
In this sweet tale a delicate black‑and‑gold kitten named Dixie lives in a cozy barn filled with hay, grain sacks, and the clatter of farm life. Her glossy fur, bright eyes, and a single yellow paw set her apart, while the warm milk from her mother comforts her in the snug nest. The story paints the barn’s bustling sounds—horses’ neighs, a dog’s bark, the jingling of a sleigh bell—and invites listeners to share Dixie’s wide‑eyed wonder at the world beyond her haystack.
When curiosity pulls her toward a nearby flight of stairs, Dixie gathers courage to explore the mysterious sounds that drift down from the house. A tentative first tumble sends her tumbling down a step, only to be rescued by her vigilant mother who scoops her up and returns her safely to the nest. The gentle narrative captures the tender bond between kitten and mother, and the simple thrill of a first brave step.
Language
en
Duration
~1 hours (71K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
United States: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1910.
Credits
Sam W. and The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
Release date
2022-02-18
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1854–1930
A prolific historian and educator, this American writer helped make world history accessible to young readers through lively, carefully organized books. Her work blends scholarship with a clear, readable style that still feels welcoming today.
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