anka, he jumped up, arched his
back, wagged his tail with his hair standing on end and he, too,
hissed at her. The dog was frightened in earnest, but not caring
to betray her alarm, began barking loudly and dashed at the cat . . . .
The cat arched his back more than ever, mewed and gave Kashtanka
a smack on the head with his paw. Kashtanka jumped back, squatted
on all four paws, and craning her nose towards the cat, went off
into loud, shrill barks; meanwhile the gander came up behind and
gave her a painful peck in the back. Kashtanka leapt up and dashed
at the gander.

"What's this?" They heard a loud angry voice, and the stranger came
into the room in his dressing-gown, with a cigar between his teeth.
"What's the meaning of this? To your places!"

He went up to the cat, flicked him on his arched back, and said:

"Fyodor Timofeyitch, what's the meaning of this? Have you got up a
fight? Ah, you old rascal! Lie down!"

And turning to the gander he shouted: "Ivan Ivanitch, go home!"

The cat obediently lay down on his mattress and closed his eyes.
Judging from the expression of his face and whiskers, he was
displeased with himself for having lost his temper and got into a
fight.

Kashtanka began whining resentfully, while the gander craned his
neck and began saying something rapidly, excitedly, distinctly, but
quite unintelligibly.

"All right, all right," said his master, yawning. "You must live
in peace and friendship." He stroked Kashtanka and went on: "And
you, redhair, don't be frightened. . . . They are capital company,
they won't annoy you. Stay, what are we to call you? You can't go
on without a name, my dear."

The stranger thought a moment and said: "I tell you what . . . you
shall be Auntie. . . . Do you understand? Auntie!"

And repeating the word "Auntie" several times he went out. Kashtanka
sat down and began watching. The cat sat motionless on his little
mattress, and pretended to be asleep. The gander, craning his neck
and stamping, went on talking rapidly and excitedly about something.
Apparently it was a very clever gander; after every long tirade,
he always stepped back with an air of wonder and made a show of
being highly delighted with his own speech. . . . Listening to him
and answering "R-r-r-r," Kashtanka fell to sniffing the corners.
In one of the corners she found a little trough in which she saw
some soaked peas and a sop of rye crusts. She tried the peas; they
were not nice; she tr