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Puss Junior and Robinson Crusoe

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<hr style="width: 65%;" />[39] <h2>UP AND DOWN</h2> <div class='poem'><div class='cap'> WHAT is the news of the day, Good neighbors, I pray? They say the balloon Is gone up to the moon. </div> </div> It was the day of the county fair. Puss, Junior, had bought his ticket and stood looking about him uncertain what to do. "They say the balloon has gone up to the moon," cried the crowd. "Why, I've been up to the moon," said Puss, Junior, "but never will I get excited over that?" But, nevertheless, he walked up to the balloon man and asked. "When does your next balloon go up?" "In about five minutes," replied the owner of the air craft. "We have an ascension every half hour." "Well," replied our little hero, "I would like to be one of your passengers!" "Pay your shilling and you shall have a seat in the basket," answered the owner. <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/gs10.png" width-obs="332" height-obs="400" alt="Puss leaned over the edge" title="" /></div> After waiting for perhaps an hour the basket car was filled. My, how the people cheered as the balloon ascended, and when it[40] had almost reached the clouds Puss leaned over the edge of the basket and threw little notes down to the people below. "Tell my good friends that Puss in Boots, Junior, has[41] gone up in a balloon," he wrote on one of them. On another, he scribbled, "Puss in Boots, Junior, is about to visit the Man in the Moon." "You had better be careful," said the owner of the balloon, "how do I know we'll reach the moon?" "If you follow my directions you will," replied Puss, Junior, "for I have been there before and, to tell you the truth, it is a most remarkable place. The moon is an unexplored country." "Well, I'll take your word for it," said the navigator of the balloon express. "I don't know much about these sky roads, but if you'll kindly consent to tell me where to steer my air craft, perhaps we'll reach the moon without a mishap." "Trust to me," said Puss, Junior, "for I have traveled far and if I don't know the way to the moon, my name is not Puss in Boots, Junior." So the owner of the balloon steered the big air craft straight up to the sky. Oh, dear me! But strange things will happen! For as they were sailing along as smoothly as[42] could be, there came a sudden gust of wind, and the balloon, instead of pointing for the big, round moon that shone like a silver dollar overhead, suddenly swerved to one side and before anyone could say "Jack Robinson" there was a dreadful explosion and Puss and his fellow passengers found themselves falling to the earth. "Good gracious!" exclaimed Puss. "What's the matter?" Before his question was answered the balloon crashed into a big willow tree. <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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