It took her some time to do this, for she could
only work at night. Mice like to sleep during the day and work at
night, when there are no people around to interrupt them, and even the
cat is fast asleep. Some mice run about in the daytime, but they are
not very wise mice who do this.
At last Mamma Mouse gnawed a hole through the baseboard large enough
for her to get through into the pantry, and then her disappointment
was great to find the bread jar covered over with a tin pan.
"How thoughtless people are to put things where a hungry mouse cannot
get at them," said Mamma Mouse to herself, with a sigh. But just then
she espied a barrel of flour standing upon the floor; and that gave
her new courage, for she knew she could easily gnaw through that, and
the flour would do to eat just as well as the bread.
It was now nearly daylight, so she decided to leave the attack upon
the flour barrel until the next night; and gathering up for the
children a few crumbs that were scattered about, she ran back into the
wall and scrambled up to her nest.
Hickory and Dickory and Dock were very glad to get the crumbs, for
they were hungry; and when they had breakfasted they all curled up
alongside their mother and slept soundly throughout the day.
"Be good children," said Mamma Mouse the next evening, as she prepared
for her journey to the pantry, "and do n't stir out of your nest till
I come back.
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