innocence not to be found in the country,
nor among birds? My dear friend, what do you tell me?"

"The pure truth and nothing more. Just figure to yourself that on our
arrival here, whom should we meet but those chattering linnets, who
went off in search of cold and storm when the spring came with long
days and bright flowers! We tried to dissuade the crazy creatures, but
they answered us with the utmost insolence."

"What did they say?"

"They said to us--

'Whither do we go?
Whence come _you_, gossips,
Who travel so little
And talk so much?'

This was their reply to us, and on hearing it, we made them march to
double-quick time."

"What do I hear!" exclaimed the interlocutor. "That any one has dared
to accuse us, the most truthful and discreet of birds, of being
gossips?"

"Then what will you think when I tell you," said the first speaker,
"that the lark, who was so timid and ladylike, has become an insolent
pilferer, and that--

The lady lark upon her flight
Pilfers pulse and pilfers maize
Before the very sower's sight,
And at his anger pertly says,
'Sower, sower, more seed sow,
As that sown can never grow'?"

"I am astounded!"

"That is only half my story. When we arrived here, and I wished to
enter my nest, I found a shameless sparrow making himself quite at
home in it. 'This nest is mine,' I said to him. 'Yours?' he answered
rudely, and began to laugh. 'Mine and mine only.' 'Property is
robbery,' piped he quite coolly. 'Sir, are you crazy?' I said to him.
'My ancestors built this nest, my parents educated me in it, and in it
I mean to bring up my children.' Then at seeing me fainting, all my
companions began to weep. By the time I recovered my consciousness;
our husbands had put an end to the thieving rascal. But you, sister,
never see such scandals in the palace."

"Don't we! Ah, if you only knew!"

"Do tell us! do tell us!" exclaimed all the swallows with one voice.
When silence had been re-established, thanks to a loud and prolonged
hus-s-s-sh, uttered by an elder, the court dame began her story in
these terms.

"You must know that the king fell in love with the youngest daughter
of a tailor who lived near the palace, and married her; the girl
deserved his love, for she was as good as she was beautiful, and as
modest as she was discreet. It so happened that the king had to go to
the wars and leave his poor wife in the saddest and most perplexe