Now a cat’s-cradle is not what most of us understand it to be. The real cat’s-cradle, from which the one we make with strings got its name, is made in this manner: an equal number of cats form themselves into two lines, walking abreast, one line behind the other. The rear line gently takes into its mouths the tips of the tails in the front line, which thus form, as one can easily see, a sort of hammock upon which a kitten, or any not too great weight, may be carried.
In this case ten cats made a line abreast, and ten more, in another line abreast, took the tips of the ten preceding tails into their mouths, and Nugget was laid on the cradle thus made, whereon he swung as easily as a Baltimore oriole in its nest, and slept peacefully while his kind protectors bore him home.
Madam Laura, with Dolly Varden and Puttel, were at the door of the apartment-house, eagerly watching for the return of the search-party. It was the shriek of glad mews which they raised that woke Nugget from his sleep of exhaustion, and told him that he was once more with his sisters, whose qualities as “mere girl kittens” he no longer despised, since they had been good, while he had been both foolish and naughty.
Bidelia, Laura, Ban-Ban, and Wutz-Butz took Nugget at once to Mrs. Brindle’s house to get her to give the poor kitten some warm milk.
As soon as she saw them the cow uttered a long moo of welcome. “I thought you would never get here to-night,” she said when they were within hearing. “I have news for you that I could hardly wait to tell you.”
“Nugget has been lost and nearly drowned,” said Ban-Ban. “We were out hunting for him. Will you please let down some milk for him while you are telling us your news?”
“I was out walking to-day over at the other side of the woods,” Brindle began at once, as she obligingly let down her foaming milk into the pan Ban-Ban offered her. Cows never waste time beating around the bush when they have anything to say. “I came upon something there that shocked me. Purrington is in danger.”
“In danger from what?” demanded Ban-Ban, who was always the one with whom Brindle preferred to talk, as he was her first friend among the Purrers.
“There is a settlement of dogs over there,” said Brindle, gravely. “The place is called Dog Corners. I heard the dogs talking. They were saying that they had just learned of the existence of Purrington, and that they meant to attack the city, destroy it, and capture or kill all the cats in it.
“They never dreamed that I, a cow, was one of the people of Purrington,” she added, nodding her head up and down as a low growl of indignant horror arose from her hearers; even Nugget stopped drinking to join in it. “The dogs talked freely, although they saw me standing there. I half-shut my eyes, and pretended to be interested in nothing but my cud. But you may be sure I listened to every word, and I have been nervous ever since because no one came near me to be warned of the danger.”