Page:Libussa, Duchess of Bohemia; also, The Man Without a Name.djvu/70

“When the eagle died,” she began, “the birds chose the wood-pigeon for their queen, and all the winged tribes obeyed her commands. But the nature of birds being easy and aërial, they soon changed their minds, and regretted their promise. The proud peacock opined, that it would become him much better to govern; the greedy sparrow-hawk, used to beat the smaller birds, considered it dishonourable to obey the pacific dove; they made partisans, and hired the weak-minded screech owl as their speaker to the confederation for a new election. The foolish bustard, the heavy heath-cock, the lazy stork, the brainless heron, and all the larger birds, chattered and crowed their loud applause; and the swarms of smaller birds, in their ignorance, warbled and chirped in the same way among the bushes and hedges. At the same moment the warlike kite rose majestically into the air, and all the birds screamed aloud, ‘What a royal flight! what an eagle’s glance in his spying eyes! what an expression of power in the hooked beak and the powerful claws! The daring and noble kite shall be our king!’ Scarcely had the sagacious bird ascended the throne before he proved to his feathered subjects his daring and activity by tyranny and insolence;