The Phoenix and the Carpet

The cats were mewing and the musk-rats were squeaking so that you could hardly hear yourself speak.

ch child in turn, 'what's the meaning of this here yelling and caterwauling. I tell you

of unusually fine size, and the five, including the Phoenix, were small. The

e. But we've not hurt them. It's qui

ike it,' said the

cats,' said Jane madly, perh

y lady,' was the brief

all about it,' said Robert; 'but I'm certain you don't. You're not meant to shove your oar into people's private c

n making itself small on the pot-shelf under the dresser, among the saucepan lids and the fish-kettl

and earnestly. 'We LOVE cats-dear pussy-soft things.

ey wouldn't. And still the policema

I'm a-going to see what's in

at once; and though the squeaking and mewing were not at their very loudest, yet there was quite enough of both to make it v

in the execution of my duty. I'm a-goin' to use my eyes-my e

rt aside, and stro

idn't warn you

Jane. 'Father said so. I wo

like this, I believe. He strode down the passage, and in another moment he would have been in the room with all

urder! St

ith one regulation boot

' he

ed shrilly and piercingly f

body's being killed outside.' For Robert had an inside feeli

he policeman, 'I'll set

vement, and the screams also going along, rather ahead of the policeman; and bot

knickerbocker loudly w

should know its gol

t had said about the real work of a policeman being to look after murderers and

soon as it finds the murderer is only a bright vis

much to a fellow mercenary. Oh! what a night we are having! Lock the door, and let us rid ourselves of this intolerable smell of th

y the rats and bring milk, because there seemed to be no doubt in

e such a thing as a musk-cow?' she added anxiously, as the carpet shrivelled and vanished. 'I do hope not. Perhaps really

ad been fastening the side door. 'You might have consulte

what

h, get down, you furry beasts!-because we've had three wishes out

ews alone prevented the occ

spoke

really do think they're quieting down

h,' said Jane. 'You forget th

milk. Lots of English words are just the same in French-at least I know "miaw" is, and "croquet", and "fianc

the strokers. And the noise was really more than half purr when the carpet suddenly appeared in its proper place, and on it, instead of rows of milk-cans, or even of milk-jugs, there was a COW. Not a Persian cow

afraid of cows; but now

she said to herself 'There isn't

ry condition. Robert and Cyril held the cow by the horns; and Jane, when she was quite sure that their end of the cow was quite secure, consented to stand by, ready to hold the cow by the tail should occasion arise. Anthea, holding the saucer, now advanced towards the cow. She remembered to have heard that cows, when milked by strangers, are susce

od dog, lie down!' was all that she c

beating heart, tried to milk the cow. Next moment the cow had knocked the saucer out of her hand and trampl

ed. 'Come away. Let's go to bed and leave the horrid cats with the hate

room since mother went away, and all the chairs and tables were in the wrong places, and the chrysanthemums were dead, and the water in the pot nearly dried up. Anthea wrapp

id Anthea, 'and I am so tire

e gate and mew-I mean moo-to come in. And so would the cats. No; I see quite well what we've got

counting mother's work o

ave to be a different-sized basket for her; and then I don't know how you'd carry it,

ril, 'if you simply

is a remunerating creature, and that means it will sit still and think for hours. The carpet can take it away in the morning. And as f

en being 'out of it', which at other times they could not have borne, now seemed quite a co

-to keep safe and warm, while the men do th

a, 'you know I'm not.

Robert opened the door of the nursery. They heard the booted search for baskets in the back kitchen. They heard the side door open and close, and they knew that each brother had gone out with at leas

'I don't seem to care for cats just now, but I daresay I shall

t of awakening, she kicked her sister, she wondered idly why they should have

and followed the footsteps. They went down into the basement; the cats, who seemed to have fallen into the sleep of exhaustion, awoke at the sound of the approaching footsteps and mewed piteously. Jane was at the foot of the stairs be

meets her when burgling. Indeed, in all the cases Jane had read of, his burglarishness was almost at once forgotten in the interest he felt in the little girl's artless prattle. So if Jane hesitated for a moment before addressing the burglar, it was only because she could not at once think of any remark sufficiently pratt

down flat on the floor, scattering cats as

hether she COULD bring herself to say, 'What's 'oo doing here

urglar draw a long b

to you, don't it neither? Cats an' cats an' cats. There couldn't be all them cats. Let alone the cow. If she ain't

ned and loo

e knows how she got into this downstairs parlour. But them cats-oh, ta

ed convulsively, and turned on her a blank face, who

ain't another on 'em. Are you real, miss,

hat a lisp was not needed to make the burglar un

ealler than them cats, I'm done, spunchuck-out of time. Send for the police. I'll go

which was short, and his eyes wande

d softly, 'if you didn't like c

tunate criminal's only reply. 'I'd r

s, I've no one to send. I hate the

aid the burglar; 'but them cats

older than the kind you've met before when you've been doing your burglings. And they are real cats

ain't the very spit o

l of joyful pride ran through her-'

was the burglar's

l ONLY milk ours-you don't kno

ied that loving

ion, 'they'd lie down and go to sleep as likely as not, and then the police won't come back. But

ash-bowl from the sink, and he spat on his hands and prepared t

his 'ere's a plant. 'ERE'S the police.' He m

riend of mine, or the good clergyman called in, or my uncle, or ANYTHING-only

with her brothers, now crowded through the doorway. T

s just called in, and he's going to milk th

d though they did not unders

glad to meet you. Don't le

rning, and no bloomin' error,' remarked t

get things to put the milk in; for it was now spurting and foaming in the wash-bowl, and the cats had ceased f

he same one-a much stronger sort. He thought it really was a foundling orphan we'd got. If it hadn't been for me throwing the two bags of cat slap in his eye and hauling Robert over a raili

went on milking in a sort of happy dream, while the children got a cap and ladled the warm milk out into the

cross his eyes-'about the apples in the orchard at home, and the rats at threshing

this softened m

ht. I am awfully glad you did. You have been so kind. I don't know what we should

fectionate entreaties, an

ents and ladies. And I don't know but what it won't be my last. For this 'ere cow, she reminds me

ne agreed kindly; 'but

n's getting fullish.) I was a-selling oranges off of my barrow-for I ain't a burglar by trade, though you 'ave used the name so free-an' there was a lady bought three 'a'porth off me. An' while she was a-pi

o pop the letter in the post." And then the lady what had chosen the three ha'porth so careful, she said: "Lor, Mrs Wigson, I wonder at you, and your hands all over suds. This good gentleman'll slip it into the post for yer, I'll be bound, seeing I'm a customer of his." So they give me the letter, and of course I read the direction what was written on it afo

id Anthea, with

ither. And I'd 'ad all my oranges off of 'em. So it came back to me what was wrote on the ongverlope, and I says to myself, "Why not, seein' as I've been done mys

valuable-very indeed. And we will give them

lar. 'But I don't want no bother with the copp

,' said Anthea, 'we wanted

ther. If you got your barrow, and some sacks or baskets, your brother's missus woul

d lending a helping 'and. I don't ask 'ow you come by them. But I've got a pal-'e's a mark on cats. I'll f

me back,' said Jane, 'because I

emotion, swore sentimentally that,

is stealthy tap on the window awoke them readily enough. For he did return, with the pal and the barrow and the sacks. The pal approved of the cats, now dorman

glar gloomily. 'I never thought I'd come dow

a receiver of stolen good

e cats aren't stolen. Wh

just about chucking-out time as I come by the "Bull and

and the burglar had parted with warm expressi

said Robert. 'Cook'll hav

it's tomorrow morning if it's

on the nursery floor. But the cow could not be got to move on to the carpet. So Robert got the clothes line out of the back kitc

d the boys went to bed, tired out and only t

ce, but one corner was very badly torn. It wa