English
Onceuponatimetherewasawoodmouse,andhernamewasMrs.Tittlemouse.
Shelivedinabankunderahedge.
Suchafunnyhouse!Therewereyardsandyardsofsandypassages,leadingtostore-roomsandnutcellarsandseedcellars,allamongsttherootsofthehedge.
Therewasakitchen,aparlor,apantry,andalarder.
Also,therewasMrs.Tittle-mouse’sbedroom,whereshesleptinalittleboxbed!
Mrs.Tittlemousewasamostterriblytidyparticularlittlemouse,alwayssweepinganddustingthesoftsandyfloors.
Sometimesabeetlelostitswayinthepassages.
“Shuh!Shuh!Littledirtyfeet!”saidMrs.Tittlemouse,clatteringherdustpan.
Andonedayalittleoldwomanranupanddowninaredspottycloak.
“Yourhouseisonfire,MotherLadybird!Flyawayhometoyourchildren!”
Anotherday,abigfatspidercameintoshelterfromtherain.
“Begpardon,isthisnotMissMuffet’s?”
“Goaway,youboldbadspider!Leavingendsofcobweballovermynicecleanhouse!”
Shebundledthespideroutatawindow.
Helethimselfdownthehedgewithalongthinbitofstring.
Mrs.Tittlemousewentonherwaytoadistantstoreroom,tofetchcherrystonesandthistle-downseedfordinner.
Allalongthepassageshesniffed,andlookedatthefloor.
“Ismellasmellofhoney;isitthecowslipsoutside,inthehedge?IamsureIcanseethemarksoflittledirtyfeet.”
Suddenlyroundacorner,shemetBabbittyBumble—“Zizz,Bizz,Bizzz!”saidthebumblebee.
Mrs.Tittlemouselookedatherseverely.Shewishedthatshehadabroom.
“Good-day,BabbittyBumble;Ishouldbegladtobuysomebees-wax.Butwhatareyoudoingdownhere?
Whydoyoualwayscomeinatawindow,andsay,Zizz,Bizz,Bizzz?”Mrs.Tittle-mousebegantogetcross.
“Zizz,Wizz,Wizzz!”repliedBabbittyBumbleinapeevishsqueak.Shesidleddownapassage,anddisappearedintoastoreroomwhichhadbeenusedforacorns.
Mrs.TittlemousehadeatentheacornsbeforeChristmas;thestoreroomoughttohavebeenempty.
Butitwasfullofuntidydrymoss.
Mrs.Tittlemousebegantopulloutthemoss.Threeorfourotherbeesputtheirheadsout,andbuzzedfiercely.
“Iamnotinthehabitoflettinglodgings;thisisanintrusion!”saidMrs.Tittlemouse.“Iwillhavethemturnedout—”“Buzz!Buzz!Buzzz!”—
”Iwonderwhowouldhelpme?”
“Bizz,Wizz,Wizzz!”
—“IwillnothaveMr.Jackson;heneverwipeshisfeet.”
Mrs.Tittlemousedecidedtoleavethebeestillafterdinner.
Whenshegotbacktotheparlor,sheheardsomeonecoughinginafatvoice;andtheresatMr.Jacksonhimself.
Hewassittingalloverasmallrockingchair,twiddlinghisthumbsandsmiling,withhisfeetonthefender.
Helivedinadrainbelowthehedge,inaverydirtywetditch.
“Howdoyoudo,Mr.Jackson?Dearyme,youhavegotverywet!”
“Thankyou,thankyou,thankyou,Mrs.Tittlemouse!I’llsitawhileanddrymyself,”saidMr.Jackson.
Hesatandsmiled,andthewaterdrippedoffhiscoattails.Mrs.Tittlemousewentroundwithamop.
Hesatsuchawhilethathehadtobeaskedifhewouldtakesomedinner?
Firstsheofferedhimcherry-stones.“Thankyou,thankyou,Mrs.Tittlemouse!Noteeth,noteeth,noteeth!”saidMr.Jackson.
Heopenedhismouthmostunnecessarilywide;hecertainlyhadnotatoothinhishead.
Thensheofferedhimthistle-downseed—“Tiddly,widdly,widdly!Pouff,pouff,puff.”saidMr.Jackson.Heblewthethistle-downallovertheroom.
“Thankyou,thankyou,thankyou,Mrs.Tittlemouse!NowwhatIreally—REALLYshouldlike—wouldbealittledishofhoney!”
“IamafraidIhavenotgotany,Mr.Jackson!”saidMrs.Tittlemouse.
“Tiddly,widdly,widdly,Mrs.Tittlemouse!”saidthesmilingMr.Jackson,“IcanSMELLit;thatiswhyIcametocall.”
Mr.Jacksonroseponderouslyfromthetable,andbegantolookintothecupboards.
Mrs.Tittlemousefollowedhimwithadishcloth,towipehislargewetfootmarksofftheparlorfloor.
Whenhehadconvincedhimselfthattherewasnohoneyinthecupboards,hebegantowalkdownthepassage.
“Indeed,indeed,youwillstickfast,Mr.Jackson!”
“Tiddly,widdly,widdly,Mrs.Tittlemouse!”
Firsthesqueezedintothepantry.
“Tiddly,widdly,widdly?Nohoney?Nohoney,Mrs.Tittlemouse?”
Therewerethreecreepy-crawlypeoplehidingintheplaterack.Twoofthemgotaway;butthelittlestonehecaught.
Thenhesqueezedintothelarder.MissButterflywastastingthesugar;butsheflewawayoutofthewindow.
“Tiddly,widdly,widdly,Mrs.Tittlemouse;youseemtohaveplentyofvisitors!”
“Andwithoutanyinvitation!”saidMrs.ThomasinaTittlemouse.
Theywentalongthesandypassage—“Tiddly,widdly—”“Buzz!Wizz!Wizz!”
HemetBabbittyroundacorner,andsnappedherup,andputherdownagain.
“Idonotlikebumblebees.Theyarealloverbristles,”saidMr.Jackson,wipinghismouthwithhiscoatsleeve.
“Getout,younastyoldtoad!”shriekedBabbittyBumble.
“Ishallgodistracted!”scoldedMrs.Tittlemouse.
SheshutherselfupinthenutcellarwhileMr.Jacksonpulledoutthebees-nest.Heseemedtohavenoobjectiontostings.
WhenMrs.Tittlemouseventuredtocomeout—everybodyhadgoneaway.
Buttheuntidinesswassomethingdreadful—“NeverdidIseesuchamess—smearsofhoney;andmoss,andthistledown—andmarksofbigandlittledirtyfeet—allovermynicecleanhouse!”
Shegatheredupthemossandtheremainsofthebees-wax.
Thenshewentoutandfetchedsometwigs,topartlycloseupthefrontdoor.
“IwillmakeittoosmallforMr.Jackson!”
Shefetchedsoftsoap,andflannel,andanewscrubbingbrushfromthestoreroom.Butshewastootiredtodoanymore.Firstshefellasleepinherchair,andthenshewenttobed.
“Williteverbetidyagain?”saidpoorMrs.Tittlemouse.
Nextmorningshegotupveryearlyandbeganaspringcleaningwhichlastedafort-night.
Sheswept,andscrubbed,anddusted;andsherubbedupthefurniturewithbees-wax,andpolishedherlittletinspoons.
Whenitwasallbeautifullyneatandclean,shegaveapartytofiveotherlittlemice,withoutMr.Jackson.
Hesmeltthepartyandcameupthebank,buthecouldnotsqueezeinatthedoor.
Sotheyhandedhimoutacorncupfulsofhoneydewthroughthewindow,andhewasnotatalloffended.
Hesatoutsideinthesun,andsaid—“Tiddly,widdly,widdly!Yourverygoodhealth,Mrs.Tittlemouse!”
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