" have you come , my boy ? " said the rat . " you are welcome among us ! it was kind of you to come and visit me again so soon . no doubt you are very impatient , i can well imagine it . but you must really be patient a little while longer . my trousseau is not quite complete , but by the time you come again all shall be ready . " when she had said this she offered him egg - shells containing all sorts of food such as rats like . but it looked to the youth like food that had been eaten , and he said that he had no appetite . " if i were only safely away , and up above again , " thought he , but he said nothing . after a time the rat said : " now i think you must surely want to get up above again . i will hurry on the wedding as quickly as i can . and now take this woolen thread along , and when you get up above , you must not turn around , but go straight home , and underway you must keep on repeating : ' short before and long behind ! ' " and with that she laid the woolen thread in his hand .
woolen thread .
what did the rat give the youth to return home ?
what did the rat give the youth to return home ?