Page:Tales of old Lusitania.djvu/184

168 But the fox looked at the little creature before him with contempt, and an expression of face which seemed to say: "If you don't take care, I'll gulp you down in a minute."

However, the fox was spell-bound by the chickling, for he was swallowed up himself by the little one he despised.

After a while, as the chick went along, it came to a pine tree, which, though the little chick spurred it and struck it angrily with its tiny wing, stood obstinately in the way, and would not move; so, without more ado, the chickling gobbled up the tree also.

It next met a wolf, who looked down fiercely at the little chick, and was ready to put his large paw upon it and crush it; but the impudent little thing stuck up its tiny head, and begged the wolf to turn aside and make room for it to pass. The big animal only stared at it, and would not move an inch; so the chick had no other remedy but to eat him up also.

Finally, as the chickling was passing by a field, a large horned owl that had a nest full of young ones on a tree near the path, flew at the chick's head and tried to fasten her talons in its tiny face; but, after repeated attacks, the little chick gulped down the owl.

Having got rid of this assailant, it went along merrily for three days and three nights, until it