THE CAT THAT DIED OF GRIEF. 51

down the cat always lay at her feet. From no other hands
than those of her mistress would she take food, nor would
she allow any one else to fondle her.

The lady kept a number of tame birds; but the cat,

 

 

 

 

 

 

though she would willingly have caught and eaten strange
birds, never hurt one of them.

At last the lady fell ill, and nothing could induce the
eat to leave her chamber. On her death, the attendants had
to carry away the poor animal by force. The next morning,

however, she was found in the room of death, creeping