for upon the same shelf from which the cake
was removed, there was a round tin box, the lid of which was not quite
close shut down; into this we all crept, and were highly regaled with
some nice lumps of sugar. But it would be endless to enumerate all the
various repasts which we met with in this closet, sometimes terrified
by the entrance of people, and sometimes comfortably enjoying ourselves
without alarm: it is sufficient to inform you, that, unmindful of our
mother's advice, we continued to live upon the contents of the same
cupboard for above a week; when, one evening, as we were as usual
hastening to find our suppers, Softdown, who happened to be first, ran
eagerly to a piece of cheese, which he saw hanging before him. 'Come
along,' said he, 'here is some nice cheese, it smells most delightfully
good!' Just as he spoke these words, before any of us came up to him, a
little wooden door on a sudden dropped down, and hid him and the cheese
from our sight.

It is impossible to describe our consternation and surprise upon this
occasion, which was greatly increased when we advanced near the place,
at seeing him (through some little wire bars) confined in a small box,
without any visible way for him to get out, and hearing him in the most
moving accents beg us to assist him in procuring his liberty. We all
ran round and round his place of confinement several times; but not the
least crack or opening could we discover, except through the bars, which
being of iron, it was impossible for us to break or bend. At length we
determined to try to gnaw through the wood-work close at the edge, which
being already some little distance from one of the bars, we hoped, by
making the opening a little wider, he would escape: accordingly we all
began, he on the inside, and we all on the out, and by our diligence had
made some very considerable progress, when we were interrupted by the
entrance of Mrs. Nurse with the child in her arms.

Upon the sight of her, though much grieved to leave our brother in his
distress, yet fearing instant death would be the fate of all of us if we
stayed, to preserve our own existence, we retired as quick as possible,
but not without her seeing some of us, for we heard her say to herself,
or to the babe in her arms, 'I declare, this closet swarms with mice,
they spoil everything one puts here.' Then taking up the box in which
was poor Softdown (and which I afterwards learned was called a trap) she
carried