Beatrix Potter

Name: The Tailor of Gloucester
Author: Beatrix Potter

The Tailor of Gloucester (1903)

Summary

“The Tailor of Gloucester”, is a work by Beatrix Potter. It explores elements such as Simpkin, tailor and mice.

Quotes from The Tailor of Gloucester (Beatrix Potter)

Beatrix Potter, The Tailor of Gloucester (1903)

“ One bitter cold day near Christmas-time the tailor began to make a coat (a coat of cherry-coloured corded silk embroidered with pansies and roses) and a cream-coloured satin waistcoat (trimmed with gauze and green
worsted chenille) for the Mayor of Gloucester.
The tailor worked and worked, and he talked to himself. He measured the silk, and turned it round and round, and trimmed it into shape with his shears; the table was all littered with cherry-coloured snippets.
"No breadth at all, and cut on the cross; it is no breadth at all; tippets for mice and ribbons for mobs! for mice!" ”

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Source: Wikisource

Beatrix Potter, The Tailor of Gloucester

“ In the time of swords and periwigs and full-skirted coats with flowered lappets—when gentlemen wore ruffles, and gold-laced waistcoats of paduasoy and taffeta—there lived a tailor in Gloucester. ”

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Source: Gutenberg

Beatrix Potter, The Tailor of Gloucester (1903)

“ In the tailor's shop in Westgate Street the embroidered silk and satin lay cut out upon the table—one-and-twenty buttonholes—and who should come to sew them, when the window was barred, and the door was fast locked?
But that does not hinder the little brown mice; they run in and out without any keys through all the old houses in Gloucester!
Out-of-doors the market folks went trudging through the snow to buy their geese and turkeys, and to bake their Christmas pies; but there would be no Christmas dinner for Simpkin and the poor old tailor of Gloucester. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Beatrix Potter, The Tailor of Gloucester (1903)

“ There were roses and pansies upon the facings of the coat; and the waistcoat was worked with poppies and corn-flowers.
Everything was finished except just one single cherry-coloured buttonhole, and where that buttonhole was wanting there was pinned a scrap of paper with these words—in little teeny weeny writing—
NO MORE TWIST.
And from then began the luck of the Tailor of Gloucester; he grew quite stout, and he grew quite rich.
He made the most wonderful waistcoats for all the rich merchants of Gloucester, and for all the fine gentlemen of the country round. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Beatrix Potter, The Tailor of Gloucester

“ The tailor replied—"Simpkin, we shall make our fortune, but I am worn to a ravelling. Take this groat (which is our last fourpence) and Simpkin, take a china pipkin; buy a penn'orth of bread, a penn'orth of milk and a penn'orth of sausages. And oh, Simpkin, with the last penny of our fourpence buy me one penn'orth of cherry-coloured silk. But do not lose the last penny of the fourpence, Simpkin, or I am undone and worn to a thread-paper, for I have NO MORE TWIST."
Then Simpkin again said, "Miaw?" ”

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Source: Gutenberg

Beatrix Potter, The Tailor of Gloucester (1903)

“ Let it stand an hour——"
"Mew! Mew!" interrupted Simpkin, and he scratched at the door. But the key was under the tailor's pillow; he could not get in.
The little mice only laughed, and tried another tune—
"Three little mice sat down to spin,
Pussy passed by and she peeped in.
What are you at, my fine little men?
Making coats for gentlemen.
Shall I come in and cut off your threads?
Oh, no, Miss Pussy, you'd bite off our heads!"
"Mew! Mew!" cried Simpkin.
"Hey diddle dinketty!" answered the little mice—
"Hey diddle dinketty, poppetty pet! ”

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Source: Wikisource

Beatrix Potter, The Tailor of Gloucester

“ He cut his coats without waste, according to his embroidered cloth; they were very small ends and snippets that lay about upon the table—"Too narrow breadths for nought—except waistcoats for mice," said the tailor. ”

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Source: Gutenberg

Beatrix Potter, The Tailor of Gloucester (1903)

“ There was a snippeting of scissors, and snappeting of thread; and little mouse voices sang loudly and gaily:
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"Four-and-twenty tailors
Went to catch a snail,
The best man amongst them
Durst not touch her tail ”

Beatrix Potter

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Quotes from The Tailor of Gloucester (Beatrix Potter)

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