ar went
the magpie with his long tail quivering with excitement, and down he
came again with his tail trembling with fright.

"Why didn't you say who it was in the tree?" said the magpie. "Oh! my
stars and garters, how out of breath I am. Going about in such a hurry
always puts me in a tremble. Oh no! I'm not afraid, not the least bit
in the world, it's being out of breath."

"Well, go up and drive the old hook-nosed thing away," said the
blackbird; "he's no business here, and we _are_ all afraid; ain't we
birds?"

"Yes! yes! scared to death," chorused all the birds.

"Come, up you go," said the blackbird; "there's a good fellow."

But the magpie stood on one leg and put a long black claw by the side of
his beak in a very knowing manner, and then he said, with his head all
on one side, "How do I know that he won't bite?"

"Why, we thought you said that you were not afraid," said the birds.

"Not the least in the world, gentlemen," said Mag; "but my wife's
calling me, and I must go, or really I should only be too happy to
oblige you. Another time you may depend upon me. Good-bye, gentlemen,
_good-bye_."

And before the birds had time to speak again, the cowardly magpie gave
three or four hops across the lawn, and then spread out his wings, and
went off in a hurry--telling a story into the bargain, for his wife
might have called for a week, and he could not have heard so far-off.
But Maggy was dreadfully afraid, and, like many people in the world, he
was ashamed to show it, and so made a very lame-legged excuse, and ran
away.

"Ha-ha-ha," said the birds, "why, that's worse than being afraid and
showing it. Why, he's ever so much bigger than we are, and has claws
sharp enough for anything. Why, he pinched one of old mother
Muddle-dab's ducklings to death with his great black nails."

"Well, what's to be done now?" said Specklems, "I'm not going to have
him in my tree, and I won't either. I've a good mind to run at him with
my sharp bill and stick it into him; and I would, too, if I was sure he
wouldn't hurt me. Wouf!" said the starling, fiercely, and making a poke
at nothing; "wouf! couldn't I give it him!" And then he stuck his
little pointed feathers up again, and stood on the tips of his toes with
a look as fierce as a half-picked chicken.

"Of course, gentlemen, it isn't for such a quiet mournful body as me to
say anything," said the dove, "but I can't help thinking that the tree
is as much min