Whiskers wanted to be petted just then, and as the man did not notice him, he gave the pen a little slap, and it made a funny mark down the page.
"Never mind," said the man, "that will do for the path along which the elephant walked."
The man's pen was a lovely thing to play with, but Whiskers had a nicer plaything himself. He began to go round and round after his own tail. Round and round he went, until he upset the ink. Then he was so scared that he ran and hid.
The man only laughed, and said he would draw funny little figures where the blots of ink were.
He called Whiskers back and went on with his story. He was just wondering how he would draw the seats inside the circus tent, when Whiskers put his paw down on the wet page, and the man said:
"Why, Whiskers, you certainly are an artist."
Then he began to wonder how he could show what a big space the elephant covered when he walked, and just then the cat walked over the paper, to show him!
The man was so pleased then, that he laid down his pen and gave
Whiskers a big hug.
"Pooh!" said Whiskers, "that was nothing. I could write a better story than you can, any day!"
You see, Whiskers was not a polite cat.