Page 53 - New Medley 3 Semester 1

“Miaw,” said the cat.

The tailor gave the cat some money to get bread, milk, sausages and a
‘twist’ of cherry-coloured silk. The cat went out in the dark.

The tailor sat down and talked to himself. “I shall make my fortune—
the Mayor of Gloucester is to be married on Christmas Day in the

morning, and he has ordered a coat and an embroidered waistcoat...” The
tailor was very tired and felt ill. He suddenly heard many little noises—

Tip, tap, tip, tap, tip, tap, tip, tap!

He went to the dresser in the

kitchen and listened. When he
lifted the upside down turned
teacups, bowls and even basins,

little mice hopped down. They ran

down and out. The mice had been
caught and kept by Simpkin. When
he returned and found the mice

gone, he was upset. He hid the red

cloth in anger. If he could talk, he
would have asked, “Where are my
mice?”

All that night he looked for them but could not find the mice. The
tailor fell ill and was unable to complete the coat and waistcoat. He

lay ill for three days and nights.
twist small piece of something
fortune a large amount of money The grateful mice worked in the tailor’s
embroidered decorated with a
pattern shop. They had heard that the tailor
waistcoat a short, sleeveless piece had to stitch a coat and waistcoat,
of clothing worn over a shirt before he let them out. It was
dresser a piece of furniture with
drawers Christmas eve, and still Simpkin was
upset unhappy hungry. He wanted his mice. He went
Christmas eve the day or out into the street. On seeing a glow
evening before Christmas Day, 24
December of light from the tailor’s shop, Simpkin
peeped through the window. It was full

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