all about it, Ou' Ta'," commanded little
Annie. "You'll see how soon we'll settle it."

"Will I, Ainkye?" answered the old fellow, with his deepest smile.
"Well, here's de tale an' you can try anyhow. You see, it was all along
o' dese yere birds dat on'y come in de summer an' don't stay for de hard
times in de winter. De Af'icander birds dat live here all de time dey
got to studyin' about dese outlander birds what yust comes to skim de
cream o' de year; an' nawtin' 'ud do 'em but dey's goin' to make a King.
Dey reckon de King he'll tell dese outlander birds he's had yust about
enough o' deir hanky panky, an' dey'll ha' to stop here all de year
roun' or stop som'ere's else; but dey cahnt do bofe. Dat's what Kings
is for.

"Well, de birds dey talks to one anoder, an' de birds dey gets togeder
for a big indaba; but when one ses do dis way, anoder ses do dat way,
till dey all dunno what's it all a-gun' to end in, an' at last dey all
agrees to ax a outsider to set some way o' choosin' dis yere King. An'
what outsider? Why, who but Ou' Jackalse, o' course.

"But dey'll ha' to wait a day or two 'fore dey gets him. De Aard-Vark
is invite' Ou' Jackalse to a big _dwala_ drink, an' it ain't no use to
talk till dat's over.

"Well, dis yust suit Ole Baldy Aasvo'el. He don't say a word, but he
sail off, an' by'n'by he's a-hangin' yust over de Aard-Vark's kraal,
where de Aard-Vark's frien's is drinkin' dwala, an' he hang dere till he
sees Ou' Jackalse a-lookin' up at him. Den he drops down behind de rise
a little way off, an' dere he waits. He knows Ou' Jackalse 'll come
sniffin' out, tinkin' dere's meat dere.

"Tain't more'n a minute 'fore here comes Ou' Jackalse a' right. `Hello!
Baldy,' ses he, `where's de meat?'

"`Well,' ses Baldy, `dere ain't no meat here yust now. But dere can be
lots an' lots of it for you 'fore long if you an' me is frien's dese
nex' few days.'

"Ou' Jackalse is pretty full of dwala, an' de dwala make him pretty full
o' feelin' yust a' right, so he on'y laugh an' sit down. `How come
dat?' ses he.

"`Dis way,' ses Baldy. `All us birds is a-gun' to make us a King, an'
we've agree' to call you in to gi'e us sometin' to go by to settle de
one it's to be. You's to set sometin' for de birds to do, an' de one
dat does it he's to be de King. So I's come to see you about it
beforehand.'

"`You is, hey?' ses Ou' Jackalse, de dwala warmin' him up good an'
happy. `An' how is you come now? I