Another circle game that was fun was called “Pussy’s Prowlings.”  It was on the order of stage-coach.  Billy’s mother told the story of a kitty’s wanderings and before she started to tell it, she whispered to each child the name of something which was to appear in the story.  For instance, she gave out “haymow,” “milk dish,” “mouse hole,” “catnip.”

Every time she mentioned any such name in the process of telling the story, the child who had it was expected to rise from his chair, turn around three times and sit down again.  When the words “pussy’s prowlings” were mentioned, all the players jumped up and exchanged seats.  The story teller also tried to get a seat, and if she succeeded the child who was finally left without one had to continue the story.

PUSSY’S PROWLINGS

Once there was a PUSSYCAT named BLINKY who said to herself one day, “I’m tired of MILK to drink and I’m oh, so hungry for MOUSE.  I must go on a MOUSE hunt.”

So BLINKY stole out of the red BRICK HOUSE where she lived very happily with the JONES FAMILY.  She pattered down the back DOORSTEPS where her MILK SAUCER was set and she scampered along the winding PATH to the BARN.

(That’s the way PUSSY’S PROWLINGS began.)

Up the LADDER to the HAYMOW she crept and through the heaps of sweet clover HAY to a HOLE IN THE WALL.  There BLINKY knew lived a MOUSE.  So she crouched close to the MOUSE HOLE, as still as still could be and watched, and she watched and she watched and she watched.

But that MOUSE must have been away from home or else very busy down in its HOLE, for it never once stuck its little NOSE out.  And when BLINKY had watched there in the HAYMOW for three long, long hours, she was so hungry that she couldn’t watch for that MOUSE a single minute more.

She thought of the MILK SAUCER by the back DOORSTEPS and she said to herself, “If I can’t have MOUSE, MILK won’t taste so bad after all.”

So BLINKY made her way back through the heaps of HAY and scrambled down the LADDER to the HAYMOW and ran along the winding PATH to the back DOORSTEPS.  And there, sure enough, was a SAUCER full of MILK all ready for her to drink.  So BLINKY lapped it up very hungrily and was perfectly happy!

(And that’s the way PUSSY’S PROWLINGS ended.)

The next game was called “Hunt the Mouse.”  Billy had hidden a chocolate mouse somewhere in the room and the children were asked to be kitties and try to find it.  Whenever anyone came very near the hiding place, Billy miaowed loudly, or if everyone was very far from it, Billy would mew only faintly.  The “kitty” who found the mouse kept it for a reward.

In another room the children had a chance to hunt for those mittens which the “naughty kittens” once lost.  Many tiny red paper mittens were scattered throughout the room and were much more easily found than the mouse.