Everyone warned Joseph not to go to the Fieldings’ farm. However, he still went. That night, as Joseph sat eating his meal, a black cat jumped upon him and slashed at him with her paws. Joseph took out his silver knife and struck the cat swiftly. The cat howled in pain and ran away. A bloody paw lay in the plate. Disgusted, Joseph went to bed at once. The next morning, on the dinner plate, lay a human hand! Joseph was terrified. Just then Mr. Fielding told him, “My wife is suddenly unwell.” Curious, Joseph asked to meet the wife. An old woman lay on the bed. Her right hand was missing! Quickly, Joseph took Mr. Fielding out, saying, “Your wife is a witch.” Saying so he narrated the incident. “The silver knife saved me. Witches are harmed by silver,” he said. To Joseph’s horror, Mr. Fielding laughed loudly and turned into a monster. Joseph ran far from the farm and never returned.
The Black Cat
