Here it was, there it was, my father had it, my mother had it, I had it, you had it, there was a cat in the world. This cat once ate milk from a bowl; a little mouse goes up to it, just licking, just licking the edge of the bowl. The cat says to him:
- Don't be silly, mouse buddy, don't lick your lips, or I'll suck your tail!
The little mouse didn't believe, he just licked his lips, the cat bit his tail. The little mouse cried and asked the cat to give him back his tail, but the cat wouldn't.
- Bring me milk from the cow and I'll give you back your tail.
The mouse went to the cow.
- Cow, give me milk, give milk to kitty, kitty give me back my tail.
- "I won't give you any," says the cow, "until you bring me hay from the reaper.
The little mouse went to the reaper.
- Grim Reaper, give me hay, I'll give hay to cow, cow give me milk, I'll give milk to kitty, kitty give me back my tail.
- I won't give you bread until you bring me bread from the oven.
The little mouse went to the oven.
- Baker, give me bread, I give bread to the reaper, the reaper gives me grass, I give grass to the cow, the cow gives me milk, I give milk to the cat, the cat gives me back my tail.
- "I won't give you any," says the baker, "until you bring me bacon from the pig.
The little mouse went to the pig.
- Pig, give me bacon, I give bacon to the baker, the baker gives me bread, I give bread to the reaper, the reaper gives me grass, I give grass to the cow, the cow gives me milk, I give milk to the cat, the cat gives me back my tail.
- "I won't give," says the pig, "until you bring me acorns from the tree.
The little mouse went to the tree. As he was looking up bitterly to see how to get the acorns down, suddenly an acorn fell, hit the little mouse on the head and killed him.
If the little mouse hadn't died, maybe my story would have lasted longer.
(László Arany: Hungarian folk tales)
