Page:Story of the little white mouse, or, The overthrow of the tyrant king (1).pdf/9

9 nibbled them away, began to leap about with more glee than before.

The next morning very early the gaoler brought the queen three peas, which he had put as usual in a large dish, to mock her sufferings; the little white mouse came softly and ate them all three, as well as the bread. When the queen wished to dine, she found nothing there; at which she was very angry with the mouse. "What a wicked little beast," cried the queen; "if it continues thus, I shall die with hunger." As she was going to cover the plate which the mouse had left empty, she found it full of all sorts of things good for to eat: she was very glad and ate of them; but while she was eating, a thought came into her head, that in a few days the king would perhaps kill her child, and she quitted the table to weep. "Ah!" ejaculated the disconsolate queen, "is there no way of saving it?" At the same time that she pronounced these words she perceived the mouse playing with some straws; she took some of them and began to work,, "If I have enough of straw, I will make a covered basket to put my little daughter in, and give it out of the window to the first charitable person who will take care of it."

She then began to work very diligently; and she never wanted straw, for the mouse