glittered like
diamonds in the moon-beams, and the smoke from the chimneys curled up
into the cat's face, and got down her throat, and made her sneeze
dreadfully--she wondered how the Fairy could bear it. But now, slowly,
slowly, slowly, the wonderful car began to descend, till it was just
on a level with one of the windows, which happened, very conveniently,
to have been left wide open: so in flew the pheasants, car and all,
and alighted on the hearth-rug. 'Jump out--be quick!' cried the Fairy.
The cat did not wait to be told twice--she was out in a twinkling; but
before she could turn her head round, car, Fairy, and pheasants had
vanished, and she was left alone in the strange room. 'To be sure,'
she exclaimed to herself, 'was there ever anything so extraordinary?'
What an adventure! And what a room it was! It was so large, that three
or four huts, like her old mistress's, would have stood in it. The
floor was covered with something so thick, so warm, and so beautiful,
all over flowers in bright colors, that she had never seen anything
like it before: in short, everything in the room was so fine, or so
soft, or so large, or so bright, that the cat could not conceive what
such strange things could be meant for.

However, she soon decided that the hearth-rug was the most delightful
bed she had ever reposed upon; and, stretching out her limbs upon it,
before the huge fire that was burning in the grate, she strove to
collect her bewildered ideas ere she proceeded any further to
investigate these unknown regions. Suddenly the door opened.

'Dear! what a pretty cat!' exclaimed a waiting-maid, entering the
room; 'and just as we were wanting another, too: my lady, the
countess, will be quite pleased.' Then, coming up to the cat, she took
her in her arms, and began stroking her most affectionately. 'Pretty
pussy! how could you ever get into the room? O I see they have left
the window open, so you have wandered in out of the street, poor
little cat! It's really quite lucky, just as the old one is dead.' So
saying, she again stroked the cat, and carried her away with her into
an inner room, where there sat an old lady in an easy chair by the
fire, apparently employed in eating her supper.

'Please your ladyship,' said the waiting-woman, 'here's a poor cat
come into the house to-night, just as we were wanting one--will your
ladyship be pleased to let it remain here?'

'To be sure,' said the old Countess Von Rustenfustenmuste