One day as Bruin the Bear and Isengrim the Wolf were taking a walk in
the woods they came to a big elm-tree with a hollow trunk. Peering
within in the hope of finding something to eat they espied a little
nest supported by two notches in the bark. It was the tiniest and
neatest little house one could wish to see, made of fresh green moss,
with a small opening in the middle for a door, and was, in fact, the
home of a little bird called the Golden-crested Wren. Now among the
country people the golden-crested wren is often known by the name of
the Kinglet, and being aware of this, Isengrim saw a chance of playing
a joke upon his companion. "Look at this nest, Bruin," said he. "What
would you say if I told you it was a King's palace?"
"That a King's palace!" laughed Bruin scornfully. "A handful of moss
in a hole! Why, with one tap of my paw I could smash it to fragments!"
"I should not advise you to do any such thing," said Isengrim. "The
King who lives in that palace is much more powerful than you think, and
unless you are looking for trouble it would be best to leave his home
alone."
"What!" cried Bruin, in a rage. "Am I to be defied by a miserable
little fowl in my own forest? That for your King!" And with one sweep
of his paw, he reduced the nest to a shapeless heap of moss. "Now
let him revenge himself if he can," he roared. "I hereby declare war
upon him and upon all his tribe. Fur against feather! The four-legged
animals against those that go on wings. We will put this matter to the
test!"
When the Kinglet came home and found his nest destroyed he danced and
chattered with anger. Isengrim lost no time in letting him know who was
responsible for the mischief, and took a spiteful joy in telling him of
the Bear's challenge.
"Very well," said the little wren. "Kinglet is my name, and King shall
be my nature. I will call all the winged creatures together and we will
settle the matter by the test of arms."
During the next two or three weeks there was a great coming and going
in the forest as the two armies assembled. The air was full of the
whirl and rustle of wings. From the nests under sunny banks came the
wasps in thousands, each with his shining cuirass of black and yellow,
and his deadly sting. The gadfly came too, and the tiny gnat, and the
mosquito from the stagnant pools, with insects of every other sort
and kind--more than one could count in a day. From his eyrie on the
mountain crags the lordly eagle came swooping to take his place beside
the nightingale and the sparrow. In that hour of need all rivalries
were forgotten; the falcon and the hawk took their place in the ranks
with the thrush and the robin.
[Illustration: THE KINGLET WARNED HIM TO BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO BUZZ]
The Bear, on his side, was not idle. Swift-footed messengers were
sent to every part of the land to summon the four-legged animals to
arms. Slinking through the undergrowth came Isengrim's kin, the grey
wolves, with lean flanks and fierce eyes shining. Reynard brought his
troop of foxes. Crashing through the trees came the mighty elephants,
waving their trunks and trumpeting defiance to the foe. Out of the mud
of river-beds, from the grassy plains, and the densest thickets of
the forest, the animals came flocking--lions, tigers, camels, bulls,
horses--if I were to name them all I should fill this book with their
names. Never had so many animals been brought together since the days
of Noah's Ark.
When everything was ready, the Kinglet, who was a prudent leader, sent
out a spy to try to gain information about the enemy's plans. For this
purpose he chose the mosquito, who, as you may imagine, was neither
easily seen nor easily caught, particularly as the Kinglet warned him
to be very careful not to buzz. Under cover of the darkness he flew to
the Bear's camp, and succeeded in discovering the headquarters of the
general staff, where the leaders of the animal army were conferring.
Just as the mosquito arrived, the Bear and the Fox were speaking
together.
"So it is settled," the Bear was saying. "Our great offensive will
begin to-morrow. Each of you knows what to do, I think? We have
discussed everything, and nothing remains to do, but to press forward
to a glorious victory."
"You are right, my lord," said Reynard, "but there is just one thing
you have forgotten. How are we to know when the victory is won? We must
have a standard-bearer."
"Of course," answered the Bear, "we must have a standard-bearer. I was
just going to say so. Who shall it be?"
"With all respect, my lord," answered Reynard, "I propose that it
should be I. My beautiful bushy tail will serve as a battle-flag. I
will walk at the head of the army and hold my tail straight up in the
air, as stiff as a poker. So long as I keep it like that, you will know
that all is well; but if anything disastrous should happen, I will let
it droop to the ground, so that our troops may have ample warning to
take refuge in flight."
"Excellent," said Bruin. "You have heard what Reynard proposes. Take
notice that I hereby appoint him standard-bearer to our armies."
[Illustration: THE GREAT OFFENSIVE BEGAN]
So it was agreed, and having learnt all that he wished to know, the
mosquito flew back to the Kinglet with his news. The Kinglet said
nothing, but sent for the wasp, and gave him certain orders.
At dawn the next morning the great offensive began, and from the
very beginning things went rather badly for the armies of the winged
animals. At two points of the line the Bear and the Tiger led dashing
attacks against divisions commanded by the eagle and the hawk, and
after long and fierce fighting, forced them to retire. High upon a
knoll commanding the battlefield, in full view of the troops, stood the
Fox, with his bushy tail held proudly in the air. As he watched the
struggle his lips curled in a grin of triumph.
Suddenly there was a piercing yell that rang out clear above the noise
of battle. It came from the Fox, who drooped his tail to the ground,
and ran, howling with pain, to the rear.
"We are lost! We are lost!" cried the animals, seeing the standard
lowered. "Traitors are amongst us! Fly for your lives!" From point to
point of the swaying battle-line the panic spread, throwing the army
into hopeless confusion. Before long the whole of the Bear's troops
were in retreat, and the victorious army of the winged-creatures swept
on and over them.
Late that night Bruin the Bear and Isengrim the Wolf, both of them very
bedraggled and wearied with much running, sat together gloomily in a
distant part of the wood. Presently they saw Reynard the Fox limping
towards them, and immediately they rose and began to heap reproaches
upon him.
"Traitor!" said Bruin. "Why did you lower the standard? In another hour
we should have won."
The Fox looked at them sulkily. "Why did I lower the standard?" said
he. "Because a wasp came and stung me right at the root of my tail!"
[Illustration]
[Illustration: THE CAT RUSHED OUT OF THE ROOM]