“Rrrrr . . .” she growled, but recollecting yesterday’s dinner, wagged her tail, and began sniffing.

She sniffed the stranger’s clothes and boots and thought they smelt of horses.  In the bedroom was another door, also closed.  Kashtanka scratched at the door, leaned her chest against it, opened it, and was instantly aware of a strange and very suspicious smell.  Foreseeing an unpleasant encounter, growling and looking about her, Kashtanka walked into a little room with a dirty wall-paper and drew back in alarm.  She saw something surprising and terrible.  A grey gander came straight towards her, hissing, with its neck bowed down to the floor and its wings outspread.  Not far from him, on a little mattress, lay a white tom-cat; seeing Kashtanka, he jumped up, arched his back, wagged his tail with his hair standing on end and he, too, hissed at her.  The dog was frightened in earnest, but not caring to betray her alarm, began barking loudly and dashed at the cat . . . .  The cat arched his back more than ever, mewed and gave Kashtanka a smack on the head with his paw.  Kashtanka jumped back, squatted on all four paws, and craning her nose towards the cat, went off into loud, shrill barks; meanwhile the gander came up behind and gave her a painful peck in the back.  Kashtanka leapt up and dashed at the gander.

“What’s this?” They heard a loud angry voice, and the stranger came into the room in his dressing-gown, with a cigar between his teeth.  “What’s the meaning of this?  To your places!”

He went up to the cat, flicked him on his arched back, and said: 

“Fyodor Timofeyitch, what’s the meaning of this?  Have you got up a fight?  Ah, you old rascal!  Lie down!”

And turning to the gander he shouted:  “Ivan Ivanitch, go home!”

The cat obediently lay down on his mattress and closed his eyes.  Judging from the expression of his face and whiskers, he was displeased with himself for having lost his temper and got into a fight.

Kashtanka began whining resentfully, while the gander craned his neck and began saying something rapidly, excitedly, distinctly, but quite unintelligibly.

“All right, all right,” said his master, yawning.  “You must live in peace and friendship.”  He stroked Kashtanka and went on:  “And you, redhair, don’t be frightened. . . .  They are capital company, they won’t annoy you.  Stay, what are we to call you?  You can’t go on without a name, my dear.”

The stranger thought a moment and said:  “I tell you what . . . you shall be Auntie. . . .  Do you understand?  Auntie!”

And repeating the word “Auntie” several times he went out.  Kashtanka sat down and began watching.  The cat sat motionless on his little mattress, and pretended to be asleep.  The gander, craning his neck and stamping, went on talking rapidly and excitedly about something.  Apparently it was a very clever gander; after every long tirade, he always stepped back with an air of wonder and made