155 



too much. Stop your play for a while now, and I 

 will read to you." 



Then the paper and string would be put away. 

 He would call me to him, and I would snuggle 

 against him, soft and warm, and purr and purr. 



He loved my purring. He would have me 

 sleep on his bed 

 at night and 

 sometimes he 

 would waken in 

 the night and 

 reaching down 

 would pull me 

 softly by the 

 ears. "Come, 

 wake up, dear 



L, } t 1 Lirapety and his Master 



1 m p e ty , he ^ ' 



would say. " I can't sleep. Purr, to me, purr." 

 Then I would stretch myself, and purr and purr 



until the lids fell over the blue eyes and the soft 



breathing told me that he was asleep. 



Sometimes he was sad. Then he would put his 



hand on my fur and smooth me softly. " Poor 



old Limpety. We're both lame, aren't we?" he 



would say. " Poor little cat." 



