116 Fairy Tales

so unexpected, the hawk would not have
gone over so quickly, and, as it was, Agrippa
had to fight with tooth and nail as he had
never fought before. More than once, the
cruel curved beak striking at his eyes, drew
blood and almost blinded him, and he

 

needed all his strength to hold down the
beat of the powerful wings.

The creatures, who had never before seen
such a deadly battle, were paralysed with
fear; and the harvest mouse, whose nest was
bent to the ground, and who had only just
escaped being crushed by the two as they