mice at home! Please let her go!"

"No, sir!" Boots growled, "This is the first mouse I have ever caught
and I will eat her!" At this the little Mamma mouse began squeaking
louder than ever.

"If you do not let the Mamma mouse go, Boots, I shall not play with you
again!" said Raggedy Ann.

"Raggedy will not play with Boots again!" said all of the dolls in an
awed tone. Not to have Raggedy play with them would have been sad,
indeed.

But Boots only growled.

The dolls drew to one side, where Raggedy Ann and Uncle Clem whispered
together.

And while they whispered Boots would let the little Mamma mouse run a
piece, then she would catch it again and box it about between her paws.

This she did until the poor little Mamma mouse grew so tired it could
scarcely run away from Boots.

Boots would let it get almost to the hole in the wall before she would
catch it, for she knew it would not escape her.

As she watched the little mouse crawling towards the hole scarcely able
to move, Raggedy Ann could not keep the tears from her shoe-button eyes.