THE FIRE
MY Lady Wind, my Lady Wind,
Went round about the house to find
A chink to get her foot in;
She tried the keyhole in the door,
She tried the crevice in the floor,
And drove the chimney soot in.
And then one night when it was dark
She blew up such a tiny spark
That all the house was pothered;
From it she raised up such a flame
As flamed away to Belting Lane,
And White Cross folks were smothered.
Puss, Junior, awoke with a start to find his room filled with smoke. And, oh, dear me! when he opened his door red flames were already crawling up the woodwork.
Running up the stairs two at a time, he pounded on the nursery door and shouted, "Fire! fire!" And then, of course, the baby awoke with a cry.
"Oh, Puss, Junior, what shall I do?" cried the mother, for the cruel flames were now creeping across the hall.
"Don't open the door," he cried. "The hall is a mass of flames. Climb through the window to the roof of the porch. Be quick!" and he jumped through the little hall window and ran across the roof to the nursery. "Come out here!" he shouted. "Be quick, or the flames will be in your room before you can get out."
Just then, all of a sudden, a ladder was placed against the porch, and a kind fireman with a big red helmet on his head held out his arms. "Give me the baby and follow me." Puss held the top of the ladder to steady it until they were safe on the ground and then slid down without touching the rungs.