As soon as dinner was over, Wili and Lili ran off to the wash-house again.  Saturday afternoon they had no lessons.  So they had a beautiful time all to themselves.  To be sure, it was understood that the governess should look after them a little.  But when she saw the children go into the wash-house, she took it for granted that they were going to have a grand wash of doll’s clothes, such as they often had.  She was very glad that they would be safely occupied for a few hours at least.

But the twins, be it known, had far greater aspirations this afternoon, than for a simple doll’s-wash.  They had been playing with the Noah’s ark, which their father had brought them, and had thought a great deal about the peculiar and wonderful life those people must have led in the ark at the time of the Flood.  It occurred to Lili that she should like to try what it was like, to live in an ark, and even to take a voyage in one, and of course Wili, as usual, agreed with her enthusiastically.  Lili’s plans were all made; she had thought out all the details, for she was an observing little maiden, and knew the uses of many things and how to turn them to her own purposes.  She chose one of the middle-sized wash-tubs for an ark.  There would be room enough for all the animals, if they would sit quietly in their places.

Of course the animals were Schnurri and Philomele.  The twins tried to coax them to take their parts in the play.  Schnurri came growling at their call, but Philomele purred and rubbed back and forth against Lili’s legs, till the little girl took her up in her arms, and said,

“Ah, my dear little Philomele, you are a great deal nicer than that old Schnurri.”

This was the way it always was with these two creatures.  The cat was called Philomele or nightingale, because she purred in such a melodious manner.  The dog was named Schnurri, which means growler, because he had a habit of constant growling; though he always had good reason of his own for it.  They had both been taught to live peaceably with each other, and to do each other no mischief of any kind.  Schnurri was very good about it; followed the rule most punctiliously, and treated Philomele with great consideration.  When they ate their dinner from the same dish, he ate slowly, because with her smaller mouth she could not take in as much at a time as he did.  But it was quite different with the cat.  One moment she seemed as friendly as possible with Schnurri, and rubbed up against him and was playful and kind; especially if any one of the family was looking; then suddenly, without warning, she would raise her little paw and give him a sharp scratch behind the ear.  Then he growled of course, and as this behavior of Philomele’s was very frequent, it followed that he seemed to be constantly growling.  So he got his name of Schnurri, though really quite unjustly, for by nature he was most friendly and peaceable.