Ready then told him all he knew about it, which, of course, was very little. It was a red house near the sea with a pine tree in front of it.
“That is quite enough,” said the Eagle, “I will send out my messengers to find it.”
The Eagle now called together his trusty messengers. There were five of them. A Blue Heron for watchfulness; a Crow for good judgment; a Swift for rapid flight; a Night Hawk for keen eyesight; and a little Sparrow for running the errands.
The Eagle talked to them all in a low tone for a few minutes, giving them directions and money for the journey.
Then the dance began, and who do you think was Ready’s partner this time? Why, the Eagle of course! It is a splendid thing to dance with the King of Birds, and a rare thing for a dog.
It seemed to be dog night, for the Owl, who had not danced for years, stepped out with a dog. The Owl knew only one dance, an old-fashioned hop waltz. The dog knew no dance at all. He jostled about on his hind legs.
They really looked so ridiculous that some gay young cat-birds laughed aloud, and called out, “Toddle, toddle, don’t just waddle.”
They were immediately cuffed by their elders
They were immediately cuffed by their elders for such bad manners, and made to sit out a whole dance in the dressing room, which was curtained off from the rest of the place by a row of young pine trees.