Franklin T. Baker

Titty Mouse and Tatty Mouse

Titty Mouse lived in a house.

Tatty Mouse also lived in a house.

So they both lived in a house.

Titty Mouse went stealing.

Tatty Mouse also went stealing.

So they both went stealing.

Titty Mouse stole an ear of corn.

Tatty Mouse stole an ear of corn.

So they both stole an ear of corn.

Titty Mouse made a pudding.

Tatty Mouse made a pudding.

So they both made a pudding.

Titty Mouse put her pudding on the fire.

She upset the pudding and burned herself to death.

Then Tatty Mouse sat down and wept.

Now there was a little chair near by.

And the chair asked,

      "Tatty, what is the matter?

      Why do you weep?"

"Oh," Tatty answered, "Titty is dead, and so I weep."

"Then," said the little chair, "I'll hop."

So the chair hopped.

Now there was a broom in the corner of the room.

The broom said,

      "Little chair, what is the matter?

      Why do you hop?"

"Oh," said the chair,

      "Titty is dead, and Tatty weeps,

      and so I hop."

"Then," said the broom, "I'll sweep."

So the broom swept.

The door saw the broom sweep.

So the door asked,

      "Broom, why do you sweep?"

"Oh," answered the broom,

      "Titty is dead, and Tatty weeps,

      and the chair hops,

      and so I sweep."

"Then," said the door, "I'll shut."

So the door shut.

The window heard the door shut.

So the window said,

      "Door, why do you shut?"

"Oh," said the door,

      "Titty is dead, and Tatty weeps,

      and the chair hops,

      and the broom sweeps,

      and so I shut."

"Then," said the window, "I'll creak."

So the window creaked.

Now there was an old bench outside the house.

The old bench said,

      "Window, why do you creak?"

The window said,

      "Oh, Titty is dead, and Tatty weeps,

      and the chair hops,

      and the broom sweeps,

      and the door shuts,

      and so I creak."

"Then," said the bench, "I'll run around the house."

So the old bench ran around the house.

Now there was a little robin sitting in a tree near the house.

When he saw the bench running around the house, he said,

      "Bench, why do you run around the house?"

The old bench stopped a minute and said,

      "Oh, Titty is dead, and Tatty weeps,

      and the chair hops,

      and the broom sweeps,

      and the door shuts,

      and the window creeks,

      and so I run around the house."

"Then," said the robin, "I'll lose all my feathers."

So the robin lost his pretty feathers.

The tree saw the robin losing its feathers.

So the tree said,

      "Robin, why do you lose

      all your pretty feathers?"

And the robin said,

      "Oh, Titty is dead, and Tatty weeps,

      and the chair hops,

      and the broom sweeps,

      and the door shuts,

      and the window creaks,

      and the old bench runs around the house,

      and so I lose all my pretty feathers."

"Then," said the tree, "I'll shed my leaves."

So the tree shed all its beautiful green leaves.

Just then a little girl came by with a pitcher of milk for her supper.

And she said,

      "Tree, why do you shed all your beautiful green leaves?"

The tree said,

      "Oh, Titty is dead, and Tatty weeps,

      and the chair hops,

      and the broom sweeps,

      and the door shuts,

      and the window creaks,

      and the old bench runs around the house,

      and the little bird loses all its pretty feathers,

      and so I shed my leaves."

"Then," said the little girl, "I'll spill my milk."

So she dropped the pitcher, and spilt all her milk.

Now there was an old man on a ladder, picking apples from a tree.

And he said,

      "Little girl, why did you spill your milk?"

The little girl said,

      "Oh, Titty is dead, and Tatty weeps,

      and the chair hops,

      and the broom sweeps,

      and the door shuts,

      and the window creaks,

      and the old bench runs

      around the house,

      and the little bird

      loses all its pretty feathers,

      and the tree sheds all

      its beautiful green leaves,

      and so I spill my milk."

"Then," said the old man,

      "I'll fall off the ladder

      and break my neck."

So he fell off the ladder and broke his neck.

The ladder fell against the house,

      and over the old bench,

      and upset the door,

      and broke the window.

The house fell down on top of the chair and the broom and poor Tatty Mouse.