[CHAPTER XIX] _The Rebels_
They were warmly greeted by the bluejay, who asked:
"Did you enjoy the wonderful Paradise?"
"Very much, indeed," cried Twinkle. "But we were sorry you could not bewith us."
"Never mind that," returned the policeman, cheerfully. "I have feastedmy eyes upon all the beauties visible from this tree, and my goodfriend the Guardian has talked to me and given me much good advice thatwill surely be useful to me in the future. So I have been quitecontented while you were gone."
The children now gave their thanks to Ephel for his care of them andpolite attention, and the Royal Messenger said he was pleased that theKing had permitted him to serve them. They also thanked the green-robedGuardian of the Entrance, and then, accompanied by Policeman Bluejay,they quitted the golden tree and began their journey back to theforest.
It was no trouble at all to return. The wind caught their wings andblew against them strongly, so that they had but to sail before thebreeze and speed along until they were deep in the forest again. Thenthe wind moderated, and presently died away altogether, so that theywere forced to begin flying in order to continue their journey home.
It was now the middle of the afternoon, and the policeman said:
"I hope all has been quiet and orderly during my absence. There are somany disturbing elements among the forest birds that I always worrywhen they are left alone for many hours at a time."
"I'm sure they have behaved themselves," returned Twinkle. "They fearyour power so much that the evil-minded birds do not dare to offend youby being naughty."
"That is true," said the policeman. "They know very well that I willnot stand any nonsense, and will always insist that the laws beobeyed."
They were now approaching that part of the forest where they lived, andas the policeman concluded his speech they were surprised to hear agreat flutter of wings among the trees, and presently a flock of bigblack rooks flew toward them.
At the head of the band was a saucy-looking fellow who wore upon hishead a policeman's helmet, and carried under his wing a club.
Policeman Bluejay gave a cry of anger as he saw this, and dashedforward to meet the rooks.
"What does this mean, you rascal?" he demanded, in a fierce voice.
"Easy there, my fine dandy," replied the rook, with a hoarse laugh."Don't get saucy, or I'll give you a rap on the head!"
The rooks behind him shrieked with delight at this impudent speech, andthat made the mock policeman strut more absurdly than ever.
The bluejay was not only astonished at this rebellion but he wasterribly angry as well.
"That is my policeman's helmet and club," he said sternly. "Where didyou get them?"
"At your nest, of course," retorted the other. "We made up our mindsthat we have had a miserable bluejay for a policeman long enough; sothe rooks elected me in your place, and I'm going to make you birdsstand around and obey orders, I can tell you! If you do as I command,you'll get along all right; if you don't, I'll pound you with your ownclub until you obey."
Again the rooks screamed in an admiring chorus of delight, and when thebluejay observed their great numbers, and that they were all as largeas he was, and some even larger and stronger, he decided not to risk anopen fight with them just then, but to take time to think over what hadbest be done.
"I will call the other birds to a meeting," he said to the rook, "andlet them decide between us."
"That won't do any good," was the reply. "We rooks have decided thematter already. We mean to rule the forest, after this, and if any one,or all of the birds, dare to oppose us, we'll fight until we force themto serve us. Now, then, what do you intend to do about it?"
"I'll think it over," said Policeman Bluejay.
"Oho! oho! He's afraid! He's a coward!" yelled the rooks; and one ofthem added:
"Stand up and fight, if you dare!"
"I'll fight your false policeman, or any one of you at a time," repliedthe bluejay.
"No, you won't; you'll fight us all together, or not at all," theyanswered.
The bluejay knew it would be foolish to do that, so he turned away andwhispered to the lark-children:
"Follow me, and fly as swiftly as you can."
Like a flash he darted high into the air, with Twinkle and Chubbinsright behind him, and before the rooks could recover from theirsurprise the three were far away.
Then the big black birds gave chase, uttering screams of rage; but theycould not fly so swiftly as the bluejay and the larks, and were soonobliged to abandon the pursuit.
When at last he knew that they had escaped the rooks, Policeman Bluejayentered the forest again and went among the birds to call them all to ameeting. They obeyed the summons without delay, and were very indignantwhen they heard of the rebellion of the rooks and the insults that hadbeen heaped upon their regularly elected officer. Judge Bullfincharrived with his head bandaged with soft feathers, for he had met therook policeman and, when he remonstrated, had been severely pounded bythe wicked bird's club.
"But what can we do?" he asked. "The rooks are a very powerful tribe,and the magpies and cuckoos and blackbirds are liable to side withthem, if they seem to be stronger than we are."
"We might get all our people together and fall upon them in a greatarmy, and so defeat them," suggested an oriole.
"The trouble with that plan," decided the judge, "is that we can onlydepend upon the smaller birds. The big birds might desert us, and inthat case we would be badly beaten."
"Perhaps it will be better to submit to the rooks," said a littlechickadee, anxiously. "We are neither warriors nor prizefighters, andif we obey our new rulers they may leave us in peace."
"No, indeed!" cried a linnet. "If we submit to them they will think weare afraid, and will treat us cruelly. I know the nature of theserooks, and believe they can only be kept from wickedness by a powerstronger than their own."
"Hear me, good friends," said the bluejay, who had been silent becausehe was seriously thinking; "I have a plan for subduing these rebels,and it is one that I am sure will succeed. But I must make a longjourney to accomplish my purpose. Go now quietly to your nests; butmeet me at the Judgment Tree at daybreak to-morrow morning. Also besure to ask every friendly bird of the forest to be present, for wemust insist upon preserving our liberty, or else be forever slaves tothese rooks."
With these words he rose into the air and sped swiftly upon his errand.
The other birds looked after him earnestly.
"I think it will be well for us to follow his advice," said JudgeBullfinch, after a pause. "The bluejay is an able bird, and has hadmuch experience. Besides, we have ever found him just and honorablesince the time we made him our policeman, so I feel that we may dependupon him in this emergency."
"Why, it is all we can do," replied a robin; and this remark was sotrue that the birds quietly dispersed and returned to their nests toawait the important meeting the next morning.