‘You fools!’ he cried. ‘What do you shriek for? If you are cold, come and warm yourselves by the fire.’
As he spoke, two big black cats bounded up and sat down, one on each side of him, and stared at him with wild, fiery eyes.
After a time, when they had warmed themselves, they said: ‘Comrade, shall we have a game of cards?’
‘Why not?’ he answered; ‘but show me your paws first.’
Then they stretched out their claws.
‘Why,’ he said, ‘what long nails you’ve got. Wait a bit; I must cut them for you.’
He seized them by the scruff of their necks, lifted them on to the cooper’s bench, and screwed their paws firmly to it.
Crowds of black cats and dogs swarmed out of every corner.