THE WEASEL'S DISCOMFITURE 21 



on, and spurned to the middle of the green, 



where it lay on its back kicking as though its 



last hour was come. Whereupon the magpie, 



who, considering the weasel too insignificant for 



his intervention, had hitherto held its tongue, 



chattered loudly as if to applaud the deed ; 



whilst the hare, whose blood was up, remained 



within a yard of the weasel, ready to renew 



the battle should it again show fight. Braver 



still, the linnet whose eggs the weasel had 



been sucking, as was evident from the stain 



on its muzzle, stood within a few inches and 



upbraided it for the wrong done her, and, frail 



thing though she was, scarcely deigned to move 



when shortly it regained its feet and made for 



the hill. It was not allowed to sneak away 



unattended ; birds and hare — strange allies — 



accompanied the discomfited little wretch past 



the spring to the heather, where it wormed its 



way amongst the stems and hid itself from view. 



Then the linnets and finches, having avenged 



their friend, flew back to their thickets ; and 



the hare, crouching low as if frightened now 



by her own shadow, stole to her form. The 



magpie still perched on the spray from which 



he had witnessed the scene. The arch-rogue 



had thoroughly enjoyed every phase of it, and 



now that it was over he was all alive, quizzing 



c 



