Since the plan had been
his, he wanted to make a success of it, so he said,
"The mistake was mine, all mine. This is how we will arrange it. The
bird that is able to fall deepest into the earth shall be your king."
The Rooster had a plan of his own in mind when he said this. As all
the birds began to look about for places to jump into deeper places,
and the Duck tried to see how long he could hold his head under water,
the Rooster called to the Hen. He instructed the Hen to scratch, and
when she had made a deep hole, he hid himself in it.
"I am king of the birds! I am your king!" the Rooster crowed, poking
his head up out of the hole.
But the little brown bird that sings in the hedges, and had no name
then, had again got the best of them all. What had he done but creep
into a mouse hole, and there he was, deeper down in the earth than any
of them.
"I am your king!" he twittered up to them.
Then all the birds were very much put out, for they saw that the
little brown bird was truly the king. They decided, though, that they
would not recognize him, and they appointed the Owl to sit, night and
day, at the opening of the mouse hole and not allow the little brown
bird to come out. Then all the birds went home from the Cuckoo's tea
party, and to bed, for they were quite worn out with all the
excitement.
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