CHAPTER IVREADY AT THE GREAT GATHERING
At lastthey reached the place, and it was a wonderful sight. All the four-footed animals sat on the ground in front. The birds were perched on the trees, and the flowers massed themselves around the Eagle’s throne.
Suddenly the birds all began to sing a beautiful song, and the flowers commenced to dance a soft swaying dance. Then the thrushes sang:
“Give place, give place to our noble king,Whom we all do love and fear.Bow low, bow low, every single thing,And then set up a cheer.”
“Give place, give place to our noble king,Whom we all do love and fear.Bow low, bow low, every single thing,And then set up a cheer.”
“Give place, give place to our noble king,Whom we all do love and fear.Bow low, bow low, every single thing,And then set up a cheer.”
“Give place, give place to our noble king,
Whom we all do love and fear.
Bow low, bow low, every single thing,
And then set up a cheer.”
The Great Gathering
The Great Gathering
At this the flowers bowed their heads, the beasts all knelt, and the birds flew out to meet His Royal Majesty, the Eagle. Then the birds made themselves into two lines and the great Eagle flew between them.
He was a savage-looking bird indeed
He was a savage-looking bird indeed
He was a savage-looking bird indeed. He wore for the occasion a large crown of red feathers, and carried in one of his claws an enormous stick covered with rabbit’s fur, which had five large dog teeth at the end of it.
Everything and everybody clapped and bowed and cheered. Dogs wagged tails, chickens cackled, roosters crowed, birds sang, and flowers waved themselves.
The Eagle looked about fiercely, bowed slightly, and seated himself on his throne, which was on a little hill.
The entertainment began with a duet given by a wood thrush and a song sparrow. It was very pretty indeed. This was followed by a Virginia Reel given by the daisies and buttercups.
The orchestra was made up of thrushes, whippoorwills and woodpeckers
The orchestra was made up of thrushes, whippoorwills and woodpeckers
Then the Eagle rapped loudly with his terrible rod and said, “Every one may dance.” And every one did.
The orchestra was made up of thrushes, whippoorwills and woodpeckers. The woodpeckers beat time on the bark of the trees. Sometimes the robins and song sparrows joined. It all sounded very well indeed until some blue jays and roosters started in. Then an old crowcommenced keeping time with his “caw, caw, caw.”
This was too much for the Eagle, who beat angrily on the oak tree with his rod and stopped the dance immediately. “Too much like a jazz band,” he shrieked. “We want real music here. Jays, roosters and crows be silent, or leave the dance hall. No cackling and cawing in my orchestra while I am King of Birds.”
You should have seen the dancing. The flowers kept pretty much to themselves and almost always waltzed.
The birds danced a two-step, flapping their wings to beat time and splitting their dances for a bit of a fly now and then.
Most of the four-footers “toddled.” Some didthe old-time polka, because it used all of their legs evenly, beating four time, you see.
The birds danced a two-step
The birds danced a two-step
Ready saw that Paf wanted dreadfully to dance and was without a partner, so he asked him. They managed somehow to get about. In fact, many thought Paf’s quite awkward out-of-time step was something new, and several young chickens tried to copy it.
Then the Eagle raised his rod, and immediately the dancing and music stopped.
“Refreshments are coming next,” whispered Paf breathlessly.
Ready was glad to hear this, as he had had nothing to eat since breakfast, but Paf was mistaken this time. When all was quiet the Eagle said fiercely:
“Four-footers asking for wishes will now come forward. We may as well get this part of the program over at once, for from what I hear of the beasts this year, it will take a very short time.”
Then he tapped his rod three times and said, “Ready!”
Little Ready started to his feet. This was certainly his great chance, but he wished, ohso much, that refreshments had come first, as his knees were weak from hunger and from pulling around Paf.
A rather handsome black dog arose and a large white cat. There was a terrible silence as they walked slowly around the Eagle’s throne. All eyes were turned upon them. The near-sighted ones put on glasses which they had brought for the occasion. The white cat, being the only lady of the party, was called first to the throne.
She had eaten their father, mother, and aunt all in one day
She had eaten their father, mother, and aunt all in one day
After asking her name, age, address and telephone number, the Eagle said, “This cat is before you. Has any one anything against her?”
Immediately a dozen English sparrows flew down to the throne and told a dreadful tale about her. They said that she had caught and eaten their mother, father and aunt all in one day.
A grape vine also bent forward with leaves outstretched, but the Eagle waved it back, saying in a terrible voice: “We have had evidence enough. White Cat, withdraw.” And White Cat scudded away.
Then the Eagle called the black dog, but an old hen stepped up at once and indignantly said, “Black Dog killed my fluffiest child when she was scarcely out of the shell.”
At this the Eagle took his rod and struck the black dog, saying in his great and dreadful voice, “How did youdareto come before me?”
Of course that was the end of the black dog, who ran away with his tail between his legs.
Then Ready knew that his time had come. If only his little legs would not give out! When the Eagle said sternly, “Next”, he arose and stood before him.
“Your name,” said the Eagle, pointing the dreadful rod directly at him.
“Ready,” he answered huskily.
Then he heard the blue jays laughing and the mocking birds saying “Ready” quite scornfully.
“Of course you are ready if you are ever going to be,” shrieked the Eagle. “Give yourname atonce, or withdraw immediately.”
“But my nameisReady. You can see it on my collar.”
“But my nameisReady. You can see it on my collar.”
“But my nameisReady. You can see it on my collar,” said Ready, and the excitement made his legs feel stronger.
“Look at his collar,” commanded the Eagle, and everyone did.
“It is true, Your Royal Highness,” said the Owl.
“Extraordinary!” said the Eagle.
“Extraordinary!” said all the animals, one after the other, and even the hens cackled, “extraordinary!”
“Your age,” said the Eagle.
“Eleven months, Your Majesty,” Ready answered bravely.
But when it came to address and telephone number, Ready gathered up all his courage and plunged at once into his sad little story.
Everyone was much interested. Several times the Eagle leaned forward and said, “Louder.” Then all the hens cackled, “Louder.”
Ready was much excited, though it hurt his throat to pitch his voice so high. You see he was not at all used to public speaking.
However, if you had been there, you wouldhave known that he was making a good impression. It was noticed by many of the animals that the Eagle once put his handkerchief to his eyes.
There was a great silence when Ready finished speaking. Then the Eagle rose upon his throne, flapped his wings, and spoke in a strangely gentle voice.
He said, “The wish of this dog shall be granted at once.”
Everybody cheered wildly.
But the Owl, standing up and bowing low to the Eagle, said, “Your Majesty, I beg of you not to allow your feelings to carry you too far. Remember the rules of our great gathering here. Let us see if any one has anything against this animal.”
Now the Eagle had always a great respect forthe Owl. Indeed, the time he had been obliged to go to Washington to have his picture taken for the new American dollar, the owl had taken his place at this meeting. So the Eagle said: “Very well, Ready is before you. Who speaks against him?”
It was very still for a minute. Ready’s heart beat fast as he feared he might have offended a chicken, a cat or something without knowing it, but no one answered and the cheering began.
Then again the Owl stepped forward. “I hate to seem so particular,” he apologized, “but I have just been re-reading the rules of our great gathering. It says:
All animals who are strangers in the neighborhood must be properly introduced and vouched for before any wishes can be granted them.
All animals who are strangers in the neighborhood must be properly introduced and vouched for before any wishes can be granted them.
“Now, Ready was introduced by Paf, but he must be vouched for by some one else. By that I mean,” explained the Owl, “that some one must speak a good word for him.”
“I will speak for him”
“I will speak for him”
At this Ready’s heart sank. Who indeed would speak for him? Who knew him here? Then he heard a voice saying, “I will speak for him. When he jumped out of the window the other night, he was in a great hurry. Theshortest way would have been to step upon my lame shoulder, but he went the long way instead.”
Now Ready knew that the largest geranium in the flower bed was speaking.
“I am an old flower,” she continued, “but it is the first time a dog has shown me any consideration.”
“Wonderful,” said the Eagle, waving his rod, “when he had so much provocation, too.”
“So much provocation,” sang the birds.
“Much provocation,” crowed the roosters, and cackled the hens.
“Much provocation,” barked the dogs.
Ready wondered what the large word meant, but felt it must be a friendly word because the Eagle looked so kindly at him.
“Enough,” commanded the King of Birds. “Ready, state your wish.”
By this time Ready’s legs had grown very weak. For one minute he felt that he must say, “I wish for food.” Then he remembered that this was his one great chance to get back to his Master Dick.
“I want to find my Master Dick’s seashore home,” he said in quite a loud voice.
Then his little legs gave right out and he fell fainting at the Eagle’s feet!
“Much provocation,” crowed the roosters
“Much provocation,” crowed the roosters