ly fast asleep. But she
was not asleep; and, moreover, she was watching Glumdalkin, who had
settled herself very comfortably on her cushion, while Friskarina,
looking much graver than usual, was sitting with her shoulders drawn
up to her ears, in quite an old cattish attitude, and her bright
shining eyes fixed thoughtfully on the fire.

Now you must know that the princess had an old aunt who was a fairy;
and she had bestowed upon her niece the faculty of understanding the
language of animals; a very amusing gift it was, and the princess
often derived great diversion from it. On the present occasion, as she
lay on her sofa after dinner, she thought it would be very good
entertainment to hear what Glumdalkin and Friskarina might be talking
about.

But some time passed before either said anything; at last, Glumdalkin
gave a great yawn, and flapping her tail rather angrily against the
cushion, remarked:

'Really, Friskarina, you are dreadfully stupid, to-night; you make
noise enough when I want to go to sleep: but now, when I am inclined
for a little rational conversation, you sit there as mum and sulky as
an old bear.'

Friskarina was used to polite observations from her second cousin once
removed, so she very quietly answered that she thought Glumdalkin had
been going to take a nap, and that she did not wish to disturb her.

'Well, I do admire that!' exclaimed Glumdalkin; 'you are wonderfully
considerate, all at once; now, _I_ think, Miss Friskarina, you have
been getting into mischief, and that's the reason you sit so quiet
there. I should like to know where you were all this morning, when the
pages were running all over the house after you, because the princess
wanted you, and nobody could find you? Well, people have strange
tastes! I should have thought she would have found the company of a
grave, decorous cat, like myself, who knows the ways of the court, and
has seen something of society, a great deal more agreeable than that
of such a ridiculous, light-headed thing as you are: I declare you
make me quite nervous very often, you jump about so! But she never
sent for _me_; so of course I could not go to her. The world's very
unlike what it was when I was young--very unlike indeed!' and, giving
an odd kind of grunt in her throat, Glumdalkin curled herself round on
the other side, as if in a sort of despair at the wickedness of the
world.

Friskarina thought she had not much to complain of, but she did not
vent