English
Onceuponatimetherewasaverybeautifuldoll’s-house;itwasredbrickwithwhitewindows,andithadrealmuslincurtainsandafrontdoorandachimney.
ItbelongedtotwodollscalledLucindaandJane;atleastitbelongedtoLucinda,butsheneverorderedmeals.
JanewastheCook;butsheneverdidanycooking,becausethedinnerhadbeenboughtready-made,inaboxfullofshavings.
Thereweretworedlobstersandaham,afish,apudding,andsomepearsandoranges.
Theywouldnotcomeofftheplates,buttheywereextremelybeautiful.
OnemorningLucindaandJanehadgoneoutforadriveinthedoll’sperambulator.
Therewasnooneinthenursery,anditwasveryquiet.
Presentlytherewasalittlescuffling,scratchingnoiseinacornernearthefireplace,wheretherewasaholeundertheskirting-board.
TomThumbputouthisheadforamoment,andthenpoppeditinagain.TomThumbwasamouse.
Aminuteafterwards,HuncaMunca,hiswife,putherheadout,too;andwhenshesawthattherewasnooneinthenursery,sheventuredoutontheoilclothunderthecoal-box.
Thedoll’s-housestoodattheothersideofthefire-place.TomThumbandHuncaMuncawentcautiouslyacrossthehearthrug.Theypushedthefrontdoor—itwasnotfast.
TomThumbandHuncaMuncawentupstairsandpeepedintothedining-room.Thentheysqueakedwithjoy!
Suchalovelydinnerwaslaidoutuponthetable!Thereweretinspoons,andleadknivesandforks,andtwodolly-chairs—allSOconvenient!
TomThumbsettoworkatoncetocarvetheham.Itwasabeautifulshinyyellow,streakedwithred.
Theknifecrumpledupandhurthim;heputhisfingerinhismouth.
“Itisnotboiledenough;itishard.Youhaveatry,HuncaMunca.”
HuncaMuncastoodupinherchair,andchoppedatthehamwithanotherleadknife.
“It’sashardasthehamsatthecheesemonger’s,”saidHuncaMunca.
Thehambrokeofftheplatewithajerk,androlledunderthetable.
“Letitalone,”saidTomThumb;“givemesomefish,HuncaMunca!”
HuncaMuncatriedeverytinspooninturn;thefishwasgluedtothedish.
ThenTomThumblosthistemper.Heputthehaminthemiddleofthefloor,andhititwiththetongsandwiththeshovel—bang,bang,smash,smash!
Thehamflewallintopieces,forunderneaththeshinypaintitwasmadeofnothingbutplaster!
ThentherewasnoendtotherageanddisappointmentofTomThumbandHuncaMunca.Theybrokeupthepudding,thelobsters,thepearsandtheoranges.
Asthefishwouldnotcomeofftheplate,theyputitintothered-hotcrinklypaperfireinthekitchen;butitwouldnotburneither.
TomThumbwentupthekitchenchimneyandlookedoutatthetop—therewasnosoot.
WhileTomThumbwasupthechimney,HuncaMuncahadanotherdisappointment.
Shefoundsometinycanistersuponthedresser,labeled—Rice—Coffee—Sago—butwhensheturnedthemupsidedown,therewasnothinginsideexceptredandbluebeads.
Thenthosemicesettoworktodoallthemischieftheycould—especiallyTomThumb!HetookJane’sclothesoutofthechestofdrawersinherbedroom,andhethrewthemoutofthetopfloorwindow.
ButHuncaMuncahadafrugalmind.AfterpullinghalfthefeathersoutofLucinda’sbolster,sherememberedthatsheherselfwasinwantofafeatherbed.
WithTomThumbs’sassistanceshecarriedthebolsterdownstairs,andacrossthehearth-rug.Itwasdifficulttosqueezethebolsterintothemouse-hole;buttheymanageditsomehow.
ThenHuncaMuncawentbackandfetchedachair,abook-case,abird-cage,andseveralsmalloddsandends.Thebook-caseandthebird-cagerefusedtogointothemousehole.
HuncaMuncaleftthembehindthecoal-box,andwenttofetchacradle.
HuncaMuncawasjustreturningwithanotherchair,whensuddenlytherewasanoiseoftalkingoutsideuponthelanding.Themicerushedbacktotheirhole,andthedollscameintothenursery.
WhatasightmettheeyesofJaneandLucinda!Lucindasatupontheupsetkitchenstoveandstared;andJaneleantagainstthekitchendresserandsmiled—butneitherofthemmadeanyremark.
Thebook-caseandthebird-cagewererescuedfromunderthecoal-box—butHuncaMuncahasgotthecradle,andsomeofLucinda’sclothes.
Shealsohassomeusefulpotsandpans,andseveralotherthings.
Thelittlegirlthatthedoll’s-housebelongedto,said,—“Iwillgetadolldressedlikeapoliceman!”
Butthenursesaid,—“Iwillsetamouse-trap!”
SothatisthestoryofthetwoBadMice,—buttheywerenotsoveryverynaughtyafterall,becauseTomThumbpaidforeverythinghebroke.
Hefoundacrookedsixpenceunderthehearth-rug;anduponChristmasEve,heandHuncaMuncastuffeditintooneofthestockingsofLucindaandJane.
Andveryearlyeverymorning—beforeanybodyisawake—HuncaMuncacomeswithherdust-panandherbroomtosweepthedollies’house!
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