soft and gentle, the other quick, and decided. Let's get
• 55:50
  Speaker 7: down among the weeds. Fluffy, whispered Jasberry. Then we can
• 55:54
  Speaker 7: creep away. The kittens ran crouching down into a dry
• 55:58
  Speaker 7: gutter beside the room. There they were almost hidden by
• 56:02
  Speaker 7: the dusty weeds. Oh, Sarah, they're running away, cried the
• 56:06
  Speaker 7: soft voiced lady. I'll catch them, said the other. She
• 56:10
  Speaker 7: hastily clambered down from the buggy and ran over to
• 56:13
  Speaker 7: the side of the road and parted the weeds. When
• 56:15
  Speaker 7: the kittens looked up, they could see her big face
• 56:18
  Speaker 7: above them, looking down at them. Then her hands came
• 56:21
  Speaker 7: down through the weeds and caught them by the napes
• 56:23
  Speaker 7: of their neck. One hand caught Jasberry, and the other
• 56:27
  Speaker 7: hand caught Fluffy. The hands lifted them out of the
• 56:30
  Speaker 7: weeds and up into the air. The kittens were very
• 56:33
  Speaker 7: much frightened. Fluffy hung quietly with his legs and tail
• 56:37
  Speaker 7: curled up and his head on one side. But Jasberry
• 56:40
  Speaker 7: fought and struggled and tried to scratch the hand that
• 56:43
  Speaker 7: had hauled him. Did you ever see such a wild cat?
• 56:47
  Speaker 7: The lady called to her friend as she carried the
• 56:50
  Speaker 7: kittens back to the buggy. Here, let's put them in
• 56:54
  Speaker 7: a bag, cried the other lady. She dived under the
• 56:57
  Speaker 7: seat of the buggy and got out a big brown
• 56:59
  Speaker 7: bag and held it out with the mouth open, ready
• 57:02
  Speaker 7: for the kittens to be dropped into it. Moments later
• 57:05
  Speaker 7: and Fluffy and Jasberry found themselves in the bag, with
• 57:09
  Speaker 7: the mouth of it tied tight so that they could
• 57:12
  Speaker 7: not possibly get out. The bag with them in it
• 57:16
  Speaker 7: was laid in the back part of the buggy, and
• 57:19
  Speaker 7: then the rumbling and thudding began again. As the buggy
• 57:22
  Speaker 7: drove on. The kittens were jolt and shaken about. Oh, Jasberry,
• 57:27
  Speaker 7: me out, Fluffy, What do you suppose they're going to
• 57:29
  Speaker 7: do with us? I dunno. We'll have to try to
• 57:32
  Speaker 7: get out. Jasberry began to tear and bite at the
• 57:35
  Speaker 7: loose threads of the bag, but he could not make
• 57:39
  Speaker 7: even the least little hole in the bagging. After a while,
• 57:42
  Speaker 7: he gave it up and began to meow loudly. Me
• 57:45
  Speaker 7: how me, how, he cried me how me how me?
• 57:50
  Speaker 7: How cried Fluffy. The buggy rumbled and jolted the kittens
• 57:55
  Speaker 7: meowed and meowed now, and then they stopped and listened.
• 57:59
  Speaker 7: Then they would meet out again, louder than ever. After
• 58:03
  Speaker 7: a while, the buggy stopped, and the bag with the
• 58:06
  Speaker 7: kittens in it was lifted out and carried into the house.
• 58:10
  Speaker 7: The bag was opened again, and the two big faces
• 58:13
  Speaker 7: looked in on them. Did you ever see anything as
• 58:16
  Speaker 7: dirty as the black one? Said the lady who caught them.
• 58:19
  Speaker 7: I hated to touch him. I know one thing. If
• 58:21
  Speaker 7: I'm going to keep him, the first thing I'm going
• 58:24
  Speaker 7: to do is to give him a good scrubbing with
• 58:26
  Speaker 7: tar soap. Oh, Sarah, cried the other. You oughtn't to
• 58:31
  Speaker 7: wash cats. You'll make him sick. Get the white one
• 58:34
  Speaker 7: out for me, won't you. I'm afraid to put my
• 58:36
  Speaker 7: hand in. I'm afraid the black one will scratch me.
• 58:40
  Speaker 7: Miss Sarah put her hand down in the bag and
• 58:43
  Speaker 7: looked a fluffy out and gave him to her companion.
• 58:46
  Speaker 7: Isn't he too sweet? Cried that lady. He doesn't look
• 58:49
  Speaker 7: a bit dirty either. I'm going to take him right
• 58:52
  Speaker 7: over home and give him something to eat. I expect
• 58:55
  Speaker 7: he's hungry. After she had gone, Miss Sarah closed the
• 58:59
  Speaker 7: bag and carried it awhile and dumped it down again.
• 59:03
  Speaker 7: Bring me a basin of water in the shed, Hannah,
• 59:05
  Speaker 7: and the tar soap from up in the bathroom closet.
• 59:09
  Speaker 7: Jasberry did not know what the words meant, but they
• 59:12
  Speaker 7: frightened him. A little later the bag was untied again
• 59:16
  Speaker 7: and turned upside down, and Jasberry was shaken out of it,
• 59:20
  Speaker 7: trembling and frightened. He looked about him. He was in
• 59:24
  Speaker 7: a shed. Miss Sarah was there, and another woman with
• 59:27
  Speaker 7: a checked apron on. Poor little thing. He looks scared
• 59:32
  Speaker 7: to death, said the woman with a checked apron. I know,
• 59:36
  Speaker 7: said Miss Sarah. I just hate to wash him, but
• 59:39
  Speaker 7: I can't take him into the house till he's clean.
• 59:42
  Speaker 7: Then a terrible thing happened to Jasberry. Miss Sarah stooped
• 59:46
  Speaker 7: and picked him up, and before he could catch his breath,
• 59:49
  Speaker 7: she had put him in a basin of water. He
• 59:52
  Speaker 7: spit on me out and fought, but she held him there.
• 59:57
  Speaker 7: She splashed water over him, and she rubbed him with soap.
• 1:00:01
  Speaker 7: She rubbed the soap SuDS in around his ears and
• 1:00:04
  Speaker 7: over his forehead, and even down his little black nose.
• 1:00:08
  Speaker 7: She soaked his legs and his body and his tail.
• 1:00:11
  Speaker 7: Then she washed the soap SuDS off. Last of all,
• 1:00:14
  Speaker 7: she wrapped him in a towel and rubbed and rubbed
• 1:00:17
  Speaker 7: and rubbed him. By that time, Jasberry was too miserable
• 1:00:21
  Speaker 7: to fight. He only shivered and shook me out pitifully.
• 1:00:25
  Speaker 7: Now and then there, said Miss Sarah. At last, that's
• 1:00:30
  Speaker 7: about as dry as I can get you, you poor
• 1:00:33
  Speaker 7: little thing. You shall have a good meal to comfort you.
• 1:00:37
  Speaker 7: She carried Jasberry into the house, and his fur was
• 1:00:40
  Speaker 7: so clean that it fairly shone and glistened like black satin.
• 1:00:45
  Speaker 7: You're a real beauty, said Miss Sarah. And I never
• 1:00:49
  Speaker 7: would have guessed it when I picked you up in
• 1:00:51
  Speaker 7: the road. That's the way Jasberry began life in his
• 1:00:55
  Speaker 7: new home. It was a very pleasant home except for
• 1:00:59
  Speaker 7: one thing. Miss Sarah would watch him every now and then.
• 1:01:03
  Speaker 7: He had plenty to eat and drink. There was soft
• 1:01:06
  Speaker 7: chairs and sunny spots to sleep in. And as soon
• 1:01:10
  Speaker 7: as he was used to the place and Miss Sarah
• 1:01:13
  Speaker 7: thought he would not run away, he was allowed to
• 1:01:16
  Speaker 7: go out of doors whenever he wanted to, the first
• 1:01:20
  Speaker 7: day he was allowed to go out, he found there
• 1:01:22
  Speaker 7: was a flower garden in front of the house. It
• 1:01:25
  Speaker 7: was a fine place to play. Paths wound about among
• 1:01:29
  Speaker 7: the flower beds. Bees buzzed busily from bloom to bloom,
• 1:01:34
  Speaker 7: and bright butterflies floated about overhead. Jasberry examined it all over.
• 1:01:41
  Speaker 7: There was a paling fence between it and the garden
• 1:01:44
  Speaker 7: next door. When Jasberry came near this fence, he saw
• 1:01:47
  Speaker 7: a little furry white face peering through at him between
• 1:01:51
  Speaker 7: the paling. It was Fluffy, Oh, Jasberry, he called joyfully.
• 1:01:56
  Speaker 7: I was watching for you. I hoped you'd come out soon.
• 1:02:00
  Speaker 7: Why did you know I lived here? Yes, the lady
• 1:02:03
  Speaker 7: that carried me away that day just took me in
• 1:02:06
  Speaker 7: next door. I knew our yards were next to each other.
• 1:02:09
  Speaker 7: Come on over, said Jasberry. Fluffy squeezed through between the palings,
• 1:02:15
  Speaker 7: and the two little kittens greeted each other joyfully. They
• 1:02:18
  Speaker 7: rubbed noses and purred and purred. After that they began
• 1:02:23
  Speaker 7: to play. They ran races along the paths and tried
• 1:02:26
  Speaker 7: to catch the butterflies, and had a fine time together.
• 1:02:31
  Speaker 7: At lunch time, Fluffy had to go home, but he
• 1:02:34
  Speaker 7: and Jasberry agreed to meet out in the garden every
• 1:02:37
  Speaker 7: single day unless it rained, and played together, just as
• 1:02:41
  Speaker 7: they used to do. It made Jasberry very happy to
• 1:02:44
  Speaker 7: know he was to have his little friend living so
• 1:02:47
  Speaker 7: near him. End of chapter nine. Chapter ten of Three
• 1:02:54
  Speaker 7: Little Kittens. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings
• 1:02:59
  Speaker 7: are in the public. For more information or to volunteer,
• 1:03:02
  Speaker 7: please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by Rosy Roberts from California.
• 1:03:08
  Speaker 7: Three Little Kittens by Katherine Pyle, Chapter ten. It was
• 1:03:13
  Speaker 7: a warm sunny day in June. The two little kittens
• 1:03:16
  Speaker 7: had met, as they often did, under a large blush
• 1:03:19
  Speaker 7: rose bush in the garden. Jasberry did not seem as
• 1:03:23
  Speaker 7: lively and playful as usual. What's the matter with you,
• 1:03:26
  Speaker 7: Jasberry asked, Fluffy. You seem so quiet. Don't you want
• 1:03:30
  Speaker 7: to play? No? Why? Jasberry was silent for a moment.
• 1:03:35
  Speaker 7: Then he said, I've just had a bath again, Oh Jasberry,
• 1:03:39
  Speaker 7: not again, yes, again, with water and soap and rubbed afterward.
• 1:03:46
  Speaker 7: You know I told you all about it, But Jasberry cried, Fluffy,
• 1:03:51
  Speaker 7: what does she do it for? Of course you were
• 1:03:53
  Speaker 7: dirty at first, you knew you were. You really needed
• 1:03:57
  Speaker 7: to be washed. Then I don't believe you could have yourself.
• 1:04:01
  Speaker 7: You were so very dirty, But you don't need to
• 1:04:03
  Speaker 7: be bathed now, course I don't. I wash and wash myself.
• 1:04:08
  Speaker 7: I wash every day. I wash myself just as much
• 1:04:11
  Speaker 7: as you do. And I'm not going to stand being
• 1:04:14
  Speaker 7: scrubbed with water. No I'm not. Well, what are you
• 1:04:17
  Speaker 7: going to do about it? I tell you what I'm
• 1:04:19
  Speaker 7: going to do. I'm going to run away. I'm going home,
• 1:04:23
  Speaker 7: Fluffy started, Oh, Jasberry, you're not not really going home
• 1:04:28
  Speaker 7: where our mamas live. Yes, I am. I'm going away
• 1:04:31
  Speaker 7: tonight before she has a chance to wash me again.
• 1:04:34
  Speaker 7: Oh goody, goody, cried Fluffy. And I'll go too, may I, Jasberry?
• 1:04:38
  Speaker 7: I want to all right, you meet me out here tonight,
• 1:04:42
  Speaker 7: when it's too dark for anyone to see us. I'll
• 1:04:45
  Speaker 7: be waiting for you. The two little kittens were so
• 1:04:48
  Speaker 7: excited over this plan that Jasberry grew quite cheerful again.
• 1:04:53
  Speaker 7: How wonderful it would be to see their mothers again
• 1:04:56
  Speaker 7: and to play in their own backyards. They felt as
• 1:04:59
  Speaker 7: though they could hardly wait to set out on their
• 1:05:02
  Speaker 7: homeward journey. End of chapter ten. Recording by Rosy Roberts
• 1:05:08
  Speaker 7: from California.
• 1:05:13
  Speaker 6: Chapter eleven of Three Little Kittens. This is the LibriVox
• 1:05:16
  Speaker 6: recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For
• 1:05:21
  Speaker 6: more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
• 1:05:25
  Speaker 6: Recording by Rachel Three Little Kittens by Catherine Pyle, Chapter eleven.
• 1:05:31
  Speaker 6: It was dark, the stars were in the sky, and
• 1:05:33
  Speaker 6: the fireflies were flickering among the flowers of the garden.
• 1:05:37
  Speaker 6: When Jawsberry and Fluffy mean under the rose bush again,
• 1:05:40
  Speaker 6: are you there, Jasberry needed, Fluffy, yes, waiting for.
• 1:05:44
  Speaker 4: You come on.
• 1:05:46
  Speaker 6: The two little kittens stole down the garden path to
• 1:05:48
  Speaker 6: the gate and out into the road beyond. Are you
• 1:05:51
  Speaker 6: sure you can find the way, Jasberry asked Fluffy. Now, Fluffy,
• 1:05:55
  Speaker 6: you mustn't begin asking me, that, said Jasburry, if I
• 1:05:59
  Speaker 6: began thinking, we'll get lost. We've just got to go
• 1:06:02
  Speaker 6: along the way I feel like going, and then we'll
• 1:06:05
  Speaker 6: get there. The kittens were silent after that. They trotted
• 1:06:09
  Speaker 6: along steadily through the starlit night. They had no trouble
• 1:06:12
  Speaker 6: about keeping to the road, for kittens can see just
• 1:06:15
  Speaker 6: about as well in the dark as in the light.
• 1:06:18
  Speaker 6: They came to the place where the ladies had found
• 1:06:20
  Speaker 6: them that day that now seemed so long ago. After
• 1:06:24
  Speaker 6: a while, they passed a big white gate and a
• 1:06:26
  Speaker 6: long lane leading up toward a barn. There was a
• 1:06:29
  Speaker 6: farmhouse on beyond the barn. They heard a dog barking there. Oh, Jaspberry,
• 1:06:34
  Speaker 6: I hope that dog won't come and catch us, whispered Fluffy.
• 1:06:37
  Speaker 6: Course he won't, he's too far away to see us.
• 1:06:41
  Speaker 6: The next moment, the kittens stopped short, their little heart
• 1:06:44
  Speaker 6: sleeping with terror. Something was moving stealthily along the weeds.
• 1:06:47
  Speaker 6: At the roadside. A dead twig cracked. There was a
• 1:06:51
  Speaker 6: sound of breathing and a gleam of big yellow eyes.
• 1:06:54
  Speaker 6: What's that, Jaspberry, whispered Fluffy.
• 1:06:57
  Speaker 4: Sh I don't know.
• 1:07:00
  Speaker 5: Was a silence.
• 1:07:01
  Speaker 4: Jasberry.
• 1:07:02
  Speaker 6: I'm scared. Let's get away, whispered Fuffy again. Hush, I
• 1:07:07
  Speaker 6: tell you the thing, whatever it was, was coming up
• 1:07:10
  Speaker 6: from under the weeds. Jasberry's tail grew big, his first
• 1:07:14
  Speaker 6: stood on end. The next moment, a well known yowl
• 1:07:18
  Speaker 6: broke the stillness. Yowler cried Jasberry. Yeah, Yowler answered that kitten,
• 1:07:25
  Speaker 6: as he gave a leap out from among the weeds. Hello, kits,
• 1:07:29
  Speaker 6: I didn't know who you were until I heard you
• 1:07:30
  Speaker 6: whispering together. Where are you bound for? We're going home,
• 1:07:35
  Speaker 6: said Jasberry. He was not at all glad to meet
• 1:07:37
  Speaker 6: with Yowler again going home?
• 1:07:39
  Speaker 7: Are you well?
• 1:07:40
  Speaker 6: Now that's not half bad. If you like, maybe I'll
• 1:07:43
  Speaker 6: go along with you. But I thought you wanted to
• 1:07:45
  Speaker 6: live on a farm, said Fluffy. Well so I did,
• 1:07:49
  Speaker 6: and I've been living there. But I don't have to
• 1:07:51
  Speaker 6: stay in one place all the time.
• 1:07:53
  Speaker 4: Don't you like it there, asked Jasberry.
• 1:07:56
  Speaker 6: Sure I did like it fine, Sure had a grand time.
• 1:08:00
  Speaker 6: But I guess maybe the baker's looking for me, and
• 1:08:02
  Speaker 6: I might as well go home. One place is just
• 1:08:04
  Speaker 6: as good as another for me. Neither Jasberry nor Fuffy
• 1:08:08
  Speaker 6: wanted Yowler with them again, but they did not know
• 1:08:11
  Speaker 6: how to tell him that. Well, let's go on, said Jasberry.
• 1:08:15
  Speaker 6: No use staying here all night. As the three kittens
• 1:08:19
  Speaker 6: trotted along through the starry darkness, Yowler began to ask
• 1:08:22
  Speaker 6: the kittens about where they had been living, how they
• 1:08:24
  Speaker 6: had been treated, and what they had to eat. Had
• 1:08:27
  Speaker 6: pretty good times, didn't you, he said at last, Yes,
• 1:08:31
  Speaker 6: but we like our own homes best, me a Jasberry.
• 1:08:35
  Speaker 6: Yowler was silent for a while, then suddenly he burst out,
• 1:08:39
  Speaker 6: tell you what I said. I liked it fine at
• 1:08:41
  Speaker 6: the farm, but I didn't they treated me mean, never
• 1:08:44
  Speaker 6: got a thing to eat, but mice and rats. An
• 1:08:47
  Speaker 6: had to catch everything for myself. They kept me in
• 1:08:50
  Speaker 6: the barn too, and if I even so much as
• 1:08:52
  Speaker 6: poked my nose outside it, the dog was after me. Well,
• 1:08:55
  Speaker 6: if I had had a home like you two catch
• 1:08:57
  Speaker 6: me leaving it. But some kits have all the luck.
• 1:09:01
  Speaker 6: Fluffy and Jasberry felt quite sorry for Yowler. He must
• 1:09:04
  Speaker 6: indeed have had a very hard time. But then, as
• 1:09:06
  Speaker 6: Fluffy said to Jasburry later on, if he hadn't been
• 1:09:09
  Speaker 6: so mean to them and run away and left them,
• 1:09:11
  Speaker 6: he might have found a good home too, just as
• 1:09:13
  Speaker 6: they had, and have stayed there if he had chosen
• 1:09:16
  Speaker 6: to end of chapter eleven.
• 1:09:25
  Speaker 5: Chapter twelve of Three Little Kittens. This is a LibriVox recording.
• 1:09:31
  Speaker 5: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
• 1:09:35
  Speaker 5: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
• 1:09:41
  Speaker 5: by A. Nero Tessita, Three Little Kittens by Katherine Pyle.
• 1:09:47
  Speaker 5: Chapter twelve. Mother Bunch and Aunt Tabby were sitting on
• 1:09:52
  Speaker 5: the kitchen steps, feeling very sad. It was a long
• 1:09:56
  Speaker 5: time since little Jasberry had run away and left them.
• 1:09:59
  Speaker 5: But the I could not get used to being without
• 1:10:01
  Speaker 5: him bitterly they did miss his fun and his liveliness
• 1:10:05
  Speaker 5: and all of his pretty ways. The quickest, strongest, handsomest
• 1:10:10
  Speaker 5: kitten I ever had, said Mother Bunch. If only I
• 1:10:14
  Speaker 5: hadn't boxed his ears that time, mourned Aunt Tabby, maybe
• 1:10:18
  Speaker 5: he wouldn't have run away. You mustn't let yourself think that,
• 1:10:22
  Speaker 5: muwed Mother Bunch. I guess we were both of us
• 1:10:26
  Speaker 5: a little hard on him. Suddenly there was a sound
• 1:10:30
  Speaker 5: of scratching and scrabbing on the fence between the yard
• 1:10:32
  Speaker 5: and the lot. Oh, if only that were little Jasberry,
• 1:10:36
  Speaker 5: muled Aunt Tabby. Sadly, don't say that, you know it
• 1:10:40
  Speaker 5: couldn't be, said Mother Bunch. A moment later, both cats
• 1:10:44
  Speaker 5: sprang to their feet with a loud mw. Above the
• 1:10:48
  Speaker 5: top of the fence appeared a little black and white face,
• 1:10:51
  Speaker 5: two paws, a black body, a black tail waving like
• 1:10:55
  Speaker 5: a flag. It was Jasberry. He jumped down into the
• 1:10:59
  Speaker 5: yard and rushed up to his mother and Aunt Tabby.
• 1:11:02
  Speaker 5: Fluffy followed him. Mamma, mamma, he mewed, Oh, Aunt Tabby,
• 1:11:07
  Speaker 5: I'll never run away again. Oh, I'm so glad to
• 1:11:11
  Speaker 5: be home. He and his mother and aunt Tabby rubbed noses,
• 1:11:16
  Speaker 5: and the cats kissed Jasberry cat fashion and mewed aloud
• 1:11:20
  Speaker 5: with joy. And little Fluffy too, cried mother bunch, Oh,
• 1:11:25
  Speaker 5: how glad your mother will be to have you home again.
• 1:11:28
  Speaker 5: She's so unhappy about you. None of them noticed at
• 1:11:32
  Speaker 5: first that Yowler had followed the other two kittens into
• 1:11:35
  Speaker 5: the yard and was now sitting over near the fence,
• 1:11:38
  Speaker 5: grinning at them. It was very, very naughty of you
• 1:11:42
  Speaker 5: to run away, Jasbery, said his aunt. We've been worried
• 1:11:45
  Speaker 5: to death about you, I know, muled Jasberry. And I'm
• 1:11:50
  Speaker 5: so sorry, but I'll never do it again, Aunt Tabby,
• 1:11:53
  Speaker 5: indeed I won't. I suppose you ought to be punished,
• 1:11:57
  Speaker 5: sighed his mother. But I'm so glad to have you
• 1:12:00
  Speaker 5: back again. I haven't the heart to do it at
• 1:12:03
  Speaker 5: that moment, Aunt Tabby a spy Jowler sitting there grinning
• 1:12:07
  Speaker 5: at them. Did you go away with that Yowler cat?
• 1:12:10
  Speaker 5: She cried, did you, Jawsbury tell me at once, well,
• 1:12:15
  Speaker 5: yes I did. I knew it. I knew it was
• 1:12:19
  Speaker 5: his fault. S s s Ger, get out of here,
• 1:12:23
  Speaker 5: you bad cat. And Aunt Tabby flew at Yowler so
• 1:12:26
  Speaker 5: fiercely that he gave a wild mew and flew over
• 1:12:29
  Speaker 5: the fence and disappeared from sight. And don't you ever
• 1:12:33
  Speaker 5: dare to come back again, Aunt Tabby growled after him,
• 1:12:37
  Speaker 5: and Yowler never did. Maybe he went back to the Baker's,
• 1:12:40
  Speaker 5: and maybe he left the neighborhood in search of a
• 1:12:42
  Speaker 5: better home, But at any rate, Jasberry never saw him again.
• 1:12:47
  Speaker 5: And now Jasberry and the two cats settled down on
• 1:12:50
  Speaker 5: the kitchen steps together, and Jasberry told his mother and
• 1:12:53
  Speaker 5: Aunt Tabby all his adventures ever since that early morning
• 1:12:56
  Speaker 5: when he had stolen away from home. Little Fluffy he
• 1:13:00
  Speaker 5: had already climbed over into his own yard in search
• 1:13:02
  Speaker 5: of his mother, So there were only three of them.
• 1:13:06
  Speaker 5: The two older cats listened eagerly to Jasbery's tale. And
• 1:13:10
  Speaker 5: I'll tell you one thing, Aunt Tabby, mute Jasberry as
• 1:13:13
  Speaker 5: he ended his story. I learned to keep myself clean
• 1:13:16
  Speaker 5: while I was at Miss Sarah's. You needn't ever bother
• 1:13:19
  Speaker 5: over that again. Well that's a good thing, replied his aunt.
• 1:13:23
  Speaker 5: Almost worth running away for, I should say, I don't
• 1:13:26
  Speaker 5: know about that, sighed his mother. I don't know whether
• 1:13:29
  Speaker 5: even that was all worth all the unhappiness he gave us,
• 1:13:33
  Speaker 5: and Jasberry felt very sad at the thought of all
• 1:13:35
  Speaker 5: the trouble he had caused. That night, the kitten slept
• 1:13:39
  Speaker 5: in his own cellar again, with his dear mother and
• 1:13:41
  Speaker 5: Aunt Tabby on either side of him. How safe and
• 1:13:45
  Speaker 5: warm and happy and sheltered he felt. When his mother
• 1:13:49
  Speaker 5: and Aunt Tabby awoke the next morning, however, Jasberry was
• 1:13:52
  Speaker 5: no longer there. What has become of him, mute Aunt Tabby.
• 1:13:57
  Speaker 5: He surely can't have run away again. Oh no, never
• 1:14:02
  Speaker 5: think such a thing, cried his mother. He has just
• 1:14:04
  Speaker 5: gone on upstairs. Let's go and find him. The two
• 1:14:08
  Speaker 5: cats hurried up the cellar steps together. They found the
• 1:14:11
  Speaker 5: door at the top already open. As they entered the kitchen,
• 1:14:15
  Speaker 5: they saw Jasberry dragging something in from the shed beyond,
• 1:14:19
  Speaker 5: something that was too heavy for him to lift. Jasberry,
• 1:14:23
  Speaker 5: what have you got there, cried his mother. Jasberry dropped
• 1:14:27
  Speaker 5: the thing and ran over to her. It's the rat,
• 1:14:29
  Speaker 5: he said, the rat, cried Aunt Tabby. Not the rat
• 1:14:34
  Speaker 5: that lived in the shed and that I've been trying
• 1:14:36
  Speaker 5: to catch for such a long time. Yes, that's the one,
• 1:14:40
  Speaker 5: muled Jasberry. The cats could hardly believe him. They ran
• 1:14:45
  Speaker 5: over and examined the rat all over sniffing at it.
• 1:14:48
  Speaker 5: But however did you manage to do it? Cried Aunt Tabby.
• 1:14:52
  Speaker 5: Why the creature's almost as big as you are. Well,
• 1:14:56
  Speaker 5: you see, I had to learn to catch big things
• 1:14:59
  Speaker 5: in the wood, mewed Jawsburry. The rat didn't know that.
• 1:15:03
  Speaker 5: He thought he could frighten me the way he had
• 1:15:04
  Speaker 5: done before. So when I went out to the shed
• 1:15:07
  Speaker 5: early before you were awake, he came out to catch me,
• 1:15:10
  Speaker 5: but I caught him instead. Then how his mother and
• 1:15:14
  Speaker 5: Aunt Tabby praised and petted him. Not another kitten in
• 1:15:18
  Speaker 5: the neighborhood, not even Fluffy himself, could have done such
• 1:15:21
  Speaker 5: a thing as that. But Jasburry was not spoiled by
• 1:15:25
  Speaker 5: their praises. Any cat could have done it, he said,
• 1:15:29
  Speaker 5: if they could have only caught it. It was only
• 1:15:32
  Speaker 5: because he thought he could frighten me that I had
• 1:15:35
  Speaker 5: a chance to get him. But from that time on,
• 1:15:38
  Speaker 5: Jasburry became a famous mouser and kept himself so clean
• 1:15:42
  Speaker 5: that when he grew up he was one of the
• 1:15:44
  Speaker 5: handsomest cats in all of the neighborhood. Around the end
• 1:15:51
  Speaker 5: end of chapter twelve recording by Nero Tessita, end of
• 1:15:58
  Speaker 5: three Little Kittens by Catherine Tile