the lady's room. The lady was playing with her baby and when Mother Cat
saw this she rubbed against her skirts, and cried: "Mee-ow, mee-ow! You
have your baby, and I want mine! Mee-ow, mee-ow!"

By and by the lady said: "Poor Kitty! she must be hungry"; and she went
down to the kitchen and poured sweet milk in a saucer, but the cat did
not want milk. She wanted her baby kitten out of the big black trunk,
and she mewed as plainly as she could: "Give me my baby--give me my
baby, out of your big black trunk!"

The kind lady decided that she must be thirsty: "Poor Kitty, I will give
you water"; but when she set the bowl of water down Mrs. Tabby Gray
mewed more sorrowfully than before. She wanted no water,--she only
wanted her dear baby kitten; and she ran to and fro, crying, until, at
last, the lady followed her; and she led the way to the trunk.

"What can be the matter with this cat?" said the lady; and she took the
trunk key out of her pocket, put it in the lock, unlocked the trunk,
raised the top--and in jumped Mother Cat with such a bound that the
little black kitten waked up with a start.

[Illustration: The lady followed her; and she led the way to the trunk.]

"Purr, purr, my darling child," said Mrs. Tabby Gray, in great
excitement; "I have had a dreadful fright!" and before the black kitten
could ask one question she picked him up and started for the barn.

The sun was bright in the barnyard and the hens were still chattering
there; but the black kitten was glad to get back to the barn. His mother
was glad, too; for, as she nestled down in the hay with her three little