between them on that day that Terrapin solicited the help of
Serpent against the bird-queen.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

THE LEGEND OF KIBATTI THE LITTLE WHO CONQUERED ALL THE GREAT ANIMALS.

I have done my very best to translate this story as closely as possible
in order to give the faithful sense of what was said, yet I despair of
rendering the little touches and flourishes which Kadu knew so well how
to give with voice, gesture, and mobile face.

"Friends and freemen," he said, when we were all in listening attitude,
"if a son of man knows how to show anger, I need not tell you who are
experienced in travel and in the nature of beasts, that the animals of
the wilds also know how to show their spite and their passions." The
legend of Kibatti runs upon this.

On a day ages ago the great animals of the world, consisting of the
elephant, the rhinoceros, the buffalo, the lion, the leopard, and hyena,
assembled in council in the midst of a forest not far from a village on
the frontier of Uganda. The elephant being acknowledged by general
consent as the strongest, presided on the occasion.

Waving his trunk, and trumpeting to enjoin silence, he said: "Friends,
we are gathered together to-day to consider how we may repay in some
measure the injuries daily done to us and our kin by the sons of men.
Not far from here is situated a village, whence the vicious two-footed
animals issue out to make war upon all of us, who possess double the
number of feet they have. Without warning of hostility or publishing of
cause, they deliberately leave their conical nests, day by day, with
fellest intent against any of us whom they may happen to meet during the
shining of the sun. Wherefore we are met upon common grounds to devise
how we may retaliate upon them the wanton outrages they daily perpetrate
upon our unfortunate kind. Personally, I have many injuries to the
elephants of my tribe to remember, and which I am not likely to forget.
It was only a week ago that a promising child of my sister fell into a
deep pit, and was impaled on a short stake set in the bottom of it; and
but a few days before my youngest brother fell head-foremost into a
horribly deep excavation that was dug, and which was artfully concealed
by leaves and grass, whereby none but those, like myself, experienced in
their guileful arts, could have escaped. Ye have all, I daresay, been
similarly persecuted, and have deep injuries to revenge. I wait to hear
what