Part 3 (2/2)
”The people of Windy-Gap will be ruined,” said the people of Half-a-Loaf, ”they have done nothing yet to catch the Eagle. When the King gets no tribute from them he'll come down and sell them and their village. Call the young men back that have gone into the fields to work and send them up the mountain again.”
At last the people of Half-a-Loaf caught their Eagle--a great golden Eagle he was. They built for him a shed and they fed him on what lambs they had that year.
”We're safe anyway,” said the people of Half-a-Loaf, ”but the unfortunate folk in Windy-Gap have lost their chance. They'll not have time to catch an eagle now.”
The time was coming near when the two villages would have to send their tribute to the King.
”We have our Eagle,” said the people of Half-a-Loaf, ”But O, Bad Fortune! we have hardly a crop growing. This will be a hard year for us--we haven't lambs to grow into sheep even.”
”We have our crops,” said the people of Windy-Gap, ”but, Bad Cess to it! What are we to do about paying our tribute to the King?”
And still they couldn't decide whether it was the Eagle or the Cuckoo or the Woodp.e.c.k.e.r that was King of the Birds. They were still considering it when the King's Messenger came to bid them come with their tribute to the King's Castle.
What were the people of Windy-Gap to do? They searched round and about but no bird at all could they find. And then as he was being marched off the Headman put his hand under the thatch of his house and took out a Wren that was sheltering there. He put the Wren under his hat and went off with the King's Messenger.
And there, before him on the way to the King's Castle was the Headman of Half-a-Loaf. The riders of the village were with him and they bore their golden Eagle most triumphantly.
”Give to my Falconer the King of the Birds,” said the King.
The Headman of Half-a-Loaf presented the Eagle.
”It is well,” said the King, ”and where have you,” said he to the Headman of Windy-Gap, ”bestowed the King of the Birds?”
The Headman put his hand under his hat and handed over the Wren to the King's Falconer.
”Tush,” said the King, ”Why do you call this the King of the Birds?”
The Headman of Windy-Gap was going to say ”Because his family is great,” but he said instead ”Because he flies the highest, my lord.”
”If it be truth it's unknown to me,” said the King, ”but it shall be tried out.”
Then said he to the Royal Falconer, ”Let the Eagle and the Wren soar together. And when the Eagle outsoars the Wren it shall be proved that the Headman of Windy-Gap is a catiff, and his village and everyone in it will be sold to the Saracens. But if it so happens that the Wren outsoars the Eagle, the tribute sent from the village of Windy-Gap must be accepted.”
The Eagle and the Wren rose from the same perch and soared up together. Up and up the Eagle went. ”So far my father went, but I shall go farther,” said the Eagle. Higher and higher he rose. ”So far my grandfather went but I shall go farther.” Farther and farther he soared. ”So far went my great-grandfather, and no eagle again will fly so high.” His wings were stiff and tired. ”No bird will ever out-soar this flight of mine,” said the Eagle.
He went to close his wings so that he might rest them as he went down.
But as he did the Wren came from under his wings.
Up went the Wren, down went the Eagle. Up and up went the Wren. He had been resting while the Eagle had been flying, and now he was able to soar past the point the Eagle had reached at his dead-best.
The Eagle flew down and lighted on the Falconer's perch. ”Has he flown high, Falconer?” asked the King. ”No bird has flown so high,” said the Falconer. ”By the rime on his wings he has gone into the line of frost.”
”The Eagle is King of the Birds and no one can deny it,” said the King. ”The village of Windy-Gap has not sent me my tribute.”
”Mercy,” said the Headman of Windy-Gap.
”The village and all in it shall be sold to the Saracens,” said the King.
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