down on the kitchen floor. She seemed to
be in a terrible fright.

"Oh! Mother, Mother," said Moppet,
"there's been an old woman rat in the
kitchen, and she's stolen some of the
dough!"

The two cats ran to look at the dough
pan. Sure enough there were marks of
little scratching fingers, and a lump of
dough was gone!

"Which way did she go, Moppet?"

But Moppet had been too much frightened
to peep out of the barrel again.

Ribby and Tabitha took her with them
to keep her safely in sight, while they went
on with their search.


They went into the dairy.

The first thing they found was Mittens,
hiding in an empty jar.


They tipped up the jar, and she scrambled