The Cat and the Mouse

"I Am Very, Very Hungry"

The Cat is in the garden. She has a big, big supper of meat, bread, and milk.

The Mouse is in the garden too. She has no supper, and she is very, very hungry.

So she takes off her hat, makes a bow, and says, "Mrs. Cat, please give me a little of your supper. I am very, very hungry."

But the Cat says in an angry voice, "Go away! Go away!"

"I Can Show You How to Dance"

So the Mouse goes away and sits on the garden wall. She looks at the Cat and at her supper. By and by she says, "Do you see the moon, Mrs. Cat? Don't you want to dance?"

"Yes, I see the moon," says the Cat, "and I want to dance. I want to dance all night long."

"Then why don't you dance?" asks the Mouse.

"I don't know how to dance," says the Cat.

Then the Mouse thinks of the little red boots.

"I can show you how to dance," she says. "Wait for me here."

"Give Me the Magic Red Boots"

And the Mouse gets off the wall and runs away. She runs to the village where the shoemaker lives. She takes off her hat, makes a bow, and says to the shoemaker, "I am very, very hungry, and the Cat has a big supper. But she does not want to give me any of her supper. Please give me the magic red boots. I want to give them to the Cat."

The shoemaker gives the Mouse the magic red boots, and she carries them to the Cat.

"You Can Dance All Night Long"

"Here, Mrs. Cat, put on these little red boots. You can dance in them. You can dance all night long."

"Give them to me," says the Cat. "I want to dance first. "I can have my supper afterwards."

The Cat puts the boots on and begins to dance.

She dances up the garden. She dances down the garden. She dances around the garden. At last she is tired.

"Mouse, stop me!" she cries. "Please stop me. I am very tired."

But the Mouse only laughs and sits on the garden wall.

"You Cannot Take Those Boots Off"

"You cannot take those boots off. They are magic boots. You must dance all night long," says the Mouse.

"Please stop me, Mouse," cries the Cat. "I am very, very tired."

"Dance, Mrs. Cat! Dance!" says the Mouse. "Now I can eat your supper."

The Cat dances and dances all night long. And the Mouse laughs, and the moon laughs.

That night the Mouse has a big supper of meat, bread, and milk.