"_Top-off_," said the cat very quickly.
"_Top-off!_" replied the mouse; "that is a curious and remarkable
name; is it common in your family?"
"What does that matter?" said the cat; "it is not worse than
Crumb-stealer, as your children are called."
Not long afterward the cat felt the same longing as before, and said
to the mouse: "You must oblige me by taking care of the house once
more by yourself; I am again asked to stand godfather, and, since
the youngster has a white ring round his neck, I cannot get off the
invitation." So the good little mouse consented, and the cat crept
away behind the wall to the church again, and ate half the contents
of the grease-pot. "Nothing tastes better than what one eats by one's
self," said he, quite contented with his day's work; and when he came
home the mouse asked how this child was named.
"_Half-out_," answered the cat.
"_Half-out!_ What do you mean? I never heard such a name before in
my life; I will wager anything it is not in the calendar," but the
cat replied nothing.
Pussy's mouth soon began to water again at the recollection of the
feasting. "All good things come in threes," said he to the mouse. "I
am again required to be godfather; this child is quite black, and has
little white claws, but not a single white hair on his body; such a
thing only happens once in two years, so pray excuse me this time.
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