I had to run round and roundwithout getting any farther in advance, and only to make everybodylaugh. The jailer's grand-daughter was a charming little thing. Shehad curly hair like the brightest gold, merry eyes, and such a smilingmouth.
  "'You poor little mouse,' said she, one day as she peeped intomy cage, 'I will set you free.' She then drew forth the ironfastening, and I sprang out on the window-sill, and from thence to theroof. Free! free! that was all I could think of; not of the objectof my journey. It grew dark, and as night was coming on I found alodging in an old tower, where dwelt a watchman and an owl. I had noconfidence in either of them, least of all in the owl, which is like acat, and has a great failing, for she eats mice. One may however bemistaken sometimes; and so was I, for this was a respectable andwell-educated old owl, who knew more than the watchman, and even asmuch as I did myself. The young owls made a great fuss abouteverything, but the only rough words she would say to them were,'You had better go and make some soup from sausage skewers.' She wasvery indulgent and loving to her children. Her conduct gave me suchconfidence in her, that from the crack where I sat I called out'squeak.' This confidence of mine pleased her so much that she assuredme she would take me under her own protection, and that not a creatureshould do me harm. The fact was, she wickedly meant to keep me inreserve for her own eating in winter, when food would be scarce. Yetshe was a very clever lady-owl; she explained to me that thewatchman could only hoot with the horn that hung loose at his side;and then she said he is so terribly proud of it, that he imagineshimself an owl in the tower;- wants to do great things, but onlysucceeds in small; all soup on a sausage skewer. Then I begged the owlto give me the recipe for this soup. 'Soup from a sausage skewer,'said she, 'is only a proverb amongst mankind, and may be understood inmany ways. Each believes his own way the best, and after all, theproverb signifies nothing.' 'Nothing!' I exclaimed. I was quitestruck. Truth is not always agreeable, but truth is above everythingelse, as the old owl said. I thought over all this, and saw quiteplainly that if truth was really so far above everything else, it mustbe much more valuable than soup from a sausage skewer. So I hastenedto get away, that I might be home in time, and bring what washighest and best, and above everything- namely, the truth. The miceare an enlightened people, and the mouse-king is above them all. He istherefore capable of making me queen for the sake of truth."
  "Your truth is a falsehood," said the mouse who had not yetspoken; "I can prepare the soup, and I mean to do so."
  HOW IT WAS PREPARED
  "I did not travel," said the third mouse; "I stayed in thiscountry: that was the right way. One gains nothing by travelling-everything can be acquired here quite as easily; so I stayed athome. I have not obtained what I know from supernatural beings. I haveneither swallowed it, nor learnt it from conversing with owls. Ihave got it all from my reflections and thoughts. Will you now set thekettle on the fire- so? Now pour the water in- quite full- up to thebrim; place it on the fire; make up a good blaze; keep it burning,that the water may boil; it must boil over and over. There, now Ithrow in the skewer. Will the mouse-king be pleased now to dip histail into the boiling water, and stir it round with the tail. Thelonger the king stirs it, the stronger the soup will become. Nothingmore is necessary, only to stir it."
  "Can no one else do this?"