Puss followed her into a cozy room, where, on the mantlepiece, stood a tick-tocky clock, just striking six. The tablecloth was spread and everything was ready for supper. Over in the corner hung a cage, in which sat a big green parrot.
"Polly want a cracker?" asked Puss.
"No, I don't want a cracker," replied the parrot; "I want a little mouse."
"What!" cried Puss, "you don't mean to say you don't like crackers?"
"I'm tired of them," said the parrot.
"Did you ever eat a raisin cracker?" said Puss, with a grin.
But the parrot didn't reply. Pretty soon he opened the door of his cage and came out. Puss was all alone in the room, for the mother had taken the baby upstairs.
"I'm going to fly out of the window," exclaimed the parrot. "I'm tired being alone all day in this house." And before Puss could stop him, he opened the window and flew away.
"The parrot's gone!" cried Puss running to the foot of the stairs. Then he rushed out into the yard and found the parrot perched on the limb of an old apple tree.
"I won't come back!" he cried. "I won't!"