As it was a play day from school, Dot invited Patty Spider, Topsy Toad, Molly and Dolly Grasshopper, and Fidelia Cricket to visit Tiny and Teenty and help sew the pretty patchwork. Aunt Squeaky had baked them some tiny raisin cakes. They were having a jolly party under the wild grape-vine. Wee and Squealer played in the grape-vine swing. Wink, Wiggle and Buster were over watching their big brothers bring stones for Debby's fireplace.
They sewed for a long time, squealing merrily now and then as they pricked their tiny paws. Teenty borrowed Silvy's scissors to cut some thread. A strange idea popped into her head as she used those sharp, shiny scissors.
"I'm the very onliest one that goes trailing a long tail behind them. Neither Dolly, Molly, Patty, Fidelia, Topsy, nor Tiny wears a long tail. I want to look like my twin sister. Say, Tiny, did it hurt awfully when Buster snipped off your tail?"
"It hurt dreadfully! And it bled and bled. But Limpy-toes cured it," remembered Tiny.
"And now no one can step on your tail. That hurts dreadfully, too. I'm going to cut off my tail."
"Oh, you daresn't, Teenty Graymouse!" they cried in a shrill admiring chorus.
"You watch. Come back here, Tiny; you shall not tell tales to Mammy. One, two, three--snip!" Off flew the long slender end of Teenty's tail.
"Oh! oh! Get Dr. Grand-daddy!" cried Teenty, quite scared by the blood and pain.
Grand-daddy rushed over. All the older mice ran out with their white aprons full of patchwork squares, thimbles and spools of thread.
"Fetch my bottle of creoline and some warm water, Silvy," ordered Dr. Whiskers.