A cat having made the acquaintance of a mouse, told her so much of the
great love and affection that he had for her, that the mouse at
last consented to live in the same house with him, and to have their
domestic affairs in common. "But we must provide for the winter,"
said the cat, "or we shall be starved; you, little mouse, cannot go
everywhere looking for food, or you will meet with an accident."
This advice was followed, and a pot was brought with some grease in
it. However, when they had got it, they could not imagine where it
should be put; but at last, after a long consideration, the cat said:
"I know no better place to put it than in the church, for there no
one dares to steal anything; we will set it beneath the organ, and not
touch it till we really want it."
So the pot was put away in safety; but not long afterward the cat
began to wish for it again, so he spoke to the mouse and said: "I have
to tell you that I am asked by my aunt to stand godfather to a little
son, white with brown marks, whom she has just brought into the world,
and so I must go to the christening. Let me go out to-day, and do you
stop at home and keep house."
"Certainly," answered the mouse; "pray, go; and if you eat anything
nice, think of me; I would also willingly drink a little of the sweet
red christening-wine."
But, alas! it was all a story; for the cat had no aunt, and had not
been asked to stand godfather to any one. He went straight to the
church, crept up to the grease-pot, and licked it till he had eaten
off the top; then he took a walk on the roofs of the houses in the
town, thinking over his situation, and now and then stretching himself
in the sun and stroking his whiskers as often as he thought of his
meal. When it was evening he went home again, and the mouse said: "So
you have come at last; what a charming day you must have had!"
"Yes," answered the cat; "it went off very well!"
"What have you named the kitten?" asked the mouse.
"_Top-off_," said the cat very quickly.
"_Top-off!_" replied the mouse; "that is a curious and remarkable
name; is it common in your family?"
"What does that matter?" said the cat; "it is not worse than
Crumb-stealer, as your children are called."
Not long afterward the cat felt the same longing as before, and said
to the mouse: "You must oblige me by taking care of the house once
more by yourself; I am again asked to stand godfather, and, since
the youngster has a white ring round his neck, I cannot get off the
invitation." So the good little mouse consented, and the cat crept
away behind the wall to the church again, and ate half the contents
of the grease-pot. "Nothing tastes better than what one eats by one's
self," said he, quite contented with his day's work; and when he came
home the mouse asked how this child was named.
"_Half-out_," answered the cat.
"_Half-out!_ What do you mean? I never heard such a name before in
my life; I will wager anything it is not in the calendar," but the
cat replied nothing.
Pussy's mouth soon began to water again at the recollection of the
feasting. "All good things come in threes," said he to the mouse. "I
am again required to be godfather; this child is quite black, and has
little white claws, but not a single white hair on his body; such a
thing only happens once in two years, so pray excuse me this time."
"_Top-off! Half-out!_" answered the mouse; "those are such curious
names, they make me a bit suspicious."
"Ah!" replied the cat, "there you sit in your gray coat and long tail,
thinking nonsense. That comes of never going out."
The mouse busied herself during the cat's absence in putting the house
in order, but meanwhile greedy puss licked the grease-pot clean out.
"When it is all done one will rest in peace," thought he to himself,
and as soon as night came he went home fat and tired. The mouse,
however, again asked what name the third child had received. "It
will not please you any better," answered the cat, "for he is called
_All-out_."
"_All-out!_" exclaimed the mouse; "well, that is certainly the most
curious name by far. I have never yet seen it in print. _All-out!_
What can that mean?" and, shaking her head, she rolled herself up and
went to sleep.
After that nobody else asked the cat to stand godfather; but the
winter had arrived, and nothing more was to be picked up out of doors;
so the mouse bethought herself of their store of provision, and said,
"Come, friend cat, we will go to our grease-pot which we laid by; it
will taste well now."
"Yes, indeed," replied the cat; "it will taste as well as if you
stroked your tongue against the window."
So they set out on their journey, and when they arrived at the church
the pot stood in its old place--but it was empty! "Ah," said the
mouse, "I see what has happened; now I know you are indeed a faithful
friend. You have eaten the whole as you stood godfather; first
_Top-off_, then _Half-out_, then--"
"Will you be quiet?" cried the cat. "Not a word, or I'll eat you." But
the poor mouse had "_All-out"_ at her tongue's end, and had scarcely
uttered it when the cat made a spring, seized her in his mouth, and
swallowed her.
This happens every day in the world.
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