I have heard
that you can; still, for my part, I consider it quite impossible."
"Impossible!" cried the other, indignantly. "You shall see!" and
immediately the cat saw the Ogre no longer, but a little mouse running
along on the floor.
This was exactly what he wanted; and he did the very best a cat could
do, and the most natural under the circumstances--he sprang upon the
mouse and gobbled it up in a trice. So there was an end of the Ogre.
By this time the king had arrived opposite the castle, and was seized
with a strong desire to enter it. The cat, hearing the noise of the
carriage-wheels, ran forward in a great hurry, and standing at the
gate, said in a loud voice, "Welcome, sire, to the castle of my lord
the Marquis of Carabas."
"What!" cried his majesty, very much surprised, "does the castle also
belong to you? Truly, Marquis, you have kept your secret well up to
the last minute. I have never seen anything finer than this courtyard
and these battlements. Indeed, I have nothing like them in the whole
of my dominions."
The Marquis, without speaking, offered his hand to the princess to
assist her to descend, and, standing aside that the king might enter
first--for he had already acquired all the manners of a
court--followed his majesty to the great hall, where a magnificent
collation was laid out, and where, without more delay, they all sat
down to feast.
Pages:
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296