"No, indeed," replied Snowball; "only those who are old enough and strong enough to jump to the roofs are considered worthy to take part in the concerts. But the little ones have the pleasure of lying inside before the fire and listening to us."
"Do you have fires?" enquired the child.
"Yes; we consider nothing more cozy and comfortable than lying before a glowing grate fire. When the evenings are chilly there is a fire in every house, and we pussys lie before it upon our cushions and enjoy its warmth. Usually we sleep all day long, and most of the night, except during the concert, which lasts from midnight until dawn."
"You must enjoy yourselves very much," said Dot, earnestly.
"Oh, we do, indeed!" replied the white pussycat; "but I see that dinner is now ready, so please come to the table."
The girl walked toward the low table with some curiosity to know how these pussys ate, and what they had for food. She found a row of white bowls sitting upon a white cloth, and each bowl was filled with fresh milk. At the ends of the table were plates of light bread with deep brown crusts.
The kittens all brought cushions to the sides of the table and sat upon them, their heads being then just high enough to reach the bowls. Dot was placed at one end of the table, with Snowball at her right hand, and Uncle Palladius sat at the other end.
"Where do you get such nice milk?" asked the girl.
"We have several springs in the Valley," answered Snowball, "where it bubbles up constantly."
"And where do you get the bread?" Dot next enquired.