Page:Folk Tales of Beasts and Men.djvu/192

The Kinglet said nothing, but sent for the wasp, and gave him certain orders.

At dawn the next morning the great offensive began, and from the very beginning things went rather badly for the armies of the winged animals. At two points of the line the Bear and the Tiger led dashing attacks against divisions commanded by the eagle and the hawk, and after long and fierce fighting, forced them to retire. High upon a knoll commanding the battlefield, in full view of the troops, stood the Fox, with his bushy tail held proudly in the air. As he watched the struggle his lips curled in a grin of triumph.

Suddenly there was a piercing yell that rang out clear above the noise of battle. It came from the Fox, who drooped his tail to the ground, and ran, howling with pain, to the rear.

"We are lost! We are lost!" cried the animals, seeing the standard lowered. "Traitors are amongst us! Fly for your lives! From point to point of the swaying battle-line the panic spread, throwing the army into hopeless confusion. Before long the whole of the Bear's troops were in retreat, and the victorious army of the winged-creatures swept on and over them.

Late that night Bruin the Bear and Isengrim the Wolf, both of them very bedraggled and wearied with much running, sat together gloomily in a distant part of the wood. Presently they saw Reynard the Fox limping towards them, and immediately they rose and began to heap reproaches upon him.

"Traitor!" said Bruin. "Why did you lower the standard? In another hour we should have won."

The Fox looked at them sulkily. "Why did I lower the standard?" said he. "Because a wasp came and stung me right at the root of my tail!"