But there was
a full evil cat that dwelt near by, and this cruel beast found no
pleasure in the music that Joyous did make continually; nay, that
music filled this full evil cat with a wicked thirst for the blood of
that singing innocent, and she had no peace for the malice that was
within her seeking to devise a means whereby she might comprehend the
bird Joyous to her murderous intent. Now you must know that it was the
wont of our little Mistress Merciless and of Master Sweetheart to feed
the birds in that fair garden with such crumbs as they were suffered
to bring with them into the arbor, and at such times would those birds
fly down with grateful twitterings and eat of those crumbs upon the
greensward round about the arbor. Wit ye well, it was a merry sight to
see those twittering birds making feast upon the good things which
those children brought, and our little Mistress Merciless and little
Master Sweetheart had sweet satisfaction therein. But, on a day,
whilst thus those twittering birds made great feasting, lo! on a
sudden did that full evil cat whereof I have spoken steal softly from
a thicket, and with one hideous bound make her way into the very midst
of those birds and seize upon that bird Joyous, that was wont to sing
so merrily from the tree hard by the arbor. Oh, there was a mighty din
and a fearful fluttering, and the rest flew swiftly away, but Joyous
could not do so, because the full evil cat held him in her cruel
fangs and claws. And I make no doubt that Joyous would speedily have
met his death, but that with a wrathful cry did our little Mistress
Merciless hasten to his rescue.
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