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THE TOM-TIT AND THE BEAE.
ONE summer day, as the wolf and the bear were walking together in a wood, they heard a bird singing most delightfully. " Brother," said the boar, " what can that bird be that is singing so sweetly?" " Oh!" said the wolf, "that is his majesty the king of the birds, we must take care to show him all possible respect. (Now I should tell you that this bird was after all no other than the tom-tit.) '•* K that is the case," said the bear, " I should like to see the royal palace; so pray come along and show it to me." " Gently, my friend," said the wolf, " we cannot see it just yet, we must wait till the queen comes home."
Soon afterwards the queen came with food in her beak, and she and the king began to feed their yoimg ones. " Now for it!" said the bear; and was about to follow them, to see what was to be seen. " Stop a little, master Bruin," said the wolf, " we must wait now till theii* majesties are gone again." So they marked the hole where they had seen the nest, and went away. But the bear, being very eager to see the royal palace, soon came back again, and peeping into the nest, saw five or six young birds lying at the bottom of it. " What nonsense!" said Bruin, " this is not a royal palace: I never saw such a filthy place in my life; and you are no royal childi'en, you little base-bom brats!" As soon as the young tom-tits heard this they were very angry, and screamed out " We are not base-bom, you stupid bear! our father and mother are honest good sort of people: and depend upon it you shall suffer for your insolence 1" At this the wolf and the l^ear grew fidghtened, and ran away to their dens. But the young tom-tit« kept crying and screaming; and when their father and mother came home
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