and Simpkin went away shaking his ears as if he had a bee in his bonnet.

[Illustration]

From the tailor's shop in Westgate came a glow of light; and when Simpkin
crept up to peep in at the window it was full of candles. There was a
snippeting of scissors, and snappeting of thread; and little mouse voices
sang loudly and gaily--

"Four-and-twenty tailors
Went to catch a snail,
The best man amongst them
Durst not touch her tail,
She put out her horns
Like a little kyloe cow,
Run, tailors, run! or she'll have you all e'en now!"

Then without a pause the little mouse voices went on again--

"Sieve my lady's oatmeal,
Grind my lady's flour,
Put it in a chestnut,
Let it stand an hour----"

[Illustration]

"Mew! Mew!" interrupted Simpkin, and he scratched at the door. But the
key was under the tailor's pillow, he could not get in.

The little mice only laughed, and tried another tune--