had killed Mr. Rat without meaning to; but instead of that she said,
looking at his body:

"'What a poor kind of a creature he must be, when he allows himself to
be killed with what was no more than a love pat!'

"And a little mouse, who was sitting in a hole in the wall, having seen
all that happened, squeaked with a nervous snicker:

"'A lion's sport is altogether too strenuous for such as us, and if Mr.
Rat had been wise, he would have kept well outside the cage, fearing
your play even more than your anger.'

[Illustration: "What a poor creature Mr. Rat is to be killed with a love
pat, said Mrs. Lion.]

"'It seems to me he was a wise little mouse,' your Aunt Amy said, and
Mrs. Mouser replied with a sneer:

"He was a good deal like many others I know of, exceeding wise after
they have seen the result of another's folly. But it seems to me that we
are talking altogether too much about mice."




A CAT'S DREAM.


"I have been wanting to repeat to you what I call some very nice poetry,