cried her mother , seizing an old broom-handle from behind the door . Poor Lizina did not wait to be told twice , but ran off at once and never stopped till she reached the door of the cats ' house . Their cook had left them that very morning , with her face all scratched , the result of such a quarrel with the head of the house that he had very nearly scratched out her eyes . Lizina therefore was warmly welcomed , and she set to work at once to prepare the dinner , not without many misgivings as to the tastes of the cats , and whether she would be able to satisfy them . Going to and fro about her work , she found herself frequently hindered by a constant succession of cats who appeared one after another in the kitchen to inspect the new servant ; she had one in front of her feet , another perched on the back of her chair while she peeled the vegetables , a third sat on the table beside her , and five or six others prowled about among the pots and pans on the shelves against the wall . The air resounded with their purring , which meant that they were pleased with their new maid , but Lizina had not yet learned to understand their language , and often she did not know what they wanted her to do . However , as she was a good , kindhearted girl , she set to work to pick up the little kittens which tumbled about on the floor , she patched up quarrels , and nursed on her lap a big tabby -- the oldest of the community -- which had a lame paw . All these kindnesses could hardly fail to make a favourable impression on the cats , and it was even better after a while , when she had had time to grow accustomed to their strange ways . Never had the house been kept so clean , the meats so well served , nor the sick cats so well cared for . After a time they had a visit from an old cat , whom they called their father , who lived by himself in a barn at the top of the hill , and came down from time to time to inspect the little colony . He too was much taken with Lizina , and inquired , on first seeing her : ` Are you well served by this nice , black-eyed little person ? ' and the cats answered with one voice : ` Oh , yes , Father Gatto , we have never had so good a servant ! ' At each of his visits the answer was always the same ; but after a time the old cat , who was very observant , noticed that the little maid had grown to look sadder and sadder . ` What is the matter , my child has any one been unkind to you ? ' he asked one day , when he found her crying in her kitchen . She burst into tears and answered between her sobs : ` Oh , no ! they are all very good to me ; but I long for news from home , and I pine to see my mother and my sister . ' Old Gatto , being a sensible old cat , understood the little servant 's feelings . ` You shall go home , ' he said , ` and you shall not come back here unless you please . But first you must be rewarded for all your kind services to my children .
Follow me down into the inner cellar , where you have never yet been , XXXXX I always keep it locked and carry the key away with me . '
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