You should not attempt to reach her.'

"'There is nothing so high that a man cannot reach, if he will,'
answered Rudy; for he is a brave youth.

"'Yet you could not reach the young eagle,' said the miller,
laughing. 'Babette is higher than the eagle's nest.'

"'I will have them both,' said Rudy.

"'Very well; I will give her to you when you bring me the young
eaglet alive,' said the miller; and he laughed till the tears stood in
his eyes. 'But now I thank you for this visit, Rudy; and if you come
to-morrow, you will find nobody at home. Good-bye, Rudy.'

"Babette also wished him farewell; but her voice sounded as
mournful as the mew of a little kitten that has lost its mother.

"'A promise is a promise between man and man,' said Rudy. 'Do
not weep, Babette; I shall bring the young eagle.'

"'You will break your neck, I hope,' said the miller, 'and we
shall be relieved from your company.'

"I call that kicking him out of the house," said the parlor-cat.
"And now Rudy is gone, and Babette sits and weeps, while the miller
sings German songs that he learnt on his journey; but I do not trouble
myself on the matter,--it would be of no use."

"Yet, for all that, it is a very strange affair," said the
kitchen-cat.

VII. THE EAGLE'S NEST

From the mountain-path came a joyous sound of some person
whistling, and it betokened good humor and undaunted courage. It was
Rudy, going to meet his friend Vesinaud. "You must come and help,"
said he. "I want to carry off the young eaglet from the top of the
rock. We will take young Ragli with us."

"Had you not better first try to take down the moon? That would be
quite as easy a task," said Vesinaud. "You seem to be in good
spirits."

"Yes, indeed I am. I am thinking of my wedding. But to be serious,
I will tell you all about it, and how I am situated."

Then he explained to Vesinaud and Ragli what he wished to do,
and why.

"You are a daring fellow," said they; "but it is no use; you
will break your neck."

"No one falls, unless he is afraid," said Rudy.

So at midnight they set out, carrying with them poles, ladders,
and ropes. The road lay amidst brushwood and underwood, over rolling
stones, always upwards higher and higher in the dark night. Waters
roared beneath them, or fell in cascades from above. Humid clouds were
driving through the air as the hunters reached the precipitous ledge
of the rock. It was even darker here, for the sides of the rocks
almost met