THE TAILOR OF GLOUCESTER（5）

And out from under tea-cups and from under bowls and basins, stepped other and more little mice who hopped¹ away down off the dresser and under the wainscot.
The tailor sat down, close over the fire, lamenting— “One-and-twenty button-holes of cherry-coloured silk! To be finished by noon of Saturday: and this is Tuesday evening. Was it right to let loose those mice, undoubtedly² the property of Simpkin? Alack, I am undone³, for I have no more twist!”
The little mice came out again, and listened to the tailor; they took notice of the pattern of that wonderful coat. They whispered to one another about the taffeta lining⁴, and about little mouse tippets.
And then all at once they all ran away together down the passage behind the wainscot, squeaking⁵ and calling to one another, as they ran from house to house; and not one mouse was left in the tailor’s kitchen when Simpkin came back with the pipkin of milk!
Simpkin opened the door and bounced in, with an angry “G-r-r-miaw!” like a cat that is vexed⁶: for he hated the snow, and there was snow in his ears, and snow in his collar at the back of his neck. He put down the loaf and the sausages upon the dresser, and sniffed⁷.
“Simpkin,” said the tailor, “where is my twist?”
But Simpkin set down the pipkin of milk upon the dresser, and looked suspiciously at the tea-cups. He wanted his supper of little fat mouse!
“Simpkin,” said the tailor, “where is my TWIST?”
But Simpkin hid a little parcel privately⁸ in the tea-pot, and spit and growled⁹ at the tailor; and if Simpkin had been able to talk, he would have asked: “Where is my MOUSE?”
“Alack, I am undone!” said the Tailor of Gloucester, and went sadly to bed.
All that night long Simpkin hunted and searched through the kitchen, peeping into cupboards and under the wainscot, and into the tea-pot where he had hidden that twist; but still he found never a mouse!

接下来，从茶杯底下、碗底下和盆子底下走出一只又一只小老鼠，他们都踮着脚跳下
碗柜，钻到了壁板下面。
裁缝重新坐了下来，靠近火炉，悲叹道：“二十一个樱桃色捻线的纽扣扣眼啊！要在星
期六之前全部完成。可是，现在已经是星期二晚上了。我怎么能放走那些老鼠呢？这可是
辛普金抓的美餐呀！唉，这下完了，我没有捻线了。”
那些小老鼠重新跑了出来，听着裁缝说话。他们对那件令人振奋的外套很感兴趣。他
们窃窃私语，轻声讨论着塔夫绸衬里和老鼠披肩。
突然，他们又一起往壁板后的秘密通道里跑去。他们在屋子间跑来跑去，尖叫着，呼
唤着彼此。辛普金带着买好的食物回来的时候，厨房里的老鼠已经一只不剩了。
辛普金打开门跳了进来。“咕噜噜——喵！”他生气地叫着。猫恼火时都这样。他讨厌
雪，现在他的耳朵里进了雪，脖子后的领子里也都是雪。他把面包和香肠放在碗柜上，然
后闻了闻。
“辛普金，”裁缝问，“我的捻线呢？”
辛普金把那罐牛奶放在碗柜上，疑惑地看着那些茶杯。他多需要一顿肥肥的鼠餐啊！
“辛普金，”裁缝问，“我的捻线呢？”
辛普金悄悄地把一个小包藏到茶壶里面，然后对裁缝吐了口唾沫，并愤怒地大叫起
来。如果辛普金能够说话，他一定会问道：“那我的老鼠呢？”
“完了，完了！”裁缝叹了口气，伤心地朝床沿走去。
整整一夜，辛普金都在四处寻找着老鼠，在厨房的每个角落，在食品柜里，在壁板
下，在他藏着捻线的茶壶下面。他到处搜寻，可一只也没有找到！