ense beak; and, when the creature stood
on one leg only, she laughed; whereat the Pelican gave her another
offended look, which effectually prevented their becoming friends.

The Pelican was beginning to open his beak to speak (and, being such a
large beak, opening it took some time), when the Welcome Swallow fussed
into court, and said that "nothing could be done until they had some
horsehair!"

This interruption, and the Swallow's repeated assurance that no human
trial of importance could take place without horsehair, set all the
creatures chattering with astonishment and questions. Some said the
Swallow was joking; others said that it was making senseless delays,
and that night would fall before they could bring the prisoner to
justice. There was much grumbling on all sides, and complaints of
hunger, and the jury began to clamour for the grubs that they had been
promised, at which the Magpie whispered to Dot that she certainly would
be found guilty. The fact was now quite clear to the jury before the
trial began.

But the Swallow persisted that they must have horsehair.

"What for?" asked everyone, sulkily.

"Don't you see for yourselves," squeaked the Swallow, excitedly; "the
judge looks like a Cockatoo."

"Well, of course he does," said all the creatures. "He is a Cockatoo,
so he looks like one!"

"Yes," cried the Swallow, "but you must stick horsehairs on his head.
Human justice must be done with horsehair. The prisoner won't believe
the Cockatoo is a judge without. Good Gracious!" exclaimed the
Swallow, "just look! The prisoner is scratching the judge's poll! We
really must have horsehair!"

Dot, seeing the Swallow's indignation, drew away from the stump, and
the Cockatoo tried to look as if he had never seen her before, and as
if the idea of having his poll scratched by the prisoner was one that
could never have entered his head.

"But, if we do put horsehair on the Cockatoo's head," argued the
creatures, "what will it do?"

"It will impress the prisoner," said the Swallow.

"How?" they all asked curiously.

"Because the Cockatoo won't look like a Cockatoo," replied the Swallow,
with exasperation.

"Then what will he look like?" asked every creature in breathless
excitement.

"He won't look like any creature that ever lived," retorted the Swallow.

Perfect silence followed this explanation, for every bird and animal
was trying to understand human sense and reason. Then the smallest