w?' grumbled Glumdalkin.

'Why, you know they always give us our dinner behind the laurel trees,
on the grass, and you know, too, that they give us more than we want;
indeed, more than is good for us--for don't you remember, when you
were ill last autumn, the doctor said you ought to live more
sparingly? and they never take away the bits when we have done; so
that it is all our own property, and I was thinking that if you would
be so very kind as to leave a bone or two that you really don't want,
and I will do the same, the poor----'

Astonishment and indignation had, so far, kept Glumdalkin silent; but
now, finding voice once more, she burst forth into a perfect torrent
of wrath, declaring that not one bone would she leave--no! that she
wouldn't. _She_ wouldn't be answerable for bringing a parcel of
thieving cats about the house--a pretty thing indeed!--what did
Friskarina think the princess would say?

Friskarina meekly replied, that there would certainly be no thieving
in the case; for that their dinner was all their own, and if they did
not eat it all, it would only be left on the grass, to moulder away;
and she really could not think the princess would have any objection
to their relieving the poor cat's want, out of their own abundance.
But these, and other similar arguments were all wasted upon the
selfish Glumdalkin: she jumped down from her stool in a passion,
turned her back upon Friskarina, rolled herself round into a great
black ball, and seemed in a few moments to be fast asleep. Not that
she was asleep, though; and her bad humor was not much mended by
hearing the princess, who was lying on her sofa, call Friskarina to
her, in her most endearing accents:--'Her dear, good, darling little
Friskarina.'

'It's most uncommonly odd that she never calls for _me_,' thought
Glumdalkin.

Meanwhile, Friskarina had jumped up to her mistress, who stroked her
fondly, and kissed her, and Friskarina felt her face wet with tears.

'What can be the matter with the princess?' thought she; 'I am sure
_she_ can't have any troubles; O I wish she could see that poor woman
in the cottage!'

One o'clock--and the great bell of the palace rang--and then the cats
always went down to dinner, and the princess went down to her
luncheon. And a grand luncheon it was, for it happened that day to be
the princess's birth-day, and three of her cousins were coming to dine
with her, and they were going to have _such_ a plum-pudding--so