He now pulleyed up the meat--until it was ten feet or more from the ground--and then fastened his rope to a log.
"Now, gentlemen," muttered he, fancifully addressing the wolves, "you may prowl about and howl till your throats are sore, but you don't keep me five minutes longer from my rest--that you don't." So saying, he laid himself down, and commenced wrapping himself in his blankets.
"Ha!" he continued, as he caught a glimpse of several of the animals running forward and looking upwards at the swinging meat; "Ha! Messieurs Loups, don't you wish you may get it?
Ha! ha! ha! Good night!" So speaking and laughing, he stretched himself alongside his brothers, and in five minutes' time was snoring as loudly as either of them.
But Basil, with all his craft, was not so cunning upon the present occasion as he thought himself--not half so cunning as the wolves, whom he believed he had outwitted.

The latter, seeing that he had gone to sleep, boldly drew nearer and nearer, until scores of them covered the spot over which hung the meat.

Here they ran about, tumbling over each other, and all looking upward.

They remained silent, however, lest they might awake the sleepers.

Some sat quietly on their hams with eyes fixed on the tempting morsel, but not making any effort to get at it, as they knew it was beyond their reach.