Now it happened that behind the beam dwelt a young Mouse, and on one of his walks he stumbled upon the roll. He tried to drag it from its hiding-place, but the stiff parchment stuck fast, and he could not pull it out. But it was quite within reach of his little teeth, and the Mouse was highly delighted with his lucky find, for now he had something to nibble upon. Day by day he paid a visit to the parchment and whetted his teeth upon it. Now it presently happened that one day a Dog picked up a piece of meat and was caught and his paw well rubbed with hot ashes. Weeping, he appeared before the King and told him the whole story. Then the King immediately summoned his private secretary, the Tomcat, and commanded him to show the proclamation. The Tomcat hastened to bring the parchment without delay; but, to his misfortune, what did he find? Only a few fragments! It was at once clear to him that this was the deed of some little Mouse. He told the story to all the other Cats, who, to express their grief and sorrow, began to mew most piteously. When they had sufficiently expressed their feelings they declared war against all Mice. After this the Tomcat made his report to the King of the Dogs, and the King immediately summoned the Dog-zemstvo. The Dogs came together from all parts--sheep-dogs, wolf-dogs, boar-hounds, house-dogs; and to them all the King gave command that from thenceforth and forever they should treat the Cat as the common enemy. Thus all cats would be made to rue that Tomcat's carelessness. And that is the end of the story. "Now I understand all about it," said the little boy. CHAPTER X A PLEASANT SURPRISE A very delightful surprise awaited the little boy. A few days after the meeting in his house his mother told him that the mir had elected his father deputy to the zemstvo. In a few days he must go to the capital of the district, and he had decided to take the little boy and his mother with him. That was news indeed! The little boy ran to tell his grandmother. Or, rather, he hopped on one foot all the way, for he was so glad that he had to do something unusual. The grandmother was delighted with the news. "You will go on the railroad," she said. "That is a great thing. There were no railroads when I was young, and I should not like to travel on one. A good sledge with three horses is far safer, I think. But the railroad is faster, your father tells me, and that is something in cold weather." The little boy ran back to find out how soon they were to go. "Shall we go to-day?" he asked his mother. "Oh, no, not to-day!" she answered. "To-morrow, then?" "Not to-morrow, but perhaps the day after to-morrow." "That is a long time!" sighed the little boy. "You must have patience," said the mother. "There is no virtue so necessary in this world as patience." The little boy wandered back to his grandmother's room.