Grimms' Fairy Tales

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something cried suddenly from one corner: 'Au, miau! how cold we are!'
'You fools!' cried he, 'what are you crying about? If you are cold, come
and take a seat by the fire and warm yourselves.' And when he had said
that, two great black cats came with one tremendous leap and sat down
on each side of him, and looked savagely at him with their fiery
eyes. After a short time, when they had warmed themselves, they said:
'Comrade, shall we have a game of cards?' 'Why not?' he replied, 'but
just show me your paws.' Then they stretched out their claws. 'Oh,' said
he, 'what long nails you have! Wait, I must first cut them for you.'
Thereupon he seized them by the throats, put them on the cutting-board
and screwed their feet fast. 'I have looked at your fingers,' said he,
'and my fancy for card-playing has gone,' and he struck them dead and
threw them out into the water. But when he had made away with these two,
and was about to sit down again by his fire, out from every hole and
corner came black cats and black dogs with red-hot chains, and more
and more of them came until he could no longer move, and they yelled
horribly, and got on his fire, pulled it to pieces, and tried to put