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Puss Junior and Robinson Crusoe

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<hr style="width: 65%;" />[65] <h2>OVER THE WATER</h2> <div class='cap'>WHEN the old dock and the gray-haired sailor, the tall church spire and the flag on the little red schoolhouse were out of sight, Puss, Junior, turned to the little girl and said: "Let's go down in the cabin. I'll show you the cutest little baby you ever saw. It's the 'rock-a-by, baby, upon-the-tree-top.' His mother always hung the cradle on a willow tree so that the breeze might rock him to sleep. But now the ocean does the rocking and baby sleeps almost all the time."</div> So the little girl followed Puss down the stairs to the cabin, where they heard a sweet voice singing: <div class='poem'> "Over the water, and over the sea, And over the water to Charley. I'll have none of your horrid beef, Nor I'll have none of your barley: But I'll have some of your very best flour To make a white cake for my Charley." </div> "S-s-sh!" said the mother of the baby as Puss and the little girl came in. "Are you going to make a cake with the flour the miller brought on board?" asked Puss in a whisper.[66] "Yes," said the baby's mother. "But what's your name?" turning to the little girl. "She's looking for Bobby Shafto," answered Puss. <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/gs14.png" width-obs="283" height-obs="350" alt="Chatting" title="" /></div> "What's your name, little girl," asked the rock-a-by-baby's mother. "Alice," said the little girl. "A pretty name."[67] "I'm glad you like it," said the little girl. "And what is yours?" "Mine? Oh, you can call me 'The Rock-a-by Baby's Mother.'" "Let's go out on deck," suggested Puss. "Won't you come, too?" he asked, turning to the baby's mother. Rolling in the sea were huge black porpoises. Over and over they rolled like great footballs. Flying fish rose out of the water, and overhead the gulls sailed back and forth on their great wings. The breeze was blowing strong and steady, and now and then the salt spray came over the railing. Some of it wet Puss, Junior's, whiskers. "Did you get wet?" asked Alice. "Not much," said Puss. "Besides, I don't care for a little spray, anyway." "Come over here and sit down on this coil of rope," said the Rock-a-By-Baby's Mother, and I'll sing you a song: <div class='poem'> "Rock-a-by, rock-a-by on the deep blue, Sailor Boy, Mother is dreaming of you. Thinking of Sailor Boy out on the foam, Hoping that Sailor Boy soon will be home." </div> <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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