“Very soon after, almost before any hen had time to look round or think, behold! mice were squeaking in every corner, and there were holes behind every wainscot, plank, and rafter.

“A year passed away, and when winter returned again the mice came and took the stored corn away in such quantities that everybody saw none would be left to sow in the spring.

“Matters had come to a crisis; many and anxious discussions were held amongst the fowls, for good counsel was a thing much sought after at Hencastle.

“At first they took very energetic measures, and many a mouse fell a victim to a well-aimed peck from a cock’s beak; but alas! the mice took energetic measures also, and resisted to the death, so that many a fowl’s leg was bitten to the bone.  Much had been said, and much was done, but the mice were more numerous than before.

“The commonwealth then decided on sending three experienced cocks out into the world, to try and find some means for getting rid of the plague of mice.

“The cocks journeyed for one whole day without finding anything to help them in their trouble, but towards evening they came to a wild, rocky mountainside, full of caves and clefts, and made up their minds to stay there for the night; so they crept into a hole under a ledge of rock, put their heads under their wings, and went to sleep.

“In the middle of the night they were roused by the sound of flapping wings, followed by a whispering voice, saying, ‘whish—­ish,’ which soon broke out into a loud ‘Whoo—­hoo! whoo—­hoo!’ They popped their heads out of the hole to see what was the matter, and they perceived a great owl sitting on a stump, flapping its wings up and down, and rolling its great round eyes about, which glared like red-hot coals in its head.

“‘Mice here!  Mice here!  Whoo—­hoo!’ it shrieked.

“On hearing this the cocks nudged one another, and said, ’We are in luck’s way at last.’  Then as the owl still continued to call for mice, one of them plucked up courage and addressed it:  ’If you will only come with us, sir, you shall have as many mice as you can eat—­a whole house-full, if you like.’

“‘Who may you be?’ hissed the owl, and glared with its fiery eyes into the cleft.

“’We come from Hencastle, where there are hundreds of mice, who devour our corn day and night.

“‘Whoo—­hoo!  I’ll come, I’ll come,’ screamed the owl, snapping its beak with pleasure.

“In the grey of the dawn the fowls sat on the roof-tree, listening to Mark, the watchman, who stood on the top of, his chimney, and cried,

    “’What do I see? 
    Here come the three! 
    And with them, I reckon,
    A bird with no neck on.’

“Thereupon the owl and the three messengers flew up with a rush to the top of the castle.

“‘Ha! ha!  I smell mice,’ shrieked the new comer, and dashed through a hole in the roof, from whence it shortly reappeared with a mouse in its claws.