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.
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