If strength and swiftness could gain him a dinner he was sure never to be without one , but when it came to cunning , both the grizzly bear and the serpent could get the better of him , and he was forced to call in the help of the wild cat . Now the young wild cat had a lovely golden ball , so beautiful that you could hardly look at it except through a piece of smoked glass , and he kept it hidden in the thick fur muff that went round his neck . A very large old animal , since dead , had given it to him when he was hardly more than a baby , and had told him never to part with it , for as long as he kept it no harm could ever come near him . In general the wild cat did not need to use his ball , for the lion was fond of hunting , and could kill all the food that they needed ; but now and then his life would have been in danger had it not been for the golden ball . One day the two brothers started to hunt at daybreak , but as the cat could not run nearly as fast as the lion , he had quite a long start . At least he THOUGHT it was a long one , but in a very few bounds and springs the lion reached his side . ` There is a bear sitting on that tree , ' he whispered softly . ` He is only waiting for us to pass , to drop down on my back . ' ` Ah , you are so big that he does not see I am behind you , ' answered the wild cat . And , touching the ball , he just said : ` Bear , die ! ' And the bear tumbled dead out of the tree , and rolled over just in front of them . For some time they trotted on without any adventures , till just as they were about to cross a strip of long grass on the edge of the forest , the lion 's quick ears detected a faint rustling noise . ` That is a snake , ' he cried , stopping short , for he was much more afraid of snakes than of bears . ` Oh , it is all right , ' answered the cat . ` Snake , die ! ' And the snake died , and the two brothers skinned it . They then folded the skin up into a very small parcel , and the cat tucked it into his mane , for snakes ' skins can do all sorts of wonderful things , if you are lucky enough to have one of them . All this time they had had no dinner , for the snake 's flesh was not nice , and the lion did not like eating bear -- perhaps because he never felt sure that the bear was REALLY dead , and would not jump up alive when his enemy went near him . Most people are afraid of SOME thing , and bears and serpents were the only creatures that caused the lion 's heart to tremble . So the two brothers set off again and soon reached the side of a hill where some fine deer were grazing .
` Kill one of those deer for your own dinner , ' XXXXX the boy-brother , ` but catch me another alive .
answered cried get reached rolled said sitting started tucked waiting