She is sitting upstairs in her grief,
And her eyes with her weeping are sore;
From her sorrow she gets no relief,
Now poor old Mr. Fox is no more!"

"But just tell her, miss, that a young fox has come to woo her."

"Very well, young master," answered the cat.

Up went the cat pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat.

She knocks at the door, rat-a-tat, rat-a-tat!

"Mrs. Fox, are you there?"
"Yes, yes, pussy dear!"
"There's a suitor below,
Shall I tell him to go?"

"But what is he like?" asked Mrs. Fox. "Has he nine beautiful tails,
like dear Mr. Fox?"

"Oh no," answered the cat; "he has only one."

"Then I won't have him," said Mrs. Fox.

So the cat went down-stairs, and sent the suitor away. Soon there was
another knock at the door. It was another fox come to woo. He had two
tails, but he met with no better success than the first. Then there
arrived more foxes, one after another, each with one more tail than the
last, but they were all dismissed, until there came one with nine tails
like old Mr. Fox. When the widow heard that she cried, full of joy, to
the cat,

"Now, open door and window wide,
And turn old Mr. Fox outside."

But before they could do so, up jumped old Mr. Fox from under the bench,
and cudgelled the whole pack, driving them, with Mrs. Fox, out of the
house.

SECOND VERSION.

WHEN old Mr. Fox died there came a wolf to woo, and he knocked at the
door, and the cat opened to him; and he made her a bow, and said,

"Good day, Miss Cat, so brisk and gay,
How is it that alone you stay?
And what is it you cook to-day?"

The cat answered,

"Bread so white, and milk so sweet,
Will it please you sit and eat?"

"Thank you very much, Miss Cat," answered the wolf; "but is Mrs. Fox at
home?"

Then the cat said,

"She is sitting upstairs in her grief,
And her eyes with her weeping are sore,
From her sorrow she gets no relief,
Now poor old Mr. Fox is no more!"

The wolf answered,

"Won't she take another spouse,
To protect her and her house?"

Up went the cat, pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat.

She knocks at the door, rat-a-tat, rat-a-tat!

"Mrs. Fox, are you there?"
"Yes, yes, pussy dear!"
"There's a suitor below,
Shall I tell him to go?"

But Mrs. Fox asked, "Has the gentleman red breeches and a sharp nose?"

"No," answered the cat.

"Then I won't have him," said Mrs. Fox.

After the wolf was sent