heavens. Finally there were no longer any single drops
falling, but just one big sheet of water which flooded everything.

Then a dog came drifting along, and they saved him in their ship. Soon
after came a pair of mice, with their little ones, loudly squeaking in
their fear. And these they also saved. The water was already rising to
the roofs of the houses, and on one roof stood a cat, arching her back
and mewing pitifully. They took the cat into the ship, too. Yet the
flood increased and rose to the tops of the trees. And in one tree sat
a raven, beating his wings and cawing loudly. And him, too, they took
in. Finally a swarm of bees came flying their way. The little
creatures were quite wet, and could hardly fly. So they took in the
bees on their ship. At last a man with black hair floated by on the
waves. The boy said: "Mother, let us save him, too!" But the mother
did not want to do so. "Did not grandmother tell us that we must save
no black-headed human beings?" But the boy answered: "We will save the
man in spite of that. I feel sorry for him, and cannot bear to see him
drifting along in the water." So they also saved the man.

Gradually the water subsided. Then they got out of their ship, and
parted from the man and the beasts. And the ship grew small again and
they put it away in its box.

But the man was filled with a desire for the pearls. He went to the
judge and entered a complaint against the boy and his mother, and they
were both thrown into jail. Then the mice came, and dug a hole in the
wall. And the dog came through the hole and brought them meat, and the
cat brought them bread, so they did not have to hunger in their
prison. But the raven flew off and returned with a letter for the
judge. The letter had been written by a god, and it said: "I wandered
about in the world of men disguised as a beggar woman. And this boy
and his mother took me in. The boy treated me like his own
grandmother, and did not shrink from washing me when I was dirty.
Because of this I saved them out of the great flood by means of which
I destroyed the sinful city wherein they dwelt. Do you, O judge, free
them, or misfortune shall be your portion!"

So the judge had them brought before him, and asked what they had
done, and how they had made their way through the flood. Then they
told him everything, and what they said agreed with the god's letter.
So the judge punished their accuser, and set them both at liberty.

When the