Once upon a time, and that was in the long ago, there lived a Koko-bird
along the forest shores of the Boozoo river. I am not quite certain in
what country this river is but I believe it is somewhere in Gazazuland.
It does not matter much where it is or was, but of one thing I am
absolutely certain, and that is that the river did exist, else how
could the bird have lived along its shores? Now this bird was quite
beautiful, could sing quite well, and could fly quite gracefully;
accomplishments which all of the other birds of the community willingly
admitted, but the Koko-bird was very boastful. In a loud, arrogant
voice he would proclaim himself the handsomest, the most musical and
the most graceful of all the feathered tribe. At first his neighbors
tried to ignore these boasts, hoping that the Koko-bird would in time
learn better manners, but he did not; on the contrary, he became more
boastful every day, in fact every minute, so that his presence became
almost unbearable, causing great mental irritation and a feeling of
nausea in those who were obliged to listen to him. A bird committee
was therefore appointed to obtain an audience with the Golden Eagle,
who was then the ruler of all the birds, and petition his majesty to
convene the bird council in order that suitable punishment might be
meted out to the boastful Koko. The very next day the meeting was
called by special and very swift bird messengers. The Koko-bird was
brought a prisoner before the king of the birds, the bird council and a
vast concourse of birds from far and near, who had come to witness the
trial. In a measured and stentorian voice the king asked the following
questions of the culprit:
"Are you the handsomest of birds?"
"I am," replied the Koko-bird.
"Are you the best singer among birds?"
"I am," again replied the boastful bird.
"Are you the most graceful and the highest flyer among birds?"
"I am," replied the braggart for the third time.
The king of birds then flapped his right wing and there came forth
the gorgeous bird of paradise, with the beautiful and wonderful
tail feathers and crown, at the sight of which the members of the
bird council individually and collectively flapped their wings in
admiration. The eagle once more turned to the Koko-bird and in a
terrible voice demanded:
"Are you still the handsomest among birds? Heed well your answer."
The Koko-bird gave one sidelong squint at the beautiful bird and said:
"I am," in a very indifferent tone of voice; whereat the assembled
birds were astonished.
The king of birds then flapped his left wing and there came forth a
nightingale which began to sing so sweetly that some of the listeners
fell from their perches out of sheer ecstasy and they would have been
hurt by the fall had they not caught themselves in the air by means of
their wings. Even the king of birds was greatly moved, for he was seen
to brush a tear from his right eye before he turned to the Koko-bird
and spoke in a thunderous voice:
"You have heard this marvelous singer. Are you still the best vocalist
among birds? Heed well your answer."
The Koko-bird merely yawned and said, "I am," and again the birds were
greatly astonished.
The king of birds now nodded his head and there arose out of the
multitude of birds a blue crane, whose home was near the Gingago
river in farthest India. Its wings moved in even, silent, graceful
undulations. It gradually rose higher and higher. All of the birds,
with the exception of the Koko-bird, watched it spellbound until it
appeared a mere speck in the distance. The Koko-bird gave one glance
at the high flyer, then curled one foot up in his feathers, shook his
head, closed his eyes and dozed peacefully.
For the third time the king of birds turned toward the Koko-bird and
spoke in a voice even more terrible than on previous occasions.
"Are you the most graceful and highest flyer among birds? Answer me
quick and heed well your answer."
The Koko-bird merely opened one eye and said sleepily, "I am," whereat
the vast concourse of birds were astonished for the third time. Some
opened their bills in amazement at such unheard-of audacity; others
hooted and screamed, clamorously, demanding that the wicked Koko be
severely dealt with.
The king of birds now flapped both wings to demand silence and
attention. Those who had their bills open closed them with a snap and
the clamorous ones became perfectly quiet. The king then turned toward
the council and spoke in an even, stentorian voice, as follows:
"Gentlemen birds of the council. The prisoner, otherwise known as the
Koko-bird, stands before you, self-accused and self-condemned. I commit
him to your judgment. Let his punishment be as severe as the bird law
will permit."
The bird council then adjourned to the large council tree where they
remained in closed session for one hour. They then returned to the bird
assembly and the leader thus addressed the king of birds:
"Your majesty, the grand council of this bird assemblage, convened by
you, find the prisoner guilty and fix upon the following punishment:
"1. Because of his boast that he is the handsomest of birds his tail
and wing feathers shall be pulled out and all other feathers shall be
shorn close.
"2. Because of his boast that he is the best singer among birds he
shall be struck dumb.
"3. Because of his boast that he is the most graceful and highest
flyer among birds, he shall forever be prevented from moving in the
atmosphere in which we move."
No sooner had the speaker finished when the handsome feathers of the
Koko-bird disappeared. This so surprised Koko that he actually awoke
from his slumber. He tried to say, "Well! well! what has happened," but
could not utter a sound. The king of birds now flew away, which was
the signal for the adjournment of the assembly, for, you see, their
work was done. All of the birds began to depart for their respective
home trees, but before doing so each one said something sarcastic
or insulting, hoping to humiliate the forsaken culprit. This merely
annoyed Koko a little. He tried to retaliate by boldly declaring that
he was the handsomest, the most musical and the most graceful of all
birds, as he had often done before, but he could not, for had not the
council decreed that he be "struck dumb?" He tried to catch the little
sparrow, who, by his derisive twitterings, annoyed him even more than
the vulture, by his coarse insults, but his wings would not carry him.
He merely succeeded in falling into the Boozoo river.
"Now I shall be drowned," he thought, for you remember he could not
talk. But behold! he did not drown; by means of his featherless wings
and tail he could swim beautifully on top of the water as well as in
it. His body feathers being gone, they did not become water-soaked and
give him the snuffles, a severe cold, or perhaps pneumonia. Koko was
astonished to find that water, which he had formerly feared, was not
bad at all. He could drink whenever he wanted to without having to
stand at the edge of the river bank, as he formerly did and get his
feet all mud. In time his wings and feet became fins and the feather
stumps became scales; in other words, the erstwhile boastful Koko
became a fish.
The Koko-fish (for so must the Koko-bird be called now), would have
lived in the Boozoo river peacefully had not an owl noticed him one day.
"O, ho! What is this?" said the wise one, blinking both eyes. "Such a
creature was never seen before. I must investigate closer." So saying
he flew to a lower limb and looked hard at Koko. Koko, in turn, stared
at the owl out of one eye; he did not wink or blink but simply stared
and said nothing.
"By my wisdom," said the owl, "if this isn't Koko. I know him by his
eye. Well! well! what may not happen next?"
That night the wise owl repaired in all haste to Urtzook in Tartary,
where the bird council was again in session, and reported his wonderful
find, whereat the king of birds and all present were greatly astonished
for the fourth time. They expressed a fear that Koko would some day
leave his watery element and return to them. The king turned to the
wise one and said:
"How know you that the creature which you beheld in the limpid waters
of the Boozoo is the erstwhile Koko? and let me remind you, heed well
your answer."
"Uh! how do I know, indeed," replied the owl, "by his eye, by his cold
stare."
"Our enemy, the Boa, also hath an eye with a cold stare; is he
therefore also a metamorphosed Koko? Again heed well your answer,"
continued the king in a somewhat sarcastic tone.
The owl winked and blinked, adjusted his spectacles and made answer.
"The undeniable evidence that the creature referred to is the
metamorphosed Koko-bird is as follows: All the wise birds of your
kingdom, including your humble servant, have searched far and near and
have found no Koko-bird. We, ahem, I, have found this creature with the
cold stare; therefore, it follows that this staring, scaly, wingless
and featherless creature must be the metamorphosed Koko-bird, for how
could it be otherwise?"
All doubt vanished at such display of wisdom and the king of birds at
once dispatched the Flipflap bird to the banks of the Boozoo river,
instructing him to keep a sharp lookout on the now scaly Koko and to
drive him back into the water should he attempt to leave it. Even
to this day the guardian of fish may be seen perched upon a stump,
closely watching the rippling waters. As soon as one of the finny tribe
approaches near the surface he makes a dash for it, compelling it to
return with all speed. For his faithful services the Flipflap bird has
been dubbed Kingfisher, which is a much nicer name.
Albert Schneider.
[Illustration: BANANA.
2/3 Natural-size.
COPYRIGHT 1900. BY
A. W. MUMFORD, CHICAGO.]