Adventures of Puss in Boots, Jr.

<h2><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[86]</SPAN></span> <SPAN name="puss" id="puss"></SPAN>OLD KING COLE'S FIDDLERS ARE RATHER RUDE TO PUSS</h2> <div class="block24"> <div class="figleft2"> <ANTIMG src="images/quote.png" width-obs="8" height-obs="7" alt="open quote" title="" /></div> </div> <div class="block26"> <div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> <p class="cap nmb">Old King Cole was a merry old soul,</p> <span class="i3 nmt">And a merry old soul was he;<br/></span> <span class="i0">And he called for his pipe,<br/></span> <span class="i0">And he called for his bowl,<br/></span> <span class="i0">And he called for his fiddlers three.<br/></span> <span class="i0">And every fiddler, he had a fine fiddle,<br/></span> <span class="i0">And a very fine fiddle had he;<br/></span> <span class="i0">"Tweedle dee, tweedle dee," said the fiddlers;<br/></span> <span class="i0">"Oh, there's none so rare as can compare,<br/></span> <span class="i0">With Old King Cole and his fiddlers three."<br/></span></div> </div></div> <p>Cole Castle was a very magnificent one. Puss looked up at the great walls and sighed. "I wish I would find my dear father here, but I suppose I won't."</p> <p>"No, you won't," cried a voice, and one of the three fiddlers poked his head out of a window and laughed loud and long. "There are no cats in this castle."</p> <p>"No cats allowed here," cried the third fiddler, appearing at the postern gate.</p> <p>Puss, Jr., almost felt like crying. "Did you ever hear of Puss in Boots?" he asked.</p> <p>"Certainly," replied all three fiddlers at once,<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[87]</SPAN></span> "but he doesn't live here. No cats do. We make all the noise in this castle. You don't think for a moment Old King Cole could stand any more noise, do you?"</p> <p>"My father wouldn't make any noise," replied Puss, Jr., indignantly.</p> <p>"I never heard of a cat that didn't," said one of the fiddlers.</p> <p>"All cats make an awful noise at night," said another.</p> <p>"They meow and cry like everything on the back fence," said the third fiddler. "They make more noise than a fiddle, and a worse noise than a fiddle out of tune."</p> <p>"I don't like you," said Puss. "People who don't like cats are not to be trusted."</p> <p>"Ha, ha!" laughed all three fiddlers, "you're jealous of us!"</p> <p>"Not the least," replied Puss, stoutly. "I'm not jealous at all. I'm just indignant that you should make such a remark about my family."</p> <p>"No harm meant," said the three fiddlers, "no harm meant, my good Sir Cat."</p> <p>"Very well, we won't argue the matter," said Puss, "for a traveler has no time to argue if he would reach his journey's end. Time is precious, and I must be on my way. Only let me tell you, I have heard many a fiddle that made a worse noise than a cat," and with this parting remark our little hero continued on his way.</p> <hr /> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />