ring any more of this very just discourse, by the
little boy's opening the door and letting in a cat; which, though it was
the first that I had ever seen in my life, I was certain was the same
destructive animal to our race, which I had frequently heard my mother
describe. I therefore made all possible haste back to the closet, and
warning Brighteyes of our danger, we instantly returned by the same way
which we came, to our two brothers, whom we found waiting for us, and
wondering at our long absence. We related to them the dainty cheer which
we had met with, and agreed to conduct them thither in the evening.
Accordingly, as soon as it grew towards dusk, we climbed up the wall,
and all four together attacked the plum-cake, which no one had touched
since we left it; but scarcely had we all seated ourselves round it,
than on a sudden the closet-door opened, and a woman entered. Away we
all scampered as fast as possible, but poor Brighteyes, who could not
move quite so fast on account of his sore toe, and who likewise having
advanced farther into the cake, was discovered before he could reach
the crack by which we entered. The woman, who had a knife in her hand,
struck at him with it, at the same time exclaiming, 'Bless me, nurse,
here is a mouse in the closet!' Happily, she missed her aim, and he only
received a small wound on the tip of his tail. This interruption sadly
alarmed us, and it was above an hour before we could have courage to
venture back, when finding everything quiet, except Mrs. Nurse's singing
to her child, we again crept out, and once more surrounded the cake. We
continued without any further alarm till we were perfectly satisfied,
and then retired to a little distance behind the wainscot, determined
there to sleep, and to breakfast on the cake the next day.

Early in the morning I waked, and calling my brothers, we all marched
forward, and soon arrived at the delightful cake, where we highly
enjoyed ourselves without the least disturbance, till our appetites were
fully satisfied. We then retired, took a little run round some other
parts of the house, but met with nothing worth relating. At noon we
again made our way into the closet, intending to dine on the dish on
which we breakfasted; but, to our no small mortification, the delicious
dainty was removed. This you may be sure was a sad disappointment; yet
as we were not extremely hungry, we had time to look about for more. We
were not long in finding it;