Instead of killing Reynard in a fury,
Seized him for legal trial by a Jury;
But Juries—Æsop was a sheriff then—
Consisted of twelve Brutes and not of Men.
But first the Elephant sat on the body—
I mean the Hen—and proved that she was dead,
To the veriest fool’s head
Of the Booby and the Noddy.
Accordingly, the Stork brought in a bill
Quite true enough to kill;