oans, which the mention of such disagreeable
beasts occasioned, he boldly inveighed against the conduct of _the_ Bear,
then upon the throne; spoke of his favouritism in encouraging into the
city so many of his tribe, and asked the meeting, in an injured tone,
how they would feel when an entire army of these monstrous animals
should march in and live upon the best of the land, while they, the
Cats, would starve for want of the necessaries of life. (Of course
the audience declared they should not like it at all, and uttered the
most discordant cries to prove their assertion, amid which the same
enthusiastic Tom exclaimed, "Down with the Bears!") His hearers being
thus prepared to receive the most favourable accounts of the doings of
Cats, and the most atrocious histories of the actions of Bears, Senor
Don Tomas Ricardo proceeded at once to the adventure of the morning,
in which his Kitten had nearly been brought to an untimely end, and,
although the mishap was quite as much due to the carelessness of the
nurse as to the rudeness of the master of the band, he worked up such a
wonderful picture, that the audience, thrilled with horror, soon after
separated, with a determination to bear the tyranny of the Ursine
Dynasty no longer.

I cannot tell what machinery was put in operation to produce the effects
which shortly after ensued; but I suppose, in a place where beasts are
fond of change and have very little to do, it is not difficult to get
them to do mischief. It is certain that an alliance was formed between
the Cats and Dogs of the city, who outnumbered together the rest of the
inhabitants, and one fine day, about a week after the meeting just
described, there was a revolution in Norsarque; the Bears who could not
escape were torn to pieces by the enraged rebels, and after some hours'
fighting, peace was restored, and Senor Don Tomas Ricardo was elected
King! Cats were appointed with Dogs to fill different offices of State,
and all animals of these races were, as it is easy to imagine, in very
high favour.

The change was a very important one to me. I had been on most friendly
terms with Senora Dona Ricardo ever since my saving her Kitten; and when
her husband was appointed to his elevated dignity, and she herself
became Queen, Her Majesty did not forget her former companions, but
offered me the post of Puss of Honour!

Behold me now, from the wild little creature, robbing birds' nests and
hunting rats, raised to the