"I will call the other birds to a meeting," he said to the rook, "and let them decide between us."
"That won't do any good," was the reply. "We rooks have decided the matter already. We mean to rule the forest, after this, and if any one, or all of the birds, dare to oppose us, we'll fight until we force them to serve us. Now, then, what do you intend to do about it?"
"I'll think it over," said Policeman Bluejay.
"Oho! oho! He's afraid! He's a coward!" yelled the rooks; and one of them added:
"Stand up and fight, if you dare!"
"I'll fight your false policeman, or any one of you at a time," replied the bluejay.
"No, you won't; you'll fight us all together, or not at all," they answered.
The bluejay knew it would be foolish to do that, so he turned away and whispered to the lark-children:
"Follow me, and fly as swiftly as you can."
Like a flash he darted high into the air, with Twinkle and Chubbins right behind him, and before the rooks could recover from their surprise the three were far away.