designed for perfect happiness. Such enjoyment was never intended
for our lot; it is the portion only of beings whose capacities are
far superior to ours. We ought then to have been contented; and
had we been so, we should have been as happy as our state of life
would have admitted of.' 'What you say is certainly very true,'
replied Longtail, 'and I sincerely wish that we had thought of
these things before. But what must we now do? we said we would
return to the barn in case of difficulties, but that is now
impossible, as, if we attempt to retreat, the cat that drove us in
here, will certainly destroy us; and yet in proceeding, what
difficulties must we encounter, what dangers may we not run! Oh!
my beloved Nimble,' continued he, 'what a life of hazard is ours!
to what innumerable accidents are we hourly exposed! and how is
every meal that we eat at the risk of our very existence!'

'It undoubtedly is,' replied I; 'but with all its troubles we
still are very desirous of preserving it: let us not then, my
brother, indulge our hearts with murmuring and finding fault with
that life, which, notwithstanding all its evils, we value so
highly. Rather let us endeavour to learn experience, and, by
conducting ourselves better, escape many of those troubles which
we now suffer.' So saving, I advised him to follow me: 'for,'
added I, 'it is impossible for us to exist in the spot in which we
are at present; we must therefore strive to work our way into some
other house or apartment, where we can at least find some food.'
To this Longtail agreed; the rest of the night, and all the next
day, we spent in nibbling and finding our way into a closet in the
house, which richly repaid us for all our toil, as it contained
sugar-plums, rice, millet, various kinds of sweetmeats, and what
we liked better than all the rest, a paper of nice macaroons. On