“‘I have had a Great Idea.’”
“Human beings,” Ban-Ban continued, trying to keep back the little puffing spits which he often gave when he was stirred, “Human beings build towns and live in them. They never ask our help; they feel that they own the towns. Very likely they do; but as their cats always own the human beings, it doesn’t matter. What I have to suggest is that there is no reason why cats should not build and own a city just as the human beings do. I think that we should be the ones to do this. Let us, all of us here, go away to some lovely spot and build a city. Let us ask all the poor, homeless cats, who don’t own any human beings, and so have very little food and no warm places to live, to join us. Let us have a city of cats, and let us hand our names down in all future categories and catalogues and histories as the Fathers—and Mothers”—he added, bowing to Madam Laura and Bidelia—“of Our Country, Glory of Our Race.”
“Hear, hear!” cried Wutz-Butz. He pronounced it: “He-ar, He-ar!” It sounded like a mew.
“Bandersnatch-Bandarlog, you are indeed A Great Mind,” said Tommy Traddles, gravely.
“It will be lovely!” cried Bidelia, joyously. “I want a more extended field.”
“And more field-mice,” added Laura, who was not clever, only good, which is better than mere cleverness, as all properly taught cats know.
“Then you agree?” asked Ban-Ban, not able, this time, to keep from ending in a “P-pst!” of pure excitement.
“Yes, yes,” cried all the cats together.
“Yes,” added Kiku-san alone, “but I am afraid that Lois will need me.”
“Our human beings will soon get other cats,” said Ban-Ban, wisely. “I have always noticed they soon get another cat to wait upon, when they lose the one they have had. Not that I shall leave Rob long without me,” he added. “Rob and I are friends. But the founding of this city is a duty; it will be a haven for oppressed cats. When shall we go?”