"Open, in the name of the King!" cried Bruin, hammering at the door.
"Come out, Reynard! I have been sent to bring you up for trial. You
have come to the end of your rope at last! Open the door, I say, or
I'll batter it down!"
From his safe retreat in the very heart of the fortress Reynard heard
Bruin's clamour. He stretched himself lazily and yawned. "Now who is
this pestilent fellow making such a din?" said he to his wife. "Well,
I suppose I'd better go and see." So he made his way through the
labyrinth of passages which led from his burrow to the open air, and
peeped through the crack of the door. There was Bruin, hammering away
at the massive oak, and roaring: "Come out, Reynard. Come out and be
hanged!"
[Illustration: THE FOX'S CHÂTEAU]
"What! is that you, Uncle Bruin?" said Reynard, opening the wicket.
"You are in a noisy mood this morning. What is the matter?"
"The matter is that the King has sent me to bring you to Court,"
growled the Bear. "And you had best come quietly, for I represent the
law."
"By all means," answered Reynard, opening the door. "My word, but I'm
glad to see you, uncle! And an ambassador, too--such an honour! How are
you, and what sort of a journey have you had? Very trying, I'm afraid.
Really it was a shame to impose upon your good nature and send you all
this way!"
So saying the Fox led the way into his castle, keeping up a continual
patter of talk, so that Bruin could not get a word in edgeways.
"I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting at the gate," Reynard went on.
"The fact is, I was dozing and did not hear you at first. I rarely
sleep in the afternoon, but to-day I had such a heavy dinner that I
felt extremely drowsy!"
"What did you have?" asked the Bear with interest.
"Oh, a simple meal enough. I am not rich, you know, and I have to eat
what I can find. To-day it was a big comb of honey--not very much to my
taste, but I was hungry and I ate it!"