pie, and she did not stop till she got to the cat's house.
The cat and the fox were at breakfast, and the fox had his paw on his
heart. "Beautiful scene!" cried the pie; the cat coloured, and bade the
pie take a seat.

Then off went the pie's tongue, glib, glib, glib, chatter, chatter,
chatter. She related to them the whole story of the griffin and his
daughter, and a great deal more besides, that the griffin had never told
her.

The cat listened attentively. Another young heiress in the neighbourhood
might be a formidable rival. "But is this griffiness handsome?" said
she.

"Handsome!" cried the pie; "oh, if you could have seen the father!--such
a mouth, such eyes, such a complexion; and he declares she's the living
picture of himself! But what do you say, Mr. Reynard,--you, who have
been so much in the world, have, perhaps, seen the young lady?"

"Why, I can't say I have," answered the fox, waking from a revery;
"but she must be wonderfully rich. I dare say that fool the dog will be
making up to her."

"Ah, by the way," said the pie, "what a fuss he made at your door
yesterday; why would you not admit him, my dear?"

"Oh," said the cat, demurely, "Mr. Reynard says that he is a dog of very
bad character, quite a fortune-hunter; and hiding the most dangerous
disposition to bite under an appearance of good nature. I hope he won't
be quarrelsome with you, dear Reynard!"

"With me? Oh, the poor wretch, no!--he might bluster a little; but he
knows that if I'm once angry I'm a devil at biting;--one should not
boast of oneself."

In the evening Reynard felt a strange desire to go and see the griffin
smoking his pipe; but what could he do? There was the dog under the
opposite tree evidently watching for him, and Reynard had no wish to
prove himself that devil at biting which he declared he was. At last he
resolved to have recourse to stratagem to get rid of the dog.

A young buck of a rabbit, a sort of provincial fop, had looked in upon
his cousin the cat, to pay her his respects, and Reynard, taking him
aside, said, "You see that shabby-looking dog under the tree? He has
behaved very ill to your cousin the cat, and you certainly ought
to challenge him. Forgive my boldness, nothing but respect for your
character induces me to take so great a liberty; you know I would
chastise the rascal myself, but what a scandal it would make! If I were
already married to your cousin, it would be a different thing. But you
know w