They had everything they could possibly desire for their comfort , they were well fed and well lodged , and if by any chance an unlucky mouse was stupid enough to venture in their way , they caught it , not to eat it , but for the pure pleasure of catching it . The old people of the town related how they had heard their parents speak of a time when the whole country was so overrun with rats and mice that there was not so much as a grain of corn nor an ear of maize to be gathered in the fields ; and it might be out of gratitude to the cats who had rid the country of these plagues that their descendants were allowed to live in peace . No one knows where they got the money to pay for everything , nor who paid it , for all this happened so very long ago . But one thing is certain , they were rich enough to keep a servant ; for though they lived very happily together , and did not scratch nor fight more than human beings would have done , they were not clever enough to do the housework themselves , and preferred at all events to have some one to cook their meat , which they would have scorned to eat raw . Not only were they very difficult to please about the housework , but most women quickly tired of living alone with only cats for companions , consequently they never kept a servant long ; and it had become a saying in the town , when anyone found herself reduced to her last penny : ' I will go and live with the cats , ' and so many a poor woman actually did . Now Lizina was not happy at home , for her mother , who was a widow , was much fonder of her elder daughter ; so that often the younger one fared very badly , and had not enough to eat , while the elder could have everything she desired , and if Lizina dared to complain she was certain to have a good beating . At last the day came when she was at the end of her courage and patience , and exclaimed to her mother and sister : ` As you hate me so much you will be glad to be rid of me , so I am going to live with the cats ! ' ` Be off with you ! ' 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 XXXXX a time the old cat , who was very observant , noticed that the little maid had grown to look sadder and sadder .
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