Chapters (21)
- Cubierta
- The Hundred and One Dalmatians
- The Happy Couples
- The Puppies Arrive
- Perdita
- Cruella de Vil Pays Two Calls
- Hark, Hark, the Dogs Do Bark!
- To the Rescue!
- At the Old Inn
- Cross Country
- Hot Buttered Toast
- What They Saw from the Folly
- In the Enemys Camp
- Sudden Danger
- The Little Blue Cart
- Christmas Eve
- Miracle Needed
- The White Cat’s Revenge
- Who Are These Strange Black Dogs?
- The Hundred and Oneth Dalmatian
- Autora
I hope we haven’t tired Missis, said Mr. Dearly as he opened the front door with his latch-key.
Missis would have liked to say she had never felt better in her life. As she could not speak, she tried to show how well she felt, and rushed down to the kitchen, lashing her tail. So did Pongo, looking forward to his dinner and a long, firelit snooze beside his dear Missis.
I wish we had tails to wag, said Mr. Dearly.
The Puppies Arrive
CRUELLA DE VIL’s dinner party took place in a room with black marble walls, on a white marble table. The food was rather unusual.
The soup was dark purple. And what did it taste of? Pepper!
The fish was bright green. And what did it taste of? Pepper!
The meat was pale blue. And what did that taste of? Pepper!
Everything tasted of pepper, even the ice cream which was black.
There were no other guests. After dinner, Mr. and Mrs. Dearly sat panting in the red marble drawing room, where an enormous fire was now burning. Mr. de Vil panted quite a bit too. Cruella, who was wearing a ruby satin dress with ropes of emeralds, got as close to the fire as she could.
Make it blaze for me, she said to Mr. de Vil.
Mr. de Vil made such a blaze that the Dearlys thought the chimney would catch fire.
Lovely, lovely! said Cruella, clapping her hands with delight. Ah, but the flames never last long enough! The minute they died down a little, she shivered and huddled herself in her absolutely simple white mink cloak.
Mr. and Mrs. Dearly left as early as they felt was polite, and walked along the Outer Circle, trying to get cool.
What a strange name de Vil' is, said Mr. Dearly. If you put the two words together, they make devil. Perhaps Cruella’s a lady-devil. Perhaps that’s why she likes things so hot!
Mrs. Dearly smiled, for she knew he was only joking. Then she said, Oh, dear! As we’ve dined with them, we must ask them to dine with us. And there are some other people we ought to ask. We’d better get it over before Missis has her puppies. Good gracious, what’s that?
Something soft was rubbing against her ankles.
It’s Cruella’s cat, said Mr. Dearly. Go home, cat. You’ll get lost.
But the cat followed them all the way to their house.
Perhaps she’s hungry, said Mrs. Dearly.
Very probably, unless she likes pepper, said Mr. Dearly. He was still gulping the night air to cool his throat.