THE CAT 



Punchinello and the Cat 



Punchinello lay on the floor in a corner of 

 the nursery. His little master had gone to school, 

 and deserted him. 



The cat slipped in through a half-open door. 

 She held in her mouth a ball of cotton which she had 

 carried carefully upstairs, but which she dropped 

 as soon as she caught sight of Punchinello. 

 " What is that ? " she asked herself uneasily, and 

 proceeded to make a stealthy tour of the room, 

 feigning indifference, but creeping ever closer and 

 closer to the fantastic little figure on the floor. He 

 lay quiet, but she was none the less suspicious of 

 his intentions. Crouching and quivering, she 

 glared at him through half-shut eyes, as though 

 seeking to measure his strength before challenging 

 him with the war-cry of her race. 



— Ffff! 



Punchinello, wholly unconcerned, never so much 

 as winked. 



A second and a louder challenge. 



— Fffffffff! 

 Punchinello dozed tranquilly. 



Then from the cat's little body came a sound, 

 deep and terrible, like the rumbling of far-off 

 thunder. 



56 



