`` Now , what shall we do ? '' said the two little animals to each other . The mouse with the cropped ears found a lamp full of oil and a bottle full of pepper . So she dipped her tail first in the oil and then in the pepper , and held it to the sorcerer 's nose . `` Atisha ! atisha ! '' sneezed the old man , but he did not wake , and the shock made the bronze ring jump out of his mouth . Quick as thought the lame mouse snatched up the precious talisman and carried it off to the boat . Imagine the despair of the magician when he awoke and the bronze ring was nowhere to be found ! But by that time our three mice had set sail with their prize . A favoring breeze was carrying them toward the island where the queen of the mice was awaiting them . Naturally they began to talk about the bronze ring . `` Which of us deserves the most credit ? '' they cried all at once . `` I do , '' said the blind mouse , `` for without my watchfulness our boat would have drifted away to the open sea . '' `` No , indeed , '' cried the mouse with the cropped ears ; `` the credit is mine . Did I not cause the ring to jump out of the man 's mouth ? '' `` No , it is mine , '' cried the lame one , `` for I ran off with the ring . '' And from high words they soon came to blows , and , alas ! when the quarrel was fiercest the bronze ring fell into the sea .
`` How are we to face our queen , '' said the three mice `` when XXXXX our folly we have lost the talisman and condemned our people to be utterly exterminated ?
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