across the room something sprang out from behind the stove and started
after him.

Frisky Squirrel saw that some animal had leaped at him. He didn't stop
to take a good look; but he supposed that it was a small dog that had
been drying himself by the fire. Frisky knew that dogs couldn't climb
trees. So he sprang through the door, never touching the big stone
doorstep at all, and hurried toward a tree in Farmer Green's yard. He
laughed as he scurried up the tree-trunk. And then he looked down at
his enemy.

Then Frisky Squirrel's heart almost stood still. That small animal was
coming right up the tree after him! Of course, it wasn't a dog at all.
It was Farmer Green's cat. Frisky had never seen a cat before and he
began to wonder whether the small creature could fly, as well as climb
trees. He scampered to the top of the tree; and then he leaped upon a
branch of another tree close by.

No! The small animal could not fly. She climbed as high as she dared.
And then she stopped. Her eyes glared fiercely; and her tail grew as
big as Frisky's own. But that didn't help her at all. She could only
sit there and watch Frisky Squirrel as he dropped from branch to
branch, until she lost sight of him among the leaves.




XVIII

The Threshing-machine