Page:English Fairy Tales.djvu/113

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Jack and his Golden Snuff-Box
87

the little box, and there hopped out the three little red men, and asked him what he wanted with them. "Well," said the valet to them, "I want this castle to be moved from this place far and far across the sea." "All right," said the little red men to him; "do you wish to go with it?" "Yes," said he. "Well, get up," said they to him; and away they went far and far over the great sea.

Now the grand hunting party came back, and the castle upon the twelve golden pillars had disappeared, to the great disappointment of those gentlemen who did not see it before. Poor silly Jack was threatened to have his beautiful young wife taken from him, for deceiving them as he did. But the gentleman at last made an agreement with him, and he was to have a twelvemonths and a day to look for it; and off he went with a good horse and money in his pocket.

So off poor Jack starts in search of his missing castle, over hills, dales, valleys, and mountains, through woolly woods and sheepwalks, further than I can tell you or ever intend to tell you. Until at last he comes up to the place where lives the King of all the little mice in the world. There was one of the little mice on sentry at the front gate going up to the palace, and he did try to stop Jack from going in. Jack asked the little mouse: "Where does the King live? I should like to see him." This one sent another with him to show him the place; and when the King saw him, he called him in. And the King questioned him, and asked him where he was going that way. Well, Jack told him all the truth, that he had lost the