(Early American) THE CAT AND THE MOUSE. [New York]: Hurd & Houghton, circa 1864. FIRST EDITION. 12mo - 7-1/4" x 4-15/16". String bound color pictorial printed paper wrappers with publisher's ad on back with light soiling for what is a wonderful copy of the book. [16] pp. including wrappers. This cumulative children's story is about the curious relationship between a cat and a mouse; the cat bit off the mouse's tail and the whole rest of the story involves the mouse figuring out what he has to give, and to whom he has to give it, in order to get some milk to give to the cat, so the cat will give him back his tail; illustrated with six full page color drawings and one color drawing within text; offsetting to all the drawings, and a small circular stain, 1/8" in diameter, effecting four pages; includes the nursery rhyme "The Three Little Kittens" on pp. [14-15]. The condition of the book is VERY GOOD +. Only one copy located on OCLC/WorldCat (Buffalo & Erie County Public Library, Rare Books). EXCEEDINGLY RARE # 000831