severest affliction in the cruel death of our dear brother,
companion, and friend; let us not, however, only mourn his loss,
but also gather wisdom from our misfortune, and return to that
duty which we have hitherto neglected. Recollect, my dear
friends, what were the last words which our good mother spoke to
us at parting. She charged us, upon no account, for no temptation
whatever, to return frequently to the same place: if we did, she
forewarned us that death and ruin would certainly await us. But
in what manner have we obeyed this her kind advice? We have not
even so much as once recollected it since she left us; or, if we
thought of it for a moment, we foolishly despised it as
unnecessary. Now, therefore, we sincerely feel the consequence of
our disobedience; and, though our sufferings are most distressing,
yet we must confess that we amply deserve them. Let us therefore,
my brothers, instantly fly from a place which has already cost us
the life of our beloved Softdown, lest we should all likewise fall
a sacrifice to our disobedience.'--And here the writer cannot help
observing how just were the reflections of the mouse on the crime
which they had been guilty of; and begs every reader will be
careful to remember the fatal consequences that attended their
disobedience of their mother's advice, since they may be assured
that equal if not the same misfortune will always attend those who
refuse to pay attention to the advice of their parents. But, to
return to the history.

To this proposal (continued the mouse) my brothers readily agreed;
and we directly descended to the place we were in when we
discovered the crack that led us to the room in which we feasted
on bird-seed. Here we determined to wait, and when the family
were all quiet in bed, to go forth in search of provision, as we