"At the edge of the forest, a green oak tree stands; A golden chain hangs on that oak: Day and night, the learned cat Walks around in circles on the chain; When he goes to the right, he starts to sing, When he goes to the left, he tells a tale. ", Whirling snowstorms all around; Sometimes it howls like a beast, Sometimes it cries like a child; It rustles suddenly on the worn- out roof, As if with straw, Then, like a belated traveler, It knocks on our window. "