Ban-Ban and Kiku-san lived with Bidelia and the children; Thomas Traddles and his new friend ’Clipsy had another house to themselves; and there was a fourth house put up for a widow lady who came with her son to Purrington from the human city. She was a white and yellow lady named Alloy, because she was not all gold, and her son, who was about a month older than Bidelia’s children, was named Scamp, and if ever a name just suited its bearer it was this kitten’s, for he was such a scamp that all the cats were worried for fear his example would lead Nugget into bad ways.
So they built a schoolhouse at once, and opened a school for the children, with Doctor Traddles for teacher, and some others to come in during the week to teach extra branches. Madam Laura, for instance, taught Fishing and Deportment; Bidelia taught Dancing; Kiku-san taught French, which he had learned from Lois’s French nurse; Wutz-Butz taught Boxing; and ’Clipsy was to give a course in Business Methods, which he had learned during his life in the streets.
S. KATZ
FRESH
MICE
DAILY.
Then there were the shops. One where you could buy ribbons, collars, bells, catnip, balls, cushions, and all such elegant trifles; and another which was the market. Here you could buy asparagus tips, string beans, peas, fish, and meat. This was kept by a gentleman named Schwartz Katz, one of the stranger cats who had joined the party. He was very round and stout, and was of German descent, having been born in a delicatessen shop in the human city. He had the nicest, cleanest market you ever saw, and over his door was his tempting sign: “S. Katz, Butcher. Fresh Mice Daily.” He had many customers among the citizens of Purrington who were too busy or too lazy to hunt their own game. He was a black cat, as his name showed, but he wore a white front and had white forelegs, so that he looked precisely like a human market-man—at least in his clothes—who had put on a white apron and drawn white linen sleeves over his coat sleeves. He often sat in his doorway, watching for customers, looking big and fat and prosperous, just like a nice German butcher.
Dr. Thomas Traddles had said that all the citizens of Purrington should be spoken of as Purrers, both because they were so very happy in their beautiful new city, and because it was the best way he knew of shortening the word Purrington. So Purrers they were called, and they lived up to it beautifully.
One day a most wonderful thing happened, and one that made the cats of Purrington even more Purrers than they were before. Everything had been made comfortable, and there was no lack of anything a cat could want in Purrington, save one thing, but that was a sad lack. This was milk. There was no milk to be had in Purrington, and no prospect of a way to get any. The Purrers were feeling very grave about it when, one day, a cow came walking along the grass-grown road that led through the woods beside the city, and stopped to look at the houses, as well she might, for there was not one higher than three feet, and even the apartment-house was not more than ten feet square.
Ban-Ban saw the cow considering, and he guessed in a moment that she must be the cow of whom he had heard Rob read in Mother Goose, who belonged to a piper who bade the cow consider. He knew this, because that was the only cow of whom he had ever heard who considered. So he ran straightway out to the edge of the woods to speak to her.
“Dear Madam,” Ban-Ban began most politely, for he had always moved in the best society and had heard no end of books read aloud, “you can’t imagine how glad I am to meet you. Did you like ‘Corn Rigs Are Bonny’ better than the first tune after you had bade the piper play it to you?”
The cow stared. “Yes, I always liked that tune best of all,” she said. “But how did you know?”