shan't," said the Mouse.

"Then I'll do it myself," said the little Red Hen. So off she ran to
get the sticks. "And now, who'll fill the kettle from the spring?"
she asked.

"_I_ shan't," said the Cock.

"_I_ shan't," said the Mouse.

"Then I'll do it myself," said the little Red Hen. And off she ran
to fill the kettle. "And who'll get the breakfast ready?" she asked,
as she put the kettle on to boil.

"_I_ shan't," said the Cock.

"_I_ shan't," said the Mouse.

"I'll do it myself," said the little Red Hen. All breakfast time the
Cock and the Mouse quarrelled and grumbled. The Cock upset the milk
jug, and the Mouse scattered crumbs upon the floor[.] "Who'll clear
away the breakfast?" asked the poor little Red Hen, hoping they
would soon leave off being cross.

"_I_ shan't," said the Cock.

"_I_ shan't," said the Mouse.

"Then I'll do it myself," said the little Red Hen. So she cleared
everything away, swept up the crumbs, and brushed up the fireplace.
"And now, who'll help me to make the beds?"

"_I_ shan't," said the Cock.

"_I_ shan't," said the Mouse.

"Then I'll do it myself," said the little Red Hen. And she tripped
away upstairs. But the lazy Cock and Mouse each sat down in a
comfortable arm-chair by the fire and soon fell fast asleep.

Now the bad Fox had crept up the hill, and into the garden, and if
the Cock and Mouse hadn't been asleep, they would have seen his
sharp eyes peeping in at the window. "Rat tat tat, Rat tat tat", the
Fox knocked at the door.

"Who can that be?" said the Mouse, half opening his eyes.

"Go and look for yourself, if you want to know," said the rude
Cock[.]

"It's the postman perhaps," thought the Mouse to himself, "and he
may have a letter for me." So without waiting to see who it was, he
lifted the latch and opened the door. As soon as he opened it in
jumped the big Fox, with a cruel smile upon his face! "Oh! oh! oh!"
squeaked the Mouse as he tried to run up the chimney.

"Doodle doodle do!" screamed the Cock, as he jumped on the back of
the biggest arm-chair[.] But the Fox only laughed, and without more
ado he took the little Mouse by the tail, and popped him into the
sack, and seized the Cock by the neck and popped him in too. Then
the poor little Red Hen came running down-stairs to see what all the
noise was about, and the Fox caught her and put her into the sack
with the others. Then he took a long piece of string out of his
pocket, wound it round and ro