"They will need a bit of yellow, also," remarked the Yellow Ryl; "I
must fetch some of the yellow that I use to color my buttercups and
goldenrods with."

"The real cat is black," said the Black Ryl; "I will bring some of the
black that I use to color the eyes of my pansies with, and then you
can paint your wooden cat black."

"I see you have a blue ribbon around Blinkie's neck," added the Blue
Ryl. "I will get some of the color that I use to paint the bluebells
and forget-me-nots with, and then you can carve a wooden ribbon on the
toy cat's neck and paint it blue."

So the Ryls disappeared, and by the time Claus had finished carving
out the form of the cat they were all back with the paints and brushes.

They made Blinkie sit upon the table, that Claus might paint the toy
cat just the right color, and when the work was done the Ryls declared
it was exactly as good as a live cat.

"That is, to all appearances," added the Red Ryl.

Blinkie seemed a little offended by the attention bestowed upon the
toy, and that she might not seem to approve the imitation cat she
walked to the corner of the hearth and sat down with a dignified air.

But Claus was delighted, and as soon as morning came he started out
and tramped through the snow, across the Valley and the plain, until
he came to a village. There, in a poor hut near the walls of the
beautiful palace of the Lord of Lerd, a little girl lay upon a