`` The old madman will take neither gold nor silver , '' said she . `` What does he want then ? '' `` A bronze ring that is hidden under a cushion . '' `` Find the ring and give it to him , '' said the Princess . And at last the slave found the bronze ring , which the captain of the golden ship had accidentally left behind and carried it to the man , who made off with it instantly . Hardly had he reached his own house when , taking the ring , he said , `` Bronze ring , obey thy master . I desire that the golden ship shall turn to black wood , and the crew to hideous negroes ; that St. Nicholas shall leave the helm and that the only cargo shall be black cats . '' And the genii of the bronze ring obeyed him . Finding himself upon the sea in this miserable condition , the young captain understood that some one must have stolen the bronze ring from him , and he lamented his misfortune loudly ; but that did him no good . `` Alas ! '' he said to himself , `` whoever has taken my ring has probably taken my dear wife also . What good will it do me to go back to my own country ? '' And he sailed about from island to island , and from shore to shore , believing that wherever he went everybody was laughing at him , and very soon his poverty was so great that he and his crew and the poor black cats had nothing to eat but herbs and roots . After wandering about a long time he reached an island inhabited by mice . The captain landed upon the shore and began to explore the country . There were mice everywhere , and nothing but mice . Some of the black cats had followed him , and , not having been fed for several days , they were fearfully hungry , and made terrible havoc among the mice . Then the queen of the mice held a council . `` These cats will eat every one of us , '' she said , `` if the captain of the ship does not shut the ferocious animals up . Let us send a deputation to him of the bravest among us . ''
Several mice offered themselves XXXXX this mission and set out to find the young captain .
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