nd. The Swallow was angry because some one had stolen his
beautiful swallow-tail.

Presently the Crow swaggered forth, and cocking his impertinent eye
towards the Eagle he croaked,--

"Hello there, Old High-perch! Give me your crown and sceptre, for I am
King of the Birds, not you. Look at my gorgeous clothes; look at your
own dull plumage. Am I not kingly?--look at me."

The King made no reply, merely gazing sternly at the Crow. But the
Swallow took up the word.

"Look at him, look at him indeed, O King!" he screamed. "There is
something strange about his kingly plumage. That swallow-tail is mine, I
know it!" And with a vicious tweak the Swallow pulled out the long
forked feathers of which the Crow was especially proud. Oh, what a
shriek of rage the mad old bird gave! At that moment the Hoopoe came up
and said, "Ha! Methinks I too recognize my property. This is my crown,"
and forthwith he snatched the plumes from the Crow's forehead, leaving
it quite ugly and bare. Next the gentle Redbreast claimed his vest, and
the Bluebird her azure feathers, and the Ostrich her train which she had
sorely missed. Each of the birds in turn came up and with much
chattering and scolding twitched away the property of which he or she
had been robbed, until the Crow stood before them in his customary suit
of solemn black, a bird ashamed and sore. For they had pecked him with
their bills and beaten him with their wings and scratched him with their
claws until even his own plain old coat was frayed and rent.

"Oh ho, oh ho! It is only old Daddy Crow, after all!" screamed the birds
in chorus. And then, because the Eagle burst out laughing, they saw that
it was really funny. Since the King did not mind being robbed for a time
of his title, surely they need not mourn over the few feathers which the
thief had borrowed, especially since each now had his own. Chattering
with glee they all flew home to their various nests, leaving the Crow
alone with his shame and soreness.

Just at this moment the Peacock and his cousin came hurrying up out of
breath.

"Oh, what is it? What is the matter? What was all that noise just now?"
asked the Peacock.

"Oh, what has become of the beautiful, noble, splendid, remarkable,
graceful, gorgeous, stylish, long-tailed, kingly stranger?" questioned
the Peacock's cousin, speaking affably to the Crow, for the first time
since his adoption into high society.

The Crow looked at him sideways, and all his madne