This is a modern-English version of Millions of cats, originally written by Gág, Wanda. It has been thoroughly updated, including changes to sentence structure, words, spelling, and grammar—to ensure clarity for contemporary readers, while preserving the original spirit and nuance. If you click on a paragraph, you will see the original text that we modified, and you can toggle between the two versions.

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MILLIONS OF CATS

BY WANDA GÁG

By Wanda Gág

PUBLISHED IN NEW YORK by COWARD-M^cCANN, Inc.

IN THE YEAR 1928

In 1928

COWARD M^cCANN, INC.

COWARD McCANN, INC.

Printed in U.S.A.
By the Jersey City Printing Co.

MILLIONS OF CATS

Once upon a time there was a very old man and a very old woman. They lived in a nice clean house which had flowers all around it, except where the door was. But they couldn’t be happy because they were so very lonely.

Once there was a really old man and a really old woman. They lived in a neat, tidy house surrounded by flowers, except for the area where the door was. But they couldn’t find happiness because they were really lonely.

“If we only had a cat!” sighed the very old woman.

“If only we had a cat!” sighed the very old woman.

“A cat?” asked the very old man.

“A cat?” asked the elderly man.

“Yes, a sweet little fluffy cat,” said the very old woman.

“I will get you a cat, my dear,” said the very old man.

“I'll get you a cat, my dear,” said the very old man.

And he set out over the hills to look for one. He climbed over the sunny hills. He trudged through the cool valleys. He walked a long, long time and at last he came to a hill which was quite covered with cats.

And he set out over the hills to look for one. He climbed over the sunny hills. He trudged through the cool valleys. He walked for a really long time, and finally, he reached a hill that was completely covered with cats.

Cats here, cats there,
Cats and kittens everywhere,
Hundreds of cats,
Thousands of cats,
Millions and billions and trillions of cats.

Cats everywhere,
Cats and kittens all around,
Loads of cats,
Thousands of cats,
Millions and billions and trillions of cats.

“Oh,” cried the old man joyfully, “Now I can choose the prettiest cat and take it home with me!” So he chose one. It was white.

“Oh,” the old man exclaimed happily, “Now I can pick the prettiest cat and take it home with me!” So he picked one. It was white.

But just as he was about to leave, he saw another one all black and white and it seemed just as pretty as the first. So he took this one also.

But just as he was about to leave, he saw another one, all black and white, and it looked just as pretty as the first one. So he took this one too.

But then he saw a fuzzy grey kitten way over here which was every bit as pretty as the others so he took it too.

But then he saw a fuzzy gray kitten over there that was just as cute as the others, so he took it too.

And now he saw one way down in a corner which he thought too lovely to leave so he took this too.

And now he spotted one way down in a corner that he thought was too lovely to leave behind, so he took that one too.

And just then, over here, the very old man found a kitten, which was black and very beautiful.

And just then, right here, the very old man found a kitten that was black and really beautiful.

“It would be a shame to leave that one,” said the very old man. So he took it.

And now, over there, he saw a cat which had brown and yellow stripes like a baby tiger.

And now, over there, he saw a cat that had brown and yellow stripes like a baby tiger.

“I simply must take it!” cried the very old man, and he did.

“I just have to take it!” the very old man exclaimed, and he did.

So it happened that every time the very old man looked up, he saw another cat which was so pretty he could not bear to leave it, and before he knew it, he had chosen them all.

So it turned out that every time the very old man looked up, he saw another cat that was so beautiful he couldn't bring himself to leave it behind, and before he realized it, he had chosen them all.

And so he went back over the sunny hills and down through the cool valleys, to show all his pretty kittens to the very old woman.

And so he went back over the sunny hills and down through the cool valleys to show all his cute kittens to the very old woman.

It was very funny to see those hundreds and thousands and millions and billions and trillions of cats following him.

It was really funny to see all those hundreds, thousands, millions, billions, and trillions of cats following him.

They came to a pond.

They arrived at a pond.

“Mew, mew! We are thirsty!” cried the
Hundreds of cats,
Thousands of cats,
Millions and billions and trillions of cats.

“Mew, mew! We’re thirsty!” cried the
Many cats,
Thousands of cats,
Millions and billions and trillions of cats.

“Well, here is a great deal of water,” said the very old man.

“Well, there’s a lot of water here,” said the very old man.

Each cat took a sip of water, and the pond was gone!

“Mew, mew! Now we are hungry!” said the
Hundreds of cats,
Thousands of cats,
Millions and billions and trillions of cats.

“Mew, mew! Now we’re hungry!” said the
Lots of cats,
Thousands of cats,
Millions and billions and trillions of cats.

“There is much grass on the hills,” said the very old man.

“There’s a lot of grass on the hills,” said the very old man.

Each cat ate a mouthful of grass and not a blade was left!

Each cat took a bite of grass and not a single blade was left!

Pretty soon, the very old woman saw them coming.

Pretty soon, the old woman saw them coming.

“My dear!” she cried, “What are you doing? I asked for one little cat, and what do I see?—

“My dear!” she exclaimed, “What are you doing? I asked for one little cat, and what do I see?—

“Cats here, cats there,
Cats and kittens everywhere,
Hundreds of cats,
Thousands of cats,
Millions and billions and trillions of cats.”

“Cats everywhere, all around,
Cats and kittens everywhere,
Lots of cats,
Thousands of cats,
Millions and billions and trillions of cats.”

“But we can never feed them all,” said the very old woman, “They will eat us out of house and home.”

“But we can never feed them all,” said the very old woman. “They’ll eat us out of house and home.”

“I never thought of that,” said the very old man, “What shall we do?”

“I never thought of that,” said the very old man. “What should we do?”

The very old woman thought for a while and then she said, “I know! We will let the cats decide which one we should keep.”

The very old woman thought for a bit and then said, “I know! We'll let the cats choose which one we should keep.”

“Oh yes,” said the very old man, and he called to the cats, “Which one of you is the prettiest?”

“I am!”

"I am!"

“I am!”

“Yep, I am!”

“No, I am!”

“No, I am the prettiest!” “I am!”

“No, I’m the prettiest!” “I am!”

“No, I am! I am! I am!” cried hundreds and thousands and millions and billions and trillions of voices, for each cat thought itself the prettiest.

“No, I am! I am! I am!” shouted hundreds and thousands and millions and billions and trillions of voices, as every cat believed it was the prettiest.

And they began to quarrel.

And they started to argue.

They bit and scratched and clawed each other and made such a great noise that the very old man and the very old woman ran into the house as fast as they could. They did not like such quarreling. But after a while the noise stopped and the very old man and the very old woman peeped out of the window to see what had happened. They could not see a single cat!

They bit, scratched, and clawed at each other, making such a huge racket that the very old man and the very old woman rushed into the house as quickly as they could. They weren't fond of all that fighting. But after a while, the noise stopped, and the very old man and the very old woman peeked out of the window to see what was going on. They couldn't see a single cat!

“I think they must have eaten each other all up,” said the very old woman, “It’s too bad!”

“I think they must have eaten each other up,” said the very old woman. “It’s too bad!”

“But look!” said the very old man, and he pointed to a bunch of high grass. In it sat one little frightened kitten. They went out and picked it up. It was thin and scraggly.

“But look!” said the very old man, and he pointed to a clump of tall grass. Inside it sat a scared little kitten. They went over and picked it up. It was thin and scraggly.

“Poor little kitty,” said the very old woman.

“Dear little kitty,” said the very old man, “how does it happen that you were not eaten up with all those hundreds and thousands and millions and billions and trillions of cats?”

“Dear little kitty,” said the very old man, “how is it that you weren't eaten by all those hundreds, thousands, millions, and billions of cats?”

“Oh, I’m just a very homely little cat,” said the kitten, “So when you asked who was the prettiest, I didn’t say anything. So nobody bothered about me.”

“Oh, I’m just a really plain little cat,” said the kitten, “So when you asked who was the prettiest, I didn’t say anything. So nobody paid attention to me.”

They took the kitten into the house, where the very old woman gave it a warm bath and brushed its fur until it was soft and shiny.

They brought the kitten inside, where the elderly woman gave it a warm bath and brushed its fur until it was soft and shiny.

Every day they gave it plenty of milk—

Every day, they scooped out a lot of milk—

—and soon it grew nice and plump.

“And it is a very pretty cat, after all!” said the very old woman.

“And it's a really cute cat, after all!” said the very old woman.

“It is the most beautiful cat in the whole world,” said the very old man.

“It’s the most beautiful cat in the whole world,” said the very old man.

“I ought to know, for I’ve seen—

Hundreds of cats,
Thousands of cats,
Millions and billions and trillions of cats—
and not one is as pretty as this one.”

Lots of cats,
Thousands of cats
Millions and billions and trillions of cats—
"and none are as beautiful as this one."

MILLIONS OF CATS

MILLIONS OF CATS

Transcriber’s note