Looking straight at the audience:  “Might makes right [deplore the fact].  We shall prove this presently.  A Lamb [by tone of voice and gesture show what a weak, gentle creature a lamb is] was quenching his thirst in a stream of pure water.  A Wolf [a strong, cruel animal], in quest of adventures, happened by, drawn to the spot by hunger.” [Fold the arms; gesture should always precede speech.] “’What makes thee so bold as to pollute the water I drink?’ said he, angrily.  ’Thy impudence deserves to be punished.’

“‘Sire,’ answered the Lamb [humbly], ’soften your wrath and—­[conjunctions should almost always be followed by a pause] consider that I am drinking the water more than twenty feet ["Mark me!”] below your Majesty, and can, therefore, in no way pollute your Majesty’s drink.’

“‘You do pollute it!’ replied the savage animal, ’and—­I know that, last year, you slandered me.’ [With this line Delsarte always gave a progressive gesture, which can best be described in this way: 

Give the gesture of affirmation [Illustration:  down arrow] [see Lesson VII.], stopping twice in the downward movement, on the words that and year, thus: 

|  I
|  know
v  that

|     last
v    year

|     you
v    slandered me.]

“‘How could I when I was not born?’ replied the Lamb [gentle voice].  ’I am still a suckling babe.’

“‘If it was not you, then it was your brother’ [gruff voice].

“‘I have none.’

“’Then it was some member of your family, for—­you do not spare me, you, your shepherds and your dogs. [There is no pause after the conjunction and here, as it simply joins together words in a list.] I have been told so [impatiently; the wolf is tired of parleying so long].  I must revenge myself.’

“’Thereupon [lower the voice to fix the attention] the Wolf carried him into the depths of the forest and—­ate him [deplore the fact] without further trial’” [voice low].

The Cat, the Weasel and the Little Rabbit.

The palace of a young Rabbit was taken possession of, one fine morning, by Dame Weasel; she is a sly one.  The master being absent, it was an easy thing for her to do.  She carried her belongings there one day when he had gone to do homage to Aurora, amid the thyme and the dew.  After having nibbled, and trotted, and made all his rounds, Bunny Rabbit returned to his subterranean dwelling.  Mrs. Weasel was looking out of the window.

“Hospitable gods! what do I see!” exclaimed the animal, who had been shut out from his ancestors’ home.  “Hello there, Madam Weasel, come out without delay, or I shall notify all the rats in the country.”

The lady with the pointed nose replied that land belonged to the first occupant; that a lodging which he himself could enter only on his stomach was a fine subject for war.  “And even if it were a kingdom, I should like to know why,” said she, “it should belong forever to John, son or nephew of Peter or William, more than to Paul, more than to me?”