Page:Journal of American Folklore vol. 12.djvu/577

 Notes and Queries. 229

from Miss Lydia R. Nichols, of Salem, Mass. (now deceased), and repre- sents the story as current in New England at the time of the earliest mem- ory of the reciter, about 1800 : —

THE CAT AND THE MOUSE.

i. The cat and the mouse went into the oven together. The cat bit off the mouse's tail, and the mouse bit off the cat's thread.

2. The mouse said, " Aye gi' me my own taiil again.

3. I woont without you go the cow and get me some milk.

4. Titty mouse hop, and titty mouse run, to the cow I come.

Do cow gi' me milk, I give cat milk, cat gi' me my own taiil again.

5. I woont without you go to the barn and get me some hay.

6. Do titty mouse hop, and titty mouse run, to the barn I come.

Do barn gi' me hay, I give cow hay, cow gi' me milk, I give cat milk, cat gi' me my own taiil again.

7. I woont without you go to the blacksmith and get me a lock and key.

8. Titty mouse hop, and titty mouse run, to the blacksmith I come.

Do blacksmith gi' me lock and key, I give barn lock and key, barn gi' me hay, I give cow hay, cow gi' me milk, I give cat milk, cat gi' me my own taiil again.

9. I woont without you go to the sea and get me some coal.

10. Titty mouse hop, and titty mouse run, to the sea I come.

Do sea gi' me coal, I give blacksmith coal, blacksmith gi' me lock and key, I give barn lock and key, barn gi' me hay, I give cow hay, cow gi' me milk, I give cat milk, cat gi' me my own taiil again.

11. I woont without you go to the cock and get me a feather.

12. Titty mouse hop, and titty mouse run, to the cock I come.

Do cock gi' me feather, I give sea feather, sea gi' me coal, I give black- smith coal, blacksmith gi' me lock and key, I give barn lock and key, barn gi' me hay, I give cow hay, cow gi' me milk, I give cat milk, cat gi' me my own taiil again.

13. I woont without you go to the miller and get me some corn.

14. Titty mouse hop, and titty mouse run, to the miller I come.

Do miller gi' me corn, I give cock corn, cock gi' me feather, I give sea feather, sea gi' me coal, I give blacksmith coal, blacksmith gi' me lock and key, I give barn lock and key, barn gi' me hay, I give cow hay, cow gi' me milk, I give cat milk, cat gi' me my own taiil again. The miller gave him some corn, and he gave it to the cock, the cock gave him a feather, and he gave it to the sea, the sea gave him some coal, and he gave it to the blacksmith, the blacksmith gave him a lock and key, and he gave it to the barn, the barn gave him some hay, and he gave it to the cow, the cow gave him some milk, and he gave it to the cat, and the cat gave him his own taiil again.
 * But after all his trouble, the tail was of no use to the poor mouse.

The Twelve Days of Christmas; a Nursery Soxo. — This rhyme, once in use as a carol, has been very popular in New England, where it cir-

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