than done. The boat reached the island, and the mice
landed.

The blind mouse was speedily deserted by her two
sisters, who went off to hunt flies, but as she wandered
sadly along the shore she found a dead fish, and was eating
it, when she felt something very hard. At her cries the
other two mice ran up.

"It is the bronze ring! It is the talisman!" they cried
joyfully, and, getting into their boat again, they soon
reached the mouse island. It was time they did, for the
captain was just going to land his cargo of cats, when a
deputation of mice brought him the precious bronze ring.

"Bronze ring," commanded the young man, "obey thy
master. Let my ship appear as it was before."

Immediately the genii of the ring set to work, and the
old black vessel became once more the wonderful golden
ship with sails of brocade; the handsome sailors ran to the
silver masts and the silken ropes, and very soon they set
sail for the capital.

Ah! how merrily the sailors sang as they flew over the
glassy sea!

At last the port was reached.

The captain landed and ran to the palace, where he