'O Cat, you are as clever as a man, but remember that your bargain
was not made with the Man or the Dog, and I do not know what they will
do when they come home.'

'What is that to me?' said the Cat. 'If I have my place in the Cave by
the fire and my warm white milk three times a day I do not care what the
Man or the Dog can do.'

That evening when the Man and the Dog came into the Cave, the Woman
told them all the story of the bargain while the Cat sat by the fire and
smiled. Then the Man said, 'Yes, but he has not made a bargain with _me_
or with all proper Men after me.' Then he took off his two leather boots
and he took up his little stone axe (that makes three) and he fetched a
piece of wood and a hatchet (that is five altogether), and he set them
out in a row and he said, 'Now we will make _our_ bargain. If you do not
catch mice when you are in the Cave for always and always and always, I
will throw these five things at you whenever I see you, and so shall all
proper Men do after me.'

'Ah,' said the Woman, listening, 'this is a very clever Cat, but he is
not so clever as my Man.'

The Cat counted the five things (and they looked very knobby) and he
said, 'I will catch mice when I am in the Cave for always and always and
always; but _still_ I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all places
are alike to me.'

'Not when I am near,' said the Man. 'If you had not said that last I
would have put all these things away for always and always and always;
but I am now going to throw my two boots and my little stone axe (that
makes three) at you whenever I meet you. And so shall all proper Men do
after me!'

Then the Dog said, 'Wait a minute. He has not made a bargain with _me_
or with all proper Dogs after me.' And he showed his teeth and said, 'If
you are not kind to the Baby while I am in the Cave for always and
always and always, I will hunt you till I catch you, and when I catch
you I will bite you. And so shall all proper Dogs do after me.'

'Ah,' said the Woman, listening, 'this is a very clever Cat, but he is
not so clever as the Dog.'

Cat counted the Dog's teeth (and they looked very pointed) and he said,
'I will be kind to the Baby while I am in the Cave, as long as he does
not pull my tail too hard, for always and always and always. But _still_
I am the Cat that walks by himself, and all places are alike to me.'

'Not when I am near,' said the Dog. 'If you had not said that last I
would have shut my mo