Why did they think of police and soldiers?
III.
Preparation.
We shall now learn that the robbers came back while the four musicians were asleep in the house, and what happened. Tell where each animal went to sleep. What do you think they did when the robbers came back? Let us see.
Narration.
THE ROBBERS RETURN.
The robbers did not go very far away. They hid in the woods and watched to see what went on in the house. Along about midnight one of the robbers said: “See, the light is out. Perhaps the police have gone away.” “Yes,” said all the other robbers, as they looked, “the light is out.”
The captain of the robbers then sent one of the band to see if all was safe. He stole softly through the woods and crept into the house. When once in he saw something shining in the fireplace. It was the cat’s eyes, but he thought it was two coals of fire. So he took the candle from the table and stooped to light it at the coals. The cat at once sprang at him and scratched his face with her claws. The robber, badly scared, ran out of the house. As he ran, the dog awoke and bit him in the leg. The donkey kicked him, and the cock cried out, “Cock—a—doodle—do.” Still worse frightened, he ran back to where the others were hiding.
“Oh!” he said, “I wouldn’t go back there for the world! There was a terrible old woman sitting by the fireplace. She scratched me with her long finger nails. A man lay behind the door: he cut me in the leg with his long knife. A giant, who was lying in the yard, struck me with his great club. Then some one cried out, ‘Bring a rope and hang the thief.’ So I ran back as fast as I could.”