‘Let it be incurred then!’ replied the King.

At this moment Night-cloud, the Crow, made his appearance.  ’Deign me one regard, Sire,’ said he, ’the insolent enemy is at our gates; let your Majesty give the word, and I will go forth and show my valor and devotion to your Crown.’

‘It were better to keep our cover,’ said the Goose.  ’Wherefore else builded we this fortalice?  Is it not said?—­

    ’Hold thy vantage!—­alligators on the land make none afraid;
    And the lion’s but a jackal that hath left his forest-shade.’

But go, your Majesty, and encourage our warriors.”  Thereupon they repaired to the Gateway of the Fort, and all day the battle raged there.

It was the morning after, when King Jewel-plume spake thus to his Minister the Vulture—­’Good sir, shall thy promise be kept to us?’

‘It shall be kept, your Majesty,’ replied the Vulture; ‘storm the fort!’

‘We will storm it!’ said the Peacock-king.  The sun was not well-risen accordingly when the attack was made, and there arose hot fighting at all the four gates.  It was then that the traitorous Crows, headed by their Monarch, Night-cloud, put fire to every dwelling in the citadel, and raised a shout of ‘The Fort is taken! it is taken!’ At this terrible sound the soldiers of the Swan-king forsook their posts, and plunged into the pool.

Not thus King Silver-sides:—­retiring coolly before the foe, with his General the Paddy-bird, he was cut off and encircled by the troopers of King Jewel-plume, under the command of his Marshal, the Cock.

‘My General,’ said the King, ’thou shalt not perish for me.  Fly!  I can go no farther.  Fly!  I bid thee, and take counsel with the Goose that Crest-jewel, my son, be named King!’

‘Good my Lord,’ replied the Paddy-bird, ’speak not thus!  Let your Majesty reign victorious while the sun and moon endure.  I am governor of your Majesty’s fortress, and if the enemy enter it he shall but do so over my body; let me die for thee, my Master!—­

    ‘Gentle, generous, and discerning; such a Prince the Gods do give!’

‘That shalt thou not,’ replied the Rajah—­

    ‘Skilful, honest, and true-hearted; where doth such a Vassal live?’

‘Nay! my royal Lord, escape!’ cried the Paddy-bird; a king’s life is the life of his people—­

    ’The people are the lotus-leaves, their monarch is the sun—­
    When he doth sink beneath the waves they vanish every one.

    When he doth rise they rise again with bud and blossom rife,
    To bask awhile in his warm smile, who is their lord and life.’

‘Think no more of me.’  At this instant the Cock rushing forward, inflicted a wound with his sharp spurs on the person of the King; but the Paddy-bird sprang in front of him, and receiving on his body the blows designed for the Rajah, forced him away into the pool.  Then turning upon the Cock, he despatched him with a shower of blows from his long bill; and finally succumbed, fighting in the midst of his enemies.  Thus the King of the Peacocks captured the fortress; and marched home with all the treasure in it, amid songs of victory.