The Cat And The Mouse

: LITTLE STORIES that GROW BIG
: Boys And Girls Bookshelf

The cat and the mouse

Played in the malt-house:



The cat bit the mouse's tail off. "Pray, puss, give me my tail." "No,"

says the cat, "I'll not give you your tail, till you go to the cow, and

fetch me some milk."



First she leaped, and then she ran,

Till she came to the cow, and thus began:



"Pray, Cow, give me milk, that I may give cat milk, that cat m y give me

my own tail again." "No," said the cow, "I will give you no milk, till

you go to the farmer, and get me some hay."



First she leaped, and then she ran,

Till she came to the farmer, and thus began:



"Pray, Farmer, give me hay, that I may give cow hay, that cow may give

me milk, that I may give cat milk, that cat may give me my own tail

again." "No," said the farmer, "I'll give you no hay, till you go to

the butcher and fetch me some meat."



First she leaped, and then she ran,

Till she came to the butcher, and thus began:



"Pray, Butcher, give me meat, that I may give farmer meat, that farmer

may give me hay, that I may give cow hay, that cow may give me milk,

that I may give cat milk, that cat may give me my own tail again." "No,"

says the butcher, "I'll give you no meat, till you go to the baker and

fetch me some bread."



First she leaped, and then she ran,

Till she came to the baker, and thus began:



"Pray, Baker, give me bread, that I may give butcher bread, that butcher

may give me meat, that I may give farmer meat, that farmer may give me

hay, that I may give cow hay, that cow may give me milk, that I may give

cat milk, that cat may give me my own tail again."



"Yes," says the baker, "I'll give you some bread,

But if you eat my meal, I'll cut off your head."



Then the baker gave mouse bread, and mouse gave butcher bread, and

butcher gave mouse meat, and mouse gave farmer meat, and farmer gave

mouse hay, and mouse gave cow hay, and cow gave mouse milk, and mouse

gave cat milk, and cat gave mouse her own tail again.



[J] From "English Fairy Tales," collected by Joseph Jacobs; used by

permission of the publishers, G. P. Putnam's Sons.