Alexander brown lived in a comfortable apartment on the first floor of Honeysuckle Villa. His living room and kitchen looked out over the broad sweep of the well tended lawn and flower borders. His bedroom had an excellent view beyond the little river, over wide rolling countryside, where one could see the corn, already beginning to turn golden, swaying to the touch of a light summer breeze.

One morning as Alexander was brushing his fur he saw the postman coming along the country lane that passed the house and a few minutes later there was the familiar plop of letters upon the door mat.

"I wonder if there is a letter for me." mused Alexander. "Perhaps I had better go and look."

He set off down the stairs keeping a wary eye open for Timothy Tabby who occupied the ground floor apartment. However at such an early hour it was unlikely that Timothy would be about. He liked to be out late at night and tended to sleep to a late hour in the mornings.

There was indeed a letter for Alexander. It was in an expensive looking envelope neatly inscribed

"Hmm, this looks as if it comes from Sally." Thought Mr. Brown, "and I think I can guess what it is."

He carried it back to his kitchen and opened it carefully with the kitchen knife. Inside was a gilt edged card with acorns and beech nuts around the outside. In neat brown and silver lettering it bore the following message.

"Ah, indeed it is." smiled Alexander. Sally was his favourite niece and she and Freddy had been walking out together now for some while. He really must think up a good present to give them.

"I must also look to see if I have a suitable suit to wear." thought Alexander. "It is a long time since I bought a new one." He made his way to the bedroom and began searching through his wardrobe.

First of all there was his everyday suit, a nice comfortable suit, so well made that it never seemed to wear out, but now getting rather shabby with a well-worn look to it. Besides it had leather patches at the elbows, so that would not do.

Behind his every day suit was his summer suit. He considered this carefully. It was certainly smart enough with not too much wear, but it was really rather too bright and showy to wear to a posh wedding. He ought to make more use of it though, perhaps during his holidays he would wear it for days on the river.

Next he came to a rather dark and sombre suit that had seen even less wear than the summer suit. He had last used it for the funeral of poor Aunt Marge, who had met with an unfortunate accident while foraging in the larder one night. She had been getting rather short sighted by then, and had not seen the THING poised above her head.

Lastly there was his dress suit, but he was quite sure that, though it would be a posh wedding, it would not be as posh as that. Besides uncle Egbert would never be persuaded to wear such attire, and they were sure to please him as he was such a favourite.

Alexander shook his head, so many suits, but not one just right for Sally's big day.

"I shall have to get a new one." He thought to himself. "I will go and see Dot and Dat Harvest at once, I expect they have been invited to the wedding too."

He hurried off outside, making sure that Timothy Tabby was not about. Down the lane which ran past the house, over the bridge that crossed the lazy little river, and into the meadow where the cows were quietly grazing. He knew that they would not bother him as he hurried along beside the hedge. Soon he was in the corn field in which the Harvests had their comfortable little house.

Dot Harvest was at the door as Alexander arrived. "Why here is cousin Alexander." She exclaimed. "Come along in and have a cup of burdock tea. Isn't it exciting news, we are all in a fluster, Sally has asked me to make her wedding dress, and Dat is to make a new suit for Freddy."

Alexander smiled at her eagerness. But with such a lot of work to be done they would not have time to make a new suit for him.

"Perhaps Peterkin Lew would do it," suggested Dat. "He made a very good dress suit for Roderick last Candlemass, and he is always very willing to oblige."

So they set off together through the little wood that bordered the field until they came to Peterkin's lofty home. Here they had to scramble up a long winding stair way to reach the front door. "I do hope he is in after all this long climb." Puffed Dat. "Mr. Lew, Peterkin Lew." Called out Dot. "Are you there." She gave a big tug at the bell rope. Far away in the depths of the house a bell sounded sonorously. They waited patiently, and soon heard the patter of soft feet on smooth polished floors. Bolts were drawn back, the door opened a crack, and Peterkin's anxious face peeped round it.

"Oh. Hullo Dot, Hullo Dat. What a surprise, and with a friend I see, do come in." He ushered them into a dim and dusty hall and carefully closed and bolted the door.

"Well, well, I haven't seen you since last Easter, how are things your way. Getting all excited I expect, I heard about the wedding. Young Jonathan Daw was round here last night to see if I had any hazel nuts to spare. It seems that the Daw's are to make the wedding cake, and they had used up all their supply of nuts."

He escorted them down the long hall into a light airy room that looked out over the tree tops towards the distant village, with its tall church spire.

"I suppose you have come to see if I have any rooms to spare for the winter. Why ever you don't get yourself a sensible house that you can use all year round I don't know." he continued. "I should hate to have to move house every time the corn was ready to cut."

"No, it's not that, we are not looking for new lodgings just yet. I hope we can get the wedding over before we need to do that." Explained Dat. "What we came for was to ask if you would make Alexander a new suit, we are so busy at the moment with the wedding dress and the bridegroom's suit that we have no time to spare."

"Why certainly, any thing to oblige. Now what sort of material did you have in mind? Come and see my stocks." Peterkin led Alexander into a back parlour where a number of rolls of cloth were stacked on shelves. Here Alexander looked through sample after sample until at last he found just what suited him. Then he was measured carefully with the tailor's tape measure.

"Come back in a weeks time and we will see how the suit fits." Said Peterkin as he showed Alexander and his friends to the door.

So a week later Alexander set off once more over the fields and through the wood to Peterkin Lew's house. The material was cut and pinned and lightly stitched ready for fitting and soon Peterkin was going round and round Alexander pulling a bit here pushing there folding and pinning until he was quite satisfied that all was perfect.

"There there now, I should think that is about it. Come along next Friday and it should be ready for you." Said Peterkin at last. "I think this is going to be one of the finest suits I have ever made for one of you smaller folk, and that material really suits you."

On the appointed Friday Alexander returned to the tailor's house. There was his suit ready and finished. He tried it on excitedly and it was quite the most comfortable and well fitting suit he had ever had. He turned this way and that before the mirror proudly examining every detail.

"Well, this is excellent." He remarked. "You have done a very fine job, I am most pleased. It is just what I needed for my niece's great day. Thank you very much indeed".

Peterkin Lew stood proudly watching, he was really pleased with his work and pleased too, to see how much enjoyment he had given to Alexander, for he was always happiest when helping others.

Then Alexander, with a final word of thanks, took his new suit home and carefully hung it in the wardrobe in a place of honour ready for the wedding next week.

"Ah," thought Alexander, "I really am going to enjoy this wedding." And he did. Nearly everyone in the family was there, and it is a big family. The bride looked marvellous in her dress, and the groom was extra smart in his wedding suit. Standing outside the church afterwards they looked a very happy couple.

At the reception Alexander had a wonderful time talking to all the brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts that he had not seen for ages, well at least since last Christmas. But everyone was so excited that nobody seemed to notice Alexander's new suit, except just one person that is.

"Uncle Alexander you look really spick and span in that new suit, I think it suits you wonderfully." Said Sally, just as she was shaking hands with everyone before departing for the honeymoon.