“The Cat and the Mouse in Partnership.” The Yellow Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London, New York, Bombay: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1906, pp. 1-3.

Tale Summary

There was once a cat who persuaded a mouse to live with her and share in the household chores on account of the great love she felt for her. When winter drew near, the cat said that they must prepare or go hungry, but the mouse should stay home in case she got caught in a trap. A little pot of fat was bought, and the two decided that the cat should hide it in the corner of a church, and that neither should touch it unless they needed to. It wasn’t long before the cat wanted some, and so she told the mouse that she had been asked to be the godmother of her cousin’s son and had to leave for the day. The mouse took care of the housework while the cat ate from the pot of fat, licking off the top. When she arrived home the mouse asked what the name of the child was, and the cat answered that it was Top Off. Soon after, the cat wanted more, and so she said she was again asked to be a godmother and went off to the church and ate half the pot of fat, and upon arriving home she told the mouse that the child’s name was Half Gone. Once more the cat told this lie and ate the rest of the pot, and said the child had been named Clean Gone. When winter came and there was no more food, the two went to the church to retrieve the pot of fat. The mouse saw that it was empty and reprimanded the cat, who then ate her.