And Schurka growled , and was of opinion that he would like to tear everyone in pieces ; but Waska purred meditatively , and scratched the back of her ear with a velvet paw , and remained lost in thought . At the end of a few minutes she had made up her mind , and , turning to Schurka , said : ` Let us go together into the town , and the moment we meet a baker you must make a rush between his legs and upset the tray from off his head ; I will lay hold of the rolls , and will carry them off to our master . ' No sooner said than done . Together the two faithful creatures trotted off into the town , and very soon they met a baker bearing a tray on his head , and looking round on all sides , while he cried : ` Fresh rolls , sweet cake , Fancy bread of every kind . Come and buy , come and take , Sure you 'll find it to your mind , ' At that moment Schurka made a rush between his legs -- the baker stumbled , the tray was upset , the rolls fell to the ground , and , while the man angrily pursued Schurka , Waska managed to drag the rolls out of sight behind a bush . And when a moment later Schurka joined her , they set off at full tilt to the stone tower where Martin was a prisoner , taking the rolls with them . Waska , being very agile , climbed up by the outside to the grated window , and called in an anxious voice : ` Are you alive , master ? ' ` Scarcely alive -- almost starved to death , ' answered Martin in a weak voice . ' I little thought it would come to this , that I should die of hunger . ' ` Never fear , dear master . Schurka and I will look after you , ' said Waska . And in another moment she had climbed down and brought him back a roll , and then another , and another , till she had brought him the whole tray-load . Upon which she said : ` Dear master , Schurka and I are going off to a distant kingdom at the utmost ends of the earth to fetch you back your magic ring . You must be careful that the rolls last till our return . ' And Waska took leave of her beloved master , and set off with Schurka on their journey . On and on they travelled , looking always to right and left for traces of the Princess , following up every track , making inquiries of every cat and dog they met , listening to the talk of every wayfarer they passed ; and at last they heard that the kingdom at the utmost ends of the earth where the twelve youths had borne the Princess was not very far off . And at last one day they reached that distant kingdom , and , going at once to the palace , they began to make friends with all the dogs and cats in the place , and to question them about the Princess and the magic ring ; but no one could tell them much about either . Now one day it chanced that Waska had gone down to the palace cellar to hunt for mice and rats , and seeing an especially fat , well-fed mouse , she pounced upon it , buried her claws in its soft fur , and was just going to gobble it up , when she was stopped by the pleading tones of the little creature , saying , ` If you will only spare my life I may be of great service to you . I will do everything in my power for you ; for I am the King of the Mice , and if I perish the whole race will die out . ' ` So be it , ' said Waska . '
I will spare your life ; but XXXXX return you must do something for me .
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