We're waiting for our breakfast.
My Negro would like a large dish of scrambled eggs."
"The mouse likes acids, the Negro likes scrambled eggs," Auntie Ganimed repeated nervously.
"Well, there you are.
We'll have the scrambled eggs right now, and take care of the mouse tonight.
We'll catch it tonight for sure, Auntie Ganimed.
There's nothing left for it to do here, it's already eaten all the Turkish delight."
Auntie Ganimed wept and added her tears to the eggs instead of salt.
They were such bitter tears that they took the place of pepper, too.
"I'm glad you put in a lot of pepper.
The eggs are very tasty!" the Negro said as he polished them off.
Auntie Ganimed was measuring out some drops to ease her heart.
The medicine smelled of carnations.
Through the window she could see Doctor Caspar going out.
He looked fine with his new scarf, new shoes (though they were really an old pair with good red heels), and new walking-stick.
But there, going down the street with him, was the Negro.
Auntie Ganimed shut her eyes tight and sank down to the floor.
She landed on the cat, which yowled.
This was the last straw.
Auntie Ganimed hit the cat. It was always getting under her feet and, anyway, it couldn't even catch a mouse.
Meanwhile, the mouse found its way into Auntie Ganimed's cupboard, where it was nibbling away at some almond cookies and thinking sadly of the Turkish delight.
Doctor Caspar Arnery lived on Shadow Street.
If you turn left at the corner you'll find yourself in Widow Elizabeth's Lane. From there, crossing the street famous for the great oak split by lightning, and continuing in that direction you will find yourself at the Fourteenth Market Place.
That is where Doctor Caspar and the Negro were headed.
The wind was rising.
The split oak creaked with every gust.
A bill poster was having a hard time trying to paste a notice on a fence.
The wind tore the large sheet of paper from his hands and slapped it against his face.
From far away it looked as if he was wiping his face with a big napkin.
But he finally got the paper plastered, to the fence.
This is what it said:
Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!
Today The Government of the Three Fat Men PRESENTS A FAIR FOR THE PEOPLE
Hurry to the 14th Market Place
AMUSEMENTS SIDESHOWS FUN FOR ALL Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!
"I know what this is all about," Doctor Caspar said.
"The rebels are to be executed on Court Square today.
The Three Fat Men have ordered their executioners to chop off the head of every man who rose against the rule of the rich and the gluttons.
The Three Fat Men want to fool the people.
They're afraid the people might gather on Court Square and break the scaffolds, kill the executioners, and free their brothers who have been sentenced to death.
That's why they're putting on a show for the people.
They want them to forget all about today's executions."
Doctor Caspar and his black companion came to the Fourteenth Market Place.
There were crowds near the booths, but nowhere did the doctor see a single fop, a single grand lady in a dress the colour of gold-fish scales and ripe grapes, a single important-looking old man riding along in a gold-covered sedan chair, or a single merchant with a huge leather purse on his side!
There were only the poor people of the slums: workers and craftsmen, peddlers of oat-cakes, day-labourers, carriers, old women, beggars, and cripples.
The only bright spots among the tattered, old grey clothes were green cuffs here and there, a bright cape or ribbon.
The wind tore at the old women's grey hair and made their eyes tear. The beggars' brown rags flapped in the wind.
There were no smiling faces in the crowd.
Everyone seemed to be waiting for something terrible to happen. "The executions will be held on Court Square," they were saying. "Our comrades' heads will fall there. But here, clowns that have been paid a lot of gold by the Three Fat Men will prance around like monkeys."
"Let's go to Court Square!"