How happy the deer was when the cruel cords were loosed and he could stretch out his limbs again!  He bounded up, but took great care not to crush the mouse, who had done him such a service.  “Never, never, never,” he said, “shall I forget what you have done for me.  Ask anything in my power, and I will do it.”

“I want nothing,” said Hixanya, “except the joyful thought of having saved you.”

By this time the tortoise had crept to the river-bank, and he too was glad that the deer had been saved.  He praised the mouse, and declared that he would never again look down upon him.  Then the four started to go back to their usual haunt in the forest; the deer, the crow, and the mouse soon arriving there quite safely, whilst the tortoise, who could only get along very slowly, lagged behind.  Now came the time for him to find out that armour was not the only thing needed to save him from danger.  He had not got very far from the riverbank before the cruel hunter who had set the net to catch the deer, came to see if he had succeeded.  Great was his rage when he found the net lying on the ground, but not exactly where he had left it.  He guessed at once that some animal had been caught in it and escaped after a long struggle.  He looked carefully about and noticed that the cords had been bitten through here and there.  So he suspected just what had happened, and began to search about for any creature who could have done the mischief.

There was not a sign of the mouse, but the slow-moving tortoise was soon discovered, and pouncing down upon him, the hunter rolled him up in another net he had with him, and carried him off, “It’s not much of a prize,” said the hunter to himself, “but better than nothing.  I’ll have my revenge on the wretched creature anyhow, as I have lost the prey I sought.”

11.  Which of the four friends concerned in this adventure do you admire most?

12.  What was the chief mistake made by the tortoise?

CHAPTER VII

When the tortoise in his turn did not come home, the deer, the crow and the mouse were very much concerned.  They talked the matter over together and decided that, however great the risk to themselves, they must go back and see what had become of their friend.  This time the mouse travelled in one of the eats of the deer, from which he peeped forth with his bright eyes, hoping to see the tortoise toiling along in his usual solemn manner; whilst the crow, also on the watch, flew along beside them.  Great was the surprise and terror of all three when, as they came out of the forest, they saw the hunter striding along towards them, with the tortoise in the net under his arm.  Once more the little mouse showed his wisdom.  Without a moment’s hesitation he said to the deer:  “Throw yourself on the ground and pretend to be dead; and you,” he added to the crow, “perch on his head and bend over as if you were going to peck out his eyes.”