this was rather a bold offer. however, they accomplished the thing. at midnight, when the ogress was sound asleep, one of the rats went to her bedside, climbed up on her face, and inserted its tail into her throat; whereupon the ogress coughed violently, and the ring came out and rolled on to the floor. the rat immediately seized the precious thing and ran off with it to its king, who was very glad, and went at once to the cat and released its son.