he garden appeared, in which grew
the plant of life. In the distance was a tall tower, from the window of
which a pretty little girl was watching him.

Mark uttered a thankful exclamation, but alas! before he could get
inside the garden, there was a deep moat to cross. He walked along the
edge, hoping to come to a bridge; but found none. Still the brave,
determined boy was not in the least discouraged, but said aloud, "I
won't stir from this place until I find some way of getting across."

Hardly had he uttered these words before he saw an enormous cat, who,
giving a loud "mew," by way of clearing her voice, asked him what he
wanted there.

Mark repeated his story, and the cat, with another mew, said, "You
cannot go across without you catch all the fish in the moat, and fry
them with parsley and catsup. You will find a fishing rod and bait on
the sand. Come! begin! while I set the table."

"Oh!" said little Mark, "how can I catch all these fish! Oh, fairy
Benevolence! come to me."

[Illustration: The Cat shot up in the air.]

"I will help you," said a sweet voice. He turned, and there stood beside
him the very little girl he saw looking out of the window in the tower.
How she got there nobody knows; and what Mr. Nobody knows he never
tells; but the dear little maiden said, "I am called 'Little Goody.' The
old cat shall have the fish, and you shall have the plant of life; but
she shan't stay here to tease you."

So she clapped her hands and cried, scat!! so suddenly, that the cat,
catching up the table cloth, shot up in the air like a sky rocket,
screaming like forty steam whistles.

Then Goody stamped her little foot on the ground, and up started a bull
frog, who said right away, "How do you do, Mr. Mark? I don't forget that
you have saved my life, and I am not an ungrateful frog. I will catch
the fish for you."

It took three times twenty-one days to catch all the fish, and twice
twenty-one days to cook them. Then Mark called the cat, saying, "Come,
Mrs. Cat, come and look at your dinner." Down came the cat, with the
table cloth still on her shoulders, tasted the first and last fish,
smacked her lips, flourished her whiskers and tail, and cried, "Catipal!
How many kinds you have caught! I must make a catalogue of them;" and
then, to Mark's great amazement, she took the carving knife and cut off
one of her paws, and handed it to him, saying, "Take this cat's paw:
when you feel ill, weary, or are growing old,