CHAPTER II.OLD MOTHER CATASTROPHE
Nextmorning Dot and Tot and Trot woke up crying, “I am hungry, I am hungry, I am hungry.”
They ran downstairs but Old Mother Catastrophe was nowhere to be seen.
There was no fire in the kitchen stove.
Dot and Tot began to cry but brave little Trot said,
“I believe I’ll sing a little verse.It might be better, it might be worse.”
“I believe I’ll sing a little verse.It might be better, it might be worse.”
“I believe I’ll sing a little verse.It might be better, it might be worse.”
“I believe I’ll sing a little verse.
It might be better, it might be worse.”
Then, to the surprise of all a little silver bell rang and a voice called,
“Old Mother Catastrophe’s old and gray,Who will bring in her wood to-day?”
“Old Mother Catastrophe’s old and gray,Who will bring in her wood to-day?”
“Old Mother Catastrophe’s old and gray,Who will bring in her wood to-day?”
“Old Mother Catastrophe’s old and gray,
Who will bring in her wood to-day?”
“I will, I will, I will,” cried the Three Little Kittens together.
They saw that the wood-box was empty.
The Three Little Kittens went out and got wood and filled the box.
They thought they had brought in enough but a voice called,
“Day and night, hours four and twenty,Get a plenty, get a plenty.”
“Day and night, hours four and twenty,Get a plenty, get a plenty.”
“Day and night, hours four and twenty,Get a plenty, get a plenty.”
“Day and night, hours four and twenty,
Get a plenty, get a plenty.”
The Little Kittens were so amused they tumbled over each other and hurried out to get more wood.
They next heard the tinkle, tinkle, tinkle, of a silver bell and the voice said,
“So far, so good, so far, so good,For now we find enough of wood.”
“So far, so good, so far, so good,For now we find enough of wood.”
“So far, so good, so far, so good,For now we find enough of wood.”
“So far, so good, so far, so good,
For now we find enough of wood.”
The Three Little Kittens were happy now.
“Oh, I wonder what else we can do,” asked Dot“Perhaps, there isn’t anything else we can do,” said Tot“Well, we soon will know,” added Trot.
“Oh, I wonder what else we can do,” asked Dot“Perhaps, there isn’t anything else we can do,” said Tot“Well, we soon will know,” added Trot.
“Oh, I wonder what else we can do,” asked Dot“Perhaps, there isn’t anything else we can do,” said Tot“Well, we soon will know,” added Trot.
“Oh, I wonder what else we can do,” asked Dot
“Perhaps, there isn’t anything else we can do,” said Tot
“Well, we soon will know,” added Trot.
As the Three Kittens stood there looking at each other, the same tinkle tinkle of the same silver bell was heard by them.
“I wonder what that means,” cried Dot and Tot.
This is what the little silver voice now said.
“Who can get breakfast, may I inquire,Until they have made a good kitchen fire?”
“Who can get breakfast, may I inquire,Until they have made a good kitchen fire?”
“Who can get breakfast, may I inquire,Until they have made a good kitchen fire?”
“Who can get breakfast, may I inquire,
Until they have made a good kitchen fire?”
Then the Three Little Kittens made a fire and soon it was roaring merrily.
Then the little bell tinkled again and a voice said,
“Old Mother Catastrophe’s old and gray,Who will bring in her water to-day?”
“Old Mother Catastrophe’s old and gray,Who will bring in her water to-day?”
“Old Mother Catastrophe’s old and gray,Who will bring in her water to-day?”
“Old Mother Catastrophe’s old and gray,
Who will bring in her water to-day?”
“I will, I will, I will,” cried the Three Little Kittens, and they went out for a pail of water and filled up the tea-kettle. And to the surprise of all, there stood Old Mother Catastrophe in the door way wearing a cap with silver bells upon it.
She said,
“Tis well to work as well as play,And learn some lessons every day.”
“Tis well to work as well as play,And learn some lessons every day.”
“Tis well to work as well as play,And learn some lessons every day.”
“Tis well to work as well as play,
And learn some lessons every day.”
Dot thought of the empty wood box at home and Tot remembered that the tea-kettle was empty.
Trot thought they could help mother when they got home.
Old Mother Catastrophe hugged and kissed each Little Kitten in turn and in less time than it takes to tell it, they sat down to eat breakfast together.
Old Mother Catastrophe said, “I am going to see Old Mother Kit-Cat to-day, and you may keep house while I am gone.”
Then she cried, “Where are my rubbers? Where is my great-coat? Where is my market basket? Where is my walking stick?”
The Three Little Kittens ran this way and that way waiting upon her.
She said in parting,
“Laugh and play with merry din,But do not let the Foxes in.”
“Laugh and play with merry din,But do not let the Foxes in.”
“Laugh and play with merry din,But do not let the Foxes in.”
“Laugh and play with merry din,
But do not let the Foxes in.”
“The FOXES,” said Dot and Tot, “Oh dear, oh dear we are afraid of the FOXES.”
Trot said, “I am not afraid of the FOXES, we will not let them in.”
The Three Little Kittens stood at the window waving their pocket handkerchiefs as Mother Catastrophe went down the walk.
“I think you can have a better play,If the dishes are washed and put away,”
“I think you can have a better play,If the dishes are washed and put away,”
“I think you can have a better play,If the dishes are washed and put away,”
“I think you can have a better play,
If the dishes are washed and put away,”
sang the Little Old Man of the Fire, sothe Three Little Kittens found three little aprons hanging on a nail and they put them on and washed and dried the dishes and put them away.
All day long they danced about merrily doing nice things for Mother Catastrophe and the Little Old Man of the Fire shouted merrily all the time.
Once he shouted,
“Oh Three Little Kittens,Tell, where are your mittens?”
“Oh Three Little Kittens,Tell, where are your mittens?”
“Oh Three Little Kittens,Tell, where are your mittens?”
“Oh Three Little Kittens,
Tell, where are your mittens?”
“Our mittens,” cried Dot and Tot, “Oh dear, oh dear, we had forgotten all about our mittens.”
At this very minute a very exciting thing happened.
Three Little Foxes wearing three pairs of mittens came dancing down the roadway.
THEY CAME NEARER AND NEARER EVERY MINUTE.
They ran up to the house and showed the mittens they were wearing, and they flattened their noses against the window pane.
They cried, “Let us in, pray let us in, we are so cold we are freezing our noses and toeses.”
I don’t know what in the world would have happened but the Little Old Man of the Fire leaped out in his jacket of red and yellow, crying,
“I will burn your nose, I will burn your toes,So away and away the wise fox goes.”
“I will burn your nose, I will burn your toes,So away and away the wise fox goes.”
“I will burn your nose, I will burn your toes,So away and away the wise fox goes.”
“I will burn your nose, I will burn your toes,
So away and away the wise fox goes.”
The Three Little Foxes were so afraid at that they ran off as fast as their legs could carry them.
They wore the mittens of course that belonged to the Kittens.
Dot and Tot began to weep and wail,
“Oh dear, oh dear, we have lost our mittens,Oh dear, oh dear, we are sad little kittens.”
“Oh dear, oh dear, we have lost our mittens,Oh dear, oh dear, we are sad little kittens.”
“Oh dear, oh dear, we have lost our mittens,Oh dear, oh dear, we are sad little kittens.”
“Oh dear, oh dear, we have lost our mittens,
Oh dear, oh dear, we are sad little kittens.”
If you guessed one hundred years you could never guess what brave little Trot did.
He ran and got the old gold-fish bowl that stood empty on the table and said, “Will you cry a bowl full? Will you cry a pitcher full? Will you cry a tea-kettle full;—keep it up, keep it up.”
Dot and Tot did not shed another tear and the Little Old Man of the Fire said,
“If you can count your eyes and nose,’Tis supper time as I suppose.”
“If you can count your eyes and nose,’Tis supper time as I suppose.”
“If you can count your eyes and nose,’Tis supper time as I suppose.”
“If you can count your eyes and nose,
’Tis supper time as I suppose.”
Such a hurrying and scurrying you never saw as the hands of the kitchen clock pointed to six.
The Three Little Kittens had supper on the table and smoking hot, when Old Mother Catastrophe came thump, bump, thump, bump, with her cane, rapping and tapping, with her cane, all the way.
When they told their adventure at supper time Old Mother Catastrophe said,
“First class in Foxes come this way,And hear what Catastrophe has to say.”
“First class in Foxes come this way,And hear what Catastrophe has to say.”
“First class in Foxes come this way,And hear what Catastrophe has to say.”
“First class in Foxes come this way,
And hear what Catastrophe has to say.”
Then she said they would have to learn all about Foxes and go to-morrow to the foxes’ den and get their lost mittens.
Dot and Tot were so scared at the mention of Foxes that they crept under the table but brave little Trot said,
“Dear Mother Catastrophe, old and gray,We are not afraid if you’ll lead the way.”
“Dear Mother Catastrophe, old and gray,We are not afraid if you’ll lead the way.”
“Dear Mother Catastrophe, old and gray,We are not afraid if you’ll lead the way.”
“Dear Mother Catastrophe, old and gray,
We are not afraid if you’ll lead the way.”
Old Mother Catastrophe rolled her great green eyes and said,
“What about my lame leg and crooked back?’Tis a mile away, alas! alack!”
“What about my lame leg and crooked back?’Tis a mile away, alas! alack!”
“What about my lame leg and crooked back?’Tis a mile away, alas! alack!”
“What about my lame leg and crooked back?
’Tis a mile away, alas! alack!”
Brave little Trot said, “We will take you in the wheel-barrow and wheel you right up to the Foxes’ den if you will only go with us.”
Mother Catastrophe agreed to this, and they all sat round in a circle while she told them about Foxes.
She began by saying,
“Alas! Little Kittens! alas! Little Kittens,Three Little Foxes have stolen your mittens.”
“Alas! Little Kittens! alas! Little Kittens,Three Little Foxes have stolen your mittens.”
“Alas! Little Kittens! alas! Little Kittens,Three Little Foxes have stolen your mittens.”
“Alas! Little Kittens! alas! Little Kittens,
Three Little Foxes have stolen your mittens.”