be so unhappy, my dear Glumdalkin! I
am sure the princess did not mean to be unkind to you; I do think she
was only afraid you might, perhaps, not be quite careful enough--might
take more than was really good for you; I'm quite certain she did not
intend anything uncivil.'

'And do you mean to say,' screamed Glumdalkin, 'that, at my time of
life, I'm to be dictated to by a young thing like the princess, and
that I can't be trusted to eat my dinner? No, indeed, I won't submit
to it! _I'm_ not going to bear such indignities! The princess will
find out her mistake when I am gone.'

'But,' said Friskarina, very gently, 'what can you do?'

'Do!' said Glumdalkin, striking her paw with great violence upon the
top of a footstool, 'do! why, can't I leave the palace? You don't
suppose I shall remain here another day, do you? I shall look out for
another situation directly--a cat like myself won't go a-begging.'

Friskarina was so astonished at this sudden resolve, that it was a
minute or two before she could answer; at length, she quietly asked
when Glumdalkin intended to quit the palace.

'To-morrow, decidedly;' replied Glumdalkin, 'perhaps I may stay till
after dinner, there's a basket of fish just come in, and I am really
not strong enough to encounter the fatigue of the thing in a morning,
it will be a great trial to me--very great.' And Glumdalkin put her
paw up to her eyes for a few moments; but Friskarina thought it did
not look at all wet when she put it down.

'I am very much concerned for you,' she said; 'and I do strongly
recommend to you not to think of going away: you will be lost in the
snow, and I am sure you would not like to take shelter in any of the
cottages; think what wretched places they are! What will become of
you? you will lose your way in the woods, or fall a prey to some wild
beast; do pray think better of it.'

Glumdalkin sat silent for some minutes, seemingly plunged in the most
dismal meditations.

'Well,' she said, at length, in a rather mollified tone, 'I have no
doubt you would all miss me dreadfully; you, especially, Friskarina,
as you are so young and giddy, and so little able to take care of
yourself; we will see, I don't wish to do anything unkind by you--'

Just at that moment Grandmagnificolowsky entered with the princess's
supper; and as the princess called 'Puss! puss!' several times,
Glumdalkin was forced at last to present herself, being rather hungry
besides; so she lapped a