A BLACKBIRD and his mate lived together on a tree. The Blackbird used to
sing very sweetly, and one day the King heard him in passing by, and
sent a Fowler to catch him. But the Fowler made a mistake; he did not
catch Mr. Blackbird, who sang so sweetly, but Mrs. Blackbird, who could
hardly sing at all. However, he did not know the difference, to look at
her, nor did the King when he got the bird; but a cage was made for Mrs.
Blackbird, and there she was kept imprisoned.
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When Mr. Blackbird heard that his dear spouse was stolen, he was very
angry indeed. He determined to get her back, by hook or by crook. So he
got a long sharp thorn, and tied it at his waist by a thread; and on his
head he put the half of a walnut-shell for a helmet, and the skin of a
dead frog served for body-armour. Then he made a little kettle-drum out
of the other half of the walnut-shell; and he beat his drum, and
proclaimed war upon the King.
As he walked along the road, beating his drum, he met a Cat.
"Whither away, Mr. Blackbird?" said the Cat.
"To fight against the King," said Mr. Blackbird.
"All right," said the Cat, "I'll come with you: he drowned my kitten."
"Jump into my ear, then," says Mr. Blackbird. The Cat jumped into the
Blackbird's ear, and curled up, and went to sleep: and the Blackbird
marched along, beating his drum.
Some way further on, he met some Ants.
"Whither away, Mr. Blackbird?" said the Ants.
"To fight against the King," said Mr. Blackbird.
"All right," said the Ants, "we'll come too; he poured hot water down
our hole."
"Jump into my ear," said Mr. Blackbird. In they jumped, and away went
Blackbird, beating upon his drum.
Next he met a Rope and a Club. They asked him, whither away? and when
they heard that he was going to fight against the King, they jumped into
his ear also, and away he went.
Not far from the King's palace, Blackbird had to cross over a River.
"Whither away, friend Blackbird?" asked the River.