Now poor Jack goes in search of his missing castle, over hills, dales,
valleys, and mountains, through woolly woods and sheepwalks, further
than I can tell you or ever intend to tell you. Until at last he comes
up to the place where lives the King of all the little mice in the
world. There was one of the little mice on sentry at the front gate
going up to the palace, and did try to stop Jack from going in. He asked
the little mouse: “Where does the King live? I should like to see him.”
This one sent another with him to show him the place; and when the King
saw him, he called him in. And the King questioned him, and asked him
where he was going that way. Well, Jack told him all the truth, that he
had lost the great castle, and was going to look for it, and he had a
whole twelvemonths and a day to find it out. And Jack asked him whether
he knew anything about it; and the King said: “No, but I am the King
of all the little mice in the world, and I will call them all up in the
morning, and maybe they have seen something of it.”
Then Jack got a good meal and bed, and in the morning he and the King
went on to the fields; and the King called all the mice together, and
asked them whether they had seen the great beautiful castle standing on
golden pillars. And all the little mice said, No, there was none of them
had seen it. The old King said to him that he had two other brothers:
“One is the King of all the frogs; and my other brother, who is the
oldest, he is the King of all the birds in the world. And if you go
there, may be they know something about the missing castle.” The King
said to him: “Leave your horse here with me till you come back, and take
one of my best horses under you, and give this cake to my brother; he
will know then who you got it from. Mind and tell him I am well, and
should like dearly to see him.” And then the King and Jack shook hands
together.
And when Jack was going through the gates, the little mouse asked him,
should he go with him; and Jack said to him: “No, I shall get myself
into trouble with the King.” And the little thing told him: “It will be
better for you to let me go with you; maybe I shall do some good to you
some time without you knowing it.” “Jump up, then.” And the little mouse
ran up the horse's leg, and made it dance; and Jack put the mouse in his
pocket.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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