THE FROGS AND THE MICE. 



THE Frogs and the Alice, who inhabited part of 

 a most extensive fen, (of which there remained 

 unoccupied sufficient room to hold many whole 

 nations of both) could not agree with each other 

 so as to live in peace: many bitter disputes arose 

 between them about the right to particular pools, 

 and their tuft-covered margins. At length, 

 national jealousies and animosities arose to such 

 a height, that each claimed the sovereignty of the 

 whole fen, and the most rancorous war was waged 

 between them, in order to settle, by force of arms, 

 their respective pretensions. While their hostile 

 armies were drawn up in battle array, on a plain 

 of several square yards in extent, protected on 

 both flanks and rear by dark pools and gloomy 

 forests of sedges, reeds, and bulrushes, their two 

 chieftains advanced to meet each other, and to it 

 they fell as fierce as tigers. While these two 



VOL. iv. 2 / 



