"Very well," said the Turtle, scratching his head, "you may remain on my island," and then he crawled away to his own house on the hill, which Puss could see in the distance. I think the Turtle was a disagreeable sort of person not to have asked our little traveler to spend the night with him, but then, you know, there are some disagreeable people even in New Mother Goose Country, and the Turtle was one of them.
The next morning, bright and early, Puss, Junior, got up and cooked his breakfast, and then he jumped into his rowboat and started off and by and by, as he was gliding along, a big fish came up to the surface and said, "Helloa, there!" At first Puss was startled, for he didn't see the fish, but as soon as he did, he replied:
"Don't get in my way! I might push my oar in your eye." This made the fish laugh so hard that he cried, and after that he laughed some more, only he didn't cry that time. "Where are you going?" he asked.
"To the castle of my Lord of Carabas," replied Puss.
"A long journey, my brave little cat," said the fish, "but keep up a brave heart. You are already more than half way across New Mother Goose Country."
PUSS FINDS A SUPPER
FOR many days Puss, Junior, traveled in his boat down the river and towards evening he heard a voice on the shore singing:
"Rock-a-by baby, thy cradle is green,
Dad's a policeman, the finest yet seen;
And mother's a lady and goes to a ball,
And Johnny's a member of Tammany Hall."