e cat when the tailor opened the door. "Miaw?"

The tailor replied--"Simpkin, we shall make our fortune, but I am worn to
a ravelling. Take this groat (which is our last fourpence) and Simpkin,
take a china pipkin; buy a penn'orth of bread, a penn'orth of milk and a
penn'orth of sausages. And oh, Simpkin, with the last penny of our
fourpence buy me one penn'orth of cherry-coloured silk. But do not lose
the last penny of the fourpence, Simpkin, or I am undone and worn to a
thread-paper, for I have NO MORE TWIST."

[Illustration]

Then Simpkin again said, "Miaw?" and took the groat and the pipkin, and
went out into the dark.

The tailor was very tired and beginning to be ill. He sat down by the
hearth and talked to himself about that wonderful coat.

"I shall make my fortune--to be cut bias--the Mayor of Gloucester is to be
married on Christmas Day in the morning, and he hath ordered a coat and an
embroidered waistcoat--to be lined with yellow taffeta--and the taffeta
sufficeth; there is no more left over in snippets than will serve to make
tippets for mice----"

Then the tailor started; for suddenly, interrupting him, from the dresser
at the other side of the kitchen came a number of little noises--

_Tip tap, tip tap, tip tap tip!_

"Now what can that be?" said the Tailor of Gloucester, jumping up from his
chair. The dresser was covered with crockery and pipkins, willow pattern
plates, and tea-cups and mugs.

The tailor crossed the kitchen, and stood quite still beside the dresser,
listening, and peering through his spectacles. Again from under a tea-cup,
came those funny little noises--

_Tip tap, tip tap, Tip tap tip!_

"This is very peculiar," said the Tailor of Gloucester; and he lifted up
the tea-cup which was upside down.

[Illustration]

Out stepped a little live lady mouse, and made a curtsey to the tailor!
Then she hopped away down off the dresser, and under the wainscot.

The tailor sat down again by the fire, warming his poor cold hands, and
mumbling to himself----

"The waistcoat is cut out from peach-coloured satin--tambour stitch and
rose-buds in beautiful floss silk. Was I wise to entrust my last fourpence
to Simpkin? One-and-twenty button-holes of cherry-coloured twist!"

But all at once, from the dresser, there came other little noises:

_Tip tap, tip tap, tip tap tip!_

"This is passing extraordinary!" said the Tailor of Gloucester, and
turned over another tea-cup, which was upsid