lost their lives. There had not been such an
extensive fire since the colony was
established.

THE STORY OF REINEKE THE FOX.

CHAPTER THE SEVENTH.

Sumptuous were the feasts at court, to
which all animals were crowding, while
Reineke the Fox was in his lair. And when
the singing and the dancing, and the eating
and the drinking, had continued for eight
days, and the King sat at table beside the
Queen, the Rabbit came before him, bleeding.

Sire! he exclaimed, and all of you, have
pity on me! Rarely have you been told such
murderous treachery as I have suffered now
from Reineke. Yesterday morning, at about
the sixth hour, I was on my way to this court,
passing his castle Malepartus. There he sat
at the door in a pilgrim's dress, reading, as it
appeared to me, his morning prayers. When
he saw me, he rose gently and advanced, I
thought to give me greeting; but then
suddenly he seized me with his paws, and clawed
me so between the ears, that I believed my
head was coming off. Luckily, I broke loose,
and, being light, escaped from him, but left
behind an ear. See how my head bleeds.
Look at these four holes in my neck. You
may imagine how near I was to death. Sire,
who can travel to your court, if robbers thus
are suffered to waylay your subjects?

Before he had done speaking, came the
garrulous Crow, Merkenau, and said, Most
noble King, I bring a sad story, but I don't
think I can tell it you. I am not in a
condition to say much, for my heart is breaking.
O, such a pitiable thing has happened to me
to-day! Sharpnebbe, my wife, and I, went
I out together early; Reineke lay there on the
heath for dead. His eyes were twisted in his
head, and his tongue hung out of his open
mouth. Then I began to scream with affright.
He did not come to life, and I screamed a
lament for him; cried, Bless my soul! O dear
me, dear me! O! alas, he is dead! how sorry
I am! how much I am distressed! and said
it all over again. My wife, too, sorrowed— we
were both bemoaning him. I tapped about
his belly and his head; my wife approached
and listened near his chin, to hear if there
were any breath; but no, we could have both
sworn he was quite dead. Now hear the
misfortune. In her sorrow, without
thinking, Sharpnebbe put her bill upon the
rascal's mouth; the monster noticed that,
and snapped her head off. I won't mention
how I was frightened. O dear me! dear me!
I shrieked and shouted; then he darted after
me and snapped. I flew away, and sat upon a
tree. Alas! wherefore had I escaped? I saw
my wife in the miscreant's claws; he had soon
eaten the dear creature. He seemed to look
for more— left not a darling bone for me to
gather. When he was gone, I looked, and
found nothing but blood and a few feathers—
these I bring as testimonies of his crime.
O have pity on us, sire! for if you let the
traitor go, it will be said, There is no law,
because there is no punishment.

Then Nobel the King was wroth and said—
My wife persuaded me, but I am not the last
who shall repent of following a woman's
counsel. Decide now, barons, how this rascal
shall be brought to judgment.

Isegrim and Bruin liked the royal speech,
but dared not say a word themselves, because
they saw the King was in a passion. At last
the Queen said, Show less anger, if you wish to
have your words thought weighty. Make no
rash vow. Reineke has not been heard, and
many an accuser would be silent were he here
to explain his case. I thought Reineke
prudent and sensible, though, to be sure, he
causes scandal by his way of life. I seem to
have been in error about him, but he certainly
is clever as a councillor, and his connexions
are important. You will not mend matters by
precipitation. You are master; think
deliberately, for you surely do whatever you resolve.

And the King said then, Why should I
sit here waiting for him? I command you all
to be prepared on the sixth day from this to
follow me. I'll see the end of this. What
say the honourable gentlemen? Get ready;
come with harness on your backs; come with
bows, spears, and other weapons. We will
besiege Malepartus. We will peep into the
inside of his castle. Thereupon all cried, We
will obey.

Grimbart ran off to carry the intelligence to
Reineke. He belied us at the Court, thought
Grimbart, but he is the head of our family, a
clever fellow, and we shall not hold our own
without him.

So he reached the castle, where he found
Reineke sitting outside, for he had just caught
two young doves; they had ventured out of
the nest, half-fledged, and fallen to the ground,
where Reineke had snapped them up. Having
seen Grimbart at a distance, he awaited him.
Nephew, he said, nobody could be more
welcome, but why do you run so fast? and you
are wheezing. What news do you bring?—
Grimbart replied, Uncomfortable news. The
King has sworn to kill you. I beheld his
wrath. In six days all his subjects are to
meet him in arms before the walls of
Malepartus. Isegrim and Bruin are his trusted
favourites. Isegrim is his field-marshal. The
Rabbit and the Crow came to complain of you.
Ah, if the King gets you prisoner again, you
have not long to live!— Is that all? said the
Fox. I do not care a nut for that. Though
the King's parliament had sworn to kill me
three times over, I should still escape. They
debate, and debate, and debate, but it is
nothing that they do. Dear nephew, think
no more about it, but come and see whait I will
give you. I have just caught these doves,
young and fat; they are my favourite dish.
They digest easily, they want no biting; and