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English Fairy Tales

and he talked with the King, and told him everything, all about the castle. "Well," said the King to him, "you shall know in the morning from my birds whether they know anything or not." Jack put up his horse in the stable, and then went to bed, after having something to eat. And when he got up in the morning the King and he went on to the fields, and there the King made some funny noise, and there came all the fowls that were in all the world. And the King asked them: "Did they see the fine castle?" and all the birds answered, No. "Well," said the King, "Where is the great bird?" They had to wait then for a long time for the eagle to make his appearance, when at last he came all in a perspiration, after two little birds had been sent high up in the sky to whistle on him to make all the haste he possibly could. The King asked the great bird, Did he see the great castle? and the bird said: "Yes, I came from there where it now is." "Well," said the King to him, "this young gentleman has lost it, and you must go with him back to it; but stop till you get a bit of something to eat first."

They killed a calf, and sent the best part of it to feed the eagle on his journey over the seas, and he had to carry Jack on his back. Now when they came in sight of the castle, they did not know what to do to get the little golden box. Well, the little mouse said to them: "Leave me down, and I will get the little box for you." So the mouse stole into the castle, and got hold of the box; and when he was coming down the stairs, it fell down, and he was very