01-the bronze ring-第3章

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the　black　cats　had　followed　him；　and；　not　having　been　fed

for　several　days；　they　were　fearfully　hungry；　and　made

terrible　havoc　among　the　mice。



Then　the　queen　of　the　mice　held　a　council。



〃These　cats　will　eat　every　one　of　us；〃　she　said；　〃if　the

captain　of　the　ship　does　not　shut　the　ferocious　animals　up。

Let　us　send　a　deputation　to　him　of　the　bravest　among　us。〃



Several　mice　offered　themselves　for　this　mission　and　set

out　to　find　the　young　captain。



〃Captain；〃　said　they；　〃go　away　quickly　from　our　island；

or　we　shall　perish；　every　mouse　of　us。〃



〃Willingly；〃　replied　the　young　captain；　〃upon　one

condition。　That　is　that　you　shall　first　bring　me　back　a　bronze

ring　which　some　clever　magician　has　stolen　from　me。　If

you　do　not　do　this　I　will　land　all　my　cats　upon　your

island；　and　you　shall　be　exterminated。〃



The　mice　withdrew　in　great　dismay。　〃What　is　to　be

done？〃　said　the　Queen。　〃How　can　we　find　this　bronze

ring？〃　She　held　a　new　council；　calling　in　mice　from　every

quarter　of　the　globe；　but　nobody　knew　where　the　bronze

ring　was。　Suddenly　three　mice　arrived　from　a　very　distant

country。　One　was　blind；　the　second　lame；　and　the

third　had　her　ears　cropped。



〃Ho；　ho；　ho！〃　said　the　new…comers。　〃We　come　from　a

far　distant　country。〃



〃Do　you　know　where　the　bronze　ring　is　which　the　genii

obey？〃



〃Ho；　ho；　ho！　we　know；　an　old　sorcerer　has　taken

possession　of　it；　and　now　he　keeps　it　in　his　pocket　by　day　and　in

his　mouth　by　night。〃



〃Go　and　take　it　from　him；　and　come　back　as　soon　as

possible。〃



So　the　three　mice　made　themselves　a　boat　and　set　sail

for　the　magician's　country。　When　they　reached　the　capital

they　landed　and　ran　to　the　palace；　leaving　only　the

blind　mouse　on　the　shore　to　take　care　of　the　boat。　Then

they　waited　till　it　was　night。　The　wicked　old　man　lay

down　in　bed　and　put　the　bronze　ring　into　his　mouth；　and

very　soon　he　was　asleep。



〃Now；　what　shall　we　do？〃　said　the　two　little　animals　to

each　other。



The　mouse　with　the　cropped　ears　found　a　lamp　full　of

oil　and　a　bottle　full　of　pepper。　So　she　dipped　her　tail　first

in　the　oil　and　then　in　the　pepper；　and　held　it　to　the

sorcerer's　nose。



〃Atisha！　atisha！〃　sneezed　the　old　man；　but　he　did　not

wake；　and　the　shock　made　the　bronze　ring　jump　out　of　his

mouth。　Quick　as　thought　the　lame　mouse　snatched　up　the

precious　talisman　and　carried　it　off　to　the　boat。



Imagine　the　despair　of　the　magician　when　he　awoke　and

the　bronze　ring　was　nowhere　to　be　found！



But　by　that　time　our　three　mice　had　set　sail　with　their

prize。　A　favoring　breeze　was　carrying　them　toward　the

island　where　the　queen　of　the　mice　was　awaiting　them。

Naturally　they　began　to　talk　about　the　bronze　ring。



〃Which　of　us　deserves　the　most　credit？〃　they　cried　all

at　once。



〃I　do；〃　said　the　blind　mouse；　〃for　without　my

watchfulness　our　boat　would　have　drifted　away　to　the　open　sea。〃



〃No；　indeed；〃　cried　the　mouse　with　the　cropped　ears；

〃the　credit　is　mine。　Did　I　not　cause　the　ring　to　jump　out

of　the　man's　mouth？〃



〃No；　it　is　mine；〃　cried　the　lame　one；　〃for　I　ran　off　with

the　ring。〃



And　from　high　words　they　soon　came　to　blows；　and；

alas！　when　the　quarrel　was　fiercest　the　bronze　ring　fell　into

the　sea。



〃How　are　we　to　face　our　queen；〃　said　the　three　mice

〃when　by　our　folly　we　have　lost　the　talisman　and　condemned

our　people　to　be　utterly　exterminated？　We　cannot

go　back　to　our　country；　let　us　land　on　this　desert

island　and　there　end　our　miserable　lives。〃　No　sooner　said

than　done。　The　boat　reached　the　island；　and　the　mice

landed。



The　blind　mouse　was　speedily　deserted　by　her　two

sisters；　who　went　off　to　hunt　flies；　but　as　she　wandered

sadly　along　the　shore　she　found　a　dead　fish；　and　was　eating

it；　when　she　felt　something　very　hard。　At　her　cries　the

other　two　mice　ran　up。



〃It　is　the　bronze　ring！　It　is　the　talisman！〃　they　cried

joyfully；　and；　getting　into　their　boat　again；　they　soon

reached　the　mouse　island。　It　was　time　they　did；　for　the

captain　was　just　going　to　land　his　cargo　of　cats；　when　a

deputation　of　mice　brought　him　the　precious　bronze　ring。



〃Bronze　ring；〃　commanded　the　young　man；　〃obey　thy

master。　Let　my　ship　appear　as　it　was　before。〃



Immediately　the　genii　of　the　ring　set　to　work；　and　the

old　black　vessel　became　once　more　the　wonderful　golden

ship　with　sails　of　brocade；　the　handsome　sailors　ran　to　the

silver　masts　and　the　silken　ropes；　and　very　soon　they　set

sail　for　the　capital。



Ah！　how　merrily　the　sailors　sang　as　they　flew　over　the

glassy　sea！



At　last　the　port　was　reached。



The　captain　landed　and　ran　to　the　palace；　where　he

found　the　wicked　old　man　asleep。　The　Princess　clasped

her　husband　in　a　long　embrace。　The　magician　tried　to

escape；　but　he　was　seized　and　bound　with　strong　cords。



The　next　day　the　sorcerer；　tied　to　the　tail　of　a　savage

mule　loaded　with　nuts；　was　broken　into　as　many　pieces　as

there　were　nuts　upon　the　mule's　back。＇1＇





＇1＇　Traditions　Populaires　de　l'Asie　Mineure。　Carnoy　et

Nicolaides。　Paris：　Maisonneuve；　1889。