THE
WHITE
CAT

evil was intended. Accordingly, guided by the
mysterious hands, he went to a door of coral, that
opened of its own accord, and gave admittance
into an apartment lined with mother-of-pearl, out
of which opened a number of other rooms, spark-
ling with numerous candles, and full of the most
beautiful pictures and precious objects that
charmed the Prince’s eyes and bewildered his
mind. ,<At last, weary of gazing at so many
wondrous objects, he cast himself down in an easy
chair he saw drawn up near a bright wood fire;
and at once the delicate hands began to remove
his wet, muddy garments, and other hands pro-
duced fresh ones made of the richest stuffs, em-
broidered with gold and picked out with jewels.
He could not fail to admire everything he saw, and
the graceful manner in which the hands attended
on him.

When he was quite ready, and looked fresh and
radiant in the costly suit he had assumed, the
hands conducted him to a splendid room, on the
walls of which in tapestry was shown the story of
Puss in Boots. The table was spread for supper,
and two golden plates were laid opposite each
other, with golden forks and spoons. The side-
board was magnificently furnished with gold and
silver salvers, ewers, and much beautiful glass.
The Prince stood hesitating, not knowing whether
to sit down at table or not, when suddenly there
entered a dozen cats carrying lutes, who took up
their places at one end of the room, and struck
the strings of their instruments, and mewed out
the most astounding cat-song imaginable to the
accompaniment of their lutes. The Prince was
obliged to stop his ears at the catérwauling, but
he laughed so heartily that he could not keep
them closed.

‘What odd thing will happen next>?’ said he to
himself; and at the same moment, the door at the

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