Part 11 (1/2)

”The very point!” said the missel-thrush.

”Very clear, indeed!” said the mouse; ”I am sure the rat will echo the sentiment.”

”Every one will agree with you,” said Ki Ki, the hawk.

”I think the same,” said the chaffinch.

”The question is undoubtedly very important,” continued the owl, when the buzz had subsided, and much pleased at the sensation he had caused.

”You all agree that the question is not one to be lightly decided or pa.s.sed over. In order to fully estimate the threatened alteration in our present system, let us for a moment survey the existing condition of affairs. I, myself, to begin with, I and my ancestors, for many generations, have held undisputed possession of this pollard. Not the slightest flaw has ever been discovered in our t.i.tle-deeds; and no claimant has ever arisen. The rook has had, I believe, once or twice some little difficulty respecting his own particular tenancy, which is not a freehold; but his townsmen, as a body, possess their trees in peace. The crow holds an oak; the wood-pigeon has an ash; the missel-thrush a birch; our respected friend the fox here, has a burrow which he inherited from a deceased rabbit, and he has also contingent claims on the witheybed, and other property in the country; the stoat has a charter of free warren.”

”And I have an elm,” said Tc.h.i.n.k; ”let anybody come near it, that's all.”

”The squirrel,” continued the owl, ”has an acknowledged authority over this copse; and the jay has three or four firs of his own.”

”And St. Paul belongs to me,” said Cloctaw, the jackdaw.

”Well, now,” said the owl, raising his voice and overpowering the husky Cloctaw, ”about these various properties little or no dispute can take place; the son succeeds to the father, and the nephew to the uncle.

Occasional litigation, of course, occurs, which I have often had the pleasure of conducting to an amicable and satisfactory termination. But, upon the whole, there is very little difficulty; and the principle of inheritance is accepted by all. Your approval, indeed, has just been signified in the most unanimous manner. But what shall we see if the example set by the palace spreads among society? The ash at the present moment is owned by the wood-pigeon; were the wood-pigeon's heir to marry the missel-thrush's heiress, just imagine the conflicting claims which would arise.

”The family would be divided amongst itself; all the relations upon the paternal side, and the relations upon the maternal side would join the contest, and peace would be utterly at an end. And so in all other instances. The crow would no longer have a fee-simple of the oak, the jackdaw of the steeple, the rook of the elm, the fox of the burrow, or I of my pollard. We might even see the rook claiming the----But I will not follow the ill.u.s.tration further, lest I be charged with descending to personalities. I will only add, in conclusion, that if this ill-fated union takes place, we must look forward to seeing every home broken up, our private settlements, our laws of hereditary succession set upon one side, our property divided among a miscellaneous horde of people, who will not know their own grandfathers, and our most cherished sentiments cast to the winds of heaven.” With which words the owl concluded, and was greeted with marks of approval from all parts of the circle.

”We are all very much indebted to the owl,” said the fox, ”for putting the true aspect of the case so clearly before us. His learned discourse--not more learned than lucid--has convinced us all of the extreme inexpediency of this alliance.”

”If this course is persisted in,” said the crow, ”it can only end, in my opinion, in a way disastrous to the state. The king cannot decline to listen to our representations, if we are united.”

”Haw!” said the rook; ”I'm not so sure of that. Kapchack likes his own way.”

”Kapchack is very self-willed,” said the hawk. ”It is almost our turn to have our way once now.”

”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 Tc.h.i.n.k, 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 Tc.h.i.n.k.