The whole asmbly became silent.Then, after nearly a mihe Bear began in a slow, puzzled voice：
“I don’t quite uand all this,”it grumbled,“I thought you said—”
“You thought！”repeated the Ape.“As if anyone could call what goes on in your head thinking.Listen, you others.Anyone e Tashlan.But he’s not ing out.You have to go in and e him.”
“Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you,”said dozens of voices.“That’s what we wanted！We go in and e him face to fad now he’ll be kind and it will all be as it ud to be.”And the Birds chattered, and the Dogs barked excitedly.Then suddenly, there was a great stirring and a noi of creatures rising to their feet, and in a d the whole lot of them would have been rushing forward and trying to crowd into the stable door all together.But the Ape shouted：
“Get back！Quiet！Not so fast.”
The Beasts stopped, many of them with one paw in the air, many with tails wagging, and all of them with heads on one side.
“I thought you said,”began the Bear, but Shift interrupted.
“Anyone go in,”he said.“But, o a time.Who’ll go first?He didn’t say he was feeling very kind.He’s been lig his lips a lot since he swallowed up the wicked King the ht.He’s been growling a good deal this m.I wouldn’t much like to go into that stable mylf tonight.But just as you plea.Who’d like to go in first?Don’t blame me if he swallows you whole or blasts you into a der with the mere terror of his eyes.That’s your affair.Now then！Who’s first?What about one of you Dwarfs?”
“Dilly, dilly, e and be killed！”sneered Griffle.“How do we know what you’ve got in there?”
“Ho-ho！”cried the Ape.“So you’re beginning to think there’s something there, eh?Well, all you Beasts were making noi enough a minute ago.What’s struck you all dumb?Who’s going in first?”
But the Beasts all stood looking at one another and began bag away from the stable.Very few tails were wagging now.The Ape waddled to and fro jeering at them.“Ho-ho-ho！”he chuckled.“I thought you were all so eager to e Tashlan face to face！ged your mind, eh?”