'Oh, pussies, do be quiet--we can't hear ourselves think.' She had to shout this entreaty, for the mews were growing deafening, 'and it would take pounds' and pounds' worth of cat's-meat.' 'Let's ask the carpet to take them away,' said Robert.

But the girls said 'No.' 'They are so soft and pussy,' said Jane.
'And valuable,' said Anthea, hastily.

'We can sell them for lots and lots of money.' 'Why not send the carpet to get food for them ?' suggested the Phoenix, and its golden voice came harsh and cracked with the effort it had to be make to be heard above the increasing fierceness of the Persian mews.
So it was written that the carpet should bring food for 199 Persian cats, and the paper was pinned to the carpet as before.
The carpet seemed to gather itself together, and the cats dropped off it, as raindrops do from your mackintosh when you shake it.

And the carpet disappeared.
Unless you have had one-hundred and ninety-nine well-grown Persian cats in one small room, all hungry, and all saying so in unmistakable mews, you can form but a poor idea of the noise that now deafened the children and the Phoenix.

The cats did not seem to have been at all properly brought up.