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Shadow watched from under a cabbage leaf as two gray rabbits hopped closer and closer – a larger one and a smaller one. It must have been a rabbit family, because young bunnies were hurrying after them. Sakes alive! No way would Granny’s cabbages survive such a visit. The rabbits lined up in the patch and started on the cabbages – all you could hear was crunch-munch-crackle.

Shadow rose up on his hind legs and meowed, hissed and spat. Then he came down on all fours and started digging and throwing the earth with his hind paws. The bunnies were scared to death and bolted as fast as they could.

Пошел Батон спать довольный. Проснулся утром от причитаний старушкиных.

– Ах, ты батюшки, кто же это у меня на огороде битву устроил? Капуста погрызена и все кочаны в пыли, словно кто землей кидался.

Глядь на кота, а он грязный весь. Хоть и старался Батон отряхнуться и облизать себя, да где ж в темноте чистоту наведешь. Вот и смекнула хозяйка, что без ее любимого кота тут не обошлось.

– Никак ты, Батонушка, зайцев распугивать ходил?

The cat went to sleep happy. In the morning he was awakened by Granny’s wails.

“Lordy, Lordy, Lordy, whoever had a fight in my garden? The cabbages are all gnawed and all the heads are as dusty as if someone threw earth over them.”

She took a look at the cat and saw that he had dirt all over. Shadow tried to shake and lick himself, but it’s hard to clean up in the dark. That’s how Granny figured out that her pet had to have had a paw in it.

“Did you go out to scare the rabbits away, kitty?”

Кот заурчал, ластится к старушке, поддакивает.

– Помощник ты мой дорогой, пойдем, я тебя сливочками покормлю.

Батон важно выгнул спину и зашагал, высоко задрав свой пушистый хвост, получать заслуженную награду. А потом улегся на крылечке, на солнышке погреться, да о новых приключениях мечтать.

The cat purred and rubbed against her legs in agreement.

“You’re such great help! Come, you deserve some cream.”

Shadow arched his back importantly and strutted with his bushy tail held high to get his deserts. Then he lay down on the porch to soak up the sun and dream of new adventures.