READY AT THE GREAT GATHERING
At last they 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.”
[Illustration: 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.
[Illustration: 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.
[Illustration: 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 crow commenced
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 did the old-time polka,
because it used all of their legs evenly, beating four time, you see.
[Illustration: 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, oh so 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.
[Illustration: 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 you _dare_ to 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 your name at _once_, or withdraw immediately.”
[Illustration: “But my name _is_ Ready. You can see it on my collar.”]
“But my name _is_ Ready. 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 would have 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 for the 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.
“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.”
[Illustration: “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. The
shortest 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!
[Illustration: “Much provocation,” crowed the roosters]