That night when the Man and the Horse and the Dog came home from hunting , the Woman did not tell them of the bargain that she had made with the Cat , because she was afraid that they might not like it . Cat went far and far away and hid himself in the Wet Wild Woods by his wild lone for a long time till the Woman forgot all about him . Only the Bat -- the little upside-down Bat -- that hung inside the Cave , knew where Cat hid ; and every evening Bat would fly to Cat with news of what was happening . One evening Bat said , ` There is a Baby in the Cave . He is new and pink and fat and small , and the Woman is very fond of him . ' ` Ah , ' said the Cat , listening , ` but what is the Baby fond of ? ' ` He is fond of things that are soft and tickle , ' said the Bat . ` He is fond of warm things to hold in his arms when he goes to sleep . He is fond of being played with . He is fond of all those things . ' ` Ah , ' said the Cat , listening , ` then my time has come . ' Next night Cat walked through the Wet Wild Woods and hid very near the Cave till morning-time , and Man and Dog and Horse went hunting . The Woman was busy cooking that morning , and the Baby cried and interrupted . So she carried him outside the Cave and gave him a handful of pebbles to play with . But still the Baby cried . Then the Cat put out his paddy paw and patted the Baby on the cheek , and it cooed ; and the Cat rubbed against its fat knees and tickled it under its fat chin with his tail . And the Baby laughed ; and the Woman heard him and smiled . Then the Bat -- the little upside-down bat -- that hung in the mouth of the Cave said , ' O my Hostess and Wife of my Host and Mother of my Host 's Son , a Wild Thing from the Wild Woods is most beautifully playing with your Baby . ' ' A blessing on that Wild Thing whoever he may be , ' said the Woman , straightening her back , ` for I was a busy woman this morning and he has done me a service . ' That very minute and second , Best Beloved , the dried horse-skin Curtain that was stretched tail-down at the mouth of the Cave fell down -- whoosh !
-- because it remembered the bargain she had made with the XXXXX , and when the Woman went to pick it up -- lo and behold !
Cat Dog Host Woods evening morning morning-time night second tickle