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to be back upon the land。 He groaned aloud。 

     ;How quickly we get on察─cried Puff Jaw察 soon we shall be at my land 

palace。; 

     Heartened by this speech察Crumb Snatcher put his tail into the water 

and worked it as a steering oar。 On and on they went察and Crumb Snatcher 

gained heart   for the   adventure。 What   a wonderful   tale he   would have   to 

tell to the clans of the mice 

     But suddenly察outof   the depths of the pond察 a water snake raised   his 

horrid   head。   Fearsome   did   that head   seem  to   both   mouse and   frog。 And 



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forgetful of the guest that he carried upon his back察Puff jaw dived down 

into the water。 He reached the bottom of the pond and lay on the mud in 

safety。 

     But far from safety was Crumb Snatcher the mouse。 He sank and rose察

and sank again。 His wet fur weighed him down。 But before he sank for the 

last time he lifted up his voice and cried out and his cry was heard at the 

brink of the pond此

     ;Ah察Puff Jaw察treacherous frog An evil thing you have done察leaving 

me to drown in the middle of the pond。 Had you faced me on the land I 

should   have   shown   you   which   of   us   two   was   the   better   warrior。   Now   I 

must   lose   my   life   in   the   water。   But   I   tell   you   my   death   shall   not   go 

unavengedthe cowardly frogs will be punished for the ill they have done 

to me who am the son of the king of the mice。; 

     Then Crumb Snatcher sank for the last time。 But Lick Platter察who was 

at   the   brink   of   the   pond察  had   heard   his   words。   Straightway   this   mouse 

rushed   to   the   hole   of   Bread   Nibbler   and   told   him   of   the   death   of   his 

princely son。 

     Bread   Nibbler   called   out   the   clans   of   the   mice。   The   warrior   mice 

armed themselves察and this was the grand way of their arming此

     First察the mice put on greaves that covered their forelegs。 These they 

made   out   of   bean   shells   broken   in   two。   For   shield察  each   had   a   lamp's 

centerpiece。   For   spears   they   had   the   long   bronze   needles   that   they   had 

carried out of the houses of men。 So armed and so accoutered they were 

ready   to   war   upon   the   frogs。 And   Bread   Nibbler察  their   king察  shouted   to 

them此   Fall   upon   the   cowardly   frogs察  and   leave   not   one   alive   upon   the 

bank of the pond。 Henceforth that bank is ours察and ours only。 Forward  ─

     And察on the other side察Puff jaw was urging the frogs to battle。 ;Let us 

take   our   places   on   the   edge   of   the   pond察─  he   said察   and   when   the   mice 

come amongst us察let each catch hold of one and throw him into the pond。 

Thus we will get rid of these dry bobs察the mice。; 

     The   frogs   applauded   the   speech   of   their   king察  and   straightway   they 

went to their armor and their weapons。 Their legs they covered with the 

leaves of mallow。 For breastplates they had the leaves of beets。 Cabbage 



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leaves察well cut察made their strong shields。 They took their spears from the 

pond   sidedeadly   pointed   rushes   they   were察  and   they   placed   upon   their 

heads helmets that were empty snail shells。 So armed and so accoutered 

they were ready to meet the grand attack of the mice。 

     When   the   robber   came   to   this   part   of   the   story   Heracles   halted   his 

march察for he was shaking with laughter。 The robber stopped in his story。 

Heracles   slapped   him   on   the   leg   and   said此   What   more   of   the   heroic 

exploits   of   the   mice拭─  The   second   robber   said察   I   know   no   more察  but 

perhaps   my   brother   at   the   other   side   of   you   can   tell   you   of   the   mighty 

combat      between     them    and   the  frogs。;    Then    Heracles    shifted   the   first 

robber from his back to his front察and the first robber said此 I will tell you 

what I know about the heroical combat between the frogs and the mice。; 

And thereupon he began此

     The gnats blew their trumpets。 This was the dread signal for war。 

     Bread Nibbler struck the first blow。 He fell upon Loud Crier the frog察

and overthrew him。 At this Loud Crier's friend察Reedy察threw down spear 

and shield and dived into the water。 This seemed to presage victory for the 

mice。 But then Water Larker察the most warlike of the frogs察took up a great 

pebble and flung it at Ham Nibbler who was then pursuing Reedy。 Down 

fell Ham Nibbler察and there was dismay in the ranks of the mice。 

     Then   Cabbage   Climber察  a   great´hearted   frog察  took   up   a   clod   of   mud 

and   flung   it   full   at   a   mouse   that   was   coming   furiously   upon   him。   That 

mouse's helmet was knocked off and his forehead was plastered with the 

clod of mud察so that he was well´nigh blinded。 

     It was then that victory inclined to the frogs。 Bread Nibbler again came 

into the fray。 He rushed furiously upon Puff jaw the king。 

     Leeky察    the   trusted    friend   of   Puff   jaw察   opposed     Bread     Nibbler's 

onslaught。   Mightily   he   drove   his   spear   at   the   king   of   the   mice。   But   the 

point of the spear broke upon Bread Nibbler's shield察and then Leeky was 

overthrown。 

     Bread Nibbler came upon Puff jaw察and the two great kings faced each 

other。 The   frogs   and   the   mice   drew   aside察  and   there   was   a   pause   in   the 

combat。 Bread Nibbler the   mouse struck Puff jaw   the frog terribly  upon 



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the toes。 

     Puff jaw drew out of the battle。 Now all would have been lost for the 

frogs had not Zeus察the father of the gods察looked down upon the battle。 

     ;Dear察dear察─said Zeus察 what can be done to save the frogs拭They will 

surely be annihilated if the charge of yonder mouse is not halted。; 

     For the father of the gods察looking down察saw a warrior mouse coming 

on in the most dreadful onslaught of the whole battle。 Slice Snatcher was 

the name of this warrior。 He had come late into the field。 He waited to split 

a   chestnut   in   two   and   to   put   the   halves   upon   his   paws。   Then察  furiously 

dashing amongst the frogs察he cried out that he would not leave the ground 

until he had destroyed the race察leaving the bank of the pond a playground 

for the mice and for the mice alone。 

     To stop the charge of Slice Snatcher there was nothing for Zeus to do 

but to hurl the thunderbolt that is the terror of gods and men。 

     Frogs and mice were awed by the thunder and the flame。 But still the 

mice察urged on by Slice Snatcher察did not hold back from their onslaught 

upon the frogs。 

     Now would the frogs have been utterly destroyed察but察as they dashed 

on察the mice encountered a new and a dreadful army。 The warriors in these 

ranks had mailed backs and curving claws。 They had bandy legs and long´ 

stretching   arms。 They  had   eyes   that   looked   behind   them。 They  came   on 

sideways。 These were the crabs察creatures until now unknown to the mice。 

And the crabs had been sent by Zeus   to save the race of the frogs   from 

utter destruction。 

     Coming      upon    the   mice   they    nipped    their  paws。    The   mice    turned 

around and they nipped their tails。 In vain the boldest of the mice struck at 

the   crabs   with   their   sharpened   spears。   Not   upon   the   hard   shells   on   the 

backs of the crabs did the spears of the mice make any dint。 On and on察on 

their   queer   feet   and   with   their   terrible   nippers察  the   crabs   went。   Bread 

Nibbler could not rally them any more察and Slice Snatcher ceased to speak 

of the monument of victory that the mice would erect upon the bank of the 

pond。  With   their   heads   out   of   the   water   they   had   retreated   to察  the   frogs 

watched   the   finish   of   the   battle。   The   mice   threw   down   their   spears   and 



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shields and fled from the battleground。 On went the crabs as if they cared 

nothing for their victory察and the frogs came out of the water and sat upon 

the bank and watched them in awe。 

     Heracles had laughed at the diverting tale that the robbers had told him察

he   could   not   bring   them   then   to   a   place   where   they   would   meet   with 

captivity or death。 He let them loose upon the highway察and the  robbers 

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