he; 'but I feel rather unpleasant at
the thought of having her boiled in the griffin's soup. Would not a dog
do as well?'

"'Oh, you mean thing!' said Miss Griffin, pretending to weep, you love
the cat; 'it's as plain to be seen as your ears; go and many her, and
leave me here to die of grief!' and she began to cry and bo-hoo like ten
hyenas.

"In vain the fox said that he did not care a straw for the cat; nothing
now would satisfy her but a solemn promise that he would bring poor puss
to the cave, to be boiled for the griffin's soup."

"Oh! what a bad, bad, wicked fox!" cried Willie; "if I knew how to fire
a gun, I would shoot him--I would pull his tail off--I would give him
soup made of stones and sticks--that I would!"

"Yes, he was a mean, wicked fellow," said his mother; "but wait till you
hear the end." And now, Miss Griffin and he had a grand consultation,
how they should entrap the poor cat, and Reynard said at last: 'The best
way will be to put a basket out of the window, and draw it up by a cord;
the moment it arrives at the window be sure to clap your claw on the
cat, for she is terribly active.'

"'Fiddle!' answered Miss Griffin; 'I should think myself a goose, if I
did not know how to catch a cat!'

"'It must be when your father is out,' said the fox.

"'Oh! certainly; he takes a walk, you know, every evening.'

"'Well, let it be to-morrow, then,' said Reynard, for he was impatient
for the treasure.

"This being arranged, Reynard thought it time to make off; he stole down
stairs and tried to steal some of the treasure by the way, but it was
too heavy for him to carry, and he came to the conclusion, that to get
the money he must take the lady, too.

"When he returned to the cat's house, and saw how plain every thing
looked, after the jewels in the griffin's cave, he quite wondered how he
had ever thought she was the least good-looking, but he concealed his
wicked intention, and made himself particularly agreeable.

"'Only guess where I have been!' said he. 'To our new neighbor, the
griffin--a most charming person. As for that silly magpie, she told a
tremendous fib--for he has no daughter at all. He has heard of your
beauty, my dear, and, on my telling him we were going to be married, he
insisted upon giving a great ball and supper, in honor of the event, and
I have accepted the invitation.'

"'Oh! dear! of course,' said the pretty creature, who felt highly
delighted. 'I shall wear my white sa