John was told that in just one week he must 
move out. | | 
Late that night, after the people had quit 
passing along the street, and the moon had 
come up, the old gray cat started out for a stroll 
around the garden. Several times she had 
climbed the big apple tree in an effort to reach 
the kingbirds’ nest; but this had been built so 
far out on the limb that she could not crawl 
to it. Still her longing to taste young kingbirds 
was just as strong as ever. She was unusually 
hungry this night, for John was so angry about 
having to give up the old place that he had not 
bought any meat for dinner, so there was nothing 
to give the kitty when the meal was finished. 
At length she came to the kingbirds’ apple 
tree and looked up, but the nest was away out 
on the limb just where it had been all the time. 
As luck would have it, however, there stood a 
ladder which ran right up to within a few inches 
of the nest. It was a rough old ladder and easy 
to climb, for the cross pieces were very close 
together. Carefully and with all the stealth 
of a leopard creeping up to a fawn, she climbed 
46 
