ck of hearing. He has tied me up by
my poor wings in the cavern, for he is mightily afraid of some beast
running away with me. You know I have all my fortune settled on myself."

"Talk not of fortune," said the fox; "but how can I deliver you? Shall I
enter and gnaw the cord?"

"Alas!" answered the griffiness, "it is an immense chain I am bound
with. However, you may come in and talk more at your ease."

The fox peeped cautiously all round, and seeing no sign of the griffin,
he entered the lower cave and stole upstairs to the upper story; but as
he went on, he saw immense piles of jewels and gold, and all sorts of
treasure, so that the old griffin might well have laughed at the
poor cat being called an heiress. The fox was greatly pleased at such
indisputable signs of wealth, and he entered the upper cave, resolved to
be transported with the charms of the griffiness.

There was, however, a great chasm between the landing-place and the spot
where the young lady was chained, and he found it impossible to pass;
the cavern was very dark, but he saw enough of the figure of the
griffiness to perceive, in spite of her petticoat, that she was the
image of her father, and the most hideous heiress that the earth ever
saw!

However, he swallowed his disgust, and poured forth such a heap of
compliments that the griffiness appeared entirely won.

He implored her to fly with him the first moment she was unchained.

"That is impossible," said she; "for my father never unchains me except
in his presence, and then I cannot stir out of his sight."

"The wretch!" cried Reynard, "what is to be done?"

"Why, there is only one thing I know of," answered the griffiness,
"which is this: I always make his soup for him, and if I could mix
something in it that would put him fast to sleep before he had time to
chain me up again I might slip down and carry off all the treasure below
on my back."

"Charming!" exclaimed Reynard; "what invention! what wit! I will go and
get some poppies directly."

"Alas!" said the griffiness, "poppies have no effect upon griffins. The
only thing that can ever put my father fast to sleep is a nice young cat
boiled up in his soup; it is astonishing what a charm that has upon him!
But where to get a cat?--it must be a maiden cat too!"

Reynard was a little startled at so singular an opiate. "But," thought
he, "griffins are not like the rest of the world, and so rich an heiress
is not to be won by ordinary