Wood Magic: A Fable
Ki had detected this manoeuvre, now returned to his guards, and flew
to his palace.
Meantime the weasel, curled up on his divan in the elm, was thinking
over the extraordinary good fortune that had befallen him. Yet such was
his sagacity that even when thus about to attain almost the topmost
pinnacle of his ambition, he did not forget the instability of affairs,
but sought to confirm his position, or even to advance it. He reflected
that Kapchack was not only cunning beyond everything ever known, but he
was just now a prey to anxieties, and consumed with jealousy, which
upset the tenor of his mind, so that his course could not be depended
upon, but might be changed in a moment. The favour of a despotic monarch
was never a firm staff to lean upon; when that monarch was on the brink
of a crisis which threatened both his throne and his life, his smile
might become a frown before any one was aware that a change was
impending.
Impressed with these ideas, the weasel asked himself how he could at
once secure his position and advance himself to further dignity. He
considered that up to the present the forces of Kapchack had always been
compelled to retreat before the overwhelming masses thrown against them
by Choo Hoo. He could scarcely hope under the most favourable
circumstances to do more than defend the frontier, and should Choo Hoo
win the battle, Kapchack would either be taken prisoner, or, what was
not at all unlikely, fall a victim during the confusion, and be
assassinated, perhaps, by the villainous crow. Where, then, would be his
own high command? But by making terms with Choo Hoo he might himself
obtain the throne, and reign perfectly secure as Choo Hoo's regent.
On coming to this conclusion, he called to his old friend the
humble-bee, and said he desired to send a message to Choo Hoo, the
purport of which must not be divulged to any flower upon the route. The
humble-bee instantly guessed that this message must be something to the
injury of Kapchack, and resenting the manner in which he had been
hustled from the council, declared that he would carry it without a
moment's delay.
"Go then, my friend," said the weasel. "Go straight to Choo Hoo, and
say: 'The weasel is appointed to the command of King Kapchack's army,
and will supersede Ki Ki, the hawk, upon the third day. On that day he
will lead forth the army to the south, professing to go upon a flank
march, and to take you in the rear. Be not deceived by this movement,
but so soon as you see that the guards are withdrawn from the frontier,
cross the border in force, and proceed straight towards the palace. When
Kapchack's army finds you between it and its base of supplies it will
disperse, and you will obtain an easy victory.
"'And in proof of his good-will towards you, the weasel, furthermore,
bade me inform you of the great secret which has hitherto been preserved
with such care, and which will enable your army to remain in this place
all the winter. In the squirrel's copse there is a spring, which is
never frozen, but always affords excellent drinking water, and moistens
a considerable extent of ground.'" This was the weasel's message, and
without a moment's delay the humble-bee buzzed away direct to Choo Hoo's
camp.
At the same time the fly with the mole's message reached Ki Ki, the
hawk, as he was soaring among the clouds. Ki Ki, having finished his
observations, and full of suspicions as to the object with which the
king had despatched the thrush to Choo Hoo, decided to keep the mole's
appointment at once, so down he flew direct to the leaning stone in the
meadow, where Bevis had gathered the cowslips, and found the mole
already waiting for him.
Now, the mole hated Ki Ki exceedingly, because, as previously related,
he had killed his wife, but he hated the weasel, who had persecuted him
all his life, even more, and by thus betraying the weasel to the hawk he
hoped to set the two traitors by the ears, and to gratify his own
vengeance by seeing them tear each other to pieces. Accordingly he now
informed Ki Ki of everything--how the weasel had disclosed the names of
all those who attended the secret meeting (except one, _i.e._, the owl,
which, for reasons of his own, the weasel had suppressed), particularly
stating that Ki Ki had taken a foremost part, that Kapchack was enraged
against the hawk, and had already promised the weasel the chief command,
so that in three days Ki Ki would be superseded.
Ki Ki, suppressing his agitation, thanked the mole very cordially for
his trouble, and soared towards the sky, but he had scarce gone a
hundred yards before one of Kapchack's body-guard met him with a message
from the king countermanding the advance of the army which had been
decided upon. Ki Ki replied that his majesty's orders should be
implicitly obeyed and continued his upward flight. He had now no doubt
that what the mole had told him was correct in every particular, since
it had been so immediately confirmed; and as for the thrush, it seemed
clear that Kapchack had some design of saving himself by the sacrifice
of his friends. That must be his reasons for countermanding the
advance--to give time for negotiation. Angry beyond measure, Ki Ki flew
to his own clump of trees, and calling to him a keen young hawk--one of
his guard, and who was only too delighted to be selected for
confidential employment--sent him with a flag of truce to Choo Hoo.
He was to say that Ki Ki, being disgusted with the treachery of King
Kapchack, had determined to abandon his cause, and that on the day of
battle, in the midst of the confusion, if Choo Hoo would push forward
rapidly, Ki Ki would draw off his contingent and expose the centre, when
Kapchack must inevitably be destroyed. Away flew the hawk, and thus in
one hour Choo Hoo received three messengers.
CHAPTER X.
TRAITORS.
The first that arrived was the thrush, hearing the message from the
king. Choo Hoo, delighted beyond expression at so pleasant a solution of
the business, which he knew must, if it came to battle, entail great
slaughter of his friends, received the thrush with the highest honours,
called his principal counsellors around him, and acceded to everything
King Kapchack had proposed. The territory should be equally divided:
Choo Hoo to have the plains, and Kapchack the woods and hills, and peace
should be proclaimed, Choo Hoo engaging to support Kapchack against all
domestic enemies and traitors. This treaty having been completed, the
thrush made as if about to depart, but Choo Hoo would in no wise permit
this. "Remain with us," he said, "my dear Thrush, till the evening;
feast and make merry."
So the thrush was surrounded with a guard of honour, and conducted to
the choicest feeding places, and regaled upon the fat of the land. Thus
enjoying himself, he thought it was the happiest day of his life, and
was not at all desirous of seeing the shadows lengthen.
Hardly had the thrush gone with his guard to the banquet, than the
humble-bee was announced, bearing the message from the weasel. To this
the assembled counsellors listened attentively, but Choo Hoo, being only
a barbarian, could on no account break faith, but was resolved to carry
out his compact with King Kapchack. Nevertheless, he reflected that the
king was extremely cunning, and not altogether to be relied upon (the
humble-bee, for aught he knew, might have been in reality sent by
Kapchack to try him), and therefore he would go so far as this, he would
encourage the weasel without committing himself. "Return," he said to
the humble-bee, "return to him who sent you, and say: 'Do you do your
part, and Choo Hoo will certainly do his part'." With which ambiguous
sentence (which of course the weasel read in his own sense) he dismissed
the humble-bee, who had scarce departed from the camp, than the flag of
truce arrived from Ki Ki, and the young hawk, bright and defiant in his
bearing, was admitted to the great Emperor Choo Hoo.
When the council heard his message they all cried with one accord:
"Koos-takke! koos-takke! the enemy are confounded; they are divided
against each other. They are delivered over to us. Koos-takke!"
So soon as there was silence, Choo Hoo said:--
"Young sir, tell your master that we do not need his assistance," and he
waved the messenger to depart.
But the hawk said: "Mighty emperor, consider that I am young, and that
if I go to my master with so curt a message, you know that he is fierce
beyond reason, and I shall infallibly be torn to pieces".
"Very well," said Choo Hoo, speaking in a harsh tone of voice, for he
hated the whole race of hawks, and could scarce respect the flag of
truce, "very well, tell your master the reason I do not want his
assistance is, first, because Kapchack and I have concluded a treaty;
secondly, because the weasel has been before him, and has told me where
the secret spring is in the squirrel's copse--the spring that does not
freeze in winter."
The hawk, not daring to parley further with the emperor, bowed his way
out, and went direct to Ki Ki with this reply.
All the council of Choo Hoo rejoiced exceedingly, both at the treaty
which assured so peaceful and pleasant a conclusion to their arduous
labours, and to a sanguinary war which had lasted so many years, and in
which they had lost so many of their bravest, and also at the treachery
which prevailed in Kapchack's palace and confounded his efforts. They
cried "Koos-takke!" and the shout was caught up throughout the camp with
such vehemence that the woods echoed to the mysterious sound.
Now the young hawk, winging his way swiftly through the air, soon
arrived at the trees where Ki Ki was waiting for him, and delivered the
answer in fear and trembling, expecting every moment to be dashed to the
ground and despatched. Ki Ki, however, said nothing, but listened in
silence, and then sat a long time thinking.
Presently he said: "You have done ill, and have not given much promise
of your future success; you should not have taken Choo Hoo's answer so
quickly. You should have argued with him, and used your persuasive
powers. Moreover, being thus admitted to the very presence of our
greatest enemy, and standing face to face with him, and within a few
inches of his breast, you should have known what it was your business to
do. I could not tell you beforehand, because it would have been against
my dignity to seem to participate before the deed in things of that
kind. To you the opportunity was afforded, but you had not the ready wit
either to see or to seize it.
"While Choo Hoo was deliberating you should have flown at his breast,
and despatched the archrebel with one blow of your beak. In the
confusion you could have escaped with ease. Upon such a catastrophe
becoming known, the whole of Choo Hoo's army would have retreated, and
hanging upon their rear we could have wreaked our wills upon them. As
for you, you would have obtained fame and power; as for me, I should
have retained the chief command; as for Kapchack, he would have rewarded
you with untold wealth. But you missed--you did not even see--this
golden opportunity, and you will never have another such a chance."
At this the young hawk hung his head, and could have beaten himself to
death against the tree, in shame and sorrow at his folly.
"But," continued Ki Hi, "as I see you are unfeignedly sorry, I will even
yet entrust you with one more commission (the hawk began to brighten up
a little). You know that at the end of the Long Pond there is a very
large wood which grows upon a slope; at the foot of the slope there is
an open space or glade, which is a very convenient spot for an ambush.
Now when the thrush comes home in the evening, bringing the treaty to
Kapchack, he is certain to pass that way, because it is the nearest, and