Cat and mouse in partnership

Cat and mouse in partnership es un cuento en inglés del gato y el ratón de los escritores famosos Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm.

Cat and mouse in partnership. (El gato y el ratón hacen vida en común). Cuentos infantiles clásicos en inglés.

A cat having made acquaintance with a mouse, professed such great love
and friendship for her, that the mouse at last agreed that they should
live and keep house together.

«We must make provision for the winter,» said the cat, «or we shall
suffer hunger, and you, little mouse, must not stir out, or you will be
caught in a trap.»

So they took counsel together and bought a little pot of fat. And then
they could not tell where to put it for safety, but after long
consideration the cat said there could not be a better place than the
church, for nobody would steal there; and they would put it under the
altar and not touch it until they were really in want. So this was done,
and the little pot placed in safety.

But before long the cat was seized with a great wish to taste it.

«Listen to me, little mouse,» said he; «I have been asked by my cousin
to stand god-father to a little son she has brought into the world; he
is white with brown spots; and they want to have the christening to-day,
so let me go to it, and you stay at home and keep house.»

«Oh yes, certainly,» answered the mouse, «pray go by all means; and when
you are feasting on all the good things, think of me; I should so like a
drop of the sweet red wine.»

But there was not a word of truth in all this; the cat had no cousin,
and had not been asked to stand god-father: he went to the church,
straight up to the little pot, and licked the fat off the top; then he
took a walk over the roofs of the town, saw his acquaintances, stretched
himself in the sun, and licked his whiskers as often as he thought of
the little pot of fat; and then when it was evening he went home.

«Here you are at last,» said the mouse; «I expect you have had a merry
time.»

«Oh, pretty well,» answered the cat.

«And what name did you give the child?» asked the mouse.

«Top-off,» answered the cat, drily.

«Top-off!» cried the mouse, «that is a singular and wonderful name! is
it common in your family?»

«What does it matter?» said the cat; «it’s not any worse than
Crumb-picker, like your god-child.»

A little time after this the cat was again seized with a longing.

«Again I must ask you,» said he to the mouse, «to do me a favour, and
keep house alone for a day. I have been asked a second time to stand
god-father; and as the little one has a white ring round its neck, I
cannot well refuse.»

So the kind little mouse consented, and the cat crept along by the town
wall until he reached the church, and going straight to the little pot
of fat, devoured half of it.

«Nothing tastes so well as what one keeps to oneself,» said he, feeling
quite content with his day’s work. When he reached home, the mouse asked
what name had been given to the child.

«Half-gone,» answered the cat.

«Half-gone!» cried the mouse, «I never heard such a name in my life!
I’ll bet it’s not to be found in the calendar.»

Soon after that the cat’s mouth began to water again for the fat.

«Good things always come in threes,» said he to the mouse; «again I have
been asked to stand god-father, the little one is quite black with white
feet, and not any white hair on its body; such a thing does not happen
every day, so you will let me go, won’t you?»

«Top-off, Half-gone,» murmured the mouse, «they are such curious names,
I cannot but wonder at them!»

«That’s because you are always sitting at home,» said the cat, «in your
little grey frock and hairy tail, never seeing the world, and fancying
all sorts of things.»

So the little mouse cleaned up the house and set it all in order.
Meanwhile the greedy cat went and made an end of the little pot of fat.

«Now all is finished one’s mind will be easy,» said he, and came home in
the evening, quite sleek and comfortable. The mouse asked at once what
name had been given to the third child.

«It won’t please you any better than the others,» answered the cat. «It
is called All-gone.»

«All-gone!» cried the mouse. «What an unheard-of-name! I never met with
anything like it! All-gone! whatever can it mean?» And shaking her head,
she curled herself round and went to sleep. After that the cat was not
again asked to stand god-father.

When the winter had come and there was nothing more to be had out of
doors, the mouse began to think of their store.

«Come, cat,» said she, «we will fetch our pot of fat, how good it will
taste, to be sure!»

«Of course it will,» said the cat, «just as good as if you stuck your
tongue out of window!»

So they set out, and when they reached the place, they found the pot,
but it was standing empty.

«Oh, now I know what it all meant,» cried the mouse, «now I see what
sort of a partner you have been! Instead of standing god-father you have
devoured it all up; first Top-off, then Half-gone, then»—-

«Will you hold your tongue!» screamed the cat, «another word, and I
devour you too!»

And the poor little mouse, having «All-gone» on her tongue, out it came,
and the cat leaped upon her and made an end of her. And that is the way
of the world.

Author: Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm

Cat and mouse in partnership es un cuento en inglés del gato y el ratón de los escritores famosos Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm.