A cat and a mouse wanted to live together, and sothey set up a common household. Theyalso prepared for the winter and bought a little jar of fat, but since theydidn’t know of a better and safer place to put it, they stuck it under thealtar in the church, where it was supposed to stay until they needed it.
Now, it was not long beforethe cat felt a craving for the fat and went to the mouse and said, “Listen,little mouse, my cousin has asked me tobe godfather for her child. She gave birth to a baby boy, white with brown spots.I’m to hold him at the christening. Would you mind letting me go out today andtaking care of the house by yourself?”
“No, no,” answered themouse. “Go there, and when you get something good to eat, think of me. I surewould like a little drop of that sweet, red christening wine.”
But the cat went straight to the church and licked upthe skin off the top of the fat. Thenhe strolled around the city and didn’t return home until evening.
“You must have enjoyed yourself verymuch,” the mouse said.
“What name did they give the child?” “Skin-Off,” the cat answered.
“Skin-Off? That’s a strange name. I’ve never heardof it before.”
Soon thereafter the cat felt another craving and went tothe mouse and said: “I’ve been asked to be godfather once more. The child has awhite ring around his body. I can’t refuse. You must do me a favor and look after the house.”
The mouse consented, and thecat went and ate up half the jar of fat. When he returned home, the mouseasked, “What name was this godchild given?”
“Half-Gone.”
“Half-Gone! You don’t say!I’ve never heard of such a name. I’m sure it’s not on the list of properbaptismal names.”
Now the cat couldn’t stop thinking aboutthe jar of fat.
“I’ve been asked to begodfather again for a third time. This child’s all black and has white paws.Aside from that there’s not a white hair on his body. That only happens onceevery few years. You’ll let me go, won’t you?”
“Skin-Off, Half-Gone,” themouse said. “Those are really curious names. I’m beginning to wonder aboutthem. Even so, go ahead.”
The mouse cleaned the houseand put it in order. Meanwhile the cat ate up the rest of the fat in the jarand came home stout and stuffed late at night.
“What’s the nameof the third child?” “All-Gone.”
“All-Gone! Hey now! That’s the most suspicious ofall the names,”
said the mouse.“All-Gone! What’s it supposed to mean? I’ve never seen it in print!”
Upon saying that, the mouse shook herhead and went to sleep.
Nobody called upon the catto become godfather for the fourth time. However, soon winter came, and therewas nothing more to be found outside. So the mouse said to the cat, “Come,let’s go to our supply that we stuck beneath the altar in the church.”
But when they arrived there, the jar wascompletely empty.
“Oh!” said the mouse. “Now Iknow what’s happened! It’s as clear as day. You ate it all up when you went toserve as godfather. First the skin, then half, then . . .”
“Shut up!”yelled the cat. “One more word, and I’ll eat you up!” “All gone” was already on the tip of the poor mouse’stongue. No
sooner did she say it than the cat jumpedon her and swallowed her
in one gulp.
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