An old woman was standing by, and
she had seen the whole thing, and she was shocked that the cat should eat
his friend. "Why, cat!" she said, "how dreadful of you to eat your friend
the parrot!"
"Parrot, indeed!" said the cat. "What's a parrot to me?--I've a great mind
to eat you, too." And--before you could say "Jack Robinson"--slip! slop!
gobble! down went the old woman!
Then the cat started down the road again, walking like this, because he
felt so fine. Pretty soon he met a man driving a donkey. The man was
beating the donkey, to hurry him up, and when he saw the cat he said, "Get
out of my way, cat; I'm in a hurry and my donkey might tread on you."
"Donkey, indeed!" said the cat, "much I care for a donkey! I have eaten
five hundred cakes, I've eaten my friend the parrot, I've eaten an old
woman,--what's to hinder my eating a miserable man and a donkey?"
And slip! slop! gobble! down went the old man and the donkey.
Then the cat walked on down the road, jauntily, like this. After a little,
he met a procession, coming that way. The king was at the head, walking
proudly with his newly married bride, and behind him were his soldiers,
marching, and behind them were ever and ever so many elephants, walking
two by two. The king felt very kind to everybody, because he had just been
married, and he said to the cat, "Get out of my way, pussy, get out of my
way,--my elephants might hurt you.
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