LASTCHAPTER.In which it will be shown that with beasts, as with men, one revolution follows another, and that they are all more or less alike in fair promises, and failures to fulfil them.THEAnimals were once more assembled, and the tumult of voices worse than ever. Each and all of them were clamouring for reform.“Of what do you complain?” cried the Fox, addressing the crowd.“If we only knew our grievances,” they replied, “we should not complain.”“We do not know,” said a voice, “but if we examine we shall find out.”“Examine them, by all means,” cried the Fox.“What good have you done,” shouted the voice, “by compiling a one-sided history? Too much here, and too little there. Let us fight. A revolution will purge the kingdom.”“That is all very well, my friend,” replied the orator, “but reason is better than haphazard revolution. You must have learned that by experience.”“Gentlemen,” said the Weasel, coming to the aid of his accomplice, the Fox, “it is by practising deceit, we become perfect. Let us begin again.”“I could have said so,” cried the Mocking-bird, “ink, ink, alwaysink; it blots out a multitude of sins where good actions would prove of no avail.”“Bravo!” from all sides. “Down with the editors!”There was only one ink-pot in the room, and it was smashed.“It is not good for us to be here,” said the Weasel to the Fox; “people invariably stone their prophets. Let us go hence!”The volume was closed, the animals dispersed, for the keeper appeared on the scene to lock the door.The Ringdoves mounted to their clouds; the Bear departed with his cubs; the Doves ascended heavenward; while Tortoises, Beetles, Bats, Shrimps, and Apes danced round a bonfire of rejected manuscripts.THE END.PRINTED BY BALLANTYNE, HANSON AND CO.EDINBURGH AND LONDON
In which it will be shown that with beasts, as with men, one revolution follows another, and that they are all more or less alike in fair promises, and failures to fulfil them.
In which it will be shown that with beasts, as with men, one revolution follows another, and that they are all more or less alike in fair promises, and failures to fulfil them.
THEAnimals were once more assembled, and the tumult of voices worse than ever. Each and all of them were clamouring for reform.
“Of what do you complain?” cried the Fox, addressing the crowd.
“If we only knew our grievances,” they replied, “we should not complain.”
“We do not know,” said a voice, “but if we examine we shall find out.”
“Examine them, by all means,” cried the Fox.
“What good have you done,” shouted the voice, “by compiling a one-sided history? Too much here, and too little there. Let us fight. A revolution will purge the kingdom.”
“That is all very well, my friend,” replied the orator, “but reason is better than haphazard revolution. You must have learned that by experience.”
“Gentlemen,” said the Weasel, coming to the aid of his accomplice, the Fox, “it is by practising deceit, we become perfect. Let us begin again.”
“I could have said so,” cried the Mocking-bird, “ink, ink, alwaysink; it blots out a multitude of sins where good actions would prove of no avail.”
“Bravo!” from all sides. “Down with the editors!”
There was only one ink-pot in the room, and it was smashed.
“It is not good for us to be here,” said the Weasel to the Fox; “people invariably stone their prophets. Let us go hence!”
The volume was closed, the animals dispersed, for the keeper appeared on the scene to lock the door.
The Ringdoves mounted to their clouds; the Bear departed with his cubs; the Doves ascended heavenward; while Tortoises, Beetles, Bats, Shrimps, and Apes danced round a bonfire of rejected manuscripts.
THE END.
PRINTED BY BALLANTYNE, HANSON AND CO.
EDINBURGH AND LONDON
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTEOriginal spelling and grammar have been generally retained, with some exceptions noted below. Original printed page numbers are shown like {52} in the text edition, and are hidden in the html, epub, and mobi editions. The transcriber produced the cover image and hereby assigns it to the public domain. Original page images are available from archive.org—search for “b28131885”.Page61. On this page occurs the second heading 〈IV.〉. This and subsequent headings in the series have been retained.Page74. Added 〈s〉 to 〈it〉 in 〈I resolved never again to quit it shore〉.Page135. Added right single quotation mark after 〈depriving her of her dearest illusions.〉.Page137. Changed 〈therefore miserable fox.”〉 to 〈therefore miserable fox.’ ”〉. Added right double quotation mark after 〈Bashi-Bazouk in Bulgaria.〉.Page140. Added right double quotation mark after 〈So-and-so, captain of a ship, &c.?’〉.Page142. Changed full stop to comma in 〈elucidation ofComparative Instinct.〉.Page147. The name 〈Gobtouswell〉 was spelled 〈Gobtonswell〉 on page143.Page158. Changed single quotation mark in 〈continued my master. ‘Mada”—〉 to left double quotation mark.Page172. Inserted right double quotation mark after 〈delighted with the result〉.Page181. Changed double quotation mark in 〈A popular writer passing, remarked, “These〉 to left single quotation mark.Page184. Changed 〈hardy〉 to 〈hardly〉 in 〈I can hardy call my Dog〉.Page185. Added right single quotation mark after 〈the club are everything.〉.Page187. Inserted right single quotation mark in 〈if you cannot save all,save the treasury!”〉, just before the ending double quotation mark.Page191. Changed the double quotation mark to single in 〈“with your face〉 and in 〈make life happy!”〉. Added left single quotation mark ahead of 〈I no longer love wild〉.Page194. Judging by the artist's signature, the illustration was flipped horizontally before printing. It has been retained as printed.Page204. Added right double quotation mark after 〈I have acquired this honourableembonpoint.〉.Page261. Changed section heading from 〈IX.〉 to 〈VIII.〉. Inserted right double quotation mark after 〈of her lover.〉.Page275. Changed 〈analagous〉 to 〈analogous〉. Inserted right double quotation mark after 〈of red-royal blood.〉.Page292–293. Four signatures 〈BÉBÉ.”〉 or 〈MINETTE.”〉 were originally printed inset and right-aligned in the last paragraphs of the relevant letters. Due to the inability of html code to accomplish that reliably in the epub or mobi editions, these signatures have been converted to separate paragraphs, with left double quotation mark added to preserve grammatical punctuation.Page337. Removed right double quotation mark after 〈reason of my sadness.〉.Page374. Added right double quotation mark after 〈on the king’s highways.〉.
Original spelling and grammar have been generally retained, with some exceptions noted below. Original printed page numbers are shown like {52} in the text edition, and are hidden in the html, epub, and mobi editions. The transcriber produced the cover image and hereby assigns it to the public domain. Original page images are available from archive.org—search for “b28131885”.
Page61. On this page occurs the second heading 〈IV.〉. This and subsequent headings in the series have been retained.
Page74. Added 〈s〉 to 〈it〉 in 〈I resolved never again to quit it shore〉.
Page135. Added right single quotation mark after 〈depriving her of her dearest illusions.〉.
Page137. Changed 〈therefore miserable fox.”〉 to 〈therefore miserable fox.’ ”〉. Added right double quotation mark after 〈Bashi-Bazouk in Bulgaria.〉.
Page140. Added right double quotation mark after 〈So-and-so, captain of a ship, &c.?’〉.
Page142. Changed full stop to comma in 〈elucidation ofComparative Instinct.〉.
Page147. The name 〈Gobtouswell〉 was spelled 〈Gobtonswell〉 on page143.
Page158. Changed single quotation mark in 〈continued my master. ‘Mada”—〉 to left double quotation mark.
Page172. Inserted right double quotation mark after 〈delighted with the result〉.
Page181. Changed double quotation mark in 〈A popular writer passing, remarked, “These〉 to left single quotation mark.
Page184. Changed 〈hardy〉 to 〈hardly〉 in 〈I can hardy call my Dog〉.
Page185. Added right single quotation mark after 〈the club are everything.〉.
Page187. Inserted right single quotation mark in 〈if you cannot save all,save the treasury!”〉, just before the ending double quotation mark.
Page191. Changed the double quotation mark to single in 〈“with your face〉 and in 〈make life happy!”〉. Added left single quotation mark ahead of 〈I no longer love wild〉.
Page194. Judging by the artist's signature, the illustration was flipped horizontally before printing. It has been retained as printed.
Page204. Added right double quotation mark after 〈I have acquired this honourableembonpoint.〉.
Page261. Changed section heading from 〈IX.〉 to 〈VIII.〉. Inserted right double quotation mark after 〈of her lover.〉.
Page275. Changed 〈analagous〉 to 〈analogous〉. Inserted right double quotation mark after 〈of red-royal blood.〉.
Page292–293. Four signatures 〈BÉBÉ.”〉 or 〈MINETTE.”〉 were originally printed inset and right-aligned in the last paragraphs of the relevant letters. Due to the inability of html code to accomplish that reliably in the epub or mobi editions, these signatures have been converted to separate paragraphs, with left double quotation mark added to preserve grammatical punctuation.
Page337. Removed right double quotation mark after 〈reason of my sadness.〉.
Page374. Added right double quotation mark after 〈on the king’s highways.〉.