Still the people were not satisfied, and a great many plans were proposed to prevent the Griffin from coming into the town.  Some elderly persons urged that the young men should go out and kill him; but the young men scoffed at such a ridiculous idea.  Then some one said that it would be a good thing to destroy the stone image so that the Griffin would have no excuse for entering the town; and this proposal was received with such favor that many of the people ran for hammers, chisels, and crowbars, with which to tear down and break up the stone griffin.  But the Minor Canon resisted this plan with all the strength of his mind and body.  He assured the people that this action would enrage the Griffin beyond measure, for it would be impossible to conceal from him that his image had been destroyed during the night.  But the people were so determined to break up the stone griffin that the Minor Canon saw that there was nothing for him to do but to stay there and protect it.  All night he walked up and down in front of the church-door, keeping away the men who brought ladders, by which they might mount to the great stone griffin, and knock it to pieces with their hammers and crowbars.  After many hours the people were obliged to give up their attempts, and went home to sleep; but the Minor Canon remained at his post till early morning, and then he hurried away to the field where he had left the Griffin.

The monster had just awakened, and rising to his fore-legs and shaking himself, he said that he was ready to go into the town.  The Minor Canon, therefore, walked back, the Griffin flying slowly through the air, at a short distance above the head of his guide.  Not a person was to be seen in the streets, and they proceeded directly to the front of the church, where the Minor Canon pointed out the stone griffin.

The real Griffin settled down in the little square before the church and gazed earnestly at his sculptured likeness.  For a long time he looked at it.  First he put his head on one side, and then he put it on the other; then he shut his right eye and gazed with his left, after which he shut his left eye and gazed with his right.  Then he moved a little to one side and looked at the image, then he moved the other way.  After a while he said to the Minor Canon, who had been standing by all this time: 

“It is, it must be, an excellent likeness!  That breadth between the eyes, that expansive forehead, those massive jaws!  I feel that it must resemble me.  If there is any fault to find with it, it is that the neck seems a little stiff.  But that is nothing.  It is an admirable likeness,—­admirable!”

The Griffin sat looking at his image all the morning and all the afternoon.  The Minor Canon had been afraid to go away and leave him, and had hoped all through the day that he would soon be satisfied with his inspection and fly away home.  But by evening the poor young man was utterly exhausted, and felt that he must eat and sleep.  He frankly admitted this fact to the Griffin, and asked him if he would not like something to eat.  He said this because he felt obliged in politeness to do so, but as soon as he had spoken the words, he was seized with dread lest the monster should demand half a dozen babies, or some tempting repast of that kind.