`` You fools ! '' he cried ; `` why do you scream ? If you are cold , come and sit at the fire and warm yourselves . '' And as he spoke two huge black cats sprang fiercely forward and sat down , one on each side of him , and gazed wildly at him with their fiery eyes . After a time , when they had warmed themselves , they said : `` Friend , shall we play a little game of cards ? '' `` Why not ? '' he replied ; `` but first let me see your paws . '' Then they stretched out their claws . `` Ha ! '' said he ; `` what long nails you 've got ! Wait a minute : I must first cut them off . '' Thereupon he seized them by the scruff of their necks , lifted them on to the carving bench , and screwed down their paws firmly . `` After watching you narrowly , '' said he , `` I no longer feel any desire to play cards with you '' ; and with these words he struck them dead and threw them out into the water . But when he had thus sent the two of them to their final rest , and was again about to sit down at the fire , out of every nook and corner came forth black cats and black dogs with fiery chains in such swarms that he could n't possibly get away from them . They yelled in the most ghastly manner , jumped upon his fire , scattered it all , and tried to put it out . He looked on quietly for a time , but when it got beyond a joke he seized his carving-knife and called out : `` Be off , you rabble rout ! '' and let fly at them . Some of them fled away , and the others he struck dead and threw them out into the pond below . When he returned he blew up the sparks of the fire once more , and warmed himself . And as he sat thus his eyes refused to keep open any longer , and a desire to sleep stole over him .
Then he looked around him and beheld XXXXX the corner a large bed .
If at below beyond by for in into to with