“Are you convinced now,” said Snail, taking leave of them, “that your sin will always find you out? I discovered your villainy during the first hour I passed in the castle. I will keep silence this time, but beware if I find you out again.”
Percy Snail, full of cunning, procured a little lump of paste; in it he concealed the ring, and threw it to some geese and turkeys which were feeding near by.
“Ik, kih, ih-kih!” said a fat turkey, and “slok,” the little lump of paste was swallowed.
An hour or two afterwards Percy asked for the countess.
THREW IT TO SOME GEESE AND TURKEYS
“Noble lady,” he said, “disabuse your mind of all suspicion against your servants. That black turkey is the thief.”
The bird was promptly seized and killed.
You can imagine every one’s astonishment when the ring was discovered.