LITTLE Pinkie Whiskers was born in a big city and lived with his Father Gray, Mother Gray and two little sisters, Twinkle and Winkle, in a tin box, which was hidden under a big garbage can.

Mother Gray had hunted and found nice scraps of cotton and bits of straw. With these she made a soft, warm nest and here they all lived as cozy and happy as could be.

One day a poor, old man came down the alley and looked in all the garbage cans to see what he could find that he might sell, for that is the way he got his money to buy his food and shelter.

When he came to the garbage can over our family of rats, he did not see their little home and pushed their box right over.

Pinkie Whiskers, Twinkle and Winkle were all alone. They fell out onto the brick pavement and began to cry. Oh, my, how they cried!

Mother Gray and Father Gray were out getting a nice supper for them all. Mother Gray heard her babies cry and came running home as fast as she could.

When she saw what had happened, she was very distressed. She quieted her babies and nestled down with them in the fence corner.

Father Gray said, “Never mind, my dears, I will find you a nice, new home,” and away he went.

Bye and bye he returned and told them with joy that he had found a splendid place for them to live. It was just inside the door of a big apartment building.

Father Gray and Mother Gray gathered together all the pieces of their nest and carried them in their mouths. Then, keeping very close to the fence, they started for their new home.

This new home was a nice square place under the floor and far enough back so that a cat or a dog could not reach them. Soon they were settled and Pinkie Whiskers, Twinkle and Winkle were fast asleep.

In the morning, just as Mrs. Gray was washing her children’s faces, they heard a bell ring right in front of their door.

To their great alarm their home began to tremble and then move. Yes, really move. Up and up it went, faster and faster.

Oh, how frightened they were! All at once their home stopped. They heard people talking and then down, down they went. My, what a queer feeling it gave them!

They heard a voice say, “Your elevator is running fine today, Tom.”

“An elevator!” cried Mother Gray—“Our home is in an elevator. We must move at once for we cannot be always going up and down.”

Father Gray just laughed and laughed, then said: “Well, well, I have heard of elevators, but I never expected to have a ride in one and now we have a home in one. That is a good joke, ha! ha!”

Mother Gray said, “You may laugh all you wish, but I am tired of city life, you are never sure of a safe home. We will go to the country to live.”

“Oh, oh,” cried Pinkie Whiskers, “let us go and live with Uncle Whiskers in the cheese factory.”

“A very good idea,” said Father Gray, and straightway they started for the country.

When they arrived at the cheese factory, they found it dark and deserted, but Father Gray discovered a hole and soon they had all crawled in through this hole. Mother Gray selected a great, big round cheese to live in. Father Gray made an entrance into it and very soon the tired rats were in bed in the cheese.

The next day Pinkie Whiskers, Winkle and Twinkle went out in the meadow to explore and they found a net, which some boy had lost.

Pinkie Whiskers said, “You just watch me catch that butterfly in this net!”

He swiftly ran after the butterfly, but when the butterfly saw Pinkie Whiskers coming, he thought how nice it would be to have a ride on Pinkie Whiskers’ back, so he flew after him.

Now, Pinkie Whiskers did not know much about butterflies and he thought this butterfly was chasing him.

So Pinkie Whiskers started to run for home.

“Don’t let him catch me,” begged Pinkie Whiskers.

Winkle and Twinkle took out their little handkerchiefs and waved them fast and hard. The butterfly was so amazed at the sight, that he forgot about Pinkie Whiskers and flew away.