“Here,” announced he, “are the same number of straws as there are animals gathered together. But no two straws are of quite the same length. So—”
“The one drawing the longest of all in the bundle will this very night go in quest of a story,” finished the Lady with a nod of approval.
“Exactly,” agreed Dan.
“Splendid,” added Lion. And, as President of Animals, he drew the first one.
“As fast as you draw them, you must file past my seat and lay all the straws on the top of the tub,” the Pretty Lady instructed. “Thus we will find who is possessed of the longest.”
So forward they went and, as you may well believe, with no end of eager wonderment. Meanwhile the Lady added zest to the fun by telling off the lots as they reached her.
“Your straw is the longest,” she would call as they passed—“No! No! Here’s one longer—My, what a short one!—Why, who could have drawn it?—Surely not Elephant!—Now Hippo is favored and Giraffe has been bested—But just for the moment for now I’ve another that’s quite the longest drawn yet.”
And so, the Lady comparing all the straws laid before her, the last of the animals finally moved down the tent and then, doubling back, returned with all speed to their places. Every straw being drawn, Dan joined the Lady and the two of them consulted for a moment together.
“Yes, his is the longest—easily the longest,” the animals overheard the two judges agree; and every ear did its best to catch the sound of a name. Then, with the longest straw held far aloft, the Pretty Lady skipped straight to where all the bruins were grouped and touched one on the head with the tip of her whip.
“Little Black Bear!” rose the cry from all sides. For it was he, you see, who’d been chosen.