“Here you are, mousekin,” he said.  “That’s for your trouble!”

Then the mouse thanked him kindly and asked if he would take him along to the King of the Frogs.

“Not I,” says Jack.  “I should get into trouble with your King.”

But the mousekin insisted.  “I may be of some use to you,” it said.  So it ran up the horse’s hind leg and up by its tail and hid in Jack’s pocket.  And the horse set off at a hard gallop, for it didn’t half like the mouse running over it.

So at last Jack came to the palace of the King of all the Frogs, and there at the front gate was a frog doing sentry in a fine coat of mail and a brass helmet.  And the frog sentry was for not letting Jack in; but the mouse called out that they came from the King of all the Mice and must be let in without delay.  So they were taken to the King’s chamber, where he sate surrounded by frog courtiers in fine clothes; but alas! he had heard nothing of the Castle on golden pillars, and though he summoned all the frogs of all the world to a Grand Assembly next morning, they all answered his question with: 

  “Kro kro, Kro kro”

which every one knows stands for “No” in frog language.

So the King said to Jack, “There remains but one thing.  You must go and ask my eldest brother, the King of all the Birds.  His subjects are always on the wing, so mayhap they have seen something.  Leave the horse you are riding here, and take one of mine.  It knows the way, and will carry you safe.”

So Jack set off, and being a kind-hearted lad he gave the frog sentry, whom he met coming away from his guard, some crumbs he had saved from his dinner.  And the frog asked leave to go with him, and when Jack refused to take him he just gave one hop on to the stirrup, and a second hop on to the crupper, and the next hop he was in Jack’s other pocket.

Then the horse galloped away like lightning, for it didn’t like the slimy frog coming down “plop” on its back.

Well, after a time, Jack came to the palace of the King of all the Birds, and there at the front gate were a sparrow and a crow marching up and down with matchlocks on their shoulders.  Now at this Jack laughed fit to split, and the mouse and the frog from his pockets called out: 

“We come from the King!  Sirrahs!  Let us pass.”

So that the sentries were right mazed, and let them pass in without more ado.

But when they came to the King’s chamber, where he sate surrounded by all manner of birds, tomtits, wrens, cormorants, turtle-doves, and the like, the King said he was sorry, but he had no news of the missing Castle.  And though he summoned all the birds of all the world to a Grand Assembly next morning, not one of them had seen or heard tell of it.

So Jack was quite disconsolate till the King said, “But where is the eagle?  I don’t see my eagle.”

Then the Chamberlain—­he was a tomtit—­stepped forward with a bow and said: