w."

"So I should say," screamed the jay, who could never open his beak
without getting into a temper. "So I should say; Kapchack is a wicked
old----"

"Hush, hush," said the squirrel; "you can't tell who may be listening."

"I don't care," said the jay, ruffling up his feathers; "Kapchack is a
wicked old fellow, and Tchack-tchack is as bad."

"Capital!" said Tchink, the chaffinch; "I like outspoken people. But I
have heard that you (to the jay) are very fond of flirting." At this
there would have been a disturbance, had not the fox interfered.

"We shall never do anything, unless we agree amongst ourselves," he
said. "Now, the question is, are we going to do anything?"

"Yes, that is it," said the missel-thrush, who hated talking, and liked
to be doing; "what is it we are going to do?"

"Something must be done," said the owl, very solemnly.

"Yes; something must be done," said Cloctaw.

"Something must be done," said Ki Ki.

"I think, think so," said Tchink.

"I, too," said the dove.

"Quite true," said the wood-pigeon.

"Something must be done," said the stoat.

"Let us tell Kapchack what we think," said the mouse, getting bold, as
he was not eaten.

"A good idea," said the crow; "a very good idea. We will send the mouse
with a message."

"Dear me! No, no," cried the mouse, terribly frightened; "Kapchack is
awful in a rage--my life would not be worth a minute's purchase. Let the
stoat go."

"Not I," said the stoat; "I have had to suffer enough already, on
account of my relation to that rascal the weasel, whom Kapchack suspects
of designs upon his throne. I will not go."

"Nor I," said the fox; "Kapchack has looked angrily at me for a long
time--he cannot forget my royal descent. Let the hawk go."

"I! I!" said Ki Ki. "Nonsense; Kapchack does not much like me now; he
gave me a hint the other day not to soar too high. I suppose he did not
like to think of my overlooking him kissing pretty La Schach."

"Wretch! horrid wretch!" screamed the jay, at the mention of the
kissing, in a paroxysm of jealousy. "Pecking is too good for him!"

"Send the jackdaw or the crow," said Ki Ki.

"No, no," said Kauc and Cloctaw together. "Try the wood-pigeon."

"I go?--whoo," said the pigeon. "Impossible. Kapchack told me to my face
the other day that he more than half suspected me of plotting to go over
to Choo Hoo. I dare not say such a thing to him."

"Nor I," said the dove. "Why not the owl?"

"The fact i