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Three Little Kittens Who Lost Their Mittens - Laura Rountree Smith · Three Little Kittens Who Lost Their Mittens

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  Speaker 1: Section one of Three Little Kittens Who Lost their mittens.
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  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
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  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
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  Speaker 1: visit LibriVox dot org. Read by Rachel Tevis. Three Little
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  Speaker 1: Kittens Who Lost their Mittens by Laura Rountree Smith. Losing
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  Speaker 1: their mittens. Once upon a time, three little kittens went
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  Speaker 1: out to slide upon the ice. Old mother KitKat called
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  Speaker 1: after them, Dot, Tot, Trot, you have forgotten your mittens.
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  Speaker 1: They came back, pitter patter, pitter patter, as fast as
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  Speaker 1: their fairy little feet would carry them. Old mother KitKat said, oh,
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  Speaker 1: three little kittens, come, put on your mittens. And she
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  Speaker 1: handed Dot a pair of red mittens, and Tot a
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  Speaker 1: pair of blue mittens, and Trot a pair of brown mittens.
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  Speaker 1: And the three little kittens went merrily off to skate.
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  Speaker 1: I don't like to wear mittens, said Dot. I don't
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  Speaker 1: like to either, said Tom. Trot said, oh meow, they
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  Speaker 1: squeezed my paws. Now what do you suppose those naughty
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  Speaker 1: little kittens did. They took off their mittens and left
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  Speaker 1: them on the bank by the ice pond. They put
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  Speaker 1: on their cunning little skates and began to skate to
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  Speaker 1: and fro, to and fro, and the wind whistled and called,
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  Speaker 1: I may freeze your paws and toes. Nobody knows, nobody
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  Speaker 1: knows my long whiskers, cried Dot, how cold it is
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  Speaker 1: skating on the ice by my long tail, said Tot,
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  Speaker 1: how cold my paws are. Trot said, we will go
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  Speaker 1: back at once to the bank and get our mittens.
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  Speaker 1: The three little kittens did not know that three little
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  Speaker 1: foxes had crept up on the bank. They did not
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  Speaker 1: know that the three little foxes said, see the nice
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  Speaker 1: little mittens left here by the kittens. They did not
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  Speaker 1: know that the three little foxes had put on their
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  Speaker 1: mittens and had run away, waving their beautiful tails behind them.
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  Speaker 1: When the three little kittens got to the bank and
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  Speaker 1: saw that their mittens were gone, Dot and Tot cried together,
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  Speaker 1: we are sad, little kittens lost our new mittens. Brave
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  Speaker 1: little Trot said, we are smart little kittens. We'll go
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  Speaker 1: find our mittens. Then Dot and Tot dried their eyes
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  Speaker 1: on their little weave pocket handkerchiefs and said, you are
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  Speaker 1: so cheerful, brother Trot. We will follow where you lead.
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  Speaker 1: The three little kittens looked one hour and thirty six
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  Speaker 1: minutes for their mittens, but they could not find them,
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  Speaker 1: and so they went sadly homeward. Old Mother KitKat stood
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  Speaker 1: in the doorway looking for them. She cried, go back,
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  Speaker 1: go back, you naughty kittens, go back and pick up
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  Speaker 1: your nice new mittens. The three little kittens hung their
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  Speaker 1: heads and said, we've put them on the bank to dry.
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  Speaker 1: We hoped to find them by and by, you naughty kittens,
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  Speaker 1: Old KitKat said. She sent them without supper to bed.
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  Speaker 1: The three little kittens cried, mew, mew, mew. Can't we
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  Speaker 1: have a dish of milk? Can't we have a chicken bone?
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  Speaker 1: Old Mother KitKat shook her head. So the three little
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  Speaker 1: kittens went pit a pat, pit a pat, up stairs
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  Speaker 1: to bed. They were so hungry they kept talking about
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  Speaker 1: good things to eat, and that made them want their
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  Speaker 1: supper more and more. Fish and bones said dot, milk,
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  Speaker 1: and creams said tot. Meat, and gravy said trot. Old
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  Speaker 1: Mother kit Kat called hush, be still, for over the
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  Speaker 1: hill the sandman comes his bag to fill. At this,
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  Speaker 1: the three little kittens pulled the covers high up over
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  Speaker 1: their heads, for they did not want the sandman to
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  Speaker 1: tuck them in his bag. All this time, three little
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  Speaker 1: foxes wearing three pairs of mittens were dancing merrily in
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  Speaker 1: the moonlight. The sandman came up over the hill and
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  Speaker 1: peeped in at the window. He saw the beds where
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  Speaker 1: the three little kittens lay, with the covers pulled up
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  Speaker 1: over their heads. He sang softly, Oh, ho, little kittens,
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  Speaker 1: I saw your lost mittens?
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  Speaker 2: Where where? Where?
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  Speaker 1: Cried the three little kittens in one breath, uncovering their heads.
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  Speaker 1: The sandman answered in a sing song, lazy kind of way.
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  Speaker 1: Come jump in the sack I have on my back.
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  Speaker 1: The three little kittens were thinking so hard about their
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  Speaker 1: mittens that they forgot to be afraid, and they went
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  Speaker 1: whisk bound into the Sandman's sack and rowed merrily far
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  Speaker 1: away over hill and.
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  Speaker 2: Dale away away away.
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  Speaker 1: Suddenly the Sandman's sack broke and out fell the three
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  Speaker 1: little kittens. The sandman did not notice what had happened,
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  Speaker 1: and he ran on, leaving the three little kittens behind him.
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  Speaker 2: They saw a.
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  Speaker 1: Little wee house in the woods, and ran and knocked
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  Speaker 1: on the door. Old Mother Catastrophe, the oldest cat in
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  Speaker 1: the world stuck her head out of the window and called,
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  Speaker 1: did you happen to have a mishap? You sadly disturbed
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  Speaker 1: me from my nap. The three little kittens answered, Old
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  Speaker 1: Mother Catastrophe, kind and good. We are three little kittens
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  Speaker 1: lost in the wood. Old Mother Catastrophe always knew what
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  Speaker 1: to do. She opened her door and hugged and kissed
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  Speaker 1: the three little kittens, and said, to the delight of all,
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  Speaker 1: now for the cookie jar. She put a cookie jar
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  Speaker 1: on the floor, and the three little kittens put in
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  Speaker 1: their three little paws without saying buy or leave, or
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  Speaker 1: thank you or if you please? Then what do you
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  Speaker 1: suppose happened? The cookie jar rose in the air and
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  Speaker 1: settled down out of reach on the highest shelf in
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  Speaker 1: the pantry.
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  Speaker 2: The three little.
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  Speaker 1: Kittens cried, oh and ah, and what happened to the
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  Speaker 1: cookie jar? Old Mother Catastrophe said, I do not really
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  Speaker 1: mean to tease, but learn some little words like these,
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  Speaker 1: thank you say and if you please. The three little
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  Speaker 1: kittens said, thank you, thank.
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  Speaker 2: You, please give us a cookie. Please do at that.
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  Speaker 1: The cookie jar floated down again, and they ate cookies
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  Speaker 1: to their hearts content. They told Old Mother Catastrophe about
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  Speaker 1: their lost mittens. But she only shook her wise old
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  Speaker 1: head and said enough said enough, said night time is
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  Speaker 1: the time for bed. She tucked the three little kittens
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  Speaker 1: up in her own bed. Dot and Tot and Trot
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  Speaker 1: fell asleep, wondering about their lost mittens. All this time,
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  Speaker 1: three little foxes wearing three pairs of mittens were dancing
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  Speaker 1: merrily in the moonlight. End of Section one, Section two
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  Speaker 1: of Three Little Kittens Who Lost their Mittens by Laura
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  Speaker 1: Rountree Smith. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.
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  Speaker 1: Old Mother Catastrophe. Next morning, Dot and Tot and Trot
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  Speaker 1: woke up crying, I am hungry, I am hungry, I
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  Speaker 1: am hungry. They ran downstairs, but Old Mother Catastrophe was
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  Speaker 1: nowhere to be seen. There was no fire in the
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  Speaker 1: kitchen stove. Dot and Tot began to cry, But brave
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  Speaker 1: little Trot said, I believe I'll sing a little verse.
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  Speaker 1: It might be better, it might be worse. Then, to
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  Speaker 1: the surprise of all, a little silver bell rang, and
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  Speaker 1: a voice called Old Mother Catastrophes, old and gray, who
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  Speaker 1: will bring in her wood to day?
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  Speaker 2: I will, I.
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  Speaker 1: Will, I will, cried the three little kittens together, they
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  Speaker 1: saw that the wood box was empty. The three little
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  Speaker 1: kittens went out and got wood and filled the box.
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  Speaker 1: They thought they had brought in enough, but a voice
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  Speaker 1: called day and night, hours four and twenty, Get up plenty,
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  Speaker 1: get a plenty. The little kittens were so amused they
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  Speaker 1: tumbled over each other and hurried out to get more wood.
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  Speaker 1: They next heard the tinkle, tinkle tinkle of a silver bell,
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  Speaker 1: and the voice said, so far, so good, So far,
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  Speaker 1: so good. For now we find enough of wood. The
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  Speaker 1: three little kittens were happy. Now, Oh, I wonder what
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  Speaker 1: else we can do, asked Dot. Perhaps there isn't anything
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  Speaker 1: else we can do, said Tot. Well we soon will know,
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  Speaker 1: added Trot. As the three kittens stood there looking at
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  Speaker 1: each other, the same tinkle tinkle of the same silver
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  Speaker 1: bell was heard by them. I wonder what that means,
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  Speaker 1: cried Dot and Tot. This is what the little silver
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  Speaker 1: voice now said. Who can get breakfast? May I inquire
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  Speaker 1: until they have made a good kitchen fire. Then the
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  Speaker 1: three little kittens made a fire, and soon it was
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  Speaker 1: roaring merrily. Then the little bell tinkled again, and a
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  Speaker 1: voice said, old Mother Catastrophes, old and gray, who will
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  Speaker 1: bring in her water to day. I will, I will,
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  Speaker 1: I will, cried the three little kittens, and they went
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  Speaker 1: out for a pail of water and filled up the
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  Speaker 1: tea kettle. And to the surprise of all, there stood
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  Speaker 1: Old Mother Catastrophe in the doorway, wearing a cap with
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  Speaker 1: silver bells upon it. She said, tis well to work
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  Speaker 1: as well as play, and learned some lessons every day.
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  Speaker 1: Dot thought of the empty wood box at home, and
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  Speaker 1: Tot remembered that the tea kettle was empty. Trot thought
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  Speaker 1: they could help mother. When they got home, Old Mother
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  Speaker 1: Catastrophe hugged and kissed each little kitten in turn, and
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  Speaker 1: in less time than it takes to tell it, they
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  Speaker 1: sat down to eat breakfast together. Old Mother Catastrophe said,
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  Speaker 1: I'm going to see old Mother KitKat to day, and
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  Speaker 1: you may keep house while I am gone. Then she cried,
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  Speaker 1: where are my rubbers? Where is my greatcoat? Where is
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  Speaker 1: my market basket? Where is my walking stick? The three
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  Speaker 1: little kittens ran this way and that way, waiting upon her.
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  Speaker 1: She said, in parting, laugh and play with merry din,
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  Speaker 1: but do not let the foxes in. The foxes said
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  Speaker 1: Dot and Tot, Oh dear, oh dear, we are afraid
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  Speaker 1: of the foxes, trot said, I am not afraid of
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  Speaker 1: the foxes. We will not let them in. The three
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  Speaker 1: little kittens stood at the window waving their pocket handkerchiefs
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  Speaker 1: as Mother Catastrophe went down the walk. I think you
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  Speaker 1: can have a better play if the dishes are washed
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  Speaker 1: and put away, sang the little old man of the fire.
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  Speaker 1: So the three little kittens found three little aprons hanging
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  Speaker 1: on a nail, and they put them on, and washed
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  Speaker 1: and dried the dishes and put them away. All day
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  Speaker 1: long they danced about merrily doing nice things for Mother Catastrophe,
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  Speaker 1: And the little old man of the fire shouted merrily
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  Speaker 1: all the time. Once he shouted, oh, three little kittens,
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  Speaker 1: tell where are your mittens? Are mittens? Cried dot and tot.
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  Speaker 1: Oh dear, oh dear, we had forgotten all about our mittens.
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  Speaker 1: At this very minute, a very exciting thing happened. Three
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  Speaker 1: little foxes wearing three pairs of mittens came dancing down
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  Speaker 1: the roadway. They came nearer and nearer every minute. They
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  Speaker 1: ran up to the house and showed the mittens they
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  Speaker 1: were wearing, and they flattened their noses against the window pane,
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  Speaker 1: they cried, let us in, pray, let us in. We
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  Speaker 1: are so cold, we are freezing our noses and toeses.
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  Speaker 1: I don't know what in the world would have happened.
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  Speaker 1: But the little old man of the fire leaped out
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  Speaker 1: in his jacket of red and yellow, crying, I will
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  Speaker 1: burn your nose, I will burn your toes. So away
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  Speaker 1: and away the wise fox goes. The three little foxes
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  Speaker 1: were so afraid at that they ran off as fast
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  Speaker 1: as their legs could carry them. They wore the mittens,
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  Speaker 1: of course, that belonged to the kittens. Dot and Tot
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  Speaker 1: began to weep and wail, Oh dear, oh dear, we
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  Speaker 1: have lost our mittens. Oh dear, oh dear, we are
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  Speaker 1: sad little kittens. If you guessed one hundred years, you
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  Speaker 1: could never guess what brave little Trot did. He ran
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  Speaker 1: and got the old goldfish bowl that stood empty on
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  Speaker 1: the table, and said, will you cry a bowlful? Will
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  Speaker 1: you cry a pitcherful? Will you cry a tea kettle full?
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  Speaker 1: Keep it up, Keep it up. Dot and Tot did
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  Speaker 1: not shed another tear, And the little old man of
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  Speaker 1: the said, if you can count your eyes and nose,
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  Speaker 1: tis supper time, as I suppose such a hurrying and
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  Speaker 1: scurrying you never saw. As the hands of the kitchen
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  Speaker 1: clock pointed to six, the three little kittens had supper
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  Speaker 1: on the table and smoking hot when old Mother Catastrophe
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  Speaker 1: came thump bump, thump bump with her cane, rapping and
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  Speaker 1: tapping with her cane all the way. When they told
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  Speaker 1: their adventure at supper time, Old Mother Catastrophe said, first
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  Speaker 1: class in foxes, come this way and hear what Catastrophe
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  Speaker 1: has to say. Then she said they would have to
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  Speaker 1: learn all about foxes and go tomorrow to the fox's
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  Speaker 1: den and get their lost mittens. Dot and Tot were
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  Speaker 1: so scared at the mention of foxes that they crept
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  Speaker 1: under the table. But brave little Trot said, dear Mother Catastrophe,
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  Speaker 1: old and gray, we are not afraid, if you'll lead
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  Speaker 1: the way. Old Mother Catastrophe rolled her great green eyes
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  Speaker 1: and said, what about my lame leg and crooked back
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  Speaker 1: tis a mile away alas a lack. Brave little Trot said,
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  Speaker 1: we will take you in the wheelbarrow, and will you
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  Speaker 1: right up to the fox's den if you will only
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  Speaker 1: go with us. Mother Catastrophe agreed to this, and They
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  Speaker 1: all sat round in a circle while she told them
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  Speaker 1: about foxes. She began by saying, alas little kittens, a last,
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  Speaker 1: little kittens, three little foxes have stolen your mittens. End
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  Speaker 1: of section two, Section three of Three Little Kittens Who
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  Speaker 1: Lost their Mittens by Laura Rountree Smith. This LibriVox recording
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  Speaker 1: is in the public domain. The three little Foxes Old
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  Speaker 1: Mother Catastrophe said, I will tell you once again how
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  Speaker 1: to arrive at the fox's den. God and Tot said, oh,
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  Speaker 1: Mother Catastrophe, we would rather never find our mittens than
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  Speaker 1: to have to go to the foxes den. Trot said,
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  Speaker 1: please tell us how to find our lost mittens. Mother
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  Speaker 1: Catastrophe said, you go through the woods by the most
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  Speaker 1: crooked path you can find, and turn to the right,
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  Speaker 1: and turn to the left to see if the foxes
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  Speaker 1: are behind you. If all is still, you go on
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  Speaker 1: until you come to their den. When Madam Red Fox
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  Speaker 1: comes out, you bow politely and say good evening, good morning,
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  Speaker 1: and how do you do we have come to pay
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  Speaker 1: a visit to you. At that very minute, Dot and
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  Speaker 1: Tot began to weep and wail. They cried until little
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  Speaker 1: streams of tears showed on the carpet. Mother Catastrophe said,
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  Speaker 1: will they cry a bucketful? Will they cry a tubful? Still,
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  Speaker 1: Dot and Tot cried, boohoo, we do not want to
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  Speaker 1: go to the fox's den. Trot went out and got
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  Speaker 1: the wash boiler and said, cry it full, so Mother
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  Speaker 1: Catastrophe can perhaps make use of it. But still they cried.
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  Speaker 1: While Tot cried loudly, Dot moved the wash boiler so
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  Speaker 1: that none of their tears would fall inside. We are
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  Speaker 1: afraid of the foxes. We do not want to go
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  Speaker 1: to their den. Old Mother Catastrophe waited for them to
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  Speaker 1: stop crying, but they would not stop. It's silly quite
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  Speaker 1: for you to cry. You'll lose all fear by and
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  Speaker 1: by must we go to the foxes den, asked both
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  Speaker 1: Dot and Tot. We'll do whatever Mother Catastrophe says, replied Trot.
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  Speaker 1: Then they started to cry again. Trot brought the wash
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  Speaker 1: boiler again. If you cry hard into this, mother Catastrophe
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  Speaker 1: will have soft water to wash her clothes in. Then
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  Speaker 1: Dot and Tot began to laugh instead of cry, and
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  Speaker 1: Mother Catastrophe said, if manners you really want to know,
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  Speaker 1: bow politely and stand in a row. The three little
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  Speaker 1: kittens stood up in a row and bowed politely. Old
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  Speaker 1: Mother Catastrophe said, Dot will make a bow next and
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  Speaker 1: say to Madame Red Fox, how is your cousin, the
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  Speaker 1: kit fox? Has he changed his coat this season? Dot said,
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  Speaker 1: do foxes change their coats? Do tell us about it?
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  Speaker 1: Of course they change their coats, said Mother Catastrophe. The
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  Speaker 1: kit fox wears a coat of one color in the
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  Speaker 1: summer and another color in the winter. Tot may next
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  Speaker 1: make a bow and say, how is your cousin, the
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  Speaker 1: cross fox. He is not really a very cross fox,
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  Speaker 1: but he is named from his markings. At this very minute,
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  Speaker 1: little Trot may shout at the top of his lungs,
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  Speaker 1: we are the kittens who lost our mittens, Oh, Red Fox,
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  Speaker 1: give them to us to day. Oh, we are the
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  Speaker 1: kittens who lost our mittens. But truly, Red Fox, we've
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  Speaker 1: not come to stay. You must thank Madame Red Fox
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  Speaker 1: when she hands you the mittens. Trot went out to
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  Speaker 1: get the wheelbarrow, for they were going to wheel Mother
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  Speaker 1: Catastrophe to the fox's den. They helped her into the
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  Speaker 1: wheelbarrow and went through the woods by the most crooked
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  Speaker 1: paths they could find. Suddenly, they all stopped still and
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  Speaker 1: Trot said, what if Madame Red Fox should not be
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  Speaker 1: at home? Old Mother Catastrophe answered, I'm Mother Catastrophe, Old
• 15:42
  Speaker 1: and Gray, I don't cross a bridge. While on the way,
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  Speaker 1: Dot and Tot said, where is the bridge? We don't
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  Speaker 1: see any bridge at all. Old Mother Catastrophe said, you
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  Speaker 1: can have good manners if you choose. You had better
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  Speaker 1: mind your p's and ques our p's and ques repeated
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  Speaker 1: the three little kittens. At that very minute they heard
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  Speaker 1: the patter, patter patter of feet behind them the foxes.
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  Speaker 1: The foxes cried the three little kittens, Oh, where shall
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  Speaker 1: we hide?
• 16:09
  Speaker 2: They turned over the.
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  Speaker 1: Wheelbarrow and crept under it, and to the surprise of all,
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  Speaker 1: Old Mother kit Cat came down the path, singing, where
• 16:16
  Speaker 1: are the three kittens who once lost their mittens?
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  Speaker 2: Here we are, Here we are.
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  Speaker 1: They all shouted, rumbling and tumbling out from under the wheelbarrow.
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  Speaker 1: They hugged and kissed all around, and Mother KitKat said, come,
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  Speaker 1: let us journey on again until we come to the
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  Speaker 1: fox's den. So on and on they went Old Mother Catastrophe,
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  Speaker 1: riding in the wheelbarrow all the way, and the wind
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  Speaker 1: whistled a merry tune. You'll not find your mittens, you
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  Speaker 1: three little kittens, they were stolen away for a year
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  Speaker 1: and a day. Hark, what does the wind say about
• 16:46
  Speaker 1: our mittens? Asked the three little kittens. They shouted at
• 16:50
  Speaker 1: the top of their lungs. We cannot spare our mittens
• 16:52
  Speaker 1: for a year and a day. Perhaps the wind is
• 16:54
  Speaker 1: only teasing. The wind may be false, the wind may
• 16:58
  Speaker 1: be true. Will accomplish what we set out to do,
• 17:01
  Speaker 1: said Mother Catastrophe. And they drew nearer and nearer the
• 17:04
  Speaker 1: fox's den. Every step they took, dot and tot said,
• 17:08
  Speaker 1: by our long whiskers, we wish we were home. Trot said,
• 17:12
  Speaker 1: we are on an adventure bound. Perhaps the mittens will
• 17:15
  Speaker 1: soon be found. At that very minute, they came upon
• 17:18
  Speaker 1: the fox's den, and they were all surprised to read
• 17:21
  Speaker 1: a sign in big letters, Oh, three little kittens, we
• 17:25
  Speaker 1: did take your mittens. We wore them as long as
• 17:27
  Speaker 1: we could. Oh, three little kittens, We gave up the
• 17:30
  Speaker 1: mittens to three little bears who live in the woods.
• 17:34
  Speaker 2: Hurrah, Hurrah, hurrah.
• 17:36
  Speaker 1: Cried the three little kittens. We will go to the
• 17:38
  Speaker 1: home of three little bears who live in the woods. Hurrah,
• 17:41
  Speaker 1: for the three little friendly bears. Old Mother KitKat said, indeed,
• 17:46
  Speaker 1: I think you will come home with me. Old Mother
• 17:48
  Speaker 1: Catastrophe said, I do not like in the woods to rome.
• 17:52
  Speaker 1: Come three little kittens and wiel me home. They all
• 17:55
  Speaker 1: took turns in wheeling Mother Catastrophe home, and then they
• 17:58
  Speaker 1: ran beside Mother KitKat till they came to their neat
• 18:01
  Speaker 1: little house at the edge of the woods. They said,
• 18:04
  Speaker 1: tis dark within the fox's den. We hope we'll not
• 18:06
  Speaker 1: go there again. The wind whistled merrily. Oh, three little kittens, Oh,
• 18:11
  Speaker 1: three little kittens, three little bears are wearing your mittens.
• 18:14
  Speaker 1: The three little kittens said, oh ma, may we go
• 18:17
  Speaker 1: to the house of the three bears tomorrow. Old Mother
• 18:20
  Speaker 1: KitKat washed their faces and said, when tomorrow comes, we
• 18:24
  Speaker 1: shall see end of section three, Section four of Three
• 18:35
  Speaker 1: Little Kittens Who Lost their mittens by Laura Rountree Smith.
• 18:39
  Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Grandpa Growler
• 18:44
  Speaker 1: and the three bears. Next morning, early Dot and Tot
• 18:49
  Speaker 1: and Trot woke up crying, we're good little kittens. May
• 18:53
  Speaker 1: we find our mittens? Old Mother KitKat, We're coming downstairs.
• 18:57
  Speaker 1: We're good little kittens. We'll go find our mittens if
• 19:00
  Speaker 1: we may repair to the home of three bears. Old
• 19:03
  Speaker 1: mother kit Cat answered, what do you know about bears?
• 19:06
  Speaker 1: You cannot understand bear language. Boo hoo, boo hoo, cried
• 19:10
  Speaker 1: the three little kittens. Old mother kit Cat, We must
• 19:13
  Speaker 1: find our mittens. Mother KitKat looked at the three little
• 19:17
  Speaker 1: kittens over her spectacles, and the little old man of
• 19:20
  Speaker 1: the fire said, to interrupt, is quite absurd in politeness land,
• 19:24
  Speaker 1: I've heard. The three little kittens hung their heads and
• 19:27
  Speaker 1: sat very still in their three little rocking chairs by
• 19:30
  Speaker 1: the fire. At this very minute, rappitap was heard at
• 19:34
  Speaker 1: the door. The door opened, and in walked Grandpa Growler,
• 19:37
  Speaker 1: the friendliest bear in the world. The three little kittens cried, Oh,
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: Grandpa Growler, have you some candy for us? Oh Grandpa Growler,
• 19:45
  Speaker 1: have you come to tell us a story? He answered,
• 19:48
  Speaker 1: three little kittens all like to tease. Come let me
• 19:52
  Speaker 1: get my breath if you please. He sat down by
• 19:54
  Speaker 1: the fire and growled and growled. He was a peculiar
• 19:57
  Speaker 1: bear and always growled the loudest when he was happy.
• 20:00
  Speaker 1: He was very happy now, warming his paws by the
• 20:03
  Speaker 1: cheerful fire. He was a sure enough story teller, and
• 20:07
  Speaker 1: he began in a sing song kind of way. Once
• 20:09
  Speaker 1: upon a time, three little kittens lost their mittens.
• 20:13
  Speaker 2: How do you know? Asked Dot? How do you know?
• 20:16
  Speaker 1: Asked Tot Trot said, oh, Grandpa, please go on with
• 20:19
  Speaker 1: your story. Grandpa Growler growled again pleasantly and said, three
• 20:24
  Speaker 1: little foxes are trying to fit on three little mittens
• 20:27
  Speaker 1: from three little kittens. Didn't they really truly fit, asked Dot,
• 20:31
  Speaker 1: and Tot Trot said as before, Oh, Grandpa, go on
• 20:35
  Speaker 1: with your story.
• 20:35
  Speaker 2: Please.
• 20:37
  Speaker 1: At this Grandpa Growler removed his spectacles and said, three
• 20:41
  Speaker 1: little foxes, I do declare, are just as shy as
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: three little pears. The thing to you may seem quite funny.
• 20:48
  Speaker 1: They traded the mittens for milk and honey. The three
• 20:51
  Speaker 1: little kittens joined paws and whirled round, singing, the three
• 20:55
  Speaker 1: little bears have our mittens, ho ho to their little
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: wheat house in the woods. We must oh. Grandpa Growler
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: was always in a hurry to do things, so he
• 21:04
  Speaker 1: growled again pleasantly, saying, I will not wait a year
• 21:07
  Speaker 1: in a day, We'll start away and make no delay.
• 21:10
  Speaker 1: Before the three little kittens could say a word, he
• 21:13
  Speaker 1: had tucked Dot and Tot in his overcoat pockets, and
• 21:16
  Speaker 1: he tucked Trot in his market basket and walked off
• 21:19
  Speaker 1: in his funny, flat footed manner. The little kittens felt safe,
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: but Dot and Tot whispered to each other, what if
• 21:25
  Speaker 1: we should fall?
• 21:26
  Speaker 2: What if we should meet the bears in the woods.
• 21:29
  Speaker 1: They went on and on until they came to the
• 21:31
  Speaker 1: house of the three Bears. They could hear the bears
• 21:34
  Speaker 1: scolding about somebody eating their porridge and sitting in their chairs.
• 21:38
  Speaker 1: Grandpa Growler walked right in and said, such a grumbling
• 21:42
  Speaker 1: I never heard three little bears. It's quite absurd. Then
• 21:45
  Speaker 1: he growled as loud as he could, and the three
• 21:47
  Speaker 1: bears stopped their noise. All would have gone well, I
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: am sure if the porridge had not smelled so good.
• 21:53
  Speaker 1: All of a sudden, the three little kittens jumped on
• 21:56
  Speaker 1: the table and began to eat porridge as fast as
• 21:58
  Speaker 1: they could. Ho Ho, cried the three bears, So we
• 22:01
  Speaker 1: have more visitors. They thought the three little kittens so cute.
• 22:05
  Speaker 1: They hugged them most too hard. But Grandpa Growler said,
• 22:09
  Speaker 1: make your best bow, you three little kittens, and asked
• 22:11
  Speaker 1: politely for news of the mittens. The mittens shouted the
• 22:15
  Speaker 1: three bears in one breath. Then they cried, the three
• 22:18
  Speaker 1: little foxes are very sly. They brought us the mittens
• 22:21
  Speaker 1: only to try. Didn't they fit you, asked Dot. Didn't
• 22:25
  Speaker 1: they fit you, asked Tot. Where can they be? Now,
• 22:28
  Speaker 1: asked Trot. The three bears said, you, dear little kittens.
• 22:32
  Speaker 1: We gave up the mittens to three little squirrels who
• 22:34
  Speaker 1: live in the woods. Squirrels, said Dot, and Tot, curly Tale,
• 22:39
  Speaker 1: said Trot. They had a fine visit with the three bears,
• 22:42
  Speaker 1: and by and by went merrily homeward in the moonlight.
• 22:45
  Speaker 1: Grandpa Growler swung a lighted lantern before them, growling softly
• 22:49
  Speaker 1: all the time. He was very fond of fish, and
• 22:52
  Speaker 1: kept saying under his breath, I wish I had some trout.
• 22:55
  Speaker 1: I wish I had some salmon. I am so hungry
• 22:58
  Speaker 1: I could eat three little kittens. The three little kittens
• 23:01
  Speaker 1: were not at all afraid, for this was one of
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: Grandpa Growler's jokes.
• 23:05
  Speaker 2: When they got.
• 23:06
  Speaker 1: Home, Old Mother KitKat said, if I were a fairy
• 23:09
  Speaker 1: to grant you a wish, what would you like to
• 23:11
  Speaker 1: eat better than fish? Fish roared Grandpa Growler so loudly
• 23:16
  Speaker 1: that the roof nearly came off. Old Mother kit Cat
• 23:19
  Speaker 1: brought in a dish of fish for all, and Grandpa
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: Growler said, if you'll invite me, I'd like to stay
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: while the three little kittens journey away. For three little
• 23:28
  Speaker 1: squirrels are wearing the mittens that really belonged to three
• 23:31
  Speaker 1: little kittens. Squirrels, said Dot and Tot, Curly tails, said Trot.
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: They soon went merrily to bed. All this time, three
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: little foxes wearing three pairs of mittens were dancing merrily
• 23:43
  Speaker 1: in the moonlight. The little old man of the fire sang, oh,
• 23:47
  Speaker 1: three little kittens, Oh, three little kittens.
• 23:49
  Speaker 2: I fear me.
• 23:50
  Speaker 1: The foxes are wearing your mittens. You mean squirrels, said
• 23:54
  Speaker 1: Dot and Tot sleepily. You mean curly tails, said Trot.
• 23:58
  Speaker 1: The little old Man of the fire sang his song,
• 24:00
  Speaker 1: but I don't know what he knew about the matter.
• 24:05
  Speaker 1: End of section four, Section five of Three Little Kittens
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: Who Lost their Mittens by Laura Rountree Smith. This LibriVox
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: recording is in the public domain. The surprise party, Old
• 24:25
  Speaker 1: Mother KitKat sat knitting as usual one evening, and her
• 24:29
  Speaker 1: needles went click click click. When a rappit tap was
• 24:32
  Speaker 1: heard at the door, and in walked Grandpa Growler, saying,
• 24:36
  Speaker 1: a surprise party, A surprise party.
• 24:38
  Speaker 2: Here, I am alive and hearty.
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: Old Mother Kitkat's eyes got as big as saucers, and
• 24:43
  Speaker 1: she said, I am afraid you let the cat out
• 24:46
  Speaker 1: of the bag that time, Grandpa, who told you about
• 24:48
  Speaker 1: a surprise party? Grandpa Growler replied, I say such funny
• 24:52
  Speaker 1: things most of the time, whether I'm talking in prose
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: or in rhyme. He growled so pleasantly at that that
• 24:59
  Speaker 1: the three little kittens got the very best rocking chair
• 25:01
  Speaker 1: for him and the haircloth footstool and said, sit here, Grandpa,
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: in the rocking chair by the fire. Old Mother KitKat
• 25:09
  Speaker 1: was wondering if he was really only joking about a
• 25:11
  Speaker 1: surprise party. When rappitap was heard on the door and
• 25:15
  Speaker 1: the three little bears came in, they cried out, a
• 25:18
  Speaker 1: surprise party. We think very good. We are the three
• 25:21
  Speaker 1: bears that live in the woods. They had no sooner
• 25:24
  Speaker 1: seated themselves on three little stools by the fire. When
• 25:27
  Speaker 1: rappitap sounded on the door again, Old Mother KitKat straightened
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: her cap and called, come in come in. The hearth
• 25:34
  Speaker 1: is wide, there's room for one and all inside. They
• 25:37
  Speaker 1: all held their breath, for no one came in this time.
• 25:40
  Speaker 1: The three little kittens whispered to each other, What if
• 25:43
  Speaker 1: it should be the three little foxes coming in next?
• 25:46
  Speaker 1: What if it should be the three little foxes who
• 25:48
  Speaker 1: stole our mittens?
• 25:50
  Speaker 2: The three little curly.
• 25:51
  Speaker 1: Tales came in next with a hop and a skip
• 25:54
  Speaker 1: and a bound. The next minute there was heard a
• 25:57
  Speaker 1: great rumbling and tumbling, and Grandpa Growler, who stood with
• 26:00
  Speaker 1: his eyes to the key hole, said, some one is
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: coming in a wheelbarrow. Then the whole company shouted, oh,
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: Grandpa Growler, the secret is out, tis Mother Catastrophe without
• 26:10
  Speaker 1: a doubt. Sure enough, Old Uncle Mouser was wheeling Old
• 26:14
  Speaker 1: Mother Catastrophe nearer and nearer. Every minute he kept saying,
• 26:17
  Speaker 1: over and over, I hope no one has taken my
• 26:20
  Speaker 1: red plush lined basket. I hope no one has taken
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: my red plush lined basket. They came in, and Old
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: Mother Catastrophe shook the dust off her fur and whiskers,
• 26:29
  Speaker 1: and she said every one looked to her as big
• 26:31
  Speaker 1: as life and twice as natural. Then the ground hog
• 26:34
  Speaker 1: came in muttering about his shadow. But the beaver sent
• 26:37
  Speaker 1: a note of regret, for he was too shy for company.
• 26:41
  Speaker 1: I do not suppose they would have had a bit
• 26:42
  Speaker 1: to eat for refreshment if the little old Man of
• 26:45
  Speaker 1: the fire had not been there. He sang to the
• 26:47
  Speaker 1: three little kittens so softly that no one else heard. Coffee,
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: some sugar and tea will do. Make up some cookies
• 26:54
  Speaker 1: and rich pies too. The three little kittens went hurrying
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: and scurrying into the kitchen. They ran this way and
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: that way, cooking tea and coffee, and mixing up cookies
• 27:04
  Speaker 1: and pies. The three little foxes, wearing three pairs of mittens,
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: danced up to the window and said, you cannot cook,
• 27:11
  Speaker 1: for so we've heard three little kittens. Tis quite absurd.
• 27:15
  Speaker 1: The three little kittens were so surprised that they dropped
• 27:17
  Speaker 1: their three little spoons into their three little bowls. But
• 27:20
  Speaker 1: the little old man of the fire said, quite as
• 27:22
  Speaker 1: though nothing had happened. Most anything you'll learn to do
• 27:26
  Speaker 1: if you work to make the wish come true. Now,
• 27:29
  Speaker 1: the three little foxes danced this way and that way,
• 27:31
  Speaker 1: and came up again to the kitchen window. The three
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: little foxes shouted, more sugar, more spice, make everything nice.
• 27:39
  Speaker 1: They troubled the three little kittens so they could not
• 27:41
  Speaker 1: think straight. To save their lives, the little old man
• 27:44
  Speaker 1: of the fire suddenly darted through the open door, shouting,
• 27:47
  Speaker 1: I'll burn your bushy tails, tis true. Come on, I'll
• 27:50
  Speaker 1: run a race with you. The three little foxes could
• 27:53
  Speaker 1: feel the old man's hot breath, and they scampered off
• 27:56
  Speaker 1: as swiftly as the wind. The little old man of
• 27:59
  Speaker 1: the fire shouted, I can travel even faster, and I'll
• 28:02
  Speaker 1: bring you a disaster. Take off the mittens. Take off
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: the mittens, for they belonged to three little kittens. At
• 28:08
  Speaker 1: this the three little foxes lost no time, you may guess.
• 28:12
  Speaker 1: They threw the mittens down by the bank of a
• 28:14
  Speaker 1: river near by. The little old man of the fire shouted,
• 28:18
  Speaker 1: sink or swim, sink or swim, and he pushed the
• 28:21
  Speaker 1: three little foxes into the river, and they had to
• 28:24
  Speaker 1: swim all the way home. The little old man of
• 28:27
  Speaker 1: the fire picked up the mittens and washed them nicely.
• 28:30
  Speaker 1: Then he took them back home and hung them on
• 28:32
  Speaker 1: the line to dry. All this time, the three little
• 28:36
  Speaker 1: kittens were baking and stewing, and by and by they
• 28:39
  Speaker 1: had a regular surprise party. Meal ready, and all the
• 28:42
  Speaker 1: animals cried, Hurrah, hurrah for the three little kittens. After
• 28:46
  Speaker 1: they had eaten everything they could lay their paws on,
• 28:49
  Speaker 1: Old Uncle Mouser told stories, and Old Mother Catastrophe said,
• 28:53
  Speaker 1: as the clock struck ten, Mother Catastrophe, Old and Gray
• 28:57
  Speaker 1: should start out now on the homeward way. This ended
• 29:00
  Speaker 1: the party, and Old Uncle Mouser got the wheelbarrow, though
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: he looked longingly at the red, plush lined basket that
• 29:06
  Speaker 1: waited him by the fire. There was the greatest shaking
• 29:09
  Speaker 1: of paws you ever saw, and Grandpa Growler said, I'm
• 29:13
  Speaker 1: old and stiff.
• 29:13
  Speaker 2: You may believe I'll stay all night. Now by your leave.
• 29:17
  Speaker 1: As the guests went home, Old Mother KitKat said, I
• 29:20
  Speaker 1: really believe, my dear little kittens. On the clothes line,
• 29:23
  Speaker 1: I see three pairs of mittens. The three little kittens
• 29:27
  Speaker 1: went with a hop and a skip and a bound
• 29:29
  Speaker 1: to get their mittens, and three little foxes came, tagging
• 29:32
  Speaker 1: them as if they were playing hide and seek. The
• 29:35
  Speaker 1: three little kittens cried, we are three little kittens who
• 29:38
  Speaker 1: lost our mittens, and.
• 29:39
  Speaker 2: Here they are on a line. So dry.
• 29:42
  Speaker 1: We are three little kittens who lost our mittens, and
• 29:45
  Speaker 1: now we will call good bye goodbye. Not so fast,
• 29:49
  Speaker 1: said Grandpa Growler. What will kit Cat do with the
• 29:51
  Speaker 1: new mittens? She has n't it for you? Old mother?
• 29:54
  Speaker 1: KitKat said, they were made for kittens one, two, three,
• 29:58
  Speaker 1: I will put them up on the c The three
• 30:01
  Speaker 1: little foxes ran away again, for they saw the little
• 30:04
  Speaker 1: old man of the fire coming after them. And the
• 30:07
  Speaker 1: three little kittens joined pause and danced round and round
• 30:10
  Speaker 1: in a ring, while the little old Man of the
• 30:12
  Speaker 1: fire said good bye, good bye. We say, and then
• 30:16
  Speaker 1: just open the book and read again. The three little
• 30:18
  Speaker 1: kittens cried, we're three little kittens who found our mittens
• 30:22
  Speaker 1: to read this book. I'm sure you'll try. Were three
• 30:25
  Speaker 1: little kittens who found our mittens, and now we call
• 30:29
  Speaker 1: good bye goodbye. The three little kittens ran merrily home
• 30:33
  Speaker 1: in the moonlight, wearing their mittens. End of section five.
• 30:40
  Speaker 1: End of Three Little Kittens Who Lost their Mittens by
• 30:43
  Speaker 1: Laura Rountree Smith