hed at the troubles of the Underdog, because the
poor beast, despite his canine instinct, could not tell one cat from the
other two, and could not catch any of them because they were always
crossing each other's paths, so that the Underdog would chase the others
and give the one a chance to rest.

But being cats, they were not friendly, even though they were copycats;
and finally they ran into each other and began to fight among themselves
and to chase each other around in a circle.

Now the Underdog was wise, and he stopped running and sat down on the
edge of the circle and got the one and then the other, which left only
the third. Then Gud called off his dog, and also called up the last
copycat for a bowl of cream; and the Underdog and the copycat drank
cream together out of the same bowl. Which proves, dear children, the
importance of a good example and demonstrates the power of kindness.

So Gud, and the Underdog, and the copycat all started walking along the
Impossible Curve, all of them wondering what the next adventure would
be. But I think we had better go to bed, for too much of this kind of
stuff is likely to make us talk indiscreetly in our sleep.

Chapter XV

A great storm of the far-flung astronomical elements arose without
cause. The like of it had never been before nor since and it disobeyed
all laws, both known and unknown, natural and unnatural. Gud was sore
puzzled because the storm was without cause but not without effect. He
ran hither and here and darted thither and yon, and in the turmoil he
was separated from Fidu, his faithful Underdog.

The impalpable ether that fills all space became palpable and vibrated
and palpated with incommensurate waves; and the non-popitent nether
which is beyond all space became popitent and gyrated and popitated with
calculatious ostenulations.

Throughout the abysmal reaches of indefinite dimension the far-flung,
flaming suns were exploding with blinding flashes and deafening roars,
and their molten fragments were spewing and spilling this way and that,
knocking constellations asunder and painting cold, dead worlds with
liquid fire and blazing splendor.

Comets fell, dragging their tails behind them, twisting and writhing as
if in pain. And the stars were falling, too. Meteors pattered as rain
upon the roof of heaven. Broken nebulae whipped along as snow-flakes
driven of the northwest wind. Pleiades smashed like hail through the
windows of space. Vil