also."

Accordingly, the two set forth together, enjoying charming converse upon
the road. Slow-toes perceived Light o' Leap a long way off, and hastened
to do him the guest-rites, extending them to the Mouse upon Light o'
Leap's introduction.

"Good Slow-toes," said he, "this is Golden-skin, King of the Mice--pay
all honor to him--he is burdened with virtues--a very jewel-mine of
kindnesses. I don't know if the Prince of all the Serpents, with his two
thousand tongues, could rightly repeat them." So speaking, he told the
story of Speckle-neck. Thereupon Slow-toes made a profound obeisance to
Golden-skin, and said, "How came your Majesty, may I ask, to retire to
an unfrequented forest?"

"I will tell you," said the King. "You must know that in the town of
Champaka there is a college for the devotees. Unto this resorted daily a
beggar-priest, named Chudakarna, whose custom was to place his
begging-dish upon the shelf, with such alms in it as he had not eaten,
and go to sleep by it; and I, so soon as he slept, used to jump up, and
devour the meal. One day a great friend of his, named Vinakarna, also a
mendicant, came to visit him; and observed that while conversing, he
kept striking the ground with a split cane, to frighten me. 'Why don't
you listen?' said Vinakarna. 'I am listening!' replied the other; 'but
this plaguy mouse is always eating the meal out of my begging-dish,'
Vinakarna looked at the shelf and remarked, 'However can a mouse jump as
high as this? There must be a reason, though there seems none. I guess
the cause--the fellow is well off and fat,' With these words Vinakarna
snatched up a shovel, discovered my retreat, and took away all my hoard
of provisions. After that I lost strength daily, had scarcely energy