“Did you ever see such little pigs before?” asked the kitten. “They are no bigger than mice, and I’m sure mice are proper for me to eat.”

“It isn’t the bigness, dear; its the variety,” replied the girl. “These are Mr. Wizard’s pets, just as you are my pet, and it wouldn’t be any more proper for you to eat them than it would be for Jim to eat you.”

“And that’s just what I shall do if you don’t let those little balls of pork alone,” said Jim, glaring at the kitten with his round, big eyes. “If you injure any one of them I’ll chew you up instantly.”

The kitten looked at the horse thoughtfully, as if trying to decide whether he meant it or not.

“In that case,” she said, “I’ll leave them alone. You haven’t many teeth left, Jim, but the few you have are sharp enough to make me shudder. So the piglets will be perfectly safe, hereafter, as far as I am concerned.”