HEAR and attend and listen; for this befell and behappened andbecame and was, O my Best Beloved, when the Tame animals werewild. The Dog was wild, and the Horse was wild, and the Cow waswild, and the Sheep was wild, and the Pig was wild--as wildas wild could be--and they walked in the Wet Wild Woods bytheir wild lones. But the wildest of all the wild animals wasthe Cat. He walked by himself, and all places were alike to him.Of course the Man was wild too. He was dreadfully wild. He didn'teven begin to be tame till he met the Woman, and she told himthat she did not like living in his wild ways. She picked out anice dry Cave, instead of a heap of wet leaves, to lie down in;and she strewed clean sand on the floor; and she lit a nice fireof wood at the back of the Cave; and she hung a dried wild-horseskin, tail-down, across the opening of the Cave; and she said,'Wipe you feet, dear, when you come in, and now we'll keephouse.'That night, Best Beloved, they ate wild sheep roasted on the hotstones, and flavoured with wild garlic and wild pepper; and wildduck stuffed with wild rice and wild fenugreek and wildcoriander; and marrow-bones of wild oxen; and wild cherries, andwild grenadillas. Then the Man went to sleep in front of the fireever so happy; but the Woman sat up, combing her hair. She tookthe bone of the shoulder of mutton--the big fat blade-bone--andshe looked at the wonderful marks on it, and she threw more woodon the fire, and she made a Magic. She made the First SingingMagic in the world.Out in the Wet Wild Woods all the wild animals gathered togetherwhere they could see the light of the fire a long way off, andthey wondered what it meant.Then Wild Horse stamped with his wild foot and said, 'O myFriends and O my Enemies, why have the Man and the Woman madethat great light in that great Cave, and what harm will it dous?'Wild Dog lifted up his wild nose and smelled the smell of roastmutton, and said, 'I will go up and see and look, and say; for Ithink it is good. Cat, come with me.''Nenni!' said the Cat. 'I am the Cat who walks by himself, andall places are alike to me. I will not come.''Then we can never be friends again,' said Wild Dog, and hetrotted off to the Cave. But when he had gone a little way theCat said to himself, 'All places are alike to me. Why should Inot go too and see and look and come away at my own liking.' Sohe slipped after Wild Dog softly, very softly, and hid himselfwhere he could hear everything.When Wild Dog reached the mouth of the Cave he lifted up thedried horse-skin with his nose and sniffed the beautiful smell ofthe roast mutton, and the Woman, looking at the blade-bone, heardhim, and laughed, and said, 'Here comes the first. Wild Thing outof the Wild Woods, what do you want?'Wild Dog said, 'O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy, what is thisthat smells so good in the Wild Woods?'Then the Woman picked up a roasted mutton-bone and threw it toWild Dog, and said, 'Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods,taste and try.' Wild Dog gnawed the bone, and it was moredelicious than anything he had ever tasted, and he said, 'O myEnemy and Wife of my Enemy, give me another.'The Woman said, 'Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods, help my Man tohunt through the day and guard this Cave at night, and I willgive you as many roast bones as you need.''Ah!' said the Cat, listening. 'This is a very wise Woman, butshe is not so wise as I am.'Wild Dog crawled into the Cave and laid his head on the Woman'slap, and said, 'O my Friend and Wife of my Friend, I will helpYour Man to hunt through the day, and at night I will guard yourCave.''Ah!' said the Cat, listening. 'That is a very foolish Dog.' Andhe went back through the Wet Wild Woods waving his wild tail, andwalking by his wild lone. But he never told anybody.When the Man waked up he said, 'What is Wild Dog doing here?' Andthe Woman said, 'His name is not Wild Dog any more, but the FirstFriend, because he will be our friend for always and always andalways. Take him with you when you go hunting.'Next night the Woman cut great green armfuls of fresh grass fromthe water-meadows, and dried it before the fire, so that it smeltlike new-mown hay, and she sat at the mouth of the Cave andplaited a halter out of horse-hide, and she looked at theshoulder of mutton-bone--at the big broad blade-bone--and shemade a Magic. She made the Second Singing Magic in the world.Out in the Wild Woods all the wild animals wondered what hadhappened to Wild Dog, and at last Wild Horse stamped with hisfoot and said, 'I will go and see and say why Wild Dog has notreturned. Cat, come with me.''Nenni!' said the Cat. 'I am the Cat who walks by himself, andall places are alike to me. I will not come.' But all the same hefollowed Wild Horse softly, very softly, and hid himself where hecould hear everything.When the Woman heard Wild Horse tripping and stumbling on hislong mane, she laughed and said, 'Here comes the second. WildThing out of the Wild Woods what do you want?'Wild Horse said, 'O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy, where is WildDog?'The Woman laughed, and picked up the blade-bone and looked at it,and said, 'Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods, you did not comehere for Wild Dog, but for the sake of this good grass.'And Wild Horse, tripping and stumbling on his long mane, said,'That is true; give it me to eat.'The Woman said, 'Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods, bend your wildhead and wear what I give you, and you shall eat the wonderfulgrass three times a day.''Ah,' said the Cat, listening, 'this is a clever Woman, but sheis not so clever as I am.' Wild Horse bent his wild head, and theWoman slipped the plaited hide halter over it, and Wild Horsebreathed on the Woman's feet and said, 'O my Mistress, and Wifeof my Master, I will be your servant for the sake of thewonderful grass.''Ah,' said the Cat, listening, 'that is a very foolish Horse.'And he went back through the Wet Wild Woods, waving his wild tailand walking by his wild lone. But he never told anybody.When the Man and the Dog came back from hunting, the Man said,'What is Wild Horse doing here?' And the Woman said, 'His name isnot Wild Horse any more, but the FirstServant, because he will carry us from place to place for alwaysand always and always. Ride on his back when you go hunting.Next day, holding her wild head high that her wild horns shouldnot catch in the wild trees, Wild Cow came up to the Cave, andthe Cat followed, and hid himself just the same asbefore; and everything happened just the same as before; and theCat said the same things as before, and when Wild Cow hadpromised to give her milk to the Woman every day in exchange forthe wonderful grass, the Cat went back through the Wet Wild Woods
waving his wild tail and walking by his wild lone, just the sameas before. But he never told anybody. And when the Man and theHorse and the Dog came home from hunting and asked the samequestions same as before, the Woman said, 'Her name is not WildCow any more, but the Giver of Good Food. She will give us thewarm white milk for always and always and always, and I will takecare of her while you and the First Friend and the First Servantgo hunting.Next day the Cat waited to see if any other Wild thing would goup to the Cave, but no one moved in the Wet Wild Woods, so theCat walked there by himself; and he saw the Woman milking theCow, and he saw the light of the fire in the Cave, and he smeltthe smell of the warm white milk.Cat said, 'O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy, where did Wild Cowgo?'The Woman laughed and said, 'Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods, goback to the Woods again, for I have braided up my hair, and Ihave put away the magic blade-bone, and we have no more need ofeither friends or servants in our Cave.Cat said, 'I am not a friend, and I am not a servant. I am theCat who walks by himself, and I wish to come into your cave.'Woman said, 'Then why did you not come with First Friend on thefirst night?'Cat grew very angry and said, 'Has Wild Dog told tales of me?'Then the Woman laughed and said, 'You are the Cat who walks byhimself, and all places are alike to you. Your are neither afriend nor a servant. You have said it yourself. Go away and walkby yourself in all places alike.'Then Cat pretended to be sorry and said, 'Must I never come intothe Cave? Must I never sit by the warm fire? Must I never drinkthe warm white milk? You are very wise and very beautiful. Youshould not be cruel even to a Cat.'Woman said, 'I knew I was wise, but I did not know I wasbeautiful. So I will make a bargain with you. If ever I say oneword in your praise you may come into the Cave.''And if you say two words in my praise?' said the Cat.'I never shall,' said the Woman, 'but if I say two words in yourpraise, you may sit by the fire in the Cave.''And if you say three words?' said the Cat.'I never shall,' said the Woman, 'but if I say three words inyour praise, you may drink the warm white milk three times a dayfor always and always and always.'Then the Cat arched his back and said, 'Now let the Curtain atthe mouth of the Cave, and the Fire at the back of the Cave, andthe Milk-pots that stand beside the Fire, remember what my Enemyand the Wife of my Enemy has said.' And he went away through theWet Wild Woods waving his wild tail and walking by his wild lone.That night when the Man and the Horse and the Dog came home fromhunting, the Woman did not tell them of the bargain that she hadmade with the Cat, because she was afraid that they might notlike it.Cat went far and far away and hid himself in the Wet Wild Woodsby his wild lone for a long time till the Woman forgot all abouthim. Only the Bat--the little upside-downBat--that hung inside the Cave, knew where Cat hid; and everyevening Bat would fly to Cat with news of what was happening.One evening Bat said, 'There is a Baby in the Cave. He is new andpink and fat and small, and the Woman is very fond of him.''Ah,' said the Cat, listening, 'but what is the Baby fond of?''He is fond of things that are soft and tickle,' said the Bat.'He is fond of warm things to hold in his arms when he goes tosleep. He is fond of being played with. He is fond of all thosethings.''Ah,' said the Cat, listening, 'then my time has come.'Next night Cat walked through the Wet Wild Woods and hid verynear the Cave till morning-time, and Man and Dog and Horse wenthunting. The Woman was busy cooking that morning, and the Babycried and interrupted. So she carried him outside the Cave andgave him a handful of pebbles to play with. But still the Babycried.Then the Cat put out his paddy paw and patted the Baby on thecheek, and it cooed; and the Cat rubbed against its fat knees andtickled it under its fat chin with his tail. And the Babylaughed; and the Woman heard him and smiled.Then the Bat--the little upside-down bat--that hung in the mouthof the Cave said, 'O my Hostess and Wife of my Host and Mother ofmy Host's Son, a Wild Thing from the Wild Woods is mostbeautifully playing with your Baby.''A blessing on that Wild Thing whoever he may be,' said theWoman, straightening her back, 'for I was a busy woman thismorning and he has done me a service.'That very minute and second, Best Beloved, the driedhorse-skin Curtain that was stretched tail-down at the mouth ofthe Cave fell down--whoosh!--because it remembered the bargainshe had made with the Cat, and when the Woman went to pick it up--lo and behold!--the Cat was sitting quite comfy inside the Cave.'O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy and Mother of my Enemy,' saidthe Cat, 'it is I: for you have spoken a word in my praise, andnow I can sit within the Cave for always and always and always.But still I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all places arealike to me.'The Woman was very angry, and shut her lips tight and took up herspinning-wheel and began to spin. But the Baby cried because theCat had gone away, and the Woman could not hush it, for itstruggled and kicked and grew black in the face.'O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy and Mother of my Enemy,' saidthe Cat, 'take a strand of the wire that you are spinning and tieit to your spinning-whorl and drag it along the floor, and I willshow you a magic that shall make your Baby laugh as loudly as heis now crying.''I will do so,' said the Woman, 'because I am at my wits' end;but I will not thank you for it.'She tied the thread to the little clay spindle whorl and drew itacross the floor, and the Cat ran after it and patted it with hispaws and rolled head over heels, and tossed it backward over hisshoulder and chased it between his hind-legs and pretended tolose it, and pounced down upon it again, till the Baby laughed asloudly as it had been crying, and scrambled after the Cat andfrolicked all over the Cave till it grew tired and settled downto sleep with the Cat in its arms.'Now,' said the Cat, 'I will sing the Baby a song that shall keephim asleep for an hour. And he began to purr, loud and low, lowand loud, till the Baby fell fast asleep. The Woman smiled as shelooked down upon the two of them and said, 'That was wonderfullydone. No question but you are very clever, O Cat.'That very minute and second, Best Beloved, the smoke of the fireat the back of the Cave came down in clouds from the roof--puff!--because it remembered the bargain she had made with the Cat, andwhen it had cleared away--lo andbehold!--the Cat was sitting quite comfy close to the fire.'O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy and Mother of My Enemy,' saidthe Cat, 'it is I, for you have spoken a second word in mypraise, and now I can sit by the warm fire at the back of theCave for always and always and always. But still I am the Cat whowalks by himself, and all places are alike to me.'Then the Woman was very very angry, and let down her hair and putmore wood on the fire and brought out the broad blade-bone of theshoulder of mutton and began to make a Magic that should preventher from saying a third word in praise of the Cat. It was not aSinging Magic, Best Beloved, it was a Still Magic; and by and bythe Cave grew so still that a little wee-wee mouse crept out of acorner and ran across the floor.'O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy and Mother of my Enemy,' saidthe Cat, 'is that little mouse part of your magic?''Ouh! Chee! No indeed!' said the Woman, and she dropped theblade-bone and jumped upon the footstool in front of the fire andbraided up her hair very quick for fear that the mouse should runup it.'Ah,' said the Cat, watching, 'then the mouse will do me no harmif I eat it?''No,' said the Woman, braiding up her hair, 'eat it quickly and Iwill ever be grateful to you.'Cat made one jump and caught the little mouse, and the Womansaid, 'A hundred thanks. Even the First Friend is not quickenough to catch little mice as you have done. You must be verywise.'That very moment and second, O Best Beloved, the Milk-pot thatstood by the fire cracked in two pieces--ffft--because itremembered the bargain she had made with the Cat, and when theWoman jumped down from the footstool--lo and behold!--the Cat waslapping up the warm white milk that lay in one of the brokenpieces.'O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy and Mother of my Enemy, said theCat, 'it is I; for you have spoken three words in my praise, andnow I can drink the warm white milk three times a day for alwaysand always and always. But still I am the Cat who walks byhimself, and all places are alike to me.'Then the Woman laughed and set the Cat a bowl of the warm whitemilk and said, 'O Cat, you are as clever as a man, but rememberthat your bargain was not made with the Man or the Dog, and I donot know what they will do when they come home.''What is that to me?' said the Cat. 'If I have my place in theCave by the fire and my warm white milk three times a day I donot care what the Man or the Dog can do.'That evening when the Man and the Dog came into the Cave, theWoman told them all the story of the bargain while the Cat sat bythe fire and smiled. Then the Man said, 'Yes, but he has not madea bargain with me or with all proper Men after me.' Then he tookoff his two leather boots and he took up his little stone axe(that makes three) and he fetched a piece of wood and a hatchet(that is five altogether), and he set them out in a row and hesaid, 'Now we will make our bargain. If you do not catch micewhen you are in the Cave for always and always and always, I willthrow these five things at you whenever I see you, and so shallall proper Men do after me.''Ah,' said the Woman, listening, 'this is a very clever Cat, buthe is not so clever as my Man.'The Cat counted the five things (and they looked very knobby) andhe said, 'I will catch mice when I am in the Cave for always andalways and always; but still I am the Cat who walks by himself,and all places are alike to me.' 'Not when I am near,' said the Man. 'If you had not said thatlast I would have put all these things away for always and alwaysand always; but I am now going to throw my two boots and mylittle stone axe (that makes three) at you whenever I meet you.And so shall all proper Men do after me!'Then the Dog said, 'Wait a minute. He has not made a bargain withme or with all proper Dogs after me.' And he showed his teeth andsaid, 'If you are not kind to the Baby while I am in the Cave foralways and always and always, I will hunt you till I catch you,and when I catch you I will bite you. And so shall all properDogs do after me.''Ah,' said the Woman, listening, 'this is a very clever Cat, buthe is not so clever as the Dog.'Cat counted the Dog's teeth (and they looked very pointed) and hesaid, 'I will be kind to the Baby while I am in the Cave, as longas he does not pull my tail too hard, for always and always andalways. But still I am the Cat that walks by himself, and allplaces are alike to me.''Not when I am near,' said the Dog. 'If you had not said thatlast I would have shut my mouth for always and always and always;but now I am going to hunt you up a tree whenever I meet you. Andso shall all proper Dogs do after me.'Then the Man threw his two boots and his little stone axe (thatmakes three) at the Cat, and the Cat ran out of the Cave and theDog chased him up a tree; and from that day to this, BestBeloved, three proper Men out of five will always throw things ata Cat whenever they meet him, and all proper Dogs will chase himup a tree. But the Cat keeps his side of the bargain too. He willkill mice and he will be kind to Babies when he is in the house,just as long as they do not pull his tail too hard. But when hehas done that, and between times, and when the moon gets up andnight comes, he is the Cat that walks by himself, and all placesare alike to him. Then he goes out to the Wet Wild Woods or upthe Wet Wild Trees or on the Wet Wild Roofs, waving his wild tailand walking by his wild lone.
PUSSY can sit by the fire and sing,
Pussy can climb a tree,
Or play with a silly old cork and string
To'muse herself, not me.
But I like Binkie my dog, because
He Lnows how to behave;
So, Binkie's the same as the First Friend was,
And I am the Man in the Cave.
Pussy will play man-Friday till
It's time to wet her paw
And make her walk on the window-sill
(For the footprint Crusoe saw);
Then she fluffles her tail and mews,
And scratches and won't attend.
But Binkie will play whatever I choose,
And he is my true First Friend.
Pussy will rub my knees with her head
Pretending she loves me hard;
But the very minute I go to my bed
Pussy runs out in the yard,
And there she stays till the morning-light;
So I know it is only pretend;
But Binkie, he snores at my feet all night,
And he is my Firstest Friend!
zpostcode
Recruit
weather
mreligion
Yellowpages
sport
constellation
shopping
name
game
directory
literature
Word
tour
furnish
Lottery
tftnews
lyrics
News
digital
car
dir
Edu
Finance
