As soon as Reinecke had given these orders the beasts all betook themselves to the forest in order to summon their troops. Soon heaven and earth resounded with the din of approaching multitudes. Here came the army of the Bears, there came the Wolves, and close behind were the Mice and the Moles. Woods and fields were filled with them, and when they were all drawn up in martial array Reinecke held a review and gave the following orders: "You, Bears and Wolves, must lead the van, and when the Emperor has encamped for the night do you fall upon the camp and kill all the horses. On the second night, you, Mice, must gnaw all the saddles, for they will have procured fresh horses in the meantime. On the third night, you, Moles, must dig around the camp a subterranean passage fifteen ells broad and twenty deep. And as soon as the army is stirring in the morning, you, Kumrikushas, must rain down great pieces of rock upon them." The review ended, the several detachments of the army of the beasts set forth. The first night, when the imperial host had encamped, the Bears and the Wolves fell upon the imperial horses and tore them all to pieces. Early in the morning the soldiers announced to the Emperor that wild beasts had killed all the horses during the night. The Emperor made diligent search into the cause of the sudden calamity, and meanwhile he commanded that fresh horses should be procured without delay. This was done and the army moved on. During the second night's encampment the Mice came and gnawed all the trappings of the horses. In the morning when the soldiers awoke and saw that all the saddles were nibbled they told the Emperor, who at once commanded that new ones should be made. This done, again the army marched on. The third night the Fox sent the Moles to surround the camp with a subterranean passage fifteen ells broad and twenty deep. That the work might be the sooner accomplished, he directed the Bears to carry away the loosened earth. The Moles began the work about midnight, leaving only one hole open at one side where the earth was to be carried out. While the Moles were digging under the ground and throwing up the clods, the Bears were busily carrying the earth to some distance from the camp. When the Emperor's troops awoke in the morning they mounted their horses to ride away; but hardly had they gone a few steps when they began to fall through the treacherous earth. At the same time the Kumrikushas let fall a rain of rocks and stones upon them. When the Emperor saw his great army thus miserably perishing he cried aloud, "Let us beat a retreat! It is the judgment of God upon us for undertaking to make war upon the beasts. Let them keep my kidnapped daughter, in Heaven's name!" Immediately the army wheeled about to retreat, but even on that side the earth gave way beneath their feet.