everythingwasfirstrate.mouldybread,tallowcandle,andsausage.andthen,whenwehadfinishedthatcourse,thesamecameonalloveragain;itwasasgoodastwowereverysociable,andtherewasasmuchjokingandfunasifwehadbeenallofonefamilycircle.nothingwasleftbutthesausageskewers,andthisformedasubjectofconversation,tillatlastitturnedtotheproverb,'soupfromsausageskins;'or,asthepeopleintheneighboringcountrycallit,'soupfromasausageskewer.'everyonehadheardtheproverb,butnoonehadevertastedthesoup,muchlesspreparedit.acapitaltoastwasdrunktotheinventorofthesoup,andsomeonesaidheoughttobemadearelievingofficertothepoor.wasnotthatwitty?thentheoldmouse-kingroseandpromisedthattheyounglady-mousewhoshouldlearnhowbesttopreparethismuch-admiredandsavorysoupshouldbehisqueen,andayearandadayshouldbeallowedforthepurpose."

"thatwasnotatallabadproposal,"saidtheothermouse;"buthowisthesoupmade?"

"ah,thatismorethanicantellyou.alltheyoungladymicewereaskingthesamequestion.theywishedverymuchtobequeen,buttheydidnotwanttotakethetroubleofgoingoutintotheworldtolearnhowtomakesoup,whichwasabsolutelynecessarytobedonefirst.butitisnoteveryonewhowouldcaretoleaveherfamily,orherhappycornerbythefire-sideathome,eventobemadequeen.itisnotalwayseasytofindbaconandcheese-rindinforeignlandseveryday,anditisnotpleasanttohavetoendurehunger,andbeperhaps,afterall,eatenupalivebythecat."

"mostprobablysomesuchthoughtsasthesediscouragedthemajorityfromgoingoutintotheworldtocollecttherequiredinformation.onlyfourmicegavenoticethattheywerereadytosetoutonthejourney.theywereyoungandlively,butpoor.eachofthemwishedtovisitoneofthefourdivisionsoftheworld,sothatitmightbeseenwhichwasthemostfavoredbyfortune.everyonetookasausageskewerasatraveller'sstaff,andtoremindthemoftheobjectoftheirjourney.theylefthomeearlyinmay,andnoneofthemreturnedtillthefirstofmayinthefollowingyear,andthenonlythreeofthem.nothingwasseenorheardofthefourth,althoughthedayofdecisionwascloseathand."ah,yes,thereisalwayssometroublemixedupwiththegreatestpleasure,"saidthemouse-king;buthegaveordersthatallthemicewithinacircleofmanymilesshouldbeinvitedatonce.theyweretoassembleinthekitchen,andthethreetravelledmiceweretostandinarowbeforethem,whileasausageskewer,coveredwithcrape,wastobestuckupinsteadofthemissingmouse.noonedaredtoexpressanopinionuntilthekingspoke,anddesiredoneofthemtogoonwithherstory.andnowweshallhearwhatshesaid.

whatthefirstlittlemouse

sawandheardonhertravels

"whenifirstwentoutintotheworld,"saidthelittlemouse,"ifancied,assomanyofmyagedo,thatialreadykneweverything,butitwasnotso.ittakesyearstoacquiregreatknowledge.iwentatoncetoseainashipboundforthenorth.ihadbeentoldthattheship'scookmustknowhowtoprepareeverydishatsea,anditiseasyenoughtodothatwithplentyofsidesofbacon,andlargetubsofsaltmeatandmouldyflour.thereifoundplentyofdelicatefood,butnoopportunityforlearninghowtomakesoupfromasausageskewer.wesailedonformanydaysandnights;theshiprockedfearfully,andwedidnotescapewithoutawetting.assoonaswearrivedattheporttowhichtheshipwasbound,ileftit,andwentonshoreataplacefartowardsthenorth.itisawonderfulthingtoleaveyourownlittlecornerathome,tohideyourselfinashipwheretherearesuretobesomenicesnugcornersforshelter,thensuddenlytofindyourselfthousandsofmilesawayinaforeignland.isawlargepathlessforestsofpineandbirchtrees,whichsmeltsostrongthatisneezedandthoughtofsausage.thereweregreatlakesalsowhichlookedasblackasinkatadistance,butwerequiteclearwhenicameclosetothem.largeswanswerefloatinguponthem,andithoughtatfirsttheywereonlyfoam,theylaysostill;butwhenisawthemwalkandfly,iknewwhattheyweredirectly.theybelongtothegoosespecies,onecanseethatbytheirwalk.noonecanattempttodisguisefamilydescent.ikeptwithmyownkind,andassociatedwiththeforestandfieldmice,who,however,knewverylittle,especiallyaboutwhatiwantedtoknow,andwhichhadactuallymademetravelabroad.theideathatsoupcouldbemadefromasausageskewerwastothemsuchanout-of-the-way,unlikelythought,thatitwasrepeatedfromonetoanotherthroughthewholeforest.theydeclaredthattheproblemwouldneverbesolved,thatthethingwasanimpossibility.howlittleithoughtthatinthisplace,ontheveryfirstnight,ishouldbeinitiatedintothemannerofitspreparation.

"itwastheheightofsummer,whichthemicetoldmewasthereasonthattheforestsmeltsostrong,andthattheherbsweresofragrant,andthelakeswiththewhiteswimmingswanssodark,andyetsoclear.onthemarginofthewood,neartothreeorfourhouses,apole,aslargeasthemainmastofaship,hadbeenerected,andfromthesummithungwreathsofflowersandflutteringribbons;itwasthemaypole.ladsandlassesdancedroundthepole,andtriedtooutdotheviolinsofthemusicianswiththeirsinging.theywereasmerryaseveratsunsetandinthemoonlight,butitooknopartinthemerry-making.whathasalittlemousetodowithamaypoledance?