पृष्ठ 45 / 626

But about midnight, when the robbers saw from afar that the

lights were out and that all seemed quiet, they began to think

that they had been in too great a hurry to run away; and one of

them, who was bolder than the rest, went to see what was going

on. Finding everything still, he marched into the kitchen, and

groped about till he found a match in order to light a candle;

and then, espying the glittering fiery eyes of the cat, he

mistook them for live coals, and held the match to them to light

it. But the cat, not understanding this joke, sprang at his face,

and spat, and scratched at him. This frightened him dreadfully,

and away he ran to the back door; but there the dog jumped up and

bit him in the leg; and as he was crossing over the yard the ass

kicked him; and the cock, who had been awakened by the noise,

crowed with all his might.