shed.

"The two hens told the rest what had happened, but nobody troubled
themselves about such an insignificant matter, and some said that the
poor old things made mountains out of molehills. Anyhow, in two days
everybody, including the wise hens themselves, had forgotten all about
it. Later on, that winter, the mice had seven young ones--seven such
skinny, thread-limbed, beady-eyed little beasts that no one noticed
their arrival.

"Very soon after, almost before any hen had time to look round or think,
behold! mice were squeaking in every corner, and there were holes behind
every wainscot, plank, and rafter.

"A year passed away, and when winter returned again the mice came and
took the stored corn away in such quantities that everybody saw none
would be left to sow in the spring.

"Matters had come to a crisis; many and anxious discussions were held
amongst the fowls, for good counsel was a thing much sought after at
Hencastle.

"At first they took very energetic measures, and many a mouse fell a
victim to a well-aimed peck from a cock's beak; but alas! the mice took
energetic measures also, and resisted to the death, so that many a
fowl's leg was bitten to the bone. Much had been said, and much was
done, but the mice were more numerous than before.

"The commonwealth then decided on sending three experienced cocks out
into the world, to try and find some means for getting rid of the plague
of mice.

"The cocks journeyed for one whole day without finding anything to help
them in their trouble, but towards evening they came to a wild, rocky
mountainside, full of caves and clefts, and made up their minds to stay
there for the night; so they crept into a hole under a ledge of rock,
put their heads under their wings, and went to sleep.

"In the middle of the night they were roused by the sound of flapping
wings, followed by a whispering voice, saying, 'whish--ish,' which soon
broke out into a loud 'Whoo--hoo! whoo--hoo!' They popped their heads
out of the hole to see what was the matter, and they perceived a great
owl sitting on a stump, flapping its wings up and down, and rolling its
great round eyes about, which glared like red-hot coals in its head.

"'Mice here! Mice here! Whoo--hoo!' it shrieked.

"On hearing this the cocks nudged one another, and said, 'We are in
luck's way at last.' Then as the owl still continued to call for mice,
one of them plucked up courage and addressed it: 'If you will only come