he mouse soon came back to them.
“Well, what news?” said they.
“Dull news enough; he has the egg in a low chest in his bedroom, and the door is strongly locked and bolted, and a pair of cats with fiery eyes are chained to the chest watching it night and day.”
“Let us go back,” said the ass; “we can do nothing.” “Wait!” said the weasel.
When bedtime came, said the weasel to the mouse: “Go in at the keyhole and get behind the rogue’s head, and stay there two or three hours sucking his hair.”
“What good would there be in that?” asked the ass. “Wait, and you’ll know!” said the weasel.
Next morning the merchant was quite mad to find the state his hair was in.
“But I’ll be a match for you to-night, my fine mouse,” said he. So he unchained the cats next night and made them sit by his bedside and watch.
Just as he was dropping asleep the weasel and the mouse were outside the door, and gnawing away till they had scooped out a hole in the bottom of it. In went the mouse, and it was not long before he had the egg quite safe.