Henry Holcomb Bennett

“ You can see us in any fire if you look carefully. The best time to see us is in the evening, just before the lights are lit; then we come out to see what is going on.”
“And you ’ll see something going on now,” snapped a red fox, jumping from behind a pile of coals and dashing at the rooster. The rooster dodged to one side and gave a derisive crow.
“Just let that old rooster alone,” growled a deep voice; and Walter, looking into a corner of the fireplace, saw a great bear. “I am the Big Bear who lived in the wood,” said Bruin. ”

“ He knew there were no chickens in the room, because the chickens were all out on the farm in the country, and he was just beginning to think that he had been dreaming, when he heard the “Cock-a-doodle-doo” again. This time it seemed to come from in front of him, and he looked into the fireplace, though how a “cock-a-doodle-doo” could come from the midst of the fire he did not know, As his eyes fell on the fire he gave a jump in the chair and stared as hard as he could. ”

“ And a big black-and-white cat crawled out from a hole in the coals and stood beside the rooster, “I am the Cat. that Caught the Rat,” said he. “Once upon a time I wore boots, and helped my master to marry the Princess.”
“Bow - wow - wow!” barked a little dog, which came running from a corner.
The cat jumped nimbly to the top of a big piece of coal, where she put up her back at the dog and made a great hissing noise.
“Oho!” said Walter. “I guess you must be the Dog that Worried the Cat, are n’t you?” ”