Once on a time there was a man who had a Cat, and she was so awfully big, and such a beast to eat, he couldn't keep her any longer. So she was to go down to the river with a stone round her neck, but before she started she was to have a meal of meat. So the goody set before her a bowl of porridge and a little trough of fat. That the creature crammed into her, and ran off and jumped through the window. Outside stood the goodman by the barn-door threshing. "Good day, goodman," said the Cat. "Good day, pussy," said the goodman; "have you had any food to-day?" "Oh, I've had a little, but I'm 'most fasting," said the Cat; "it was only a bowl of porridge and a trough of fat--and, now I think of it, I'll take you, too," and so she took the goodman and gobbled him up. When she had done that, she went into the byre, and there sat the goody milking. "Good day, goody," said the Cat. "Good day, pussy," said the goody; "are you here, and have you eaten up your food yet?" "Oh, I've eaten a little to-day, but I'm 'most fasting," said pussy; "it was only a bowl of porridge, and a trough of fat, and the goodman--and, now I think of it, I'll take you, too," and so she took the goody and gobbled her up. "Good day, you cow at the manger," said the Cat to Daisy the cow. "Good day, pussy," said the bell-cow; "have you had any food to-day?" "Oh, I've had a little, but I'm 'most fasting," said the Cat; "I've only had a bowl of porridge, and a trough of fat, and the goodman, and the goody--and, now I think of it, I'll take you, too," and so she took the cow and gobbled her up. Then off she set into the home-field, and there stood a man picking up leaves. "Good day, you leaf-picker in the field," said the Cat. "Good day, pussy; have you had anything to eat to-day?" said the leaf-picker. "Oh, I've had a little, but I'm 'most fasting," said the Cat; "it was only a bowl of porridge, and a trough of fat, and the goodman, and the goody, and Daisy the cow--and, now I think of it, I'll take you, too." So she took the leaf-picker and gobbled him up. Then she came to a heap of stones, and there stood a stoat and peeped out. "Good day, Mr. Stoat of Stoneheap," said the Cat. "Good day, Mrs. Pussy; have you had anything to eat to-day?" "Oh, I've had a little, but I'm 'most fasting," said the Cat; "it was only a bowl of porridge, and a trough of fat, and the goodman, and the goody, and the cow, and the leaf-picker--and, now I think of it, I'll take you, too." So she took the stoat and gobbled him up. When she had gone a bit farther, she came to a hazel-brake, and there sat a squirrel gathering nuts. "Good day, Sir Squirrel of the Brake," said the Cat. "Good day, Mrs. Pussy; have you had anything to eat to-day?"