save my life. A jealous lion is no joke, let me
assure your ladyship. But mum's the word.'

"Such a fine piece of news delighted the magpie, who was the greatest
tell-tale in the world, so in return she told Reynard all about Bruin
and Gauntgrim, and then she began to say all manner of unkind and
ill-natured things about the poor young cat. She did not spare a single
fault, you may be sure. The fox listened with all the ears he had, and
he learned enough to convince him that the cat was rather vain and very
fond of flattery.

"When the magpie had finished her ugly speech she said: 'But, my dear
Mr. Reynard, you are very unfortunate to be banished from so splendid a
court as that of the lion.'

"'Oh! as to that,' answered the fox, 'I feel some consolation, for his
majesty made me a handsome present at parting; namely, three hairs from
the inside of the ninth leg of the amoronthologosphorus. Only think of
that, ma'am.'

Willie laughed at this long word.

"'The _what_?' cried the magpie, cocking down her left ear.

"'The amoronthologosphorus.'

"'La!' said the magpie, 'and what is that tremendous long word, my dear
Mr. Reynard?'

"'The amoronthologosphorus is a beast that lives on the top of the North
Pole, fifteen miles from any water, and the same distance from any land;
it has nine legs, and on the ninth leg are three hairs, and whoever has
those three hairs can be young and beautiful for ever.'"

"Dear me," said Willie, "I wish I could get those three hairs for my
dear grandma."

"So do I," answered his mother, "and the magpie wanted them, too, for
she exclaimed: 'Bless me, I wish you would let me see them,' and she
poked out her claw for the three hairs.

"'Really, ma'am, I would oblige you with pleasure,' said the wicked
fellow, who had no hairs, and never heard of the animal with the long
name, 'but it is as much as my life is worth to show them to any but the
lady I marry. But you'll be sure not to mention it.'

"'A magpie gossip, indeed!' cried the old tell-tale.

"The fox then wished the magpie good-night, and retired to a hole to
sleep off the fatigues of the day, as he meant to present himself to the
beautiful cat as fine as a Broadway dandy.

"The very next morning (nobody knew how) it was all over the place that
Reynard had been banished from the lion's court, who, to console him,
had made him a present of three hairs, that would magically convert the
one that he married, even if she was a