loud talking, not
unmingled with blows. They were all there (except the weasel), the
goldfinch, the tomtit, the chaffinch, the thrush, the blackbird, the
missel-thrush, all of them, jays, the alien pigeons, doves,
woodpeckers, the rat, the mouse, the stoat, and the fox.

As the crowd increased, so did the uproar, till the owl appeared at the
balcony of his mansion, and the woodpecker called for silence. The owl,
when he could get a hearing, said they were all to give their opinions
and say who they would have for their king. And that there might be less
confusion he would call upon the least of them in size and the youngest
in age to speak first, and so on upwards to the oldest and biggest.

"I'm the least," cried the wren, coming forward without a moment's
delay, "and I think that, after all I have seen of the ins and outs of
the world, I myself should make a very good king."

"Indeed you're not the smallest," said Te-te, the tomtit; "I am the
smallest, besides which you are a smuggler. Now I, on the contrary, have
already rendered great services to my country, and I am used to official
life."

"Yes, you spy," cried Tchink, the chaffinch; and all the assembly hissed
Te-te, till he was obliged to give way, as he could not make himself
heard.

"Why not have a queen?" said the goldfinch. "I should think you have had
enough of kings; now, why not have me for queen? I have the richest
dress of all."

"Nothing of the kind," said the yellow-hammer, "I wear cloth of gold
myself."

"As for that," said the woodpecker, "I myself have no little claim on
the score of colour."

"But you have no such azure as me," said the kingfisher.

"Such gaudy hues are in the worst possible taste," said the blackbird,
"and very vulgar. Now, if I were chosen----"

"Well," said the thrush, "well, I never heard anything equal to the
blackbird's assurance; he who has never held the slightest appointment.
Now, my relation was ambassador----"

"I think," said the dove, "I should be able, if I held the position, to
conciliate most parties, and make everything smooth."

"You're much too smooth for me," said Tchink. "It's my belief you're
hand-in-glove with Choo Hoo, for all your tender ways--dear me!"

"If experience," said Cloctaw, "if experience is of any value on a
throne, I think I myself----"

"Experience!" cried the jay, in high disdain, "what is he talking of?
Poor Cloctaw has gone past his prime; however, we must make allowance