The Book of Cats. 1 99 



her own already. One of these she gave to each 

 of the elder brothers of the young Prince, and over 

 the other two she ruled with her husband, for the 

 young Prince married her, and they lived happily 

 together all their lives. 



In Mr. Morley's Fairy Tales, there is a funny 

 passage : — " ' I wonder,' said a sparrow, ' what the 

 eagles are about, that they don't fly away with the 

 Cats? And now I think of it, a civil question cannot 

 give offence.' So the sparrow finished her breakfast, 

 went to the eagle, and said : — 



" ' May it please your royalty, I see you and your 

 race fly away with the birds and the lambs that do 

 no harm. But there is not a creature so malignant 

 as a Cat ; she prowls about our nests, eats up our 

 young, and bites ofT our own heads. She feeds so 

 daintily that she must be herself good eating. She 

 is lighter to carry than a bird, and you would get a 

 famous grip in her loose fur. Why do you not feed 

 upon Cat } ' 



*" Ah !* said the eagle, 'there is sense in your 

 question. I had the worms to hear this morning, 

 asking me why I did not breakfast upon sparrows. 

 Do I see a morsel of worm's skin on your beak, 

 my child .''' 



" The sparrow cleaned his bill upon his bosom. 



