ub Bird and the Dinky Bird, and many other curious
varieties that one never finds described in the wise Bird Books,--which
is very strange, and sad, too, I think. Yes, all the birds were there
for the choosing of their king, both the birds who could fly, and those
who could not. (But for what were they given wings, if not to fly? How
silly an Ostrich must feel!)

Now the Eagle expected to be king. He felt sure that he could fly higher
than any one else. He sat apart on a tall pine tree, looking very
dignified and noble, as a future king should look. And the birds glanced
at one another, nodded their heads, and whispered, "He is sure to be
elected king. He can fly straight up toward the sun without winking, and
his great wings are so strong, so strong! He never grows tired. He is
sure to be king."

Thus they whispered among themselves, and the Eagle heard them, and was
pleased. But the little brown Wren heard also, and he was not pleased.
The absurd little bird! He wanted to be king himself, although he was
one of the tiniest birds there, who could never be a protector to the
others, nor stop trouble when it began. No, indeed! Fancy him stepping
as a peacemaker between a robber Hawk and a bloody Falcon. It was they
who would make pieces of him. But he was a conceited little creature,
and saw no reason why he should not make a noble sovereign.

"I am cleverer than the Eagle," he said to himself, "though he is so
much bigger. I will be king in spite of him. Ha-ha! We shall see what we
shall see!" For the Wren had a great idea in his wee little head--an
idea bigger than the head itself, if you can explain how that could be.
He ruffled up his feathers to make himself as huge as possible, and
hopped over to the branch where the Eagle was sitting.

"Well, Eagle," said the Wren pompously, "I suppose you expect to be
king, eh?"

The Eagle stared hard at him with his great bright eyes. "Well, if I do,
what of that?" he said. "Who will dispute me?"

"I shall," said the Wren, bobbing his little brown head and wriggling
his tail saucily.

"You!" said the Eagle. "Do _you_ expect to fly higher than I?"

"Yes," chirped the Wren, "I do. Yes, I do, do, do!"

"Ho!" said the Eagle scornfully. "I am big and strong and brave. I can
fly higher than the clouds. You, poor little thing, are no bigger than a
bean. You will be out of breath before we have gone twice this tree's
height."

"Little as I am, I can mount higher than you," s