The Mouse, the Cock and the Cat &

The Dog and the Shadow.

‘A Silly young Mouse
Ventur'd out of the house,
In spite of his mother's advice;’

Find out who she meets and what she thinks of them. Learn what her mother teaches her.

‘Ah, ha! Thought he, as no one spies,
If I could make this piece my prize,’

This dog is very pleased with his dinner, until he sees another dog with a bigger dinner! Find out what he does and what he learns.

We think the voice of the mouse is very funny. The dog gets what he deserves; we think he is quite greedy!

NAME

Richard Scrafton Sharpe

The Mouse, the Cock and the Cat
A Silly young Mouse
Ventur'd out of the house,
In spite of his mother's advice;
And, deaf to regard,
Ran along the farm-yard,
But return'd to the nest in a trice.

"O, i'm in such a fright!
And I've seen such a sight!"
Out of breath to her mother she cries:
"With tail, neck and head,
All frightful and red,
And wings of a wonderful size.

"Its great wings it spread,
And rear'd its head,
AndI heard, as I ran back to you,
It set up a roar,
Of a minute or more,
And cried, 'Cock-a-doodle-doo!'

"I long'd much to stay, 
For sleeping their lay
A creature so mild and demure;
With nice whiskers and tail,
O, it must, without fail,
Be a friend to our nation, I'm sure!"

"O child!" cried the old Mouse,
"Thou hast been bold Mouse,
'Twas lucky your friend was asleep;
By this friend, as you thought,
You would soon have been taught,
Young folk oft pay dear for a peep.

But the creature you fear'd,
When its hight head it rear'd,
And sent forth such terrible cries;
Was a bird of great beauty,
Performing its duty, 
In telling the servants to rise.

"In future, let me
Your monitor be,
Nor scorn a dear parent's advice."
Come, boys and girls, learn
Nor foolishly spurn
This lesson, though taught you by Mice.

The Dog and the Shadow
A hungry dog some meat had seized,
And, with the ample booty pleased,
His neighbour dogs forsook;
In fear for his delightful prize,
He look'd around with eager eyes,
And ran to cross the brook.

To cross the brook, a single plank
Was simply laid from bank to bank;
And, as he past alone,
He saw his shadow at his feet,
Which seem'd another dog, with meat
Much better than his own.

Ah, ha! Thought he, as no one spies,
If I could make this piece my prize,
I should be double winner:
So made a snatch; when, sad to tell! 
His own piece in the water fell
And thus he lost his dinner.

The fable which above you see,
To greedy folk must useful be,
And suits those to a tittle,
Who long for what they can't obtain;
'Tis sure far wiser to remain 
Contented with a little.

The End.