Three mice went into a hole to spin was another Grainger singsong-time favourite. It was always recited by my father and I never heard my mother sing it. It is a nice suitably gruesome account (for tiny infants that is) of mice succumbing to a cat's flattery and taking their last gasps lined up on the floor. This jolly tale can be found in Peggy Grainger's A Mum's (Mostly Musical) Memories, it also reminds me very much of the Lower German song Lütt Matten which also deals with foolish beasts.

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Since writing the above sometime in 2000, I have now (July, 2019) found that this song can be found in Little Songs of Long Ago (1912), a collection of nursery rhynmes edited by Alfred Moffat.

Three mice went into a hole to spin, Puss passed by and Puss looked in.
"What are you doing, my little men?". "We're weaving coats for gentlemen".

"Please may I help you to wind up your thread?".
"Oh, no Mistress Pussy, you'd bite off our heads".
"Oh, no Mistress Pussy, you'd bite off our heads".

Said Puss, "I look so wondrous wise, I like your whiskers and nice bright eyes".
"Your house is the nicest I've ever seen, I'm sure there's room you and me!".

The mice were so pleased that they opened the door.
And soon Pussy laid them all dead on the floor.
And soon Pussy laid them all dead on the floor.