“Well, I haven’t been _quite_ to London to look at the Queen,” answered Impty, as he pranced across to Dolly’s pillow, and curled down beside her. “But I’ve been somewhere that’s very nearly as good, for I’ve visited the Court of the Countess von Rustenfustenmustencrustenberg, and heard there the story of ‘The Discontented Cat,’ and I’m going to tell you to-night the tale of her adventures, and how she was taught to be happy instead of being always dissatisfied.” [Illustration: THE DISCONTENTED CAT ] Once upon a time--I can’t say exactly when it was--there stood a neat, tidy little hut on the borders of a wild forest. A poor old woman dwelt in this hut. She lived on the whole pretty comfortably; for though she was poor, she was able to keep a few goats, that supplied her with milk, and a flock of chickens, that gave her fresh eggs every morning; and then she had a small garden, which she cultivated with her own hands, and that supplied her with cabbages and other vegetables, besides gooseberries and apples for dumplings. Her goats browsed upon the short grass just outside the garden, and her chickens ran about everywhere, and picked up everything they could find. There were some fine old trees which defended the cottage on three sides from the cold winds, and the front was to the south, so it was very snug and sheltered. The forest afforded her sticks and young logs for fuel, so that she was never in want of a fire; and, altogether, she managed to make out a pretty comfortable life of it, as times went.