SPINNETTE, THE FAIRY. 
145 
other choking with bread and water, and then 
was left for the night. Soon after dark the 
family retired, leaving some food for Henry on 
his return from his supposed work. Soon all 
was still in the house, and Heniy looked for- 
ward to his release from his bird disguise with 
great impatience. 
While he was awaiting the coming of Spin- 
nette to change him to his natural form, he 
chanced to look to a distant corner of the 
room, where, beneath a chair, he recognized 
the green shining eyes of his enemy, the cat. 
Suddenly they seemed to approach him, and 
he presently heard her hateful purring near 
him ; he knew that she, with the artfulness of 
her race, had hidden beneath the chair to 
await a favorable opportunity to attack him, 
and he now gave up all hope, for how could 
he protect himself from her. 
Suddenly the purring ceased, and with a 
spring she stood beside him. Lifting the door 
of the cage with one paw, she thrust in the 
other, and seizing the bird by the wing, she 
leaped to the floor. As she jumped, the cage 
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