s said,

"What is the next thing to be done, O King?"

"A friend of mine," said Speckle-neck, "lives near in a beautiful forest
on the Gundaki. Golden-skin is his name--the King of the Mice--he is the
one to cut these bonds."

Resolving to have recourse to him, they directed their flight to the
hole of Golden-skin--a prudent monarch, who dreaded danger so much that
he had made himself a palace with a hundred outlets, and lived always in
it. Sitting there he heard the descent of the pigeons, and remained
silent and alarmed.

"Friend Golden-skin," cried the King, "have you no welcome for us?"

"Ah, my friend!" said the Mouse-king, rushing out on recognizing the
voice, "is it thou art come, Speckle-neck! how delightful!--But what is
this?" exclaimed he, regarding the entangled net.

"That," said King Speckle-neck, "is the effect of some wrong-doing in a
former life--

'Sickness, anguish, bonds, and woe
Spring from wrongs wrought long ago,'[5]

Golden-skin, without replying, ran at once to the net, and began to gnaw
the strings that held Speckle-neck.

"Nay! friend, not so," said the King, "cut me first these meshes from my
followers, and afterwards thou shalt sever mine."

"I am little," answered Golden-skin, "and my teeth are weak--how can I
gnaw so much? No! no! I will nibble your strings as long as my teeth
last, and afterwards do my best for the others. To preserve dependents
by sacrificing oneself is nowhere enjoined by wise moralists; on the
contrary--

'Keep wealth for want, but spend-it for thy wife,
And wife, and wealth, and all to guard thy life,'

"Friend," replied King Speckle-neck, "that may be the rule of policy,
but I am one that can by no means bear to witness the distress of those
who depend on me, for--

'Death, that must come, comes nobly when we give
Our wealth, and life, and all, to make men live,'

And you know the verse,

'Friend, art thou faithful? guard mine honor so!
And let the earthy rotting body go,'"

When King Golden-skin heard this answer his heart was charmed, and his
fur bristled up for pure pleasure. "Nobly spoken, friend," said he,
"nobly spoken! with such a tenderness for those that look to thee, the
Sovereignty of the Three Worlds might be fitly thine." So saying he set
himself to cut all their bonds. This done, and the pigeons extricated,
the King of the Mice[6] gave them his formal welcome. "But, your
Majesty," he said, "this capt