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[Illustration: I AM THE QUEEN]


KITTENS AND CATS

A First Reader

by

EULALIE OSGOOD GROVER

Author of “The Sunbonnet Babies’ Primer,”
“The Overall Boys,” etc.


[Illustration]






Houghton Mifflin Company
Boston · New York · Chicago · Dallas · San Francisco
The Riverside Press Cambridge

Copyright, 1911
by Eulalie Osgood Grover

Pictures Copyrighted by the Rotograph Co.

All Rights Reserved Including the Right to Reproduce
This Book or Parts Thereof in Any Form

The Riverside Press
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Printed in the U.S.A.




[Illustration: TO FRITZ

WHO LOVES KITTENS AND CATS AS MUCH AS YOU AND I DO]




CONTENTS


    THE QUEEN                     2

    GRANNY GRAY                   4

    GETTING READY                 6

    I WONDER                      7

    READY FOR THE PARTY           8

    A FULL CART                   9

    TIME TO START                10

    IS MY HAT ON STRAIGHT        12

    HIDING                       14

    AN INVITATION                15

    NO PARTY FOR ME              16

    I’M OFF                      18

    BEING WEIGHED                20

    THE PARTY                    22

    THE COMMANDING OFFICER       23

    THE LATEST NEWS              24

    WHAT IS IT?                  25

    I’LL SING YOU A SONG         26

    A TALE OF A MOUSE            28

    WE ARE THE CATS              29

    A NURSE’S TALE               30

    A FAMOUS MOUSER              32

    A LONG TIME AGO              34

    A DUNCE’S TALE               36

    A TALE OF THREE KITTENS      38

    THE KITTENS THREE            41

    A RAINY-DAY TALE             42

    A TALE OF LONDON TOWN        44

    A TALE I KNOW                46

    A TALE OF ST. IVES           48

    A LITTLE FAIRY’S TALE        50

    A SECRET                     52

    WHO WAS HE                   54

    A STRANGER                   55

    A SAD TALE                   56

    MY OWN TALE                  58

    THREE TALES                  60

    A SIGHT TO SEE               61

    A ’FRAID-CAT’S TALE          62

    FROM THE NORTH POLE          64

    THE TWINS                    66

    DO WE LOOK ALIKE             67

    WHAT SHALL WE SING           68

    WAITING                      69

    DING, DONG, BELL             70

    THE DINING-ROOM              72

    I AM SO HUNGRY               74

    THE QUEEN’S TEA-TABLE        75

    SEVEN LITTLE PUSSY-CATS      76

    MANY THANKS                  78

    GOOD NIGHT                   79

    THE LAST TALE                80




KITTENS AND CATS




THE QUEEN


I am the Queen of all the Kittens.

I am the Queen! the Queen!

Come, all you kittens and cats.

Hear what I have to say.

To-morrow I give a grand party.

The party will be in my palace.

You are all invited from the biggest to the littlest, from the oldest to
the youngest, from the blackest to the whitest.

So wash your paws and shine your fur.

Forget your naughty tricks and do not one of you dare be late to your
Queen’s party.

To-morrow at one o’clock.

[Illustration: IT IS MY PARTY]




GRANNY GRAY


I am Granny Gray.

I am very, very old, but I am going to the Queen’s party.

I am grandmother to a great many kittens.

When any of them are naughty their mothers always send for me.

When any of them are sick I always know what to do.

I teach them how to sing.

I teach them how to scratch.

I teach them how to catch mice.

I am very, very old.

They call me Granny Gray.

[Illustration: I AM GRANNY GRAY]




GETTING READY


Hark, hark! what is that noise?

No, I cannot play with you now.

I must take my bath.

I must get ready for the party.

I have a new jacket and a new hat to wear.

My pants were new last week, but they are not new now.

I tore two holes in them when I climbed the apple tree in the back yard.

Mother patched them, but someway the patches show more than the holes did.

Perhaps my new jacket will cover the patches. I hope I shall look well
dressed.

[Illustration: I AM TAKING MY BATH]




I WONDER


    I wonder if those horrid patches
      Upon my trousers white
    Would show as much if they were not
      As black as black as night?




READY FOR THE PARTY


Mew! mew! mew! mew!

Come, mother, come quickly!

We are all ready and waiting to start.

Yes, we are all here.

There are one, two, three, four of us.

The carriage is pretty small, but we think we can all get in.

We will be good this time and not push each other out.

But please do come quickly, mother.

It is hard to sit so still.

Mew! mew! mew! mew!

[Illustration: WE ARE ALL HERE]




A FULL CART


    We are three little cats in a cart
      And one underneath on the floor,
    The cart is so full we hardly see how
      There’ll be any room for more.




TIME TO START


Dear me! my kittens are in such a hurry! They give me no time to dress.

It takes a very long time to shine my fur and to fix my bonnet.

It is a new bonnet. This is the first time I have worn it. I hope it
looks all right.

I must practice sitting up straight and proper just for a minute. I want
the Queen to know that I am a fine lady.

I hope my kittens will not rough up their fur. If they do I shall have to
shine it all over again.

Now we must start.

Where is their father?

[Illustration: I HAVE A NEW BONNET]




IS MY HAT ON STRAIGHT


Here I am. Yes, I am the father of those four fine kittens.

They are such beautiful kittens their mother does not even tie ribbons
around their necks.

I am glad of that, for I do not like ribbons.

I must go now and take them all to the Queen’s palace. I am sure they
will be the handsomest kittens there.

I suppose I shall have to push their carriage.

Come, mother, let us be off. Are my whiskers stiff? Is my hat on
straight?

[Illustration: WAITING FOR THE CHILDREN]




HIDING


Don’t tell anybody where I am.

I am hiding away from mother.

She wants me to go to the Queen’s party and I don’t want to go.

I don’t like the Queen, she is so grand and dignified.

She frightens me.

I would rather hide in this pitcher all day than go to the Queen’s palace.

Please don’t tell where I am.

You will not, will you?

[Illustration: DON’T TELL ANYBODY]




AN INVITATION


    I’ve had an invitation
      To go to see the Queen,
    But I’m a bashful kitten
      And I’d rather not be seen.




NO PARTY FOR ME


How strange it is that some of us _want_ to go to the party, and some _do
not_ want to go. Some of us _can_ go, and some _cannot_ go.

I am one who _wants_ to go, and I am one who _cannot_ go.

I have a sick head. It aches. Perhaps I caught too many mice last night.

The doctor has been here. He told me to take this medicine every
half-hour.

How I wish I could go to the party!

They surely will have something good to eat there, but I must stay at
home and take my medicine.

[Illustration: I HAVE A SICK HEAD]




I’M OFF


I’m off for the Queen’s palace.

I’m the only cat in our country who has an automobile.

But I suppose all the fine cats will be having them soon.

It is really great fun to ride faster than any cat or kitten can run.

I would invite you to ride too, but there is room for only one.

So, good-bye!

I’m off for the Queen’s party.

[Illustration: IN MY AUTOMOBILE]




BEING WEIGHED


Yes, I am being weighed.

It frightens me to hang in the air like this.

What if I should fall, with my feet tied up in this bag!

I am sure I should be killed!

Can you see how much I weigh?

Nearly two pounds?

You don’t mean it!

Then I am big enough to go to the party all alone, though I am not sure
that I want to go.

I think I had rather stay at home and play.

[Illustration: HOW MUCH DO I WEIGH?]




THE PARTY


Attention, kittens and cats! The clock strikes one. The Queen’s party has
begun.

I am the Commanding Officer of the palace. Attention to what I have to
say!

Our Queen bids you welcome.

She waits for you in her throne room.

As you each pass in you must salute her and recite for her a cat tale, a
rat tale, or some other tale, long or short, true or not.

But no fears or tears, for our Queen has a fine dinner in her grand
dining-room for all brave kittens and cats.

Now who has the best tale?

[Illustration: I’VE A FEATHER IN MY CAP]




THE COMMANDING OFFICER


    I’m an officer of the Queen;
      I’m proud as proud can be,
    For I’ve a feather in my cap,
      As any one can see.




THE LATEST NEWS


We are here to bring great news, O Queen!

We are here to bring great news!

Do you know—!

Do you know—!

    Do you know a balloon
      Has gone up to the moon!
    The moon has been found
      By a great, big balloon.
    ‘Up in a balloon, boys,
    Sailing round the moon, boys.’
      Just think of that!
    Hurrah for the balloon!
    Hurrah for the big moon!

[Illustration: BREAKING THE NEWS]




WHAT IS IT


    What’s the news of the day,
    Good neighbor, I pray?

    They say a balloon
    Has gone up to the moon.




I’LL SING YOU A SONG


I am a famous singer among kittens and cats. I sing in the kitten choir
and in big concerts.

I wear a French bonnet when I sing.

My voice is very soft and very sweet.

I have come here to-day to sing for my Queen.

      Purr-r, purr-r, purr-r!
      I’ll sing _you_ a song.
      Though not very long,
    Yet I think it is as pretty as any.
      Put your hand in your purse,
      You’ll never be worse,
    And give the sweet singer a penny.

[Illustration: THE SWEET SINGER]




A TALE OF A MOUSE


Listen, O Queen, to this tale of a mouse!

    ‘Hickory, dickory, dock,
    The mouse ran up the clock;
      The clock struck one,
      And down he run,
    Hickory, dickory, dock.’

And we gobbled him up.

So, dear Queen, no mouse shall trouble your party while we two brave cats
are here.

[Illustration: TWO BRAVE CATS]




WE ARE THE CATS


    Oh! we are the cats that caught the mouse.
      That ran up the clock so fast.
    The clock struck one, and down he run,
      And we gobbled him up at last.




A NURSE’S TALE


I’m the nurse who takes care of kittens and cats when they are sick.

Sometimes they eat too much and have the stomach-ache.

Sometimes they fall down stairs and bump their heads.

Sometimes they get their tails bitten by bad dogs.

Then their mothers send for me and I take care of them until they are
well.

I always wear a white dress and a white bonnet.

If you ever get sick just send for me and I will take care of you.

[Illustration: A LITTLE NURSE]




A FAMOUS MOUSER


I am a famous mouser. I have caught more mice than any other cat.

I can see them afar off.

I can hear them afar off.

I can scent them afar off.

They are all afraid of me.

They scurry away whenever they see me coming.

I wear soft pads on the bottom of my feet so they cannot hear me.

I keep my teeth white and sharp.

My friends call me ‘the Mouse Trap.’

But I know a Kitty who is not a good mouser. I will tell you about her.

This is my story:—

    A LONG TIME AGO

    Once there was a little Kitty,
      White as the snow;
    In the barn she used to frolic,
      Long time ago.

    In the barn a little Mousie,
      Ran to and fro;
    For she heard the Kitty coming,
      Long time ago.

    Nine pearl teeth had little Kitty,
      All in a row;
    And they bit the little Mousie,
      Long time ago.

    When the teeth bit little Mousie,
      Mousie cried, Oh!
    But she got away from Kitty,
      Long time ago.

No mouse ever slipped through my paws like that, I am glad to say.

I am a great mouser.

Yes, I am a famous mouser, O Queen!

[Illustration: ‘THE MOUSE TRAP’]




A DUNCE’S TALE


The other day in school I couldn’t do my sums.

I couldn’t tell how many two and two make.

I couldn’t read my lesson.

I couldn’t say my A B C’s.

I couldn’t sing my song.

So the teacher made me stand on a stool. Then she put this cap on my head.

I have had to wear it ever since.

After this I am going to study hard.

I don’t like to be called a dunce.

I don’t like to sit on a stool.

Would you?

[Illustration: YES, I AM A DUNCE]




A TALE OF THREE KITTENS


We will tell you a tale of ourselves, dear Queen. A tale of three little
kittens.

    ‘Three little Kittens lost their mittens,
      And they began to cry,
        “O mother dear,
        We very much fear
      That we have lost our mittens.”

        ‘“Lost your mittens!
        You naughty Kittens!
      Then you shall have no pie.”
        “Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow!”
      “No, you shall have no pie.”
        “Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow!”

    The three little Kittens found their mittens,
      And they began to cry,
        “O mother dear,
        See here, see here,
      See! we have found our mittens.”

        ‘“Put on your mittens,
        You silly Kittens,
      And you may have some pie.”
        “Purr-r, purr-r, purr-r,
      Oh, let us have the pie!
        Purr-r, purr-r, purr-r.”’

[Illustration: THE KITTENS THAT LOST THEIR MITTENS]




THE KITTENS THREE

    Did you ever see the kittens three
      That lost their mittens so red?
      They hopped in chairs and looked about,
    And ‘mee-ow’ and ‘mee-ow,’ they said.

[Illustration: MEE-OW, MEE-OW]




A RAINY-DAY TALE


One day it rained and we could not go out of doors.

So my brothers and sisters and I played Hide and Seek in the attic.

All of a sudden one of my brothers said, ‘I’ll tell you what let’s do!’

‘What’s that?’ we all asked together.

‘Let’s dress up! It’s lots of fun.’

So we ran to the closet where father and mother keep their Sunday clothes.

I put on father’s trousers, and now I wear them every day.

My brothers and sisters laugh at me.

But I think I look fine, don’t you!

[Illustration: HIS FATHER’S TROUSERS]




A TALE OF LONDON TOWN

    If you should say:—
      ‘Pussy-cat, pussy-cat,
        Where have you been?’
    I should say:—
      ‘I’ve been to London
        To look at the Queen.’
    If you should say:—
      ‘Pussy-cat, pussy-cat,
        What did you there?’
    Then I should say:—
      ‘I frightened a little mouse
        From under her chair.’
    And she gave me these fine clothes.

[Illustration: THE HERO]




A TALE I KNOW


          Hey! diddle, diddle,
          The cat and the fiddle.
      The cow jumped over the moon;
          The little dog laughed
          To see such sport,
      While the dish ran after the spoon.
    I _know_, for I was the cat with the fiddle.
    I saw the cow jump over the moon.
    I heard the little dog laugh.
    I saw the dish run away with the spoon.
    Poor spoon!
    I saw the whole of the fun.
          Hey! diddle, diddle,
          The cat and the fiddle!

[Illustration: HEY! DIDDLE, DIDDLE]




A TALE OF ST. IVES


Listen, O Queen! to my wonderful tale.

    ‘As I was going to St. Ives,
    I met a man with seven wives
    Every wife had seven sacks,
    Every sack had seven cats,
    Every cat had seven kits:
    Kits, cats, sacks, and wives,
    How many were there going to St. Ives?’

I have thought and counted, and counted and thought, but I cannot tell
how many were going to St. Ives.

Can you help me, wise Queen?

[Illustration: ON THE WAY TO ST. IVES]




A LITTLE FAIRY’S TALE


I am called Little Fairy.

Would you know that I am _only_ a kitten, dear Queen?

Even the mice do not know it, for they play with me and we have fine
frolics together.

One day a little mouse told me just where to find his house.

If he had known that I was a real, live kitten, I am sure he never would
have told me.

Would you like to know where the little mouse lives? A friend was with me
and she will tell you. Listen!

[Illustration: THEY CALL ME LITTLE FAIRY]




A SECRET


Yes, listen to my wonderful secret!

    I asked the mouse,
    ‘Where is your house?’
    The mouse then said to me,
    ‘Tell not the cat
    And I’ll tell thee.
    Up stairs and down stairs,
    Then straight ahead;
    To the right, to the left,
    Then bend down your head;
    For there is my house
    With the door so small,
    That even a mouse
    Can’t go in if he’s tall.’

[Illustration: I KNOW A SECRET]




WHO WAS HE


I have a strange tale, O Queen.

The other day I found a round glass.

An old man was looking into the glass, so I looked in, and guess what I
saw.

I saw a cat looking straight at me.

His face was white just like mine.

His eyes had black spots in them just like mine, and his whiskers were
long just like mine.

When I said ‘Mew!’ he said ‘Mew!’

When I moved my paw, he moved his paw.

When I ran away, he ran away too, so I never have found out who he was.

[Illustration: BEHIND THE LOOKING-GLASS]




A STRANGER


    I’ve met the cat that lives behind
      The looking glass, you see.
    He’s very handsome, and he looks
      For all the world like me.




A SAD TALE


            Ding, dong, bell!
    My pretty pussy is drowned, is drowned!
            Ding, dong, bell!
            Pussy’s in the well.
            Who put her in?
            Little Tommy Lin.
            Who pulled her out?
            Great Johnny Stout.
    What a naughty boy was that,
    To drown the poor, poor pussy-cat,
    Who never did him any harm,
    But killed the mice in his father’s barn.
            Ding, dong, bell!
    I am sad, so sad, dear Queen!

[Illustration: MY PUSSY’S IN THE WELL]




MY OWN TALE


    Pussy-cat Mew jumped over a coal,
    And in her best petticoat burnt a great hole.

    Poor Pussy’s weeping, she’ll have no more milk
    Until her best petticoat’s mended with silk.

            Mew! mew! mew!
            I am Pussy-cat Mew.

[Illustration: PUSSY-CAT MEW]




THREE TALES


    I am the cat, that caught the rat,
    That ate the malt,
    That lay in the house that Jack built.

    I am the dog, that worried the cat,
    That caught the rat,
    That ate the malt,
    That lay in the house that Jack built.

    I am the kitten all forlorn,
    That scratched the dog,
    That worried the cat,
    That caught the rat,
    That ate the malt,
    That lay in the house that Jack built.

[Illustration: PRIZE-WINNERS]




A SIGHT TO SEE


    The cat and the dog and the kitten
      Were as brave as brave could be,
    But when they came to visit the Queen,
      Why, they were a sight to see!




A ’FRAID-CAT’S TALE


Once I was a ’fraid-cat, dear Queen.

All the kittens and cats laughed at me and sang this song about me.

    _C_ was a cat who ran after a rat,
        But her courage did fail
        When he seized on her tail.
    Now what do you think that cat did do?
    She jumped in a chair and cried,
                                Mew! mew!

    _I_ was the cat who ran after the rat,
        But my courage did fail
        When he seized on my tail.
                                Mew! mew!

[Illustration: MY COURAGE DID FAIL]




FROM THE NORTH POLE


I came from the land of the snow, from the land of the Eskimo, where the
summer is all day and the winter is all night.

We dress in fur coats up there.

It’s cold, so cold one can hardly wink.

But I am proud of my land, for the North Pole is there.

The dogs have seen it. They tell us so.

And what the dogs say is true, you know.

[Illustration: A LITTLE ESKIMO]




THE TWINS


We are twin kittens.

There are two of us, and we look just alike.

Our brothers and sisters cannot tell us apart.

Even our mother cannot tell us apart.

When one of us says “Mew!” the other says “Mew!”

When one is hungry, the other is hungry.

When one is sleepy, the other is sleepy.

We are afraid, dear Queen, that we are beginning to be sleepy right now.

We have had such fun at your party!

[Illustration: TWO SLEEPY KITTENS]




DO WE LOOK ALIKE


    We look alike and dress alike,
      And act alike, they say,
    And that is why we’re called the Twins
      By good old Granny Gray.




WHAT SHALL WE SING


We are twins too, and they say we look alike.

We are so hungry just now we simply cannot tell you a tale.

But we will sing you a song,—if we can think of one.

    Hey ding a ding, what shall we sing?
      How many holes in a skimmer?
    Four and twenty,—we’re feeling quite empty;
      Dear Queen, give us some dinner.
    Hey ding a ding, what shall we sing?
      Dear Queen, give us some dinner.

[Illustration: WE’RE FEELING QUITE EMPTY]




WAITING


    We’ve washed our paws and noses red;
      We think we look quite neat;
    We’ve donned our bibs, and now we beg
      For something good to eat.




DING, DONG, BELL


Ding, dong, bell!

We have something to tell!

All you kittens and cats who have told tales of rats, or of mice, or of
cats, and have made our Queen laugh, listen!

The Queen bids you come to the grand dining-room. There a dinner she
spreads which may quite turn your heads.

Heed what we say and we’ll show you the way.

Ding, dong, bell!

[Illustration: DING, DONG, BELL]




THE DINING-ROOM


Oh my! What a fine dining-room, and how many tables there are!

Each cat has a table all to himself. I wonder why.

There is the Queen sitting at the end of the room.

She is looking straight at me.

Oh dear! What if I should spill my milk on this white cloth!

What would the Queen say to me!

I am almost afraid to drink it.

It is so hard to drink out of china cups. But I must try.

[Illustration: THE QUEEN IS LOOKING STRAIGHT AT ME]




I AM SO HUNGRY


I wish some one would hurry and bring me some milk.

Mine is all gone and so is my mouse.

I wonder if this is all we are going to have to eat.

I am so hungry I shall have to go home and catch a rat.

The Queen is asking some one to tell a story. I believe she means me.

Yes, dear Queen, I will tell you a story about seven little pussy-cats
who were not so polite as we are. But first may I please have a little
more milk to drink?

(_My tale is coming._)

[Illustration: A HUNGRY CAT]




THE QUEEN’S TEA-TABLE


    The Queen has had the table set,
      As fine as fine can be,
    And now I wish she’d send some milk
      For a hungry cat like me.




SEVEN LITTLE PUSSY-CATS


    Seven little pussy-cats, invited out to tea,
    Cried: ‘Mother, let us go. Oh, do! for good we’ll surely be.
    We’ll wear our bibs and hold our things as you have shown us how:—
    Spoons in right paws, cups in left,—and make a pretty bow.
    We’ll always say, “Yes, if you please,” and “Only half of that.”’
    ‘Then go, my darling children,’ said the happy Mother Cat.
    The seven little pussy-cats went out that night to tea.
    Their heads were smooth and glossy, their tails were swinging free;
    They held their things as they had learned, and tried to be polite;
    With snowy bibs beneath their chins they were a pretty sight.
    But, alas for manners beautiful, and coats as soft as silk!
    The moment that the little kits were asked to take some milk,
    They dropped their spoons, forgot to bow, and—oh, what do you think?
    They put their noses in the cups and all began to drink!
    Yes, every naughty little kit set up a Mee-ow for more,
    Then knocked the tea-cup over, and scampered through the door.




MANY THANKS


    Sing, sing, what shall I sing?
    Many thanks to my Queen,
      I will sing,
      I will sing.

    Do, do, what shall I do?
    I will run away home,
      And go to bed too,
      And go to bed too.

[Illustration: I’M GOING HOME]




GOOD NIGHT


    Yes, I have put my jacket on,
      And my Good Night have said,
    And now I’m going home again,
      And then straightway to bed.

[Illustration: SH-H-H]




THE LAST TALE


    The book is done, the tales are told;
      Don’t wake me with your noise.
    For I’m as tired,—as tired, I guess,
      As many girls and boys.




A WORD TO THE TEACHER


When a new school Reader comes to the hands of the primary teacher,
she naturally asks: “Will this book give to my class of boys and girls
a healthy stimulus of thought and pleasure? Will they receive through
it valuable instruction and assistance in the mechanics of reading? Is
the book sufficiently literary in style and artistic in form to command
the respect and love of the children? Is it suggestive, dramatic, and
ethically healthful? In a word, is it worth the precious time of the
schoolroom?”

To the inquiring teacher who may examine this little book, which is
devoted entirely to the frolics and fancies of kittens and cats, the
following remarks may reveal a definite educational purpose and value in
it.

Following the example of Mother Goose, the wise and classic rhymester
of the nursery, we have taken a subject dear to the heart of childhood
and have given it life and personality in the simple and unsophisticated
manner of the child.

Many of the happiest playtime experiences of children are associated
with their kittens. They delight to dress the frolicsome yet docile
little creatures in doll gowns and jackets, and give them long rides
in doll carriages, and make them sit at tiny tables and share in tea
parties, then put them to bed and perhaps give them water medicine for
an imaginary ill. Can there be a more normal and healthy pastime for a
little child than this?

In one respect kittens take precedence over dolls. They are _alive_.
They _must_ be treated kindly. They will not bear the abuse and neglect
given to many beautiful dolls. They demand attention and companionship,
and they return a real devotion for kindness and care. Therefore we love
them, and especially do our children love them and delight in stories or
pictures of them.

Those of us who have had glimpses of the child heart and mind know that
stories of kittens and queens and parties yield much the same delight to
the little reader of juvenile fiction, as do adventure and romance to the
grown-up reader.

This simple story about the Queen of the Kitten Country and the party
which she gives in her palace, ought, therefore, to meet one of the most
important requirements for a higher first grade school Reader, that of a
strong appeal to the child in subject matter and illustration. With the
interest keenly aroused the difficulties in learning to read are mastered
quickly and with pleasure. However, the following brief suggestions are
given to assist any teacher who may need them in making use of the book
to the greatest advantage for her class.


SUGGESTIONS

Before the reading of the book is begun there might well be one or two
story-telling periods. Each child should be encouraged to tell a story,
from his own experience if possible, about a kitten, or a party, or to
give his idea of a queen.

The children should be assisted in recalling and in learning Mother Goose
rhymes and other verses about cats. Give them several blackboard drawing
lessons showing cats in different positions and costumes. A frieze of
kittens may be started at the top of the blackboard, adding each new
kitten character to the row as the story progresses. This frieze will
furnish material for several varieties of “busy work.”

A valuable exercise to stimulate thought and facility of expression is to
assign a short page for a child to read silently, which he later gives
aloud in his own words before the teacher and class.

Interesting and profitable reviews may be frequently had by assigning a
cat character to each child, having them read in order the text devoted
to their special character. The first review of this kind may well occur
at the end of page twenty, where the preparations for the party are
completed. When the party is over a final review may be given in dramatic
form. The children should impersonate the different cats and tell their
tales to amuse the Queen, who sits on her throne. This final dramatic
review would naturally begin with the call of the Commanding Officer on
page twenty-two. Each child should memorize his part and give it with
spontaneous expression and action. Slight costuming may be prepared if
desired, or the blackboard frieze may furnish the cat pictures, while the
children give life and action to them.

Other special and valuable reviews may be developed from the large amount
of verse in the book, each child choosing a favorite verse to read
or recite or to illustrate on the blackboard. The children should be
encouraged to make rhyming sentences and word lists of their own, using
the fundamental thought or words in the day’s lesson as a basis. From
such rhymes and lists of rhyming words, phonic work may be developed as
the teacher chooses.

There are about six hundred words in the vocabulary of “Kittens and
Cats,” and though it has not been mechanically graded, it should be
within easy grasp of upper first grade pupils, after the usual Primer
work is done. Each page of the book is a complete brief story well suited
to the daily lesson period. These short stories are so related, however,
as to make one continuous long story, thus keeping the interest of the
children keen throughout the book. Books of this nature have proved a
great stimulus to thoughtful and fluent reading, which, after all, is the
high aim in primary work.