Except a spider, which came out of a crack in the ceiling and examined
the knots critically, from a safe distance.

It was a judge of knots because it had a habit of tying up unfortunate
blue-bottles. It did not offer to assist him.

Tom Kitten wriggled and squirmed until he was quite exhausted.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

Presently the rats came back and set to work to make him into a
dumpling. First they smeared him with butter, and then they rolled him
in the dough.

"Will not the string be very indigestible, Anna Maria?" inquired Samuel
Whiskers.

[Illustration]

Anna Maria said she thought that it was of no consequence; but she
wished that Tom Kitten would hold his head still, as it disarranged the
pastry. She laid hold of his ears.

[Illustration]

Tom Kitten bit and spat, and mewed and wriggled; and the rolling-pin
went roly-poly, roly; roly, poly, roly. The rats each held an end.