ere nonentity."

"Quite out of the question," said the goldfinch.

"Out of the running," said the hare.

"Absurd," said the jay; and they all raised a clamour, protesting that
even to mention the fox was to waste the public time.

"I am not so sure of that," muttered Cloctaw. "We might do worse; I
should not object." But his remark was unheeded by all save the fox,
whose quick ear caught it.

Again there was a great clamour and uproar, and not a word could be
heard, and again Bevis had to lift up his cannon-stick. Just then Ah
Kurroo Khan sent a starling to know if they had finished, because Choo
Hoo had quitted his camp, and his outposts were not a mile off.

"In that case," said the owl, "our best course will be to stop further
discussion, and to put the matter to the test of the vote at once.
('Hear, hear.') Do you then all stand off a good way, so that no one
shall be afraid to do as he chooses, and then come to me one at a time,
beginning with the wren (as she spoke first), and let each tell me who
he or she votes for, and the reason why, and then I will announce the
result."

So they all stood off a good way, except Sir Bevis, who came closer to
the pollard to hear what the voters said, and to see that all was done
fairly. When all was ready the owl beckoned to the wren, and the wren
flew up and whispered: "I vote for the fox because Te-te shall not have
the crown".

Next came Te-te, and he said: "I vote for the fox because the wren shall
not have it".

Then Tchink, who said he voted for the fox so that the goldfinch should
not have the throne.

The goldfinch voted for the fox that the yellow-hammer should not have
it, and the yellow-hammer because the goldfinch should not succeed. The
jay did the same because Tchack-tchack should not have it; the dove
because the pigeon should not have it; the blackbird to oust the thrush,
and the thrush to stop the blackbird; the sparrow to stop the starling,
and the starling to stop the sparrow; the woodpecker to stop the
kingfisher, and the kingfisher to stop the woodpecker; and so on all
through the list, all voting for the fox in succession, to checkmate
their friends' ambition, down to Cloctaw, who said he voted for the fox
because he knew he could not get the throne himself, and considered the
fox better than the others. Lastly, the owl, seeing that Reynard had got
the election (which indeed he had anticipated when he called attention
to the modest fox), also