Let us send a deputation to him of the bravest among us . '' Several mice offered themselves for this mission and set out to find the young captain . `` Captain , '' said they , `` go away quickly from our island , or we shall perish , every mouse of us . '' `` Willingly , '' replied the young captain , `` upon one condition . That is that you shall first bring me back a bronze ring which some clever magician has stolen from me . If you do not do this I will land all my cats upon your island , and you shall be exterminated . '' The mice withdrew in great dismay . `` What is to be done ? '' said the Queen . `` How can we find this bronze ring ? '' She held a new council , calling in mice from every quarter of the globe , but nobody knew where the bronze ring was . Suddenly three mice arrived from a very distant country . One was blind , the second lame , and the third had her ears cropped . `` Ho , ho , ho ! '' said the new-comers . `` We come from a far distant country . '' `` Do you know where the bronze ring is which the genii obey ? '' `` Ho , ho , ho ! we know ; an old sorcerer has taken possession of it , and now he keeps it in his pocket by day and in his mouth by night . '' `` Go and take it from him , and come back as soon as possible . ''
So the three mice made themselves a boat and set sail XXXXX the magician 's country .
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