which he dropped through her roof, and then went home to bed. Next
day he remembered a friend of his called the Grumpy Giant, who
lived six doors away, that is, about a thousand miles, so he flew
to ask his advice. When the Giant heard his story, he said in the
gruffest voice you ever heard, "Mice is common, try sparrers" (by
which you can see that he was quite an uneducated person), and then
he turned over and went to sleep.

The Dreadful Griffin at once flew away to the Sparrow Preserves,
bought eleven thousand, and then proceeded to let them fly close to
the castle. Still not a cat moved. As the cats' copy-book well
says, "Honour is dearer to cats than mice or birds," and all the
kittens write this in round-hand as soon as they can do lessons at
all, and never forget it.

Well, I really dare not describe the state of mind the Griffin was
in; but he made the air so hot that all the people put on their
thinnest clothes, although it was the middle of winter. He flew
home puffing and snorting, and on the way he passed the house of
the Amiable Answerer. He went in and told his story, and his voice
shook with rage. The Amiable Answerer gave him a penny pink ice to
cool him down, and then said gently:-

"I think, dear Mr Griffin, that green spectacles would meet your
case. Then the cats which are now white would appear to you green
and . . . "

But the Griffin was already half-way to a Watchmaker's where they
sold glasses. He burst into the shop, frightened the watchmaker so
that he fell into the works of the watch he was mending and could