A GENTLEMAN on a visit to a friend who lived on
the skirts of an extensive forest in the east of
Germany lost his way. He wandered for some
hours among the trees, when he saw a light at a
distance. On approaching it, he was surprised to
observe, that it proceeded from the interior of a
ruined monastery. Before he knocked he thought
it prudent to look through the window. He saw
a multitude of cats assembled round a small grave,
four of whom were letting down a coffin with a
crown upon it. The gentleman, startled at this
unusual sight, and imagining that he had arrived
among the retreats of fiends or witches, mounted
his horse and rode away with the utmost precipi-
tation. He arrived at his friend's house at a late
hour, who had sate up for him. On his arrival his
friend questioned as to the cause of the traces of
trouble visible in his face. He began to recount
his adventure, after much difficulty, knowing that
it was scarcely possible that his friends should give
faith to his relation. No sooner had he mentioned
the coffin with a crown upon it, than his friend's
cat, who seemed to have been lying asleep before
the fire, leaped up, saying—" Then I am the King
of the Cats!" and scrambled up the chimney, and
was seen no more.