The Story of a China Cat   By: Laura Lee Hope

THE STORY OF A CHINA CAT

by

LAURA LEE HOPE

Author of "The Story of a Sawdust Doll," "The Story of a Nodding Donkey," "The Bobbsey Twins Series," "The Bunny Brown Series," "The Six Little Bunkers Series," Etc.

Illustrated by Harry L. Smith

New York Grosset & Dunlap Publishers Made in the United States of America

BOOKS

BY LAURA LEE HOPE

Durably Bound. Illustrated.

MAKE BELIEVE STORIES

THE STORY OF A SAWDUST DOLL THE STORY OF A WHITE ROCKING HORSE THE STORY OF A LAMB ON WHEELS THE STORY OF A BOLD TIN SOLDIER THE STORY OF A CANDY RABBIT THE STORY OF A MONKEY ON A STICK THE STORY OF A CALICO CLOWN THE STORY OF A NODDING DONKEY THE STORY OF A CHINA CAT THE STORY OF A PLUSH BEAR

THE BOBBSEY TWINS SERIES

THE BOBBSEY TWINS THE BOBBSEY TWINS IN THE COUNTRY THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT THE SEASHORE THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT SCHOOL THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT SNOW LODGE THE BOBBSEY TWINS ON A HOUSEBOAT THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT MEADOW BROOK THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT HOME THE BOBBSEY TWINS IN A GREAT CITY THE BOBBSEY TWINS ON BLUEBERRY ISLAND THE BOBBSEY TWINS ON THE DEEP BLUE SEA THE BOBBSEY TWINS IN WASHINGTON THE BOBBSEY TWINS IN THE GREAT WEST THE BOBBSEY TWINS AT CEDAR CAMP

THE BUNNY BROWN SERIES

THE SIX LITTLE BUNKERS SERIES

THE OUTDOOR GIRLS SERIES

Grosset & Dunlap, Publishers, New York Copyright, 1921, by Grosset & Dunlap

The Story of a China Cat

[Illustration: The China Cat Has a Ride in Nodding Donkey's Wagon.

Frontispiece ( Page 113 )]

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I TOY SHOP FUN 1 II A NICE LITTLE GIRL 14 III "FIRE! FIRE!" 28 IV A LITTLE BLACK BOY 38 V ROUGH PLAY 50 VI A TERRIBLE STORM 63 VII THE RESCUE 76 VIII JENNIE GETS THE CAT 87 IX AN OLD FRIEND 101 X THE GLARING EYES 111

THE STORY OF A CHINA CAT

CHAPTER I

TOY SHOP FUN

Toot! Toot! Tootity toot toot!

"Goodness me! who is blowing the horn?" asked the Talking Doll, as she sat up on the shelf in the toy shop. "This isn't Friday; and we don't want any fish!"

"Speak for yourself, if you please," said a large, white China Cat, who had just finished washing a few specks of dirt off her shiny coat with her red tongue. "I could enjoy a bit of fish right now."

"I should rather have pie," said the Talking Doll. "But who blew the horn? That is what I'd like to know. No one has a horn in this toy shop that I know anything about."

"It wasn't a horn that was a trumpet," said another voice. "I'll blow it again!"

Then there sounded a jolly noise through the quiet toy shop, which was in darkness except for one electric light in the middle of the store.

Toot! Toot! Tootity toot toot! echoed the merry notes.

"What a pretty sound," said the Jumping Jack, as he jerked his arms and legs up and down, for he had just awakened from his long day of sleep.

"Isn't it nice," agreed Tumbling Tom, a queer toy who never could stand up, because he was made in such a funny way that he always fell down. "I wonder if there is going to be a parade?"

"Who is blowing that horn, anyway?" asked the Talking Doll.