CHAPTER X
THE PURRERS BESTOW THE FREEDOM OF PURRINGTON
The instant that the last note of this song had died away the Purrers, of all sizes and colours, surrounded the wonder-stricken children. Much as she loved cats, Lois shrank against Rob, frightened by the unbelievable state of things.
A city of cats! Cats singing “Bonnie Dundee,” with real English words!
But as soon as Lois and Rob had had a moment in which to adjust themselves to the queer adventure befalling them, they found that they were beginning to have the best time of all their lives.
Madam Laura came up, saying: “My dears, you don’t know how glad we are—Doctor Traddles, Bidelia, and myself—to see you again.”
It was so funny to hear her speaking to them like a grown-up lady that Rob and Lois barely kept themselves from laughing. Then Lois said: “Why, you are the three cats we missed from our neighbourhood when Ban-Ban and Kiku-san disappeared! Look, Rob! Here is that beautiful tiger-cat—this lady calls him Doctor Traddles—and the little tortoise-shell who used to play so prettily—Bidelia, this lady says she is called. We are glad to see you, too; we were dreadfully worried about you.”
“If you will follow us to the city hall we have arranged to present you with the freedom of the city,” said Tommy Traddles, bowing his thanks for Lois’s anxiety about him.
“I wonder what that means,” Lois whispered.