termined to venture
rather than continue in opposition to our mother's commands; and, to
reward our obedience, we escaped with trembling hearts, unobserved,
at least unmolested, by any one. And now, for the first time since our
birth, we found ourselves exposed to the inclemency of the weather. The
night was very dark and tempestuous; the rain poured down in torrents;
and the wind blew so exceedingly high, that, low upon the ground as
we were, it was with difficulty that we could keep our legs: added to
which, even step we took, we were in water up to our stomachs. In this
wretched condition we knew not which way to turn ourselves, or where to
seek for shelter. The spattering of the rain, the howling of the wind,
together with the rattling and shaking of the trees, all contributed to
make such a noise as rendered it impossible for us to hear whether any
danger was approaching us or not.

In this truly melancholy situation we waded on for a considerable
time, till at length we reached a small house, and very easily gained
admittance through a pretty large hole on one side of the door. Most
heartily did we rejoice at finding ourselves once more under shelter
from the cold and rain, and for some time only busied ourselves in
drying our hair, which was as thoroughly wet as if we had been served as
the boy threatened my brother Brighteyes, and we had really been
drawn through a pond. After we had done this, and had a little rested
ourselves, we began to look about in search of food, but we could find
nothing except a few crumbs of bread and cheese in a man's coat pocket,
and a piece of tallow-candle stuck on the top of a tinder-box. This,
however, though not such delicate eating as we had been used to, yet
served to satisfy our present hunger; and we had just finished the
candle when we were greatly alarmed by the sight of a human hand (for we
mice can see a little in the dark) feeling about the very chair on which
we stood. We jumped down in an instant, and hid ourselves in a little
hole behind a black trunk that stood in one corner of the room.

We then heard very distinctly a man say, 'Betty, did you not put the
candle by the bedside?' 'Yes, that I am very sure I did,' replied a
female voice. 'I thought so,' answered the man; 'but I am sure it is not
here now. Tom! Tom! Tom!' continued he. 'What, father?' replied a boy,
starting up, 'what is the matter?' 'Why, do you know anything of the
candle? I cannot find it, my dear