earth
crying shrilly: "I am king! I am king!"

"You, our king!" the birds cried in anger; "you have done this by
trickery and cunning. We will not have you to reign over us."

Then the birds gathered together again and made another condition, that
he should be king who could go the deepest into the earth.

How the goose wallowed in the sand, and the duck strove to dig a hole!
All the other birds, too, tried to hide themselves in the ground.
The little bird without a name found a mouse's hole, and creeping in
cried:--

"I am king! I am king!"

"You, our king!" all the birds cried again, more angrily than before.
"Do you think that we would reward your cunning in this way? No, no! You
shall stay in the earth till you die of hunger!"

So they shut up the little bird in the mouse's hole, and bade the owl
watch him carefully night and day. Then all the birds went home to bed,
for they were very tired; but the owl found it lonely and wearisome
sitting alone staring at the mouse's hole.

"I can close one eye and watch with the other," he thought. So he closed
one eye and stared steadfastly with the other; but before he knew it he
forgot to keep that one open, and both eyes were fast asleep.

Then the little bird without a name peeped out, and when he saw Master
Owl's two eyes tight shut, he slipped from the hole and flew away.

From this time on the owl has not dared to show himself by day lest
the birds should pull him to pieces. He flies about only at night-time,
hating and pursuing the mouse for having made the hole into which the
little bird crept.

And the little bird also keeps out of sight, for he fears lest the other
birds should punish him for his cunning. He hides in the hedges, and
when he thinks himself quite safe, he sings out: "I am king! I am king!"

And the other birds in mockery call out: "Yes, yes, the hedge-king! the
hedge-king!"

THE DOVE WHO SPOKE TRUTH

BY ABBIE FARWELL BROWN

The dove and the wrinkled little bat once went on a journey together.
When it came toward night a storm arose, and the two companions sought
everywhere for a shelter. But all the birds were sound asleep in their
nests and the animals in their holes and dens. They could find no
welcome anywhere until they came to the hollow tree where old Master Owl
lived, wide awake in the dark.

"Let us knock here," said the shrewd bat; "I know the old fellow is not
asleep. This is his prowling hour, and but that it is a st