the magpie to take a seat.

"Then off went the magpie's tongue, like a sewing machine, 'glib, glib,
glib; chatter, chatter, chatter; clup, clup, clup; tick-a, tick-a,
ticka.'"

This made Willie laugh. "What a tell-tale," he cried, rising up in his
seat and bumping down again, two or three times.

"Yes, indeed," continued his mother, "for she did not stop till she had
related the whole story of the griffin and his daughter, and ever so
much besides, that the griffin had never told her.

"The cat listened with the greatest attention. Another young lady in the
place, and richer than her--she felt a little jealous. 'But is Miss
Griffin handsome?' said she, smoothing her beautiful long whiskers.

"'Handsome!' cried the magpie, 'O if you could only see the father! such
a splendid mouth! a mile wide; such eyes! as yellow as an orange; and
such a complexion! all manner of colors--and he declares she is the very
image of him! But what do you say, Mr. Reynard? You, who have travelled
so much, have, perhaps, seen the young lady.'

"'Why, I can't say I have,' answered the fox, who had been in a brown
study; 'but she must be wonderfully rich! I dare say that jackanapes,
the dog, will be making up to her.'

"'Ah! by the way, my dear,' said the magpie, 'what a fuss he made at
your door yesterday; why would you not permit him to enter?'

"'Oh!' said the cat, looking very proper and demure, 'Mr. Reynard says
he is a dog of very bad character--pretending to be good-natured, and
then biting your nose off, if he can. Dear me! I hope he won't quarrel
with you, dear Reynard.'

"'With me! O, the poor wretch, no! he might bluster a little; but he
very well knows, that if I am once angry he is a goner--I should make
mince meat of him; but I did not mean to boast of myself.'

"In the evening, Reynard would have given his ears to go to see the
griffin, but what could he do? There was the dog, sitting under the
opposite tree, watching for him, and Reynard had no wish to prove his
boasted courage. But, as usual, he resolved on a trick to get rid of
Beppo.

"A young buck of a rabbit, a sort of country beau, had called in upon
his cousin the cat, to pay her his respects, and Reynard, taking him
aside, said: 'Look here, my young friend, do you see that shabby-looking
dog under the tree? Well, he has insulted the cat, your cousin, and you
ought to punish him. In my situation, you know, I can do nothing; but if
you do not notice it you will