and it is quite a 'feather in his cap' when 

 he can actually take an unaided step 

 without tumbling. He thus accom 

 plishes, with much trouble and vexation 

 of spirit, after months of effort, what the 

 awkward calf performs with ease when 

 but an hour old. If you compare him to 

 the young Quail, which is running about 

 everywhere in a few days after he bursts 

 his shell, you will get some idea of what 

 a poor, insignificant animal Man really . 

 is, and zvhat a goose he is to claim any 

 superiority over the other animals." 



Just then her anserine majesty came 

 waddling along, craning her neck and 

 balancing herself on one foot, remark 

 ing, as she did so, that having overheard 

 the mention of her name in a connection 

 not altogether complimentary, she de 

 sired to enter a most solemn protest 

 against comparisons to her most odious. 



"If any one can view me," said the 

 Goose in "spread eagle" style, "as I stand 

 here upon one foot, a feathered monu 

 ment upon a single pedestal, and not 

 know that I am superior to awkward, 

 gawky Man, who, with difficulty, learns 

 to balance his awkward bulk upon both 

 feet, then I say that such lack of discern 

 ment is indubitable proof of a loon pure 

 and simple." 



Whereupon the Loon flew into a rage 

 and said that the Goose was "monkey 

 ing" with the wrong bird, and that she 

 did not want her name used in any such 

 connection, that she stood above re 

 proach, and that she hoped that the as 

 sembled birds would not allow them 

 selves to be "gullejd" by the Goose into 

 believing anything derogatory to her 

 character. 



This remark aroused the Gull who 

 said that she wished to notify the Loon 

 that she had been "dogging" her foot 

 steps long enough and that she resented 

 the insult to her name, and that she 

 wanted it distinctly understood that she 

 had never yet been known to "quail" be 

 fore any living fowl. Thereupon, the lit 

 tle gallinaceous bird strutted out defiant 

 ly and said that she would teach the ga 

 loot of a gull what it was to quail, and 

 that, although she was small, she would 

 never "show the white feather" to any 

 old web-foot. 



Matters were getting warm, and ruf 



fled feathers were much in evidence. In 

 the midst of the accusations, and, just as 

 the Swan was about to resent the allu 

 sion to "showing the white feather," the 

 Loon characteristically used some harsh 

 epithets and finally called the Goose a 

 Lyre-Bird, adding that, unless she re 

 formed, she need never expect to become 

 a Bird of Paradise. 



The Jackdaw suggested that it was a 

 proper case for the consideration of the 

 Parson Bird, but the Magpie said that he 

 was doubtful as to the expediency of 

 such a course, as he had never fully de 

 cided in his own mind whether the Par 

 son was a bird of prey. The matter was 

 finally disposed of by referring it to the 

 Cardinal for adjustment. 



The stately Ostrich next stalked in 

 among the assemblage, and, remarking 

 that he "plumed himself" upon his 

 high position among animals, said that, 

 taking a mere cursory view of the mat 

 ter, he had to say that he came of a race 

 that "scorneth the horse and his rider," 

 and that as a runner Man was too insig 

 nificant to notice, and that whatever 

 might be said of Man's superiority to 

 other animals, he was surely inferior to 

 the Cursores. 



"Suppose," said the Duck, flapping her 

 wings, "as Man does not seem to be 

 much of an animal oh land, that you try 

 him in water. My ducklings could teach 

 a well grown man the principles of swim 

 ming, if he had gumption enough to fol 

 low their directions, which, in truth, I 

 seriously doubt." 



The Rook, "ducking" his head to es 

 cape the effects of his joke, suggested 

 that Man might be justified in refusing 

 to follow the directions of a "quack." 



'Well," said the Eagle, 'while it is evi 

 dent that on land and water Man is a 

 very inferior animal, when it comes to 

 navigating the air, his claims of superior 

 ity border on the ridiculous 'all his 

 swans are geese,' so to speak since he 

 cannot fly a foot if his life depended up 

 on it poor, wingless, f eatherless being !" 



"As he is not superior as to the use of 

 any of his senses nor in his power of lo 

 comotion," urged the Eagle, "wherein, 

 pray, does he claim superiority?" 



"I am informed." said the Rain-Bird, 

 "that, while it is a fact that when he 



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