270 THE DRAMA OF THE FORESTS 



next rush the intruder knocked the cock of the dance down, 

 and leaping upon him, drove his bill into his skull, killing him. 



"After a brief rest to recover breath, the victor jumped 

 over his late rival's body, took a short leap into the air, gave a 

 back kick of contempt, flew up on the log, and looked round 

 as though seeking for female applause. But the hens, with 

 apparently never a thought of him, still kept up their dancing. 

 Presently he, too, sounded his love call and drummed his ac- 

 companiment. Then, strutting up and down, he inspected 

 the dancers. When he had made up his mind as to which was 

 the belle of the dance, he made a rush for her. 



"But, my son, at that very moment a lynx sprang through 

 the air, seized him by the neck, and bounded off with him 

 among the bushes. In the confusion that followed, the hens 

 flew away and I, seizing Ojistoh, kissed her. Startled, she 

 leaped up, and with laughter ran away, but in hot pursuit I 

 followed her." 



THE WAYS OF THE FEMALE 



"Ah, my son," commented Granny with a smile and a shake 

 of her head as she drew her pipe from her mouth, "Nar-pim 

 has always been like that . . . but he was worse in the 

 days of his youth . . . fancy him taking a little girl to see 

 the love dance . . . the old rabbit!" 



"The old rabbit . . . indeed?" Oo-koo-hoo questioned. 

 "Why, it was just the other way round. It was you who 

 wanted me to take you there; it was your hypocritical pretence 

 of innocence that made me do it; and though, as you said, I 

 took your hand, it was you who was always leading the way." 



Then was renewed the ancient and never-settled question 

 as to who was at fault, the old Adam or the old Eve; but as 

 Granny usually got the better of it by adding the last word, 

 Oo-koo-hoo turned to me in disgust and grunted: 



