The cat and the mouse
Play’d 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 leapt 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 may 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 leapt, 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,” says the farmer,
“I’ll give you no hay, till you go to the butcher and fetch me some meat.”
First she leapt, 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 leapt 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!______________________________________________________
Once upon a time the cat bit the mouse's tail off. “Give me back my tail,” said the mouse. And the cat said, “Well, I would give you back your tail if you fetched me some milk. But that's impossible to do for a little mouse like you.”
The mouse, however, went to the cow. “The cat will only give me back my tail if I fetch her some milk.”
And the cow said, “Well, I would give you milk if you got me some hay. But that's impossible to do for a little mouse like you.”
The mouse, however, went to the farmer. “The cat will only give me back my tail if the cow gives me some milk. And the cow will only give me milk if I get her some hay.”
And the farmer said, “Well, I would give you hay if you brought me some meat. But that's impossible to do for a little mouse like you.”
The mouse, however, went to the butcher. “The cat will only give me back my tail if the cow gives me milk. And the cow will only give me milk if she gets some hay. And the farmer will only give me hay if I get him some meat.”
And the butcher said, “Well, I would give you meat if you made the baker bake me bread. But that's impossible to do for a little mouse like you."
The mouse, however, went to the baker. “The cat will only give me back my tail if I fetch her some milk. And the cow will not give me milk if I don't get her hay. And the farmer will only give me hay if the butcher has some meat for him. And the butcher will not give me meat if you do not bake him bread.”
And the baker said, “Well, I will give you bread if you promise never to steal my corn or meal.”
The mouse promised not to steal, and so the baker gave the mouse bread, the mouse gave the butcher bread. The butcher gave the mouse meat; the mouse gave the farmer meat. The farmer gave the mouse hay; the mouse gave the cow hay. The cow gave the mouse milk; the mouse gave the cat milk. And the cat gave the mouse her tail back.