story (part 5)

And they flew over land and they flew over sea, until at last in the far distance they saw the Castle standing on its twelve golden pillars. But all the doors and windows were fast shut and barred, for, see you, the servant-master who had run away with it had gone out for the day a-hunting, and he always bolted doors and windows while he was absent lest some one else should run away with it.
Then Jack was puzzled to think how he should get hold of the golden snuff-box, until the little mouse said:
"Let me fetch it. There is always a mouse-hole in every castle, so I am sure I shall be able to get in."
So it went off, and Jack waited on the eagle’s wings in a fume; till at last mousekin appeared.
"Have you got it? " shouted Jack, and the little mousie cried:
"Yes!"
So every one rejoiced exceedingly, and they set off back to the palace of the King of all the Birds, where Jack had left his horse; for now that he had the golden snuff-box safe he knew he could get the Castle back whenever he chose to send the three little red men to fetch it. But on the way over the sea, while Jack, who was dead tired with standing so long, lay down between the eagle’s wings and fell asleep, the mouse and the eagle fell to quarrelling as to which of them had helped Jack the most, and they quarrelled so much that at last they laid the case before the frog. Then the frog, who made a very wise judge, said he must see the whole affair from the very beginning; so the mouse brought out the golden snuff-box from Jack’s pocket, and began to relate where it had been found and all about it. Now, at that very moment Jack awoke, kicked out his leg, and plump went the golden snuff-box down to the very bottom of the sea!
"I thought my turn would come," said the frog, and went plump in after it.
Well, they waited, and waited, and waited for three whole days and three whole nights; but froggie never came up again, and they had just given him up in despair when his nose showed above the water.
"Have you got it?" they shouted.
"No!" says he, with a great gasp.
"Then what do you want?" they cried in a rage.
"My breath," says froggie, and with that he sinks down again.
Well, they waited two days and two nights more, and at last up comes the little frog with the golden snuff-box in its mouth.
Then they all rejoiced exceedingly, and the eagle flew ever so fast to the palace of the King of the Birds.
But alas and alack a day! Jack’s troubles were not ended; his mother’s curse was still bringing him ill-luck, for the King of the Birds flew into a fearsome rage because Jack had not brought the Castle of the golden pillars back with him. And he said that unless he saw it by eight o’clock next morning Jack’s head should come off as a cheat and a liar.