ou will see how my mistress lives.' So saying, Tibb
led the way to the hut; and Friskarina, crouching down to a very wide
chink under the door, saw a dwelling, the mere notion of which had
never entered her imagination till that moment.

'And have you lived _here_ all your life?' she said, drawing back at
length, and looking with the most sincere compassion at Tibb.

'Where else could I go, my lady?' replied the poor cat; 'it is better
than lying in the road.'

'And you absolutely don't know what it is to have a good dinner? How
very shocking! But now listen to me, Tibb; do you think you can
manage to climb over that wall?'

'I can but try,' replied Tibb, looking as if she began to have an
indistinct idea that her new friend meant to do something for her.

'Then,' continued Friskarina, 'if you will follow me, and keep quiet
behind the trees in the garden, I will give you part of my dinner
every day.'

Tibb's eyes sparkled as they had never sparkled before, at this
generous proposal; and, running to the wall, by the help of a
projecting stone here and there, she was presently at the top; then,
turning round, she watched Friskarina ascending after her. To scramble
down by the ivy-branches was the work of a moment, and the two cats
were soon hidden behind some low evergreen bushes that grew in front
of the wall.

'Now lie quiet here,' said Friskarina, 'till I come and call you.' So
saying, she scampered off through the snow towards the palace. The
door of the princess's drawing-room was not quite shut, so Friskarina
softly pushed it a little open, and peeped cautiously in.

Just as she expected, there sat Glumdalkin, on a high stool close by
the fire, looking more _solid_ than ever, and her back so awfully
broad! Moreover, she did not look by any means in the best of humors;
but she unbuttoned her eyes a very little atom as Friskarina came
towards the fire, and in a very gruff voice, asked her where she had
been so long?

'I'll tell you directly,' replied Friskarina; 'but really I must get a
little warm first, my jaws are quite stiff.'

'And it serves you right, too,' remarked the amiable Glumdalkin; 'if
you _will_ go out in the snow, when you might have a good warm house
over your head, and sit by the fire, you must take the consequences.'

Now, from some cause or other, Friskarina felt just then in a very
particularly good humor; so she answered, in a very cheerful tone,
that she was quite ready to take all