down, the Pelican caught sight of
the proceeding. The Pelican said nothing, but stared at the judge with
an eye of such astonishment and stern contempt, that the Cockatoo
Instantly remembered that he was a judge, and, getting into a proper
attitude, said hastily, "Advance Australia! Who's the next witness?"
And again the Kookooburra laughed to himself on the tree.

"Fur first!" exclaimed a white Ibis. "Call the Platypus!"

"The Platypus won't come!" cried the Kangaroo Rat.

"Well, I never!" exclaimed the judge.

"It says that if a Court is held at all, it should be conducted by the
representative of Antediluvian custom, the most ancient and learned
creatures, such as the Iguana, the Snake, and Ornithorhyncus Paradoxus.
That it would prefer to associate with the meanest Troglodite, rather
than appear amongst the present company. I understood it to say,"
continued the Kangaroo Rat, "that real law could only be understood by
those deeply learned in fossils."

"'Pon my word!" ejaculated the judge. "Shiver my timbers. What
blooming impudence!"

"Oh you naughty bird to use such words!" exclaimed Dot. But all the
Court murmured "How clever!" and the Cockatoo was pleased.

"Native Cat, next!" shouted the white Ibis. But at the first mention
of the Native Cat nearly every bird, and all the small game, prepared
to get away.

"Why don't you call the Dingo at once?" laughed the Kookooburra, who
was really keeping guard over Dot, although she did not know it.
"Humans kill Dingoes."

"The Dingo! The Dingo!" every creature repeated in horror and
consternation; and they all looked about in fear, while the Kookooburra
chuckled to himself at all the stir his words had made.

"It's quite true that animals and birds kill one another," said the
Magpie, who thought he ought to say something in Dot's defence, as that
was his part in the trial, "therefore it is the same nature that makes
Humans kill us. If it is the nature of Humans to kill, the same as it
is the nature of birds and animals to kill, where is the sense and
justice of trying the prisoner for what she can't help doing?"

"Good!" said the Welcome Swallow, "argued like a lawyer."

At this unexpected turn of the trial the Judge softly whistled to
himself, "Pop goes the weasel."

"Don't talk to us about nature and justice and sense," replied the
Pelican, contemptuously. "This is a Court of law, we have nothing to
do with any of them!"

The Court all chee