of a large house, where a fat,
white Puss, evidently the servant of some rich family, was nursing a
darling little Kitten that was mewing with delight at the scene below.

[Illustration: WANDERING MINSTRELS.]

The servant had thrown down a few coppers in reply to the Bear's demand
for money, when the ill-tempered brute, not satisfied with the donation,
swore in so terrible a way, that the frightened nurse let go her hold of
the Kitten, which fell direct from her paws.

I rushed forward to save it, upsetting as I went the unfortunate little
Pup, who was at that moment presenting the hat for my contribution, and
was just in time to seize it by the tail before it reached the pavement.
At the same instant the door burst open, a troop of servants rushed out,
headed by a Cat, superbly dressed. The band of musicians disappeared,
as if by magic, the great Bear being the first to take to flight; the
new-comers surrounded me, and I had the satisfaction of putting the
Kitten, unharmed, into its mother's paws. A tender scene then ensued;
and as ingratitude was not among this Lady Puss's failings, I was begged
to enter, nay, was almost carried into the house, to receive the
repeated thanks of the noble family.

THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE.

Senor Don Tomas Ricardo, the husband of the Lady Puss whose Kitten
I had been the means of saving, was one of the richest, and perhaps
the noblest, Cats of all our tribe, residing in Norsarque.

He was very indignant when he heard from his Lady how nearly the darling
of his family had been killed through the rudeness of a Bear, and he
curled his whiskers and waved his tail in the excess of his anger.
He did more than this; he went out among his friends, and, calling
together a meeting of Cats, who were very numerous in the city, he made,
as I heard, a speech which produced an immense effect upon them.

He commenced by saying that the Cat tribe was known (among themselves)
to be the most ancient, the most noble, the most virtuous, the most
courageous, and the most clever of all the animals who lived upon the
face of the earth. (This was received with loud mews of satisfaction;
and one enthusiastic Tom called out, "Cats for ever!") He then began to
compare our race with other beasts generally, and, saying a good deal in
favour of the Dogs, for a reason which will presently appear, yet still
placing Cats in the first rank of created things, he went on to speak of
Bears. Encouraged by the gr