Good evening, children. It's Granny Maduff, ready with a story. So make yourselves comfy, and I'll begin.

Once upon a time, there lived a cat and a mouse. They had made each other's acquaintance and got along so well

that from that day on they were great friends.

They soon decided it would be best if they kept house together.

And so they did.

It was quite lovely.

When winter was imminent, the cat said to the mouse,

We should make provisions, or else what will we have to eat?

A fine idea, the mouse replied, I quite prefer to stay inside when it's cold out. My poor tail will freeze.

Not only that, but you could fall prey to a trap, and we can't have that, said the cat.

Oh dear, I didn't think of that, but yes, it's true. Let us find proper provisions and we shall hibernate here together for winter.

Said the mouse.

So, they bought a huge pot of fat.

This will keep us nice and plump through winter.

But it's too big to fit in our house, said the mouse.

Quite right. Let's store it in the well. It's dried up and we can lower it down in the bucket.

Then when we need some, we can scub it out and take it back here.

A grand plan, said the mouse. No one would think to look for food at the bottom of that old well

and this pot's big enough to last us almost till summer.

So they placed the pot of fat inside the old well's bucket, which was quite large and could hold quite a bit of water and lowered it down.

Now that's done. It'll be there when winter starts and we'll have it little by little, said the cat.

Yes indeed, dear friend, the mouse replied.

...