Presently Mrs. Gamp came home. And the first thing she heard was a strange noise in the kitchen. First a miaou. Then a sob. Then more miaous. Then—sob, sob, sob! She opened the door, and there, perched upon a stool in front of the dresser sat Mrs. Puss-Cat.
Her head was swollen very, very big. Round her neck was tied some of the ribbon off Mrs. Gamp's best bonnet, and another piece was twisted round one fat paw. And from her big round eyes great tear-drops were falling—splash, splash upon the floor.
Mrs. Gamp threw up her arms. “Oh! dearie me!” she cried. “What ever is the matter? Oh! dearie, dearie me!”
“Miaou, miaou!” sobbed Mrs. Puss-Cat. “Oh! my poor paw! My poor, poor paw!”
Mrs. Gamp's tender heart was touched. She rushed upstairs to fetch some ointment. But when she opened her bedroom door—well! you know what she saw!
Her tender heart grew cold as stone, and oh! she was so angry! She raced downstairs, and gave Mrs. Puss-Cat the biggest whipping she had ever given her before.
Then she took off her best ribbon, and opened the front door wide.
And Mrs. Puss-Cat went slinking out with her tail between her legs, and a terribly vicious look in her big round eyes.
