A poor old tailor, a grumpy cat, and some very kind little mice at Christmas! A story by Beatrix Potter, from her 1903 picture book.
🧵 The story in brief
A poor old tailor is making a fine coat for the Mayor's Christmas wedding, but he runs out of red silk thread. He lets some little mice go free, and his cat Simpkin is so cross that he hides the silk.
The tailor feels poorly and rests in bed. On Christmas Eve, the kind mice sew the coat for him! Simpkin feels sorry and gives back the silk, and the tailor finds his coat finished but one button-hole.
📖 The story, part by part
Tap “Read it to me” to listen, or read each part with a grown-up. The green boxes show Beatrix Potter's own words.
Part 1
A tailor in Gloucester
Long ago, in the town of Gloucester, there lived a kind old tailor. A tailor is a person who makes clothes.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “He sat in the window of a little shop in Westgate Street, cross-legged on a table, from morning till dark.”
He sewed fine silk for other people, but he was very poor himself.
Part 2
A coat for the Mayor
Beatrix Potter wrote: “One bitter cold day near Christmastime the tailor began to make a coat”
It was a cherry-red silk coat for the Mayor of Gloucester, who was getting married on Christmas Day. But the tailor needed more cherry-red silk thread, called twist.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “He lived alone with his cat; it was called Simpkin.”
The tailor gave Simpkin his very last coins to buy food and one more bit of cherry-red silk.
Part 3
Mice under the tea-cups
While Simpkin was out, the tailor heard little noises from under the tea-cups: tip tap, tip tap!
Beatrix Potter wrote: “Out stepped a little live lady mouse, and made a curtsey to the tailor!”
Beatrix Potter wrote: “Out stepped a little gentleman mouse, and made a bow to the tailor!”
Simpkin had been keeping those mice under the cups, hoping to catch them. The kind tailor let them all go free.
Part 4
Simpkin is cross
Simpkin came home cold and grumpy. His mice were gone! So he did something sneaky.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “But Simpkin hid a little parcel privately in the tea-pot”
The parcel was the tailor's red silk. The tailor felt poorly, so he went to bed to rest for a few days.
Part 5
Christmas Eve
On Christmas Eve, Simpkin walked out in the snow. He saw a glow of light in the tailor's shop.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “There was a snippeting of scissors, and snappeting of thread”
The little mice were sewing the Mayor's coat for the tailor, and singing as they worked!
Part 6
Simpkin says sorry
Simpkin went home and thought about the kind little mice.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “he felt quite ashamed of his badness compared with those good little mice!”
He gave back the red silk. When the tailor woke up, feeling better, there it was on his quilt.
Part 7
The most beautiful coat
The tailor hurried to his shop. On the table lay the most beautiful coat, all finished but one button-hole. A tiny note said NO MORE TWIST.
There was just one button-hole left, and the tailor had enough strength to sew it. From then on he was happy and busy, and his little stitches were famous.
Beatrix Potter wrote: “they looked as if they had been made by little mice!”
💛 Big idea
Kindness comes back to you. The tailor was kind to the mice, and the mice were kind to him. Simpkin saw that, and he said sorry. Even a grumpy cat can learn to be kind.
🐭 Meet the characters
The Tailor of Gloucester
A kind, poor old tailor in round glasses. He sews beautiful coats.
Simpkin
The tailor's grey cat. He is grumpy and sneaky, but in the end he is sorry.
The lady mouse
A little mouse who makes a curtsey to the tailor. She and her friends love to sew.
The gentleman mouse
A little mouse in a coat who makes a bow to the tailor.
🧵 What happened?
What a Christmas for the tailor! Look at each picture, read the clue, and tap the right answer.
For grown-ups: every clue comes from Beatrix Potter's story. Tap 🔈 to hear each one.
1. Where were the mice hiding?
2. Where did Simpkin hide the red silk?
3. Who was the coat for?
4. What colour was the twist?
5. Who sewed in the shop at night?
6. What did the tiny note say?
Score: 0 of 6
🔤 New words
Tap 🔈 to hear a word and what it means.
tailor
A person who sews and makes clothes, like coats and waistcoats.
mayor
The leader of a town. The Mayor of Gloucester needs a new coat.
twist
An old word for silk thread, twisted so it is strong.
waistcoat
A short jacket with no sleeves, worn over a shirt.
thimble
A little metal cap that keeps your finger safe when you sew.
ashamed
Feeling sorry and bad about something you did.
🐱 The Tailor of Gloucester quiz
How much do you remember? Tap the right answer for each question.
For grown-ups: each question has a 🔈 button so pre-readers can hear it. Works with a keyboard too (Tab to move, Enter to choose).
1. What was the cat called?
2. When does the story happen?
3. Why did the tailor send Simpkin out?
4. How did Simpkin feel when he saw the good mice?
5. What did the mice leave unfinished?
6. What is a good lesson from this story?
Score: 0 of 6
💬 Let's talk about it
There are no wrong answers. Talk with a grown-up or a friend.
How do you think the tailor felt when he saw the finished coat?
Why did Simpkin hide the silk? Was that kind?
How did the mice help? How can you help someone at home?
Have you ever said sorry? How did it feel?
If you could sew a coat, what would you put on it?