Queery Tales; Where Rainbows Begin

The Thief
It was several weeks after the wedding. Prince Andrew was still in the castle and his beloved Prince Michael were living together quite happily. However, it came to pass that Michael had to go on a long sea journey, and he had to take it soon. So he bid farewell to his love and set sial for a far away place.
Now in the town, there was a well known Thief who could get into any place and knew almost everything. He knew that Prince Michael wouldn't be where he was had it not been for the Bronze Ring. So he went down to the docks when Prince Michael was leaving and saw he wasn't wearing it. It was hidden somewhere in his room. So the thief waited until nightfall, and then executed his plan.
Taking only a grappling hook and a sling, he went to the castle. He scaled the wall, avoided the guards and got into the Prince's bedroom. He looked all over, being very careful to make no noise and to return everything to the way he found it. Finally, the thief found the ring. It was hidden under Prince Michael's pillow. He returned the pillow to its place and went to the window. Just as he was leaving, the door opened and in came Prince Andrew. He saw the thief and yelled out. The thief was too quick and he managed to escape.
Searching the room, the Prince thought that the room was undisturbed, for nothing seemed out of order. He thought that his lover had taken the Bornze Ring with him, so he did not expect to see it. However, he did not know that the thief had taken it.
Back at his home, the thief rubbed the ring. 'Bronze Ring, obey thy master. I wish for Prince Michael's ship to be turned into an unseaworthy vessel, with the wood rooting and the sails ripped and mouldy. May his crew be sickly and unatractive men, and may his cargo be but of black cats.' And as instructed, the ring did so.
When Michael saw what had happened to his ship, he was in dispare. He knew that it was the power of the ring, and that he couldn't sail home again. He thought that whoever had the ring also had the kingdom. He sailed from land to land, looking for somewhere to settle. Finally, he came to an island inhabited by mice. But in doing so, he had endangered the mice, as the black cats aboard the ship ran wild, and many of the mice were killed and eaten. The Mouse Queen called a meeting with Michael to ask him to leave their island. Michael said he would leave on the condition the mice found and returned his Bronze ring to him. The Mouse Queen then called all the mice of the world to see if any knew where the Bronze Ring was, but none knew. Finally, along came three mice. One was blind, one was going deaf and the other was lame.
We know where the Bronze ring is, for we saw the thief who took it. Let us retrieve it.' they said. They were given a boat and they sailed off towards their home town. There, they went to the place where the thief was hiding. They watched him. He wore the ring throughout the day, and that night, before he went to sleep, he put the ring in his mouth. Soon he was asleep.
'I shall stay in case someone is coming,' the deaf mouse said, as the blind mouse and the lame mouse went to retrieve the ring.
Looking around, the two mice saw some oil and some pepper. The blind mouse, with the help of the lame mouse, dipped his tail into the oil and then into the pepper. The lame mouse then had him hold his tail under the theif's nose. Sure enough, the thief sneezed and out flew the ring. The lame mouse caught it, and they scuttled off, while the thief slept on.
When the sun rose and the thief awoke, he searched high and low for the ring, but couldn't find it. He thought he may have swallowed it, and wished something simple of the ring. But the ring was not in his belly, and could not grant his wish.

While on their journey home, the three mice started talking of who should take all the credit.
'I should,' said the deaf mouse, 'for if I hadn't kept watch, someone might have walked in.'
'No, I should be the one,' said the blind mouse. 'For it was I who made the thief sneeze and therefore, relinquish the ring.'
'No, I shall take the credit, for I dipped our tail in the oil and pepper, and I was the one who caught the ring. So it should therefore be me,' argued the lame mouse. The three mice argued, and then quarreled, and as they did so, the ring slipped from their boat and fell into the sea.
'Oh dear. For our greed, we have lost the ring and doomed our people.' said the lame mouse. They feared their queen and what she might say or do lest they showed up empty handed, and so they sailed to a desert island quite close by and climbed off their boat. On this island, they waited for their death. The lame mouse had wondered off, and on its journey, he came across a dead fish. In a fit of hunger, the mouse started eating.
'Come and eat.' he called to his companions. As they ate, the blind mouse bit into something hard.
'What is this, a bone?' he asked.
'No, it is the Bronze ring.' said the deaf mouse. 'Blessed is this day, that we have saved our people.' The three mice loaded the ring into their boat and sailed for the Mouse Capital. Prince Michael was pleased to have his ring back, and he put it on at once.
'Bronze ring, obey thy master. Restore my ship to the way it was, with the finest of wood and crew, and may St. Nicholas be at the helm.' as he wished, the ring restored his ship. When he sailed home, the thief saw the ring back in its masters possession. But he did not try to steel it again, lest it return to its master is it had before.
Prince Michael was welcomed back with a great feast, for he had been away longer than he had expected. The celebrations went on all night, until finally, no one was left but Prince Andrew and himself.