was

ta Karel, and his audience o

hen, from far away over the vlakte, floated another roar, and the little lion cubs

Sticks. He tries to imitate the King, our fath

oared again, louder than ever. Again came back th

w. 'I must put a stop to this impudence. I a

akte till he met old Three Sticks, the O

his beak open and his neck twisting like a whip-snake. Ach! it was pretty, but if baasjes could have seen his eyes! Baasjes know, Volstruis's eyes are v

eeting. Leeuw came a step nearer and said, 'We must see

feel streams of cold water running down your back when you hear it suddenly and don't know what it is. Yes, baasjes, if you are

, but-unless it was a free and easy, conversational evening-they made it a point of honour neve

. No one could say, 'This is a bigger voice,' or 'That

in roaring. Let it then be so. You will be King of the Birds as I am

the side the wind came from. Wild bucks can smell-ach toch! so good. Just one little puff when a hunter is creeping up to them, and at once all the heads are in the

with an exaggerated expression of finding nothing but empty

rer and nearer without letting the bucks know. Leeuw trailed himself along slowly, slowly, close to the groun

y little masters, just so-ready to spring, and then before you could whistle, he shot through the air like a stone from a catapult, and fell, fa

k in the veld in mating time! Never again would his soft nostrils scent danger in the distance, nor his quick hoofs give the signal

saw Leeuw getting ready to spring, he raced up-wind as hard as he could, knowing that was what the herd would do. So there he was waiting for them, and didn't he play with them! See, baasjes, he stood just so"-in his excitement Outa rose

other!"-he kicked to the left-"till there was a klomp of bucks lying about th

ad killed more than he had, he was not very

killed most, so you rip

to share the food with, so you rip open

, as I said before, Volstruis was clever. Baasjes see, he couldn't eat meat; he had no teeth.

ere satisfied. Then Volstruis came along in a careless fashion, pecking, pecking as he walked,

ling over each other. As they played the

, 'he sleeps wit

's mouth. 'Aha!' he said

cub came

I see something too. Let u

uis insults you by saying he is your equal. He lies sleeping under the trees with his mouth w

quick-quick with th

r-r-r-r. What is the meaning of this? You pretend

de awake, 'I killed more bucks than you did to-day.

'Who's afraid? I'm just

here? Well, you stand on one side of it, and I'll stand on the other side, and we'll

mself, 'I'm heavier and stronger; I can easily send the ant-heap

ustomed to cling to his prey. He had no other way of doing things. And then Volstruis would take the opportunity of

nd roar, and Volstruis would send

ier, and he could hardly see-his eyes were so full of dust. He gathered himself together for a tremendous spring, but, befo

groaning and coughing, with the great

er. Here he comes, the Toothless One! He who h

he missed. As he came down heavily, Volstruis shot out his strong right leg and caught Leeuw in the side. Sk-r-r-r-r! went the

aving his beautiful black and white wing

s in the sand and waltzed away slowly over

ft wailing over the de

the close of the story, till at last Pietie's decided

head and running to get near Mammie if one heard Volstruis bellowi

belongs to the land of Volstruise. But other little masters, who did not know

the apology graciously. "I was sure

ed little Jan, who had been doing so

is that, my l

of fable

a, gladly seizing on the word he understoo

and when Cousin Minnie tells us parables she always finds th

a crooked finger thoughtfully against his flat nose, scratched his sides, monkey-fashion, and finally had recourse once more to the kopdoek. But all these expedients failed to inspire him with

beautiful meaning to the story, but Outa ha

only want to get away so that you can go to the ol

baasje,

that you had danced, too, after the w

there is one dead! Voerts! there is another!' Outa, you

great dancer. No one could do the Vastrap better-and the

mad and merry days, and yet another and another,

eavenly meaning!" cried littl

night. Ask the Nonnie; she w

ity not to be expected from his cramped and crooked limbs, skipped away,

est are much smaller than the Hartebeest proper