'gototheantandlearnwisdom,'saidthegreatjewishking.iknewthatfromlivinginalibrary.soiwentstraightontillicametothefirstgreatant-hill,andthenisetmyselftowatch,thatimightbecomeantsareaveryrespectablepeople,theyarewisdomitself.alltheydoisliketheworkingofasuminarithmetic,whichcomesright.'toworkandtolayeggs,'saythey,andtoprovideforposterity,istoliveoutyourtimeproperly;'andthattheytrulydo.theyaredividedintothecleanandthedirtyants,theirrankispointedoutbyanumber,andtheant-queenisnumberone;andheropinionistheonlycorrectoneoneverything;sheseemstohavethewholewisdomoftheworldinher,whichwasjusttheimportantmatteriwishedtoacquire.shesaidagreatdealwhichwasnodoubtveryclever;yettomeitsoundedlikenonsense.shesaidtheant-hillwastheloftiestthingintheworld,andyetclosetothemoundstoodatalltree,whichnoonecoulddenywasloftier,muchloftier,butnomentionwasmadeofthetree.oneeveninganantlostherselfonthistree;shehadcreptupthestem,notnearlytothetop,buthigherthananyanthadeverventured;andwhenatlastshereturnedhomeshesaidthatshehadfoundsomethinginhertravelsmuchhigherthantheant-hill.therestoftheantsconsideredthisaninsulttothewholecommunity;soshewascondemnedtowearamuzzleandtoliveinperpetualsolitude.ashorttimeafterwardsanotherantgotonthetree,andmadethesamejourneyandthesamediscovery,butshespokeofitcautiouslyandindefinitely,andasshewasoneofthesuperiorantsandverymuchrespected,theybelievedher,andwhenshediedtheyerectedaneggshellasamonumenttohermemory,fortheycultivatedagreatrespectforscience.isaw,"saidthelittlemouse,"thattheantswerealwaysrunningtoandfrowithherburdensontheirbacks.onceisawoneofthemdropherload;shegaveherselfagreatdealoftroubleintryingtoraiseitagain,butshecouldnotsucceed.thentwootherscameupandtriedwithalltheirstrengthtohelpher,tilltheynearlydroppedtheirownburdensindoingso;thentheywereobligedtostopforamomentintheirhelp,foreveryonemustthinkofhimselffirst.andtheant-queenremarkedthattheirconductthatdayshowedthattheypossessedkindheartsandgoodunderstanding.'thesetwoqualities,'shecontinued,'placeusantsinthehighestdegreeaboveallotherreasonablebeings.understandingmustthereforebeseenamongusinthemostprominentmanner,andmywisdomisgreaterthanall.'andsosayingsheraisedherselfonhertwohindlegs,thatnooneelsemightbemistakenforher.icouldnotthereforemakeanerror,soiateherup.wearetogototheantstolearnwisdom,andihadgotthequeen.

"inowturnedandwentnearertotheloftytreealreadymentioned,whichwasanoak.ithadatalltrunkwithawide-spreadingtop,andwasveryold.iknewthatalivingbeingdwelthere,adryadassheiscalled,whoisbornwiththetreeanddieswithit.ihadheardthisinthelibrary,andherewasjustsuchatree,andinitanoak-maiden.sheutteredaterriblescreamwhenshecaughtsightofmesoneartoher;likemanywomen,shewasverymuchafraidofmice.andshehadmorerealcauseforfearthantheyhave,forimighthavegnawedthroughthetreeonwhichherlifedepended.ispoketoherinakindandfriendlymanner,andbeggedhertotakelastshetookmeupinherdelicatehand,andthenitoldherwhathadbroughtmeoutintotheworld,andshepromisedmethatperhapsonthatveryeveningsheshouldbeabletoobtainformeoneofthetwotreasuresforwhichiwasseeking.shetoldmethatphantaesuswasherverydearfriend,thathewasasbeautifulasthegodoflove,thatheremainedoftenformanyhourswithherundertheleafyboughsofthetreewhichthenrustledandwavedmorethaneveroverthemboth.hecalledherhisdryad,shesaid,andthetreehistree;forthegrandoldoak,withitsgnarledtrunk,wasjusttohistaste.theroot,spreadingdeepintotheearth,thetoprisinghighinthefreshair,knewthevalueofthedriftedsnow,thekeenwind,andthewarmsunshine,asitoughttobeknown.'yes,'continuedthedryad,'thebirdssingupaboveinthebranches,andtalktoeachotheraboutthebeautifulfieldstheyhavevisitedinforeignlands;andononeofthewitheredboughsastorkhasbuilthisnest,-itisbeautifullyarranged,andbesidesitispleasanttohearalittleaboutthelandofthepyramids.allthispleasesphantaesus,butitisnotenoughforhim;iamobligedtorelatetohimofmylifeinthewoods;andtogobacktomychildhood,wheniwaslittle,andthetreesosmallanddelicatethatastinging-nettlecouldovershadowit,andihavetotelleverythingthathashappenedsincethentillnowthatthetreeissolargeandstrong.sityoudownnowunderthegreenbindwoodandpayattention,whenphantaesuscomesiwillfindanopportunitytolayholdofhiswingandtopulloutoneofthelittlefeathers.thatfeatheryoushallhave;abetterwasnevergiventoanypoet,itwillbequiteenoughforyou.'

"andwhenphantaesuscamethefeatherwasplucked,and,"saidthelittlemouse,"iseizedandputitinwater,andkeptittheretillitwasquitesoft.itwasveryheavyandindigestible,butimanagedtonibbleitupatlast.itisnotsoeasytonibbleone'sselfintoapoet,therearesomanythingstogetthrough.now,however,ihadtwoofthem,understandingandimagination;andthroughtheseiknewthatthethirdwastobefoundinthelibrary.agreatmanhassaidandwrittenthattherearenovelswhosesoleandonlyuseappearedtobethattheymightrelievemankindofoverflowingtears-akindofsponge,infact,forsuckingupfeelingsandemotions.irememberedafewofthesebooks,theyhadalwaysappearedtemptingtotheappetite;theyhadbeenmuchread,andweresogreasy,thattheymusthaveabsorbednoendofemotionsinthemselves.iretracedmystepstothelibrary,andliterallydevouredawholenovel,thatis,properlyspeaking,theinteriororsoftpartofit;thecrust,orbinding,ileft.whenihaddigestednotonlythis,butasecond,ifeltastirringwithinme;theniateasmallpieceofathirdromance,andfeltmyselfapoet.isaidittomyself,andtoldothersthesame.ihadhead-acheandback-ache,andicannottellwhatachesbesides.ithoughtoverallthestoriesthatmaybesaidtobeconnectedwithsausagepegs,andallthathaseverbeenwrittenaboutskewers,andsticks,andstaves,andsplinterscametomythoughts;theant-queenmusthavehadawonderfullyclearunderstanding.irememberedthemanwhoplacedawhitestickinhismouthbywhichhecouldmakehimselfandthestickinvisible.ithoughtofsticksashobby-horses,stavesofmusicorrhyme,ofbreakingastickoveraman'sback,andheavenknowshowmanymorephrasesofthesamesortrelatingtosticks,staves,andmythoughtsreinonskewers,sticksofwood,andstaves;andasiam,atlast,apoet,andihaveworkedterriblyhardtomakemyselfone,icanofcoursemakepoetryonanything.ishallthereforebeabletowaituponyoueverydayintheweekwithapoeticalhistoryofaskewer.andthatismysoup."

"inthatcase,"saidthemouse-king,"wewillhearwhatthethirdmousehastosay."

"squeak,squeak,"criedalittlemouseatthekitchendoor;itwasthefourth,andnotthethird,ofthefourwhowerecontendingfortheprize,onewhomtherestsupposedtobedead.sheshotinlikeanarrow,andoverturnedthesausagepegthathadbeencoveredwithcrape.shehadbeenrunningdayandnight.shehadwatchedanopportunitytogetintoagoodstrain,andhadtravelledbytherailway;andyetshehadarrivedalmosttoolate.shepressedforward,lookingverymuchruffled.shehadlosthersausageskewer,butnothervoice;forshebegantospeakatonceasiftheyonlywaitedforher,andwouldhearheronly,andasifnothingelseintheworldwasoftheleastconsequence.shespokeoutsoclearlyandplainly,andshehadcomeinsosuddenly,thatnoonehadtimetostopherortosayawordwhileshewasspeaking.andnowletushearwhatshesaid.

whatthefourthmouse,whospoke

beforethethird,hadtotell

"istartedoffatoncetothelargesttown,"saidshe,"butthenameofithasescapedme.ihaveaverybadmemoryfornames.iwascarriedfromtherailway,withsomeforfeitedgoods,tothejail,andonarrivingimademyescape,andranintothehouseoftheturnkey.theturnkeywasspeakingofhisprisoners,especiallyofonewhohadutteredthoughtlesswords.thesewordshadgivenrisetootherwords,andatlengththeywerewrittendownandregistered:'thewholeaffairislikemakingsoupofsausageskewers,'saidhe,'butthesoupmaycosthimhisneck.'

"nowthisraisedinmeaninterestfortheprisoner,"continuedthelittlemouse,"andiwatchedmyopportunity,andslippedintohisapartment,forthereisamouse-holetobefoundbehindeverycloseddoor.theprisonerlookedpale;hehadagreatbeardandlarge,sparklingeyes.therewasalampburning,butthewallsweresoblackthattheyonlylookedtheblackerforit.theprisonerscratchedpicturesandverseswithwhitechalkontheblackwalls,butididnotreadtheverses.ithinkhefoundhisconfinementwearisome,sothatiwasawelcomeguest.heenticedmewithbread-crumbs,withwhistling,andwithgentlewords,andseemedsofriendlytowardsme,thatbydegreesigainedconfidenceinhim,andwebecamefriends;hedividedhisbreadandwaterwithme,gavemecheeseandsausage,andireallybegantolovehim.altogether,imustownthatitwasaverypleasantintimacy.heletmerunaboutonhishand,andonhisarm,andintohissleeve;andievencreptintohisbeard,andhecalledmehislittlefriend.iforgotwhatihadcomeoutintotheworldfor;forgotmysausageskewerwhichihadlaidinacrackinthefloor-itislyingtherestill.iwishedtostaywithhimalwayswhereiwas,foriknewthatifiwentawaythepoorprisonerwouldhavenoonetobehisfriend,whichisasadthing.istayed,buthedidnot.hespoketomesomournfullyforthelasttime,gavemedoubleasmuchbreadandcheeseasusual,andkissedhishandtome.thenhewentaway,andnevercameback.iknownothingmoreofhishistory.

"thejailertookpossessionofmenow.hesaidsomethingaboutsoupfromasausageskewer,buticouldnottrusthim.hetookmeinhishandcertainly,butitwastoplacemeinacagelikeatread-mill.ohhowdreadfulitwas!