Pagina 97 de 626

The bear and the wolf grew uneasy, and turned back and went into

their holes. The young willow-wrens, however, continued to cry

and scream, and when their parents again brought food they said:

'We will not so much as touch one fly's leg, no, not if we were

dying of hunger, until you have settled whether we are

respectable children or not; the bear has been here and has

insulted us!' Then the old King said: 'Be easy, he shall be

punished,' and he at once flew with the Queen to the bear's cave,

and called in: 'Old Growler, why have you insulted my children?

You shall suffer for it--we will punish you by a bloody war.'

Thus war was announced to the Bear, and all four-footed animals

were summoned to take part in it, oxen, asses, cows, deer, and

every other animal the earth contained. And the willow-wren

summoned everything which flew in the air, not only birds, large

and small, but midges, and hornets, bees and flies had to come.