Thus, one day he saw a yellow-hammer settle in a tuft of withered grass; he hurried to the spot—and gulped down a most delicious omelet!
Another day he met a bunting fighting with a lark. By tacit understanding the hedge belonged to the bunting just as the field belonged to the lark, and neither permitted the other to trespass in his sphere of action—so they fought, and whirled round and round, until they both lay dead-beat in the grass.
Such a battle Tiny was a master-hand at turning to his own advantage.
He began to consider it worth while to slip out and look round. There was always something or other to be caught!
RED-KITTEN
Whatever doubt there may have been as to Tiny’s being a sly puss, it was quite certain that Red-kitten was a deceitful hussy!
Her coat alone stamped her as a mountebank, being fox-red in colour, with bright yellow stripes which turned to rings round her legs and tail.
Her body also was unique, being long, thin, and supple, and gave as she walked, like a freshly stuffed sofa.
She had a mania for stretching herself, as if she could not get her body slim and supple enough. None could compare with her in activity; she was incessantly playing tricks on the others—and when they attacked her she could easily wriggle out of their clutches, even Black and Big being unable to hold her.
A gymnast, a juggler, was Red!