Mouse And Mouser
by Joseph Jacobs
The Cat and the Mouse
One day, a little Mouse saw a Cat. The Cat sat by a door. She was spinning thread.
"What are you doing?" asked the Mouse. "I am spinning thread," said the Cat. "I hope it goes well," said the Mouse. "I will use it up," said the Cat.
"I swept my room today," said the Mouse. "You are clean," said the Cat. "I found some money," said the Mouse. "You are rich now," said the Cat.
"I went to the store," said the Mouse. "That is far," said the Cat. "I bought some food," said the Mouse. "Was it good?" asked the Cat. "It was very good," said the Mouse. "I put it by the window," said the Mouse. "You should eat it soon," said the Cat. "Then, a cat ate it," said the Mouse. "Then I will catch you!" said the Cat. She jumped.
But the Mouse ran away fast. She was safe.
Remember, do not trust those who might hurt you.
Original Story
MOUSE AND MOUSER The Mouse went to visit the Cat, and found her sitting behind the hall door, spinning. MOUSE. What are you doing, my lady, my lady, What are you doing, my lady? CAT ( sharply ). I'm spinning old breeches, good body, good body I'm spinning old breeches, good body. MOUSE. Long may you wear them, my lady, my lady, Long may you wear them, my lady. CAT ( gruffly ). I'll wear' em and tear 'em, good body, good body. I'll wear 'em and tear 'em, good body. MOUSE. I was sweeping my room, my lady, my lady, I was sweeping my room, my lady. CAT. The cleaner you'd be, good body, good body, The cleaner you'd be, good body. MOUSE. I found a silver sixpence, my lady, my lady, I found a silver sixpence, my lady. CAT. The richer you were, good body, good body, The richer you were, good body. MOUSE. I went to the market, my lady, my lady, I went to the market, my lady. CAT. The further you went, good body, good body The further you went, good body. MOUSE. I bought me a pudding, my lady, my lady, I bought me a pudding, my lady. CAT ( snarling ). The more meat you had, good body, good body, The more meat you had, good body. MOUSE. I put it in the window to cool, my lady, I put it in the window to cool. CAT. ( sharply ). The faster you'd eat it, good body, good body, The faster you'd eat it, good body. MOUSE ( timidly ). The cat came and ate it, my lady, my lady, The cat came and ate it, my lady. CAT ( pouncingly ). And I'll eat you, good body, good body, And I'll eat you, good body. ( Springs upon the mouse and kills it. )
Moral of the Story
Do not trust your natural enemies, no matter how friendly they may seem.
Characters
Mouse ★ protagonist
Small, grey or brown fur, typical mouse features.
Attire: None, as an animal.
Timid, naive, conversational.
Cat ⚔ antagonist
Sleek, predatory, likely domestic cat size.
Attire: None, as an animal, but described as 'spinning' suggesting a domestic setting.
Aggressive, cunning, predatory, impatient.
Locations
Behind the Hall Door (Cat's Location)
A specific, somewhat hidden spot within a hall, where the Cat is found spinning.
Mood: initially domestic, quickly turns tense and predatory
The initial meeting between Mouse and Cat, where the Cat is engaged in a domestic activity.
Mouse's Room
The Mouse's personal living space, which it was sweeping.
Mood: humble, domestic, safe (before the Cat's intervention)
The Mouse's account of finding a silver sixpence and preparing for the market.
The Market
A bustling public place where goods are bought and sold.
Mood: lively, transactional
The Mouse's journey to purchase a pudding with its newfound wealth.
Window (for cooling pudding)
A window ledge or sill, used to cool a freshly bought pudding.
Mood: briefly safe, then vulnerable
The Mouse's attempt to cool its pudding, leading directly to the Cat's theft and the Mouse's demise.
Story DNA
Moral
Do not trust your natural enemies, no matter how friendly they may seem.
Plot Summary
A naive Mouse visits a Cat and engages in a lengthy, repetitive conversation about her daily activities, including finding money and buying a pudding. As the Mouse recounts how 'the cat' ate her pudding, the Cat's responses grow increasingly menacing. Finally, the Cat reveals her true predatory intent, pounces on the Mouse, and kills her.
Themes
Emotional Arc
false security to terror
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Joseph Jacobs collected and retold English fairy tales, often preserving their traditional, sometimes stark, endings.
Plot Beats (18)
- Mouse visits Cat, who is spinning.
- Mouse asks Cat what she is doing.
- Cat replies she is spinning old breeches.
- Mouse wishes Cat well with the breeches.
- Cat states she will wear and tear them.
- Mouse describes sweeping her room.
- Cat comments on the Mouse's cleanliness.
- Mouse recounts finding a silver sixpence.
- Cat notes the Mouse's increased wealth.
- Mouse tells of going to market.
- Cat remarks on the distance traveled.
- Mouse mentions buying a pudding.
- Cat, snarling, implies the pudding had meat.
- Mouse states she put the pudding in the window to cool.
- Cat sharply suggests the Mouse should eat it faster.
- Mouse timidly reveals 'the cat came and ate it'.
- Cat pounces, declaring she will eat the Mouse.
- Cat kills the Mouse.
