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Once upon a time there was an old cat, called Mrs. Tabitha Twitchit, who
was an anxious parent. She used to lose her kittens continually, and
whenever they were lost they were always in mischief!

On baking day she determined to shut them up in a cupboard.

She caught Moppet and Mittens, but she could not find Tom.

Mrs. Tabitha went up and down all over the house, mewing for Tom
Kitten. She looked in the pantry under the staircase, and she searched
the best spare bedroom that was all covered up with dust sheets. She
went right upstairs and looked into the attics, but she could not find
him anywhere.

It was an old, old house, full of cupboards and passages. Some of the
walls were four feet thick, and there used to be queer noises inside
them, as if there might be a little secret staircase. Certainly there
were odd little jagged doorways in the wainscot, and things disappeared
at night--especially cheese and bacon.

Mrs. Tabitha became more and more distracted, and mewed dreadfully.

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