The.i.Acte The.v.Sceane
Gammer. Tyb. Cocke. Hodge
Gammer
How now Tyb quycke lets here,what newes thou hast brought hether 

Tyb
Chaue tost and tumbled yender heap our & ouer againe 
And winowed it through my fingers as men wold winow grain 
No so much as a hens turd but in pieces I tare it 
Or what so euer clod or clay I found, I did not spare it 
Lokyng within and eke without, to fynd your neele (alas) 
But all in vaine and without help, your neele is where it was. 

Gammer
A1as my neele we shall neuer meete, adue, adue for aye. 

Tyb
Not so gammer, we niyght it fynd f we knew where it laye. 

Cocke
Gogs crosse Gammer if ye will laugh looke in but at the doore 
And see how Hodg lieth tomblynge and tossmg amids the floure 
Rakyng there some fyre to find amonge the asshes dead 
Where there is not one sparke, so byg as a pyns head, 
At last in a darke corner two sparkes he thought he sees 
Which were mdede nought els but Gyb our cats two eyes 

Puffe quod hodg thinking therby to haue fyre without doubt 
With that Gyb shut her two eyes, & so the fyre was out 
And by and by them opened, euen as they were before, 
With that the sparkes appered euen as they had done of yore, 
And euen as hodge blew the fire as he did thincke 
Gyb as she felt the blast strayght way began to wyncke, 
Tyll Hodge fell of swering as came best to his turne, 
The fier was sure bewicht and therfore wold not burne: 
At last Gyb vp the stayers, among the old postes and pinnes, 
And Hodge he hied him after till broke were both his shinnes: 
Cursynge and swermg othes, were neuer of his makyng, 
That Gyb wold fyre the house, if that shee were not taken. 

Gammer
See here is all the thought that the foolysh Urchyn taketh, 
And Tyb me thinke at his elbowe almost as mery maketh 
This is all the wyt ye haue when others make their mone, 
Come downe Hodge, where art thou and let the Cat alone. 

Hodge
Gogs harte, help and come vp, Gyb in her tayle hath fyre, 
And is like to burne all if shee get a lytle hier: 
Cum downe (quoth you,) nay then you might count me a patch, 

The house commeth downe on your heads if it take ons y thatch. 

Gammer
It is the cats eyes foole that shineth in the darke. 

Hodge
Hath the Cat do you thinke in euery eye a sparke. 

Cammer
No, but they shyne as lyke fyre as euer man see. 

Hodge
By the masse and she burne all, yoush beare the blame for mee 

Gammer
Cum downe & help to seeke here our neele that it were found 
Downe Tyb on the knees I say,downe Cocke to the ground. 
To God I make a vowe, and so to good Saint Anne 
A candell shall they haue a peece, get it where I can, 
If I may my neele find in one place or in other. 

Hodge
Now a vengeaunce on gib light, on gyb and gybs mother 
And all the generacyon of Cats both far and nere 
Looke on the ground horson thinks thou the neele is here. 

Cocke
By my trouth gammer me thought your neele here I saw 
But when my fyngers toucht it, I felt it was a straw. 

Tyb
SeeHodgewhats thys mayitiiotbe within it, 

Hodge
Breake it foole with thy hand and see and thou canst fynde it. 

Tyb
Nay breake it you Hodge accordyng to your word. 

Hodge
Gogs sydes fye it styncks; it is a Cats tourd, 
It were well done to make thee eate it by the masse. 

Gammer
This matter amendeth not my neele is still where it wasse 

Our candle is at an ende let vs all in quight 
And come another tyme, when we haue more lyght