once, and never thought how helpless a friend he
would leave perishing; but down to the bottom of the lake he went, and
escaped black death. But the Mouse, so deserted, at once fell on his
back, in the water. He wrung his paws and squeaked in agony of death:
many times he sank beneath the water and many times he rose up again
kicking. But he could not escape his doom, for his wet fur weighed him
down heavily. Then at the last, as he was dying, he uttered these words.

(ll. 93-98) 'Ah, Puff-jaw, you shall not go unpunished for this
treachery! You threw me, a castaway, off your body as from a rock.
Vile coward! On land you would not have been the better man, boxing, or
wrestling, or running; but now you have tricked me and cast me in the
water. Heaven has an avenging eye, and surely the host of Mice will
punish you and not let you escape.'

(ll. 99-109) With these words he breathed out his soul upon the water.
But Lick-platter as he sat upon the soft bank saw him die and, raising
a dreadful cry, ran and told the Mice. And when they heard of his fate,
all the Mice were seized with fierce anger, and bade their
heralds summon the people to assemble towards dawn at the house of
Bread-nibbler, the father of hapless Crumb-snatcher who lay outstretched
on the water face up, a lifeless corpse, and no longer near the bank,
poor wretch, but floating in the midst of the deep. And when the Mice
came in haste at dawn, Bread-nibbler stood up first, enraged at his
son's death, and thus he spoke.

(ll. 110-121) 'Friends, even if I alone had suffered great wrong from
the Frogs, assuredly this is a first essay at mischief for you all. And
now I am pitiable, for I have lost three sons. First the abhorred ferret
seized and killed one of them, catching him outside the hole; then
ruthless men dragged another to his doom when by unheard-of arts they
had contrived a wooden snare, a destroyer of Mice, which they call a
trap. There was a third whom I and his dear mother loved well, and him
Puff-jaw has carried out into the deep and drowned. Come, then, and let
us arm ourselves and go out against them when we have arrayed ourselves
in rich-wrought arms.'

(ll. 122-131) With such words he persuaded them all to gird themselves.
And Ares who has charge of war equipped them. First they fastened on
greaves and covered their shins with green bean-pods broken into two
parts which they had gnawed out, standing over them all night. Their
breast plates