human
King Rinkitink, said he,
gpt
Your shoe! exclaimed the King, giving a wide yawn and rubbing his eyes to get the sleep out of them.
human
Have you lost a shoe?
gpt
Yes, said Inga.
human
I have searched everywhere in the room, and cannot find it.
gpt
But why bother me about such a small thing? inquired Rinkitink.
human
A shoe is only a shoe, and you can easily get another one. But, stay! Perhaps it was your shoe which I threw at the cat last night.
gpt
The cat! cried Inga.
human
What do you mean?
gpt
Why, in the night, explained Rinkitink, sitting up and beginning to dress himself,
human
I was wakened by the mewing of a cat that sat upon a wall of the palace, just outside my window. As the noise disturbed me, I reached out in the dark and caught up something and threw it at the cat, to frighten the creature away. I did not know what it was that I threw, and I was too sleepy to care; but probably it was your shoe, since it is now missing.
gpt
Then, said the boy, in a despairing tone of voice,
human
Why on earth did you not warn me of this? he demanded.
gpt
And why did you keep such a precious power in an old shoe? And why didn't you put the shoe under a pillow? You were very wrong, my lad, in not confiding to me, your faithful friend, the secret, for in that case the shoe would not now be lost.