The rat made the same answer when the miller patted him.
Just then the mother of the baby who was in the cradle on the tree-top came by. She smiled at the miller, who took off his rusty, dusty cap. "There she goes," he said to Puss. "She's going to take the cradle down now. She'll take 'cradle, and baby, and all' home with her."
Puss stepped to the doorway to watch her. First she stood on tiptoe and looked into the cradle. Then she smiled and leaned over and kissed the baby, who began to crow and clap his hands. After she had kissed him many times she lifted him out of the cradle and danced him up and down on her knee. As she danced him gently up and down, she sang:
"Down in the village, all the day long,
Mother's been singing a sweet little song;
Just to herself she's been singing all day,
While baby's been rocking and rocking away:
'Hush-a-by, baby, upon the tree-top,
Mother is watching the tick-tocky clock;
Counting the minutes go by until she
Will be taking her baby boy down from the tree.'"
Then she laid the baby over her shoulder and, picking up the cradle, started off for home.
"Let me carry the cradle for you," said Puss, Jr., running out of the mill.
"That would be a great help," she replied, "for baby is getting very heavy, and mother has been working hard all day."
So Puss put the cradle on his shoulder and, bowing to the miller, followed after her, while the baby kicked and crowed and tried to reach down and pull his whiskers. And Puss tickled the baby's hand and winked at the baby, who gurgled and laughed and tried to pull the feather out of Puss, Jr.'s, cap. And the little mother forgot all about her own weariness, for baby lay so warm against her neck and his laugh tinkled so sweetly in her ear!