her, "My pretty maiden, what go you
seeking?" And she replied, "I am seeking the dwelling of the Mother of
Time." "Hear then what you must do," replied the whale; "go straight
along this shore, and on coming to the first river, follow it up to its
source, and you will meet with some one who will show you the way: but
do me one kindness,--when you find the good old woman, beg of her the
favour to tell me some means by which I may swim about safely, without
so often knocking upon the rocks and being thrown on the sands."

"Trust to me," said Cianna, then thanking the whale for pointing out
the way, she set off walking along the shore; and after a long journey
she came to the river, which like a clerk of the treasury was
disbursing silver money into the bank of the sea. Then taking the way
up to its source, she arrived at a beautiful open country, where the
meadow vied with the heaven, displaying her green mantle starred over
with flowers; and there she met a mouse who said to her, "Whither are
you going thus alone, my pretty girl?" And Cianna replied, "I am
seeking the Mother of Time."

"You have a long way to go," said the mouse; "but do not lose heart,
everything has an end. Walk on, therefore, toward yon mountains, which,
like the free lords of these fields, assume the title of Highness, and
you will soon have more news of what you are seeking. But do me one
favour,--when you arrive at the house you wish to find, get the good
old woman to tell you what you can do to rid us of the tyranny of the
cats; then command me, and I am your slave."

Cianna, after promising to do the mouse this kindness, set off towards
the mountains, which, although they appeared to be close at hand,
seemed never to be reached. But having come to them at length, she sat
down tired out upon a stone; and there she saw an army of ants,
carrying a large store of grain, one of whom turning to Cianna said,
"Who art thou, and whither art thou going?" And Cianna, who was
courteous to every one, said to her, "I am an unhappy girl, who, for a
matter that concerns me, am seeking the dwelling of the Mother of Time."

"Go on farther," said the ant, "and where these mountains open into a
large plain you will obtain more news. But do me a great favour,--get
the secret from the old woman, what we ants can do to live a little
longer; for it seems to me a folly in worldly affairs to be heaping up
such a large store of food for so short a life, which, like an