s. He then frizzled some bacon
and baited his traps, and in less than ten minutes he had filled them
all, for the mice had never smelt such a delicious thing as fried bacon
before, and besides, they were new to the wiles of man.

"The fowls were wild with delight, and in their thankfulness they
bethought them of a special mark of favour, and every hen came clucking
up to him and laid an egg at his feet.

"For about a week the gipsy did nothing but catch mice and eat eggs; but
all things must have an end, and the bacon ran out, just when the gipsy
had come to the conclusion that he was heartily sick of egg-diet. Being
a man of action, he put out his hand suddenly and caught the fattest and
nicest young chicken within reach, and promptly wrung its neck.

"Oh, what a row there was in the henroost! The cocks began to crow loud
enough to split their throats, and the hens to fly about and cackle. The
man was nearly deafened, and yelled out at the top of his voice, 'What
do you expect, you fools? Mice can only be caught with meat, and meat I
must and will have too.' He then let them rave on, and quietly and
methodically continued to pluck his chicken. When it was ready, he made
a fire and began to roast it.

"In the meanwhile, Flaps had heard all the noise and outcry, and as it
showed no signs of abating, he thought the man was most likely in
mischief, so he went into the castle.

"'Oh! Woe! Misery! Horror! Despair!' cried all the fowls at once as soon
as they saw him. 'The murderer has slain young Scratchfoot the cock, and
is just going to roast him!'

"'You're a dead man,' growled Flaps to the rat-catcher, as soon as he
got up to the loft.

"'I'm not so sure of that, my fine cur,' said the man, taking hold of
the cudgel he had brought with him, and tucking up his sleeves.

"But the brave old dog sprang at him and bit him so severely that he
uttered a savage groan, and dealt Flaps a heavy blow with his cudgel.
This nearly broke the dog's leg and obliged him to relax his hold, on
which the gipsy dashed down-stairs and ran away with such speed that
Flaps on three legs had no chance of overtaking him.

"'Wait a bit!' cried the man from afar. 'I'll remember you!' And then
his retreating figure became smaller and smaller on the heath until at
last it disappeared altogether.

"This time the fowls had no heart for a feast. They sat brooding and
moping in rows on the rafters, for they began to see very clearly that
it was