o open the doors.

'Here is the stone you wanted,' said he, when the cat started up with a
loud mew; 'if you will hold up your paws I will drop it down.' And so he
did. 'And now farewell,' continued the rat; 'you have a long way to go,
and will do well to start before daybreak.'

'Your counsel is good,' replied the cat, smiling to itself; and putting
the stone in her mouth she went off to seek the falcon.

Now all this time neither the cat nor the falcon had had any food,
and the falcon soon got tired carrying such a heavy burden. When night
arrived he declared he could go no further, but would spend it on the
banks of a river.

'And it is my turn to take care of the stone,' said he, 'or it will seem
as if you had done everything and I nothing.'

'No, I got it, and I will keep it,' answered the cat, who was tired and
cross; and they began a fine quarrel. But, unluckily, in the midst of
it, the cat raised her voice, and the stone fell into the ear of a big
fish which happened to be swimming by, and though both the cat and the
falcon sprang into the water after it, they were too late.

Half drowned, and more than half choked, the two faithful servants
scrambled back to land again. The falcon flew to a tree and spread his
wings in the sun to dry, but the cat, after giving herself a good shake,
began to scratch up the sandy banks and to throw the bits into the
stream.

'What are you doing that for?' asked a little fish. 'Do you know that
you are making the water quite muddy?'

'That doesn't matter at all to me,' answered the cat. 'I am going to
fill up all the river, so that the fishes may die.'

'That is very unkind, as we have never done you any harm,' replied the
fish. 'Why are you so angry with us?'

'Because one of you has got a stone of mine--a stone with strange signs
upon it--which dropped into the water. If you will promise to get it
back for me, why, perhaps I will leave your river alone.'

'I will certainly try,' answered the fish in a great hurry; 'but you
must have a little patience, as it may not be an easy task.' And in an
instant his scales might be seen flashing quickly along.

The fish swam as fast as he could to the sea, which was not far distant,
and calling together all his relations who lived in the neighbourhood,
he told them of the terrible danger which threatened the dwellers in the
river.

'None of us has got it,' said the fishes, shaking their heads; 'but in
the bay yonder there is