23 



She would have had Httle chance for her life, indeed, 

 against those cruel teeth. 



But Little Brown Hen's adopted child was there, 

 no longer a kitten, but a great, brave cat. As the 

 rat was creeping stealthily across the floor the cat 

 pounced upon him. There was a struggle, short ' 

 but fierce, and then the rat lay dead upon the floor, 

 and Little Brown Hen was saved by her faithful 

 kitten. 



The next morning when the cook came down- 

 stairs she found the cat busy over the dead rat, and 

 Little Brown Hen looking on curiously from her 

 perch on the chair back. 



Many months have passed since that time. The 

 cat is a mother herself now, and Little Brown Hen 

 has raised other broods, — fine strapping chickens 

 that might make any hen proud. But none have 

 ever been quite so dear to Little Brown Hen's 

 heart as those three little kittens she found lying 

 deserted in the box in the woodshed. 



BIANCA 



BiANCA was a beautiful English setter belonging 

 to Major Smith. 



