are of her while you
and the First Friend and the First Servant go hunting.

Next day the Cat waited to see if any other Wild thing would go up to
the Cave, but no one moved in the Wet Wild Woods, so the Cat walked
there by himself; and he saw the Woman milking the Cow, and he saw the
light of the fire in the Cave, and he smelt the smell of the warm white
milk.

Cat said, 'O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy, where did Wild Cow go?'

The Woman laughed and said, 'Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods, go back
to the Woods again, for I have braided up my hair, and I have put away
the magic blade-bone, and we have no more need of either friends or
servants in our Cave.

Cat said, 'I am not a friend, and I am not a servant. I am the Cat who
walks by himself, and I wish to come into your cave.'

Woman said, 'Then why did you not come with First Friend on the first
night?'

Cat grew very angry and said, 'Has Wild Dog told tales of me?'

Then the Woman laughed and said, 'You are the Cat who walks by himself,
and all places are alike to you. Your are neither a friend nor a
servant. You have said it yourself. Go away and walk by yourself in all
places alike.'

Then Cat pretended to be sorry and said, 'Must I never come into the
Cave? Must I never sit by the warm fire? Must I never drink the warm
white milk? You are very wise and very beautiful. You should not be
cruel even to a Cat.'

Woman said, 'I knew I was wise, but I did not know I was beautiful. So I
will make a bargain with you. If ever I say one word in your praise you
may come into the Cave.'

'And if you say two words in my praise?' said the Cat.

'I never shall,' said the Woman, 'but if I say two words in your praise,
you may sit by the fire in the Cave.'

'And if you say three words?' said the Cat.

'I never shall,' said the Woman, 'but if I say three words in your
praise, you may drink the warm white milk three times a day for always
and always and always.'

Then the Cat arched his back and said, 'Now let the Curtain at the mouth
of the Cave, and the Fire at the back of the Cave, and the Milk-pots
that stand beside the Fire, remember what my Enemy and the Wife of my
Enemy has said.' And he went away through the Wet Wild Woods waving his
wild tail and walking by his wild lone.

That night when the Man and the Horse and the Dog came home from
hunting, the Woman did not tell them of the bargain that she had made
with the Cat, because she was afraid that they