married on Christmas Day in the morning, and he hath ordered a coat and an
embroidered waistcoat--to be lined with yellow taffeta--and the taffeta
sufficeth; there is no more left over in snippets than will serve to make
tippets for mice----"

Then the tailor started; for suddenly, interrupting him, from the dresser
at the other side of the kitchen came a number of little noises--

_Tip tap, tip tap, tip tap tip!_

"Now what can that be?" said the Tailor of Gloucester, jumping up from his
chair. The dresser was covered with crockery and pipkins, willow pattern
plates, and tea-cups and mugs.

The tailor crossed the kitchen, and stood quite still beside the dresser,
listening, and peering through his spectacles. Again from under a tea-cup,
came those funny little noises--

_Tip tap, tip tap, Tip tap tip!_

"This is very peculiar," said the Tailor of Gloucester; and he lifted up
the tea-cup which was upside down.

[Illustration]

Out stepped a little live lady mouse, and made a curtsey to the tailor!
Then she hopped away down off the dresser, and under the wainscot.

The tailor sat down again by the fire, warming his poor cold hands, and
mumbling to himself----