r than he.'

'Well, I WAS thinking of it,' replied the wife, 'and as you are of the
same mind, we will pay him a visit to-morrow.'

So the next morning, the two rats, having spent hours in making
themselves smart, set out to see the sun, leading their daughter between
them.

The journey took some time, but at length they came to the golden palace
where the sun lived.

'Noble king,' began the mother, 'behold our daughter! She is so
beautiful that she is above everything in the whole world. Naturally, we
wish for a son-in-law who, on his side, is greater than all. Therefore
we have come to you.'

'I feel very much flattered,' replied the sun, who was so busy that he
had not the least wish to marry anybody. 'You do me great honour by your
proposal. Only, in one point you are mistaken, and it would be wrong of
me to take advantage of your ignorance. There is something greater
than I am, and that is the cloud. Look!' And as he spoke a cloud spread
itself over the sun's face, blotting out his rays.

'Oh, well, we will speak to the cloud,' said the mother. And turning to
the cloud she repeated her proposal.

'Indeed I am unworthy of anything so charming,' answered the cloud; 'but
you make a mistake again in what you say. There is one thing that is
even more powerful than I, and that is the wind. Ah, here he comes, you
can see for yourself.'

And she DID see, for catching up the cloud as he passed, he threw it on
the other side of the sky. Then, tumbling father, mother and daughter
down to the earth again, he paused for a moment beside them, his foot on
an old wall.

When she had recovered her breath, the mother began her little speech
once more.

'The wall is the proper husband for your daughter,' answered the wind,
whose home consisted of a cave, which he only visited when he was not
rushing about elsewhere; 'you can see for yourself that he is greater
than I, for he has power to stop me in my flight.' And the mother, who
did not trouble to conceal her wishes, turned at once to the wall.

Then something happened which was quite unexpected by everyone.

'I won't marry that ugly old wall, which is as old as my grandfather,'
sobbed the girl, who had not uttered one word all this time. 'I would
have married the sun, or the cloud, or the wind, because it was my duty,
although I love the handsome young rat, and him only. But that horrid
old wall--I would sooner die!'

And the wall, rather hurt in his feelings, decl