"There is nothing better to do than for me to transform myself into a beautiful striped kitten and play about under the Princess's window. When she sees me she will send her maids down to catch me. But I shall not allow myself to be caught until the Princess herself comes down. At the very moment she appears, do you, Kumrikusha, arrive upon the scene, seize her, and carry her to our Beg. Meanwhile I shall look sharp to outrun the pursuers and get off with a whole skin." Thus spoke the Master, and all the others agreed that the plan was good. The bird Kumrikusha immediately took the Fox under his wing, flew with him into the kingdom where the Emperor's daughter languished, and set him down near the imperial castle. The Master no sooner felt solid ground under his feet than he transformed himself into a beautiful striped kitten, crept under the balcony where the Princess was sitting, and began to spring about in the most graceful and fantastic manner. Thus he succeeded in attracting her attention, and, as he had anticipated, the Princess at once sent her maids down to bring the kitten to her. But Reinecke, though in a cat's form, was still a fox at heart, and was not to be caught at any price. When the Emperor's daughter saw this she herself went down to catch Pussy. But hardly had she stepped out of the door when the bird Kumrikusha swooped down, seized her, and bore her home to the Beg, while Reinecke ran off in another direction and thus saved his skin. As soon as the Emperor heard of this mishap he ordered out his hounds to hunt the cat that had decoyed away his daughter. But the cat, when he saw himself chased, took refuge in the cleft of a rock into which the hounds could not follow him. So they returned home from a bootless chase. Then the cat crept out, transformed himself back into a fox, and followed Kumrikusha, who by this time had brought the Princess home to the Beg. The Emperor, convinced that he should not recover his daughter by peaceful means, levied an immense army and declared war against the beasts. When Reinecke heard of this he summoned the other animals that lived with the Beg, and which, as I have told you, were a Bear, a Wolf, a Mouse, a Mole, and the bird Kumrikusha, and spoke to them thus: "Listen! The Emperor, with his whole army, is marching against us to exterminate us. Very well; let us also summon our forces, that we may make a brave stand against him. Master Petz, how many bears can you muster?" "More than three hundred." "And you, Isegrim?" "I can bring five hundred wolves." "And you, Mouse--speak up; how great is your command?" "I can bring three thousand mice." "And how many moles can you bring, Mole?" "Eight thousand." "And you, Kumrikusha, will you join us?" "Yes, with two or three hundred birds like myself." "Good! Now go and levy your forces as has been agreed. When they are assembled, come here, that I may tell you what to do next."