Wood Magic: A Fable
talking together no one could address the assembly.
After a long time Bevis lost all patience, and held up his cannon-stick,
and threatened to shoot the next one who spoke, which caused a hush.
"There's one thing _I_ want to say," said Bevis, frowning, and looking
very severe, as he stamped his foot. "I have made up my mind on one
point. Whoever you have for king you shall not have the weasel, for I
will shoot him as dead as a nail the first time I see him."
"Hurrah!" cried everybody at once. "Hurrah for little Sir Bevis!"
"Now," said Bevis, "I see the owl wants to speak, and as he's the only
sensible one among you, just be quiet and hear what he's got to say."
At this the owl, immensely delighted, made Sir Bevis a profound bow, and
begged to observe that one thing seemed to have escaped the notice of
the ladies and gentlemen whom he saw around him. It was true they were
all of noble blood, and many of them could claim a descent through
countless generations. But they had overlooked the fact that, noble as
they were, there was among them one with still higher claims; one who
had royal blood in his veins, whose ancestors had been kings, and kings
of high renown. He alluded to the fox.
At this the fox, who had not hitherto spoken, and kept rather in the
background, modestly bent his head, and looked the other way.
"The fox," cried Tchink, "impossible--he's nobody."
"Certainly not," said Te-te, "a mere 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 voted for him.
Then he called the fox forward, and was about to tell him that he was
duly elected, and would sit on a throne firmly fixed upon the wide base
of a universal plebiscite, when Eric, the missel-thrush (who had taken
no part in the proceedings, for he alone regretted Kapchack), cried out
that the fox ought to be asked to show some proof of ability before he
received the crown. This was so reasonable that every one endorsed it;
and the missel-thrush, seeing that he had made an impression, determined
to set the fox the hardest task he could think of, and said that as it
was the peculiar privilege of a monarch to protect his people, so the
fox, before he mounted the throne, ought to be called upon to devise
some effectual means of repelling the onslaught of Choo Hoo.
"Hear, hear!" shouted the assembly, and cried with one voice upon the
fox to get them out of the difficulty, and save them from the barbarian
horde.
The fox was in the deepest bewilderment, but he carefully concealed his
perplexity, and looked down upon the ground as if pondering profoundly,
whereas he really had not got the least idea what to do. There was
silence. Every one waited for the fox.
"Ahem!" said Cloctaw, as if clearing his throat.
The fox detected his meaning, and slyly glanced towards him, when
Cloctaw looked at Bevis and winked. Instantly the fox took the hint
(afterwards claiming the idea as entirely his own), and lifting his
head, said:--
"Ladies and gentlemen, you have indeed set me a most difficult task--so
difficult, that should I succeed in solving this problem, I hope shall
obtain your complete confidence. Gentlemen, we have amongst us at this
moment a visitor, and one whom we all delight to honour, the more
especially as we know him to be the determined foe of that mercenary
scoundrel the weasel, who, should I be so fortunate as to obtain the
crown, shall, I promise you, never set foot in my palace--I allude to
the friend of the squirrel and the hare--I allude to Sir Bevis. ('Hear,
hear! Hurrah for little Sir Bevis! Three cheers more!') I see that you
respond with enthusiasm to the sentiment I have expressed. Well, our
friend Sir Bevis can, I think, if we call upon him in a respectful and
proper manner, help us out of this difficulty.
"He carries in his hand an instrument in which the ignition of certain
chemical substances causes an alarming report, and projects a shower of
formidable missiles to a distance. This instrument, which I hear he
constructed himself, thereby displaying unparalleled ingenuity, he calls
his cannon-stick. Now if we could persuade him to become our ally, and
to bang off his cannon-stick when Choo Hoo comes, I think we should soon
see the enemy in full retreat, when the noble dictator, Ah Kurroo Khan,
could pursue, and add another to his already lengthy list of brilliant
achievements. I would therefore propose, with the utmost humility, that
Sir Bevis be asked to receive a deputation; and I would, with your
permission, nominate the hare, the squirrel, and Cloctaw as the three
persons best able to convey your wishes."
At this address there was a general buzz of admiration; people whispered
to each other that really the fox was extraordinarily clever, and well
worthy to ascend the throne--who would have thought that any one so
retiring could have suggested so original, and yet at the same time so
practical a course? The fox's idea was at once adopted. Bevis went back
with the jay to his seat on the moss under the oak, and there sat down
to receive the deputation.
Just as it was about to set out, the fox begged permission to say one
word more, which being readily granted, he asked if he might send a
message by the starling to Ah Kurroo Khan. The present, he said, seemed
a most favourable moment for destroying those dangerous pretenders, Ki
Ki and Kauc. Usually their brigand retainers were scattered all over the
country, miles and miles apart, and while thus separated it would
require an immense army--larger than the state in the present exhausted
condition of the treasury could afford to pay without fresh taxes--to
hunt the robbers down in their woods and fastnesses. But they were now
concentrated, and preparing no doubt for a raid upon the copse.
Now if Ah Kurroo Khan were asked to fall upon them immediately, he
could destroy them in the mass, and overthrow them without difficulty.
Might he send such a message to the Khan? The assembly applauded the
fox's foresight, and away flew the starling with the message. Ah Kurroo,
only too delighted to have the opportunity of overthrowing his old enemy
Kauc, and his hated rival Ki Ki, immediately gave the order to advance
to his legions.
Meantime the deputation, consisting of the hare, the squirrel, and
Cloctaw, waited upon Sir Bevis, who received them very courteously upon
his seat of moss under the oak. He replied that he would shoot off his
cannon-stick with the greatest pleasure, if they would show him in which
direction they expected Choo Hoo to come. So the hare, the squirrel, and
Cloctaw, with all the crowd following behind, took him to a gap in the
hedge round the copse on the western side, and pointed out to him the
way the enemy would come.
Indeed, Sir Bevis had hardly taken his stand and seen to the priming
than the van-guard of the barbarians appeared over the tops of the
trees. They were pushing on with all speed, for it seems that the
outposts had reported to the emperor that there was a division in the
copse, and that civil war had broken out, being deceived by the attack
delivered by Ah Kurroo upon the black pretender Kauc. Up then came the
mighty host in such vast and threatening numbers that the sun was
darkened as it had been on the day of the eclipse, and the crowd behind
Sir Bevis, overwhelmed with fear, could scarce stand their ground. But
Sir Bevis, not one whit daunted, dropped upon one knee, and levelling
his cannon-stick upon the other, applied his match. The fire and smoke
and sound of the report shook the confidence of the front ranks of the
enemy; they paused and wheeled to the right and left instead of
advancing.
In a minute Bevis had his cannon-stick charged again, and bang it went.
The second rank now turned and fell back and threw the host into
confusion; still the vast numbers behind pushed blindly on. Bevis, in a
state of excitement, now prepared for a grand effort. He filled his
cannon with powder nearly to the muzzle, he rammed it down tight, and
fearing lest it might kick and hurt him, he fixed his weapon on the
stump of an elm which had been thrown some winters since, and whose fall
had made the gap in the hedge. Then he cut a long, slender willow stick,
slit it at one end, and inserted his match in the cleft. He could thus
stand a long way back out of harm's way and ignite the priming. The
report that followed was so loud the very woods rang again, the birds
fluttered with fear, and even the fox, bold as he was, shrank back from
such a tremendous explosion.
Quite beside themselves with panic fear, the barbarian host turned and
fled in utter confusion, nor could Choo Hoo, with all his efforts, rally
them again, for having once suffered defeat in the battle of the
eclipse, they had lost confidence. Ah Kurroo Khan, just as he had driven
in the defenders and taken Kauc's camp (though Kauc himself, like the
coward he was, escaped before the conflict began), saw the confusion and
retreat of Choo Hoo's host, and without a moment's delay hurled his
legions once more on the retiring barbarians. The greater number fled in
every direction, each only trying to save himself; but the best of Choo
Hoo's troops took refuge in their old camp.
Ah Kurroo Khan surrounded and invested the camp, but he hesitated to
storm it, for he knew that it would entail heavy losses. He prepared to
blockade Choo Hoo with such strictness that he must eventually surrender