The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-12-17
Bedtime Stories
For Little Folks
THE ENCHANTED MOUSE.

One day the wife of poor man
caught mouse in wire trap. She
took 1t to pail of water to drown it.,
when, to her surprise, the mouse
spoke to her.
Good madam" it said, 81 am an
enchanted mouse and have in days
gone by been, prince. i hope some
day to come into my own again. Give
me life and you will never regret it."
"If you will promise never to take
the bread and cheese in my pantry
again. said the wife, 81 will grant |
your request.
| promise to keep the other mice away |
also"
So the wife opened the trap and the
mouse ran into big hole in the wall.
| What are you doing?" asked her
husband, who came in at that mo-
ment.
When the wife told him what the
mouse had said he was very angry.
why did you not make wish?" he
said. IF it is an enchanted mouse he
can grant anything, and here we are
living in this old hut and l never in
all my life had enough tobacco to fill
my pipe. Call him back and wish that
| may have a comfortable home and
full pipe"
! So the wife went to the hole and
called.
| Mouse, mouse, pray come to me.
| ] have a favor to ask of thee"
/ The mouse put its head out of the
hole and asked: what do you want
i; of me?"
!. 81 caught you in trap, said the
v wife. land let you go without wishing
My husband says l should have wish
ed and that he is tired of living in
10 this hut. He wishes a comfortable
If home and a full pipe"
,s Very WE'LL" said the mouse, "clos,
h, your eyes, turn around three time,
A. and then open your eyes and you vii
~ have the wish"
20 The wife did as the mouse said, an,
th when she opened her eyes there wa
her husband sitting in large cas-
chair smoking a pipe.
~ See" he said, isn't this bette
no than the poorly furnished hut we live
,a in, and have full pipe, too"
IL, EYES," replied the wife, I'VE shout
10 be content Low, for we shall be war;
ot in the winter in house so we'll built
-, But one day later the husband Sal,
wife, go to the mouse and tell him
=, he is a prince in disguise he can jus
as well build us a handsome castle
j., "But, husband" pleaded the wifi
q. 1--WE are comfortable here, what MOI
do we need?"
do as tell you," said the husban
So the wife went to the hole in til
pantry wall and called
Mouse, mouse, pray came to me,
have favor to ask of thee"
~ What is it asked the mouse, pl
,o' ting his head out.
my husband wishes a CASTLE" 81
said she is tired of living in a sms
:" house."
CLOSE your eyes, turn around thr
times, and then open your eyes," sa
the mouse, land you will have yo
seS wish"
The wife did so and when s
~ opened her eyes she did not knt
ms where she was, everything was
''o' beautiful, but her husband came a
w" took her by the hand and led h
10 through the large rooms.
'oa' isn't this better than the SIN
u % house" he asked her
."e 81 shall never be comfortable her
i'' said the wife, 'it is far too grand
iouS me-"
But even this did not satisfy
husband. and one day he said.
say should like to be an emperor and r
ippi- q country. oo 70 tho mouse ond
WIZ him to grant it."
orld, CD. a. -. 4 j.. -,
press" said the wife, pray do
ask it, and, besides, the mouse is c
o'i a prince in his own right; he &C
Du' not grant such wish"
hem, "no &c ta,, w, . sa;d tho hrsh,
''nu and the poor wife obeyed.
life aMouse mouse prav come TO n
have a favor to ask of thee"
What do you want now!" as
; pu' the mouse putting his head out of
dness hole
u " ALAS" answered the poor wor
"my husband wishes to be an EN-