After he had ridden for some time he saw a man standing at the foot of a poplar tree , and said to him : ` What 's your name , my friend ; where do you come from , and what can you do ? ' The man replied , ` My name is Quick-as-Thought , I come from Fleet-town , and I can run like lightning . ' ' I should like to see you , ' returned Moscione . ` Just wait a minute , then , ' said Quick-as-Thought , ` and I will soon show you that I am speaking the truth . ' The words were hardly out of his mouth when a young doe ran right across the field they were standing in . Quick-as-Thought let her run on a short distance , in order to give her a start , and then pursued her so quickly and so lightly that you could not have tracked his footsteps if the field had been strewn with flour . In a very few springs he had overtaken the doe , and had so impressed Moscione with his fleetness of foot that he begged Quick-as-Thought to go with him , promising at the same time to reward him handsomely . Quick-as-Thought agreed to his proposal , and they continued on their journey together . They had hardly gone a mile when they met a young man , and Moscione stopped and asked him : ` What 's your name , my friend ; where do you come from , and what can you do ? ' The man thus addressed answered promptly , ' I am called Hare 's - ear , I come from Curiosity Valley , and if I lay my ear on the ground , without moving from the spot , I can hear everything that goes on in the world , the plots and intrigues of court and cottage , and all the plans of mice and men . ' ` If that 's the case , ' replied Moscione , ` Just tell me what 's going on in my own home at present . ' The youth laid his ear to the ground and at once reported : ` An old man is saying to his wife , `` Heaven be praised that we have got rid of Moscione , for perhaps , when he has been out in the world a little , he may gain some common sense , and return home less of a fool than when he set out . '' ' ` Enough , enough , ' cried Moscione . ` You speak the truth , and I believe you . Come with us , and your fortune 's made . ' The young man consented ; and after they had gone about ten miles , they met a third man , to whom Moscione said : ` What 's your name , my brave fellow ; where were you born , and what can you do ? ' The man replied , ' I am called Hit-the-Point , I come from the city of Perfect-aim , and I draw my bow so exactly that I can shoot a pea off a stone . ' ' I should like to see you do it , if you 've no objection , ' said Moscione . The man at once placed a pea on a stone , and , drawing his bow , he shot it in the middle with the greatest possible ease . When Moscione saw that he had spoken the truth , he immediately asked Hit-the-Point to join his party .
After they had all travelled together XXXXX some days , they came upon a number of people who were digging a trench in the blazing sun .
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