is Frog, who could not even fly, to call himself the King of
the Kites! And the Mouse was just as absurd, for he answered--

"Stuff and nonsense! I am King of the Kites!"

I don't know whether they really believed this themselves, or whether
they were only trying to show off. Anyhow, both stuck to it stoutly, and
a pretty quarrel was the result. The Mouse grew red in the face; and as
for Froggie, he was nearly bursting with rage.

At last they agreed to refer the decision to a council. The council was
made up of a Bat, a Squirrel, and a Parrot. The Parrot took the chair,
because he was the biggest, and also because he could talk most, and was
therefore thought to be wise.

"I vote for the Mouse," said the Bat; not that he knew anything about
it, but you see a Bat is very like a Mouse, and he wanted to stand up
for the family.

"And I," said the Squirrel, "vote for my friend Froggie." He knew
nothing about it either, but he wanted to show that even a Squirrel has
an opinion of his own.

So it fell to the Parrot to give the casting vote, and decide the
matter. He took a long time to decide, about two hours; and while he was
thinking, and the others were all intent to hear what he should say,
down from the sky swooped a Kite; and the Kite stuck one claw into the
Mouse's back, and one claw into the Frog, and carried them both away to
his nest, and ate them for dinner.

So that was the end of the two Kings of the Kites.
The other three creatures, in a great fright,
made themselves scarce, lest the
Kite should come back and
eat them too.

[Illustration]

The Jackal and the Camel

ONCE a Camel was grazing in a forest. He had a ring in his nose, as the
custom is, and to the ring was tied a string, by which the Camel's
master used to lead him about. As the Camel grazed, this leading-string
became entangled in a bush, and the Camel could not get it loose. This
misfortune so much confused the mind of the Camel that he did not know
what to do.

Suddenly, as the Camel was struggling to get free from the bush, a
Jackal appeared.

"Brother Jackal," said the Camel, "do please set me free from this
bush."

"Brother Camel," said the Jackal, "I will set you free, only you must
pay me for it. Do not the wise say, 'Even a brother will not serve thee
for nothing'?"

"What shall I pay you, brother Jackal? I am a very poor Camel."

"You shall pay me," quoth the Jac