1 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:32,400 Speaker 1: Welcome, sleep tight stories. Blackie gets out. Blackie was quite 2 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:37,239 Speaker 1: a wise cat in her way. When she had been 3 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 1: a little kitten in the country with her mother, her brothers, 4 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:47,880 Speaker 1: and her sisters, she had learned many country things, such 5 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:53,000 Speaker 1: as all cats must learn. And when she had been 6 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:58,400 Speaker 1: brought to the city she learned some city things. So 7 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 1: you see she had been educated. You might say to 8 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:09,839 Speaker 1: country life and city life. But what am I going 9 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:14,480 Speaker 1: to do now? I don't know, thought Blackie. Here I 10 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:17,680 Speaker 1: am locked in a house that has no one in it. 11 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 1: Though maybe if I wait long enough, a new family 12 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:24,839 Speaker 1: may move in. But if they don't come very soon, 13 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:29,520 Speaker 1: I'll starve unless I can get out. It's a good 14 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:33,200 Speaker 1: thing it is summer, for I won't get cold. The 15 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 1: weather is nice and warm. Blackie walked slowly through the 16 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:45,039 Speaker 1: different rooms of the empty house. She thought perhaps she 17 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:48,760 Speaker 1: might find a window open, though when she had first 18 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 1: looked she saw none. But there might be a pantry 19 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:56,800 Speaker 1: or a cupboard with an open window, thought the black cat. 20 00:01:57,280 --> 00:02:02,880 Speaker 1: I might not have seen it at first, so she 21 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:08,000 Speaker 1: went carefully all over the first floor. Not a window 22 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:12,120 Speaker 1: was open. The man who owned the house had made 23 00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 1: sure all were closed, for he did not want the 24 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:19,760 Speaker 1: rain to come in during a storm, so there was 25 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:23,280 Speaker 1: no way Blackie could get out from the first floor. 26 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 1: Of course, she might have jumped against a pane of 27 00:02:29,639 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 1: glass and broken it, for she was a heavy cat. 28 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:39,240 Speaker 1: But if she did that she might cut herself. Well, 29 00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:42,280 Speaker 1: if I can't find a window open down here, I 30 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:46,560 Speaker 1: may find one open upstairs, thought Blackie. I guess it 31 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:49,920 Speaker 1: wouldn't be too far to jump from there. Or I 32 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:53,160 Speaker 1: may be able to jump in a tree, And if 33 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:55,560 Speaker 1: the tree is near enough to an open window, I 34 00:02:55,600 --> 00:03:01,840 Speaker 1: could jump and climb down. Blackie went upstairs and looked 35 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:08,840 Speaker 1: for an open window, but alas there were none. True 36 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:12,840 Speaker 1: the black cat did find a tree growing close to 37 00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:16,320 Speaker 1: a window, but there was no way of getting out 38 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:22,239 Speaker 1: in it. Oh, dear, thought poor Blackie. I certainly am 39 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:25,880 Speaker 1: in a lot of trouble. I should never have gone 40 00:03:25,919 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 1: in this house without knowing more about it. I suppose 41 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:34,120 Speaker 1: I should not have run away, But no, I must 42 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 1: not say that. I want to become a good fence jumper, 43 00:03:38,480 --> 00:03:41,200 Speaker 1: and running away seems to be the only way to 44 00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:44,680 Speaker 1: do it. I guess I'll be all right. Some one 45 00:03:44,720 --> 00:03:49,640 Speaker 1: may come and let me out. Blackie was not so 46 00:03:49,920 --> 00:03:52,920 Speaker 1: frightened as another cat might have been who had not 47 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:57,600 Speaker 1: lived in both country and the city. She knew how 48 00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 1: to think, and she remembered how she had once been 49 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:04,520 Speaker 1: shut in the barn before she was taken away from 50 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:10,760 Speaker 1: the farm. That time, Blackie had been locked up for 51 00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:15,960 Speaker 1: a whole day and a night, but finally someone heard 52 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:21,520 Speaker 1: her mewing and let her out. And oh, how hungry 53 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:26,360 Speaker 1: and thirsty she had been. I guess i'll try crying now, 54 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:30,520 Speaker 1: thought Blackie. Someone may hear me out in the street. 55 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:34,560 Speaker 1: Blackie did not mean that she was going to cry 56 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:39,640 Speaker 1: real tears, but that she was going to meow. Some 57 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:44,680 Speaker 1: folks call that crying for a cat. Yep, that's what 58 00:04:44,839 --> 00:04:48,200 Speaker 1: I'll do, said Blackie to herself. I'll get up on 59 00:04:48,279 --> 00:04:52,159 Speaker 1: the window sill and meow as loudly as I can. 60 00:04:54,480 --> 00:04:57,320 Speaker 1: Up jumped Blackie to the sill of the window, and 61 00:04:57,440 --> 00:05:00,280 Speaker 1: looking out in the street, she opened her mouth and 62 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:07,279 Speaker 1: let out aloud. Wow. They ought to hear that, thought 63 00:05:07,279 --> 00:05:11,240 Speaker 1: the black cat, but no one seemed to hear her. 64 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:16,120 Speaker 1: She could see people passing along the street, boys and 65 00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:20,880 Speaker 1: girls being among them, for school was now out. But 66 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:23,680 Speaker 1: though once in a while someone did look at the cat, 67 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:30,440 Speaker 1: in the window. No one came to let Blackie out. Oh, 68 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:33,600 Speaker 1: if only Arthur or Mabel would pass along the street 69 00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:36,120 Speaker 1: on their way home from school, they might let me out, 70 00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:40,440 Speaker 1: thought Blackie. I wonder if this is the street by 71 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:46,719 Speaker 1: which they come home. This was something Blackie could not tell. 72 00:05:47,760 --> 00:05:53,040 Speaker 1: Smart as she was, she could only hope and call, 73 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:59,400 Speaker 1: which last she did every minute or two. But everyone 74 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:01,880 Speaker 1: on the street seemed to be in a great hurry. 75 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:06,280 Speaker 1: Men and women walked quickly past, with only a glance 76 00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:08,719 Speaker 1: now and then at the black cat in the window. 77 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:13,159 Speaker 1: Perhaps they did not stop to think it was strange 78 00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:15,760 Speaker 1: for a cat to be alone in an empty house. 79 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:20,320 Speaker 1: Perhaps the people did not even stop to think that 80 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 1: the house was empty, and they might have thought that 81 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:30,120 Speaker 1: if Blackie got in the house, she could also get out. 82 00:06:31,760 --> 00:06:36,279 Speaker 1: But she could not, as we know, for every door 83 00:06:36,279 --> 00:06:41,320 Speaker 1: and window was tightly fastened. And another thing was that 84 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:44,840 Speaker 1: only the man who owned the house had a key 85 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:49,000 Speaker 1: to it. So if anyone did try to let Blackie out, 86 00:06:49,279 --> 00:06:53,960 Speaker 1: how could they do it. Blackie did not know all this, though, 87 00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:57,559 Speaker 1: She just knew that she wanted to be let out, 88 00:06:58,440 --> 00:07:04,080 Speaker 1: and so she kept on me, Well, this doesn't seem 89 00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:08,279 Speaker 1: to be doing any good, thought Blackie. At last, I'm 90 00:07:08,360 --> 00:07:12,400 Speaker 1: only wasting my time crying this way, and making myself 91 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:17,880 Speaker 1: tired too. Oh how thirsty I am. I'd like even 92 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:21,120 Speaker 1: a good drink of water, though of course milk would 93 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:27,000 Speaker 1: be much better. Still, I must not find fault. I 94 00:07:27,160 --> 00:07:30,040 Speaker 1: ran away on purpose, and I must put up with 95 00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:34,680 Speaker 1: what I meet with. I should have asked Speckle how 96 00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:37,560 Speaker 1: he found things to eat and drink when he ran away, 97 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:42,000 Speaker 1: but I forgot all about that. I wish he had 98 00:07:42,040 --> 00:07:44,920 Speaker 1: come with me, for he would know what to do now. 99 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:48,040 Speaker 1: And I guess he would not have let me come 100 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:53,000 Speaker 1: in this house to get locked up. Oh well, it 101 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:56,840 Speaker 1: isn't night yet, and before dark someone may come. The 102 00:07:56,840 --> 00:08:00,280 Speaker 1: man whom I saw going away may come back. I'll 103 00:08:00,400 --> 00:08:10,080 Speaker 1: just wait a bit. So Blackie waited and waited, but 104 00:08:10,280 --> 00:08:16,080 Speaker 1: no one came. It was late afternoon now, and the 105 00:08:16,160 --> 00:08:20,680 Speaker 1: shadows were getting longer and longer as the sun went 106 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:26,120 Speaker 1: farther and farther down in the west. No more children 107 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:29,960 Speaker 1: passed the house, for they were all home from school 108 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:35,920 Speaker 1: now and were playing their games and having fun. I 109 00:08:35,920 --> 00:08:39,360 Speaker 1: guess Mabel and Arthur are playing too, thought Blackie. I 110 00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:44,679 Speaker 1: wonder if they miss me The two children did indeed 111 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:48,040 Speaker 1: look for the black cat when they came home from school, 112 00:08:48,880 --> 00:08:51,800 Speaker 1: but not finding her, they thought little about it at 113 00:08:51,840 --> 00:08:55,800 Speaker 1: the time. I guess she has gone over to play 114 00:08:55,800 --> 00:08:59,760 Speaker 1: with the cat next door, said Arthur. I guess so too, 115 00:09:00,520 --> 00:09:03,000 Speaker 1: said his sister. Come on down the street and we'll 116 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:06,079 Speaker 1: play with Blake children. Tommy Blake asked me to come 117 00:09:06,120 --> 00:09:12,040 Speaker 1: over after school, so Arthur and Mabel ran off to play, 118 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:17,560 Speaker 1: not thinking any more about Blackie for a while. Though afterwards, 119 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:21,360 Speaker 1: when she did not come home, the children did not 120 00:09:21,559 --> 00:09:25,120 Speaker 1: know what to think, and they looked all over for 121 00:09:25,200 --> 00:09:31,080 Speaker 1: their pet. But this story is just about Blackie, and 122 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:34,480 Speaker 1: not so much about Arthur and Mabel, though I may 123 00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:38,040 Speaker 1: mention them once in a while. Now I must tell 124 00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:43,600 Speaker 1: you what happened to the black cat. She wandered all 125 00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:47,240 Speaker 1: over the house once more, now, and then jumping up 126 00:09:47,240 --> 00:09:49,720 Speaker 1: on a window sill that fronted on the street to 127 00:09:49,800 --> 00:09:55,040 Speaker 1: give her meowing cry. But if anyone heard her, no 128 00:09:55,160 --> 00:09:57,720 Speaker 1: one tried to get her out of the locked and 129 00:09:57,840 --> 00:10:03,960 Speaker 1: vacant house. I must do something, I really must, said 130 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:07,320 Speaker 1: Blackie to herself at last, otherwise I shall have to 131 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:10,760 Speaker 1: stay in this house all night with nothing to eat. 132 00:10:11,520 --> 00:10:13,920 Speaker 1: I'll go upstairs again and see if there's something to 133 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:17,240 Speaker 1: eat up there. The family may have left something when 134 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:24,080 Speaker 1: they moved out. Up Stairs went Blackie once more, and 135 00:10:24,200 --> 00:10:28,280 Speaker 1: she hurried through the different rooms, for it was getting dark. Now. 136 00:10:29,960 --> 00:10:36,080 Speaker 1: Not a thing to eat could poor Blackie find. At last, 137 00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:38,800 Speaker 1: she came to another flight of stairs that seemed to 138 00:10:38,920 --> 00:10:43,760 Speaker 1: lead up to the roof. Why that's strange, said the 139 00:10:43,760 --> 00:10:48,199 Speaker 1: black cat. I did not notice them before. I wonder 140 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:52,800 Speaker 1: what they are for I must go up and find out. 141 00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:58,280 Speaker 1: Blackie walked up these other stairs. They were narrow and 142 00:10:58,520 --> 00:11:02,800 Speaker 1: quite steep, and when the cat reached the top, she 143 00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:07,520 Speaker 1: could look up and see the sky through a crack. Huh, 144 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:12,200 Speaker 1: this isn't so bad, thought Blackie. Perhaps I can squeeze 145 00:11:12,240 --> 00:11:18,320 Speaker 1: through that crack and get out. I'll try. Blackie went 146 00:11:18,400 --> 00:11:22,920 Speaker 1: up to the highest step. Over her head was a 147 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:26,920 Speaker 1: square piece of wood that seemed to cover a hole 148 00:11:27,280 --> 00:11:33,280 Speaker 1: in the roof. The wood was really a cover to 149 00:11:33,400 --> 00:11:37,160 Speaker 1: what is called a scuttle or hole in the roof 150 00:11:37,320 --> 00:11:41,960 Speaker 1: of the house. Which roof was flatted and of tin. 151 00:11:44,400 --> 00:11:47,120 Speaker 1: When the men built the house, which was in a 152 00:11:47,200 --> 00:11:51,160 Speaker 1: long row with many others, they left a hole in 153 00:11:51,240 --> 00:11:55,280 Speaker 1: the roof with stairs leading to it, so when the 154 00:11:55,360 --> 00:11:59,840 Speaker 1: roof needed painting or mending, men could get on it 155 00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:03,720 Speaker 1: without bringing ladders and putting them against the building on 156 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:08,240 Speaker 1: the outside. Then, so the rain would not come in 157 00:12:08,440 --> 00:12:11,319 Speaker 1: through the hole, the men made a cover for it. 158 00:12:13,280 --> 00:12:17,000 Speaker 1: This cover could be lifted up whenever anyone wanted to 159 00:12:17,040 --> 00:12:19,920 Speaker 1: get out on the roof, and the cover could be 160 00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:24,360 Speaker 1: fastened down by hooks inside when the hole was to 161 00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:30,720 Speaker 1: be closed. But now, as it happened, the cover was 162 00:12:30,840 --> 00:12:35,880 Speaker 1: only partly over the hole and it was not fastened down. 163 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:40,600 Speaker 1: There was a little crack, as when a door is 164 00:12:40,679 --> 00:12:45,480 Speaker 1: only partly closed, and Blackie put her nose to this crack. 165 00:12:47,120 --> 00:12:53,480 Speaker 1: She could sniff the fresh air. Oh, how good that smells, 166 00:12:53,559 --> 00:12:59,360 Speaker 1: she said. If I could only get out, Blackie again 167 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:03,200 Speaker 1: put her nose in the crack, and bracing her legs 168 00:13:03,240 --> 00:13:07,199 Speaker 1: on the top step, she began to push with her head. 169 00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:13,120 Speaker 1: Blackie was a strong cat, as I have said, and 170 00:13:13,280 --> 00:13:17,200 Speaker 1: soon she began to feel the cover slipping and moving 171 00:13:17,320 --> 00:13:21,720 Speaker 1: to one side. Oh, I believe I can push it 172 00:13:21,760 --> 00:13:24,600 Speaker 1: away from the hole, said Blackie. If I do, I 173 00:13:24,679 --> 00:13:30,080 Speaker 1: can get out, I must push harder. Blackie pushed as 174 00:13:30,160 --> 00:13:34,640 Speaker 1: hard as she could and the scuttle cover moved more. 175 00:13:36,200 --> 00:13:40,640 Speaker 1: The crack was wider. Now Blackie could put out one paw. 176 00:13:41,880 --> 00:13:45,200 Speaker 1: Soon she had pushed the cover far enough away so 177 00:13:45,240 --> 00:13:49,720 Speaker 1: she could put out two paws. I'll soon have it 178 00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:53,920 Speaker 1: all the way off, now, thought the black cat. She 179 00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:58,600 Speaker 1: gave one more hard shove, and then, to her delight, 180 00:13:59,280 --> 00:14:03,800 Speaker 1: the cover lid away from the hole. There was room 181 00:14:03,880 --> 00:14:09,160 Speaker 1: for Blackie to jump out. She found herself on the 182 00:14:09,200 --> 00:14:13,960 Speaker 1: flat tin roof of the house. On either side were 183 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:16,920 Speaker 1: the tin roofs of other houses in the brick row. 184 00:14:17,840 --> 00:14:24,880 Speaker 1: It was like one long, big roof. Well I'm out, anyhow, 185 00:14:25,400 --> 00:14:30,200 Speaker 1: said Blackie to herself. That is something. It's an adventure, 186 00:14:30,640 --> 00:14:35,400 Speaker 1: a real true adventure. I wonder what will happen to 187 00:14:35,520 --> 00:14:36,840 Speaker 1: me next.