Yes! he was willing enough to do that. So when the king came up, he said to the lad who watched the sheep,
“Well, I never saw so large and fine a flock of sheep in my life! Whose is it? my little lad.”
“Why”, said the lad, “whose should it be but Lord Peter’s.”
A little while after they came to a great, great herd of fine brindled kine, who were all so sleek the sun shone from them.
“If you’ll only say”, said the Cat to the neat-herd, “this herd is Lord Peter’s, when the King asks you, I’ll give you this silver ladle”; and the ladle too she had taken from the King’s palace.
“Yes! with all my heart”, said the neat-herd.
So when the King came up, he was quite amazed at the fine fat herd, for such a herd he had never seen before, and so he asked the neat-herd who owned those brindled kine.
“Why! who should own them but Lord Peter”, said the neat-herd.
So they went on a little further, and came to a great, great drove of horses, the finest you ever saw, six of each colour, bay, and black, and brown, and chesnut.
“If you’ll only say this drove of horses is Lord Peter’s when the King asks you”, said the Cat, “I’ll give you this silver stoop”; and the stoop too she had taken from the palace.