Above the bough where the ball was hung was another bough much thicker , which he knew could not break with his weight ; and by holding on tight to this with all his four paws , he could just manage to touch the ball with his tail . He would thus be able to whisk the ball to and fro till , by-and-by , the string would become quite loose , and it would fall to the ground . It might take some time , but the lion 's little brother was patient , like most cats . Well , it all happened just as the cat intended it should , and when the ball dropped on the ground the cat ran down the tree like lightning , and , picking it up , tucked it away in the snake 's skin round his neck . Then he began jumping along the shore of the Big Water from one place to another , trying to find a boat , or even a log of wood , that would take him across . But there was nothing ; only , on the other side , he saw two girls cooking , and though he shouted to them at the top of his voice , they were too far off to hear what he said . And , what was worse , the ball suddenly fell out of its snake 's skin bag right into the river . Now , it is not at all an uncommon thing for balls to tumble into rivers , but in that case they generally either fall to the bottom and stay there , or else bob about on the top of the water close to where they first touched it . But this ball , instead of doing either of these things , went straight across to the other side , and there one of the girls saw it when she stooped to dip some water into her pail . ` Oh ! what a lovely ball ! ' cried she , and tried to catch it in her pail ; but the ball always kept bobbing just out of her reach . ` Come and help me ! ' she called to her sister , and after a long while they had the ball safe inside the pail . They were delighted with their new toy , and one or the other held it in her hand till bedtime came , and then it was a long time before they could make up their minds where it would be safest for the night . At last they locked it in a cupboard in one corner of their room , and as there was no hole anywhere the ball could not possibly get out . After that they went to sleep . In the morning the first thing they both did was to run to the cupboard and unlock it , but when the door opened they started back , for , instead of the ball , there stood a handsome young man . ` Ladies , ' he said , ` how can I thank you for what you have done for me ? Long , long ago , I was enchanted by a wicked fairy , and condemned to keep the shape of a ball till I should meet with two maidens , who would take me to their own home .
But where was I XXXXX meet them ?
Above as at by in inside like though till to