"Wait a minute," said Puss, "you talk so fast, and your words all rhyme, and you've got so many things, of so many different colors that—that I really don't remember whether you said you had a pair of gloves, after all."
"No, my dear pussy-cat," said the little maid, with a pout. "I have new shoes, and new everything but gloves. Now won't you bring me a pair for Easter Day?"
"Where shall I buy them?" asked Puss. "I don't see any shops about, and if I must go all the way to London for them you'll never receive them in time for this Easter."
"Not far from here," cried the little maid, "is a tiny shop where they make beautiful gloves. Take the first road to your right and then turn to your left, and then turn to your right, and then you'll see it."
"Whew! Mew!" cried Puss. "Well, here goes. I'll do the best I can, but if I do not return you will know that I turned to the left when I should have turned to the right, and then that I turned to the right when I should have turned to the left, and so got all mixed up and never found the tiny shop where the beautiful gloves are made." This was a long sentence for Puss, but he was learning how to make conversation after the manner of little girls!
But his good gray horse must have remembered the directions, for he landed his small master safe at the glove-shop. Puss, Jr., bought a lovely pair of gloves and remounted his horse. Soon he was back again in front of the little gate where a short half-hour before the little girl had been swinging back and forth. She had disappeared, but he heard her singing.
"Where are the gloves for Easter Day?" she cried, running out of the door of the cottage.
"Here they are, my pretty one," said Puss.
"The rose is red, the violet blue;
The gillyflower's sweet, and so are you,"
sang the little girl as she tried them on.