"I mean as you are a Was--can't you help me?" "I can lend you my invisible cloak," said the old woman, going to a closet and taking nothing out of it. "Here it is," handing Billy nothing at all very carefully. "But where is it?" asked Billy. "I just gave it to you." "I don't see it." "Of course not--it's invisible." "Then if I put it on will it make me invisible?" "Certainly not--it's the cloak that's invisible." "Have you anything else?" asked Billy. "Yes, I have the wishing bottle." "Shall I be able to see that?" "Oh! yes--here it is." "Why that's hair dye, it says on the label." "Sh-h--don't speak so loud--that's all it is, but you see it turns the hair so black that it almost makes it invisible. It's the best I can do for you. But don't tell anyone--it would ruin my reputation as a cuperess." "A cuperess?" asked Billy. "Yes, I cast charms." "What kind?" "All kinds but watch charms." "I thought that was a sorceress." "I used to be, but it's rude to drink poison out of a saucer now, and so I am a cuperess." "Thank you very much for the wishing bottle," said Billy. "I don't know that I shall need it, but I'll take it anyway." "Bad luck to you," called the old woman. "By the way where are you going now?" "To Bogie Man's House," answered Billy. "What have I done--what have I done--I'll have to stop him--if I only hadn't been a Was I might have guessed this was the boy," said the old woman, wringing her hands. But Billy didn't hear this; he was busy examining the left hind foot of a rabbit displayed in a shop window. "My cats," cried she, "I'll send them after him," and opening an inner door she called: "Stingaree, Stangaree, Whollop and Whim, Mizzle and Muzzle, Luckety, Limb, Niddle and Noddle And Puzzlecat too, Roly and Poly, I need all of you." As each name was called, out ran a great black hump-backed cat-o'-nine-tails, and by the time she was done the thirteen of them were standing in front of her, their 117 tails swishing back and forth with a noise like a hurricane. "Run and catch that boy for me," said she, pointing to Billy. And off they scampered. "What a wind is coming up," said Billy to himself when he heard the cats behind him. "Meow-w-w--" And turning round he saw the great cats bounding after him. "They're after me--I'm sure," he said to himself, "but I can jump." Alas for Billy, he was standing under a ladder when he spoke, and when he jumped "bump" he hit his head on the topmost rung. Quick as a flash he reached out his hand and caught the ladder--and there he hung, dangling in mid air with thirteen great cats meowing and spitting and yowling on the ground just out of reach of his feet.