Well, it was the cat’s turn first. The cat went to market and bought nothing but a pennyworth of rice. The parrot could make no dinner on this meager fare. And what is more, the cat was so ill-mannered that he actually made the parrot cook the food himself. Of course the parrot was too well-bred to complain.
Next day came the parrot’s turn. He went to market and bought a leg of meat and a whole fish, head and tail and all, and about thirty pounds of flour, and a tub of butter, and great bunches of luscious grapes. And before his guest came he cooked the food. He made heaps and heaps of brown, crisp spice cakes, thick with currants, oh, enough to fill a washerwoman’s basket.
Well, the cat came, and the parrot set the whole meal before him, keeping only two cakes for himself. The cat ate the meat till he licked the plate, and he picked the fish till the bones were clean, and he sucked the grapes till the skins were dry, and then he began on the cakes; and he ate the whole basketful. Then he looked up at the parrot and said, “Have you any more?”
“Take my two cakes,” said the parrot. And the cat took them. Then he looked up at the parrot and said, “Have you any more?”
This was too much for the parrot. Bristling his feathers, he said sharply, “There’s nothing left but me.” And the cat looked him over, licked his chops, and—gullup, gulloo—down went the parrot, bones, beak, and feathers.
Now an old woman had seen it all, and she was so shocked she picked up a stone, and cried, “You unnatural cat, how could you eat your friend the parrot? Scat! away with you, before I hit you with this stone.”
“Old woman,” said the cat, “I’ve eaten a basketful of cakes, I’ve eaten my friend the parrot, and shall I blush to eat an old hag like you? No, surely not.” And—gullup, gulloo—down went the old woman with the stone in her hand.
Then the cat walked along the road till he met a man beating a donkey to make him go. “Cat,” cried the man, “get out of the way, or my donkey may kick you.”
“Man,” said the cat, “I’ve eaten a basketful of cakes, I’ve eaten my friend the parrot, I’ve eaten an old woman, and shall I blush to eat a miserable donkey driver? No, surely not.” And—gullup, gulloo—down went the man and his donkey.