poor spot! he felt so mournful that he lifted up his muzzle and howled. farmer green's wife had just ordered him out of the kitchen. she thought he had been teasing miss kitty cat. and instead he had kept miss kitty from tasting the leg of mutton that lay on the kitchen table.

"it's a sad, sad world!" he howled. "i thought mrs. green would praise me. but she didn't. she scolded me!"

"sakes alive!" cried henrietta hen as she rushed up to him in the farmyard. "what's the matter with you? are you trying to bay the moon in the daytime?"

turkey proudfoot gobbled at spot and bade him be still. turkey proudfoot was very pompous, for he had an idea that he ruled the farmyard.

old dog spot felt so meek, after the scolding that mrs. green gave him, that he couldn't find a word to say to anybody that spoke to him.

"i've expected this for some time," the rooster told henrietta hen. "mrs. green has put old spot out of the farmhouse. and farmer green intends to put him off the farm. everyone agrees that he's a nuisance. it's a wonder the folks in the green family have kept him all these years."

well, old dog spot couldn't help hearing what the rooster said. and he hadn't even heart enough to answer that impertinent boaster.

"maybe he knows what he's talking about," spot groaned. "i wish johnnie green would come home. he'd stand up for me, if nobody else will."

then something happened all at once that helped spot's spirits amazingly. the woodshed door flew open and miss kitty cat all but flew out of it. farmer green's wife appeared in the doorway with a broom in her hand. and with it she helped miss kitty into the yard. she helped her so much that miss kitty never touched the broad stone doorstep at all.

"scat!" cried mrs. green. "i don't want any thieves in my kitchen."

it was quite plain that something had displeased mrs. green—something in which miss kitty cat had had a part. and old dog spot thought he knew what that something was.

"ha!" he barked at miss kitty. "so mrs. green found you out!" and he ran at miss kitty and chased her into a tree. she sat herself down upon a limb and glared at him.

"wow!" he yelped. "you must have sampled that leg of mutton when you thought mrs. green's back was turned. and she must have caught you in the act."

though that was exactly what had happened, miss kitty cat wouldn't say a word. but she looked whole sentences at him.

soon farmer green's wife came to the door again and called, "come, spot! come, spot!"

he hurried up to her and caught the piece of meat that she tossed to him.

it was mutton.