When she had gone a little farther she met Long Ears, the hare.
“Good day, Mr. Hopper the hare,” said the Cat.
“Good day, Mrs. Pussy; have you had anything to eat to-day?”
“Oh, I’ve had a little, but I’m ’most fasting,” said the Cat; “it was only a bowl of porridge, and a trough of fat, and the goodman, and the goody, and the cow, and the leaf-picker, and the stoat, and the squirrel, and the fox—and, now I think of it, I’ll take you, too.” So she took the hare and gobbled him up.
When she had gone a bit farther she met a wolf.
“Good day, you Greedy Graylegs,” said the Cat.
“Good day, Mrs. Pussy; have you had anything to eat to-day?”
“Oh, I’ve had a little, but I’m ’most fasting,” said the Cat; “it was only a bowl of porridge, and a trough of fat, and the goodman, and the goody, and the cow, and the leaf-picker, and the stoat, and the squirrel, and the fox, and the hare—and now I think of it, I may as well take you, too.” So she took and gobbled up Graylegs, too.
So she went on into the wood, and when she had gone far and farther than far, o’er hill and dale, she met a bear-cub.
“Good day, you bare-breeched bear,” said the Cat.