Now the king was exceedingly angry to think that he had again lost his daughter, and he was all the more angry to think that such poor creatures as a bird and a cat had succeeded in carrying her off after all his precautions. So, in his great wrath, he resolved to make a general war on the animals, and entirely exterminate them.
To this end he gathered together a very large army, and determined to be himself their leader. The news of the king's intention spread swiftly over the whole kingdom, whereupon for the third time the fox called together all her friends--the bear, the wolf, the kumrekusha, the mouse, the mole, and the hare--to a general council.
When all were assembled the fox addressed them thus: "My friends, the king has declared war against us, and intends to destroy us all. Now it is our duty to defend ourselves in the best way we can. Let us each see what number of animals we are able to muster. How many of your brother bears do you think you can bring to our help, my good Bruin?"
The bear got up as quickly as he could on his hind legs and called out, "I am sure I can bring a hundred."
"And how many of your friends can you bring, my good wolf?" asked the fox anxiously.
"I can bring at least five hundred wolves with me," said the wolf with an air of importance.
The fox nodded her satisfaction and continued, "And what can you do for us, dear master hare?"
"Well, I think, I can bring about eight hundred," said the hare cautiously.
"And what can you do, you dear little mouse?"
"Oh, I can certainly bring three thousand mice."
"And now what number do you think you can bring us, my great friend, kumrekusha?"
"I fear not more than two or three hundred, at the very best," said the kumrekusha sadly.
"Very good; now all of you go at once and collect your friends; when you have brought all you can, we will decide what is to be done," said the fox; whereupon the council broke up, and the animals dispersed in different directions throughout the forest.
Not very long after, very unusual noises were heard in the neighbourhood of the castle. There was a great shaking of trees; and the growling of bears and the short sharp barking of wolves broke the usual quiet of the forest. The army of animals was gathering from all sides at the appointed place. When all were gathered together the fox explained to them her plans in these words: "When the king's army stops on its march to rest the first night, then you, bears and wolves, must be prepared to attack and kill all the horses. If, notwithstanding this, the army proceeds farther, you mice must be ready to bite and destroy all the saddle-straps and belts while the soldiers are resting the second night, and you hares must gnaw through the ropes with which the men draw the cannon. If the king still persists in his march, you moles must go the third night and dig out the earth under the road they will take the next day, and must make a ditch full fifteen yards in breadth and twenty yards in depth all round their camp. Next morning, when the army begins to march over this ground which has been hollowed out, you kumrekushas must throw down on them from above heavy stones while the earth will give way under them."