English Fairy Tales Part 6

And the harp snapped and broke, and never sang more.

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._)

CAP O' RUSHES

Well, there was once a very rich gentleman, and he'd three daughters, and he thought he'd see how fond they were of him. So he says to the first, "How much do you love me, my dear?"

"Why," says she, "as I love my life."

"That's good," says he.

So he says to the second, "How much do _you_ love me, my dear?"

"Why," says she, "better nor all the world."

"That's good," says he.

So he says to the third, "How much do _you_ love me, my dear?"

"Why, I love you as fresh meat loves salt," says she.

Well, he was that angry. "You don't love me at all," says he, "and in my house you stay no more." So he drove her out there and then, and shut the door in her face.

Well, she went away on and on till she came to a fen, and there she gathered a lot of rushes and made them into a kind of a sort of a cloak with a hood, to cover her from head to foot, and to hide her fine clothes. And then she went on and on till she came to a great house.

"Do you want a maid?" says she.

"No, we don't," said they.

"I haven't nowhere to go," says she; "and I ask no wages, and do any sort of work," says she.

"Well," says they, "if you like to wash the pots and sc.r.a.pe the saucepans you may stay," said they.

So she stayed there and washed the pots and sc.r.a.ped the saucepans and did all the dirty work. And because she gave no name they called her "Cap o' Rushes."

Well, one day there was to be a great dance a little way off, and the servants were allowed to go and look on at the grand people. Cap o'

Rushes said she was too tired to go, so she stayed at home.

But when they were gone she offed with her cap o' rushes, and cleaned herself, and went to the dance. And no one there was so finely dressed as her.

Well, who should be there but her master's son, and what should he do but fall in love with her the minute he set eyes on her. He wouldn't dance with any one else.

But before the dance was done Cap o' Rushes slipt off, and away she went home. And when the other maids came back she was pretending to be asleep with her cap o' rushes on.

Well, next morning they said to her, "You did miss a sight, Cap o'

Rushes!"

"What was that?" says she.

"Why, the beautifullest lady you ever see, dressed right gay and ga'.

The young master, he never took his eyes off her."

"Well, I should have liked to have seen her," says Cap o' Rushes.

"Well, there's to be another dance this evening, and perhaps she'll be there."

But, come the evening, Cap o' Rushes said she was too tired to go with them. Howsoever, when they were gone, she offed with her cap o' rushes and cleaned herself, and away she went to the dance.