For this song, Cinderella is in italics and her dad is in bold…

            "Cinderella? Are you crying? What's the matter?"

            "Oh, it's nothing, father, just a little mishap on the way home."

            "Now don't try to fool me, I know when you're upset. How can I help you if you don't tell me?"

            "It's nothing important, father. You have enough to worry about without my little problems. I feel embarrassed when I get upset over petty things, seeing you stay cheerful and kind, despite all those terrible things that awful stepmother and her daughters do to you."

            "Cinderella, there's nothing special about me. You could get rid of your unhappiness too, if you just looked at things in the right way…"

            "I don't understand."

            "It's very simple, let me explain…

            When the cat's away,

            It's the mice who get the holiday

            When the cat's away,

            That's the day the mice will play

            What d'you mean, dad?

            There's a game of cat and mouse,

            Going on all over this ugly house  - Aah!

            There's a game of cat and mouse

            But the mice will have their day!

            When the cat's away, - yes, yes, yes…

            It's the mice who get the holiday  - Exactly!

            When the cat's away,

            That's the day the mice will play…

            Awful cat upstairs,

            Half is gone and built again with spares

            Awful cat upstairs,

            But the mice will have their day!

            When the cat's away,

            It's the mice who get the holiday

            When the cat's away,

            That's the day the mice will play…

            Now there's some ugly sister cats

            Never seen such ugly cats as that!

            Ugly sister cats,

            But the mice will have their day!

           

            When the cat's away,

            It's the mice who get the holiday

            When the cat's away,

            That's the day the mice will play…

           

            Won't that day be nice

            When the cats are terrified of mice,

            Won't that day be nice

            When the mice will have their day!

            When the cat's away,

            It's the mice who get the holiday

            When the cat's away,

            That's the day the mice will play!