"Go away at once, miserable creature! A mouse is not to be feared and I will find a way to get rid of you." "We shall see, my pet! I shall remain at your side wherever you go!" [Illustration: _The broom was on fire at once, blazed up and burned her hands_] Rosalie now ran rapidly towards the house; every time she turned she saw the mouse galloping after her, and laughing with a mocking air. Arrived at the house, she tried to crush the mouse in the door, but it remained open in spite of every effort she could make and the mouse remained quietly upon the door-sill. "Wait awhile, wicked monster!" cried Rosalie, beside herself with rage and terror. She seized a broom and tried to dash it violently against the mouse but the broom was on fire at once, blazed up and burned her hands; she threw it quickly to the floor and pushed it into the chimney with her foot, lest it should set fire to the house. Then seizing a kettle which was boiling on the fire, she emptied it upon the mouse but the boiling water was changed into good fresh milk and the mouse commenced drinking it, saying:-- "How exceedingly amiable you are, Rosalie! Not content with having released me from captivity, you give me an excellent breakfast." Poor Rosalie now began to weep bitterly. She was utterly at a loss what to do, when she heard her father entering. "My father!" cried she, "my father! Oh! cruel mouse, I beseech you in pity to go away that my father may not see you!" "No, I shall not go but I will hide myself behind your heels until your father knows of your disobedience." The mouse had scarcely concealed herself behind Rosalie, when Prudent entered. He looked at Rosalie, whose paleness and embarrassed air betrayed her fear. "Rosalie," said Prudent, with a trembling voice, "I forgot the key of the little garden-house; have you found it?" "Here it is, father," said Rosalie, presenting it to him, and coloring deeply. "How did this cream come to be upset on the floor?" "Father, it was the cat." "The cat? Impossible. The cat brought a vessel of milk to the middle of the room and upset it there?" "No! no! father, it was I that did it; in carrying it, I accidentally overturned it." Rosalie spoke in a low voice, and dared not look at her father. "Take the broom, Rosalie, and sweep up this cream." "There is no broom, father." "No broom! there was one when I left the house." "I burned it, father, accidentally, by---- by----" She paused--her father looked fixedly at her, threw a searching unquiet glance about the room, sighed and turned his steps slowly towards the little house in the garden. Rosalie fell sobbing bitterly upon a chair; the mouse did not stir. A few moments afterwards, Prudent entered hastily, his countenance marked with horror. "Rosalie! unhappy child! what have you done? You have yielded to your fatal curiosity and released our most cruel enemy from prison."