d from her hand and fell to the ground.

Immediately the flame was extinguished, and all about was the profound
stillness of a wilderness in winter. Then the dark clouds parted, and
through the opening stepped the full round moon to shed its light upon
the ground. Not one of the many wild beasts was there. The dean and
his horse were alone on Black's Ridge, the horse trembling and
foaming.

By the time the dean reached home he no longer knew if it had been a
vision or reality--this that he had seen; but he took it as a warning
to him to remember the poor creatures who are at the mercy of wild
beasts. He preached so powerfully to the peasants that in his day all
the wild beasts were exterminated in that part of the country.

THE COUNTRY CAT

Cats and mice didn't use to be such bad friends as they are now. They
used to visit back and forth, once upon a time, just like neighbors.

What made them fall out?

Well, it came about this way.

Old Miss Pussy Cat lived in the country but she was very curious to
know about town doings. She told all her friends and relatives how she
longed to see the sights.

In the middle of the night Mr. Gray Moose knocked on her door, and
said that he had a cousin going up to town. If Miss Pussy Cat still
wanted to see the sights this cousin would be proud to give her a
lift.

Then Miss Pussy Cat tied on her bonnet, and put on her shawl, and
packed a basket full of victuals, and started out with Mr. Mouse. Mice
do their travelling by night, and the cat and the mouse travelled all
night, and they got to town the next day.

When they came where all the people were, Mr. Mouse picked up his feet
and ran down a rat hole; but Miss Pussy Cat sat down by the side of
the road to eat a little. She was sitting there, spreading out all her
good country sausage and good country ham and such things, when a town
cat came prowling along past.

This town cat was hungry. He was just as ragged as a beggar man, and
he wanted Miss Pussy Cat's victuals mighty bad.

"My land," he said. "Where did you get that big lunch?"

"Oh, that's just a little snack," said Miss Pussy Cat very politely.
"I brought it with me from home. Won't you join me, sir?"

Now that old, hungry town cat wanted all Miss Pussy Cat's victuals
mighty bad. He didn't want to join her. So he said, "Do you really eat
such a mess as that in the country where you come from?"

"Yes, indeed," said Miss Pussy Cat, who was mighty gl