KIDNAPPED
THERE was great rejoicing among all the Mouse family. Pudgy Mr. MosesMouse had picked up a bit of news that delighted him and his wife andall their many relations. Somebody had stolen Miss Snooper--as the Mousefamily always called Miss Kitty Cat! Somebody had taken her away!
Master Meadow Mouse had seen it all; and he had told Moses exactly howit happened. Master Meadow Mouse knew that a wagon had borne MissSnooper up the road and over the hill. He had watched it disappear, withhis own eyes. All those things Moses Mouse repeated as fast as hisshort breath would permit. He had hurried back home to tell the news assoon as he had heard it. He found, however, that no one cared how MissKitty Cat (or Miss Snooper), went, nor where; no one cared who took her;no one cared when. It was enough to know that she was gone. Andeverybody exclaimed that it was the best news ever--and good riddance tobad rubbish--meaning Miss Kitty Cat.
If it were only true! The Mouse family scarcely dared believe that itwas. But when two days passed, and Moses Mouse himself had even venturedinto the pantry, and the kitchen, and the woodshed, without meeting MissKitty, the Mouse family dared decide that she had indeed gone for good.
* * * * * * *
Meanwhile Miss Kitty Cat was having a most unhappy time. It was truethat she had been stolen. A man driving a peddler's wagon up the hillone evening had noticed her as she lay on top of the stone wall, aroundthe turn of the road beyond the farmhouse. "Kitty! Kitty! Kitty!" hecalled, as he stopped his horse. And reaching behind the seat, hebrought out a bit of food, which he held out for her.
Now, it happened that at that very moment Miss Kitty Cat had her mind onfood. She had been hoping that a meal would appear at any moment out ofa chink in the wall. And when it was dangled right before her eyes likethat she couldn't resist it. She climbed up into the wagon. And the nextthing she knew the peddler had clapped her into a basket and fastenedthe cover. Miss Kitty Cat was a prisoner.
"There, my beauty!" the peddler exclaimed. "I'll take you home with me.We need a mouser. And I dare say you're a good one. Unless I'm mistaken,you were hunting chipmunks on the wall."
Miss Kitty Cat made no answer. Naturally, it pleased her to be called abeauty. But there were other matters that she didn't like in the least.Her captor had forgotten to toss the scrap of meat into the basket--thebait with which he had caught her. And it was somewhat breathless insideher prison. And Miss Kitty Cat had no idea where the peddler was takingher.
He had clucked to his horse and started him plodding up the hill. Everytime a wheel struck a stone Miss Kitty gritted her teeth. She never didenjoy riding in a wagon, anyhow. And this one was not at allcomfortable.
"They'll wonder, back home, what's become of me," she thought. "And onething is certain: everybody will miss me!"