THE OAK Is that done?... Well, now that we are rid of this inconvenient witness, of this renegade, let us deliberate in accordance with justice and truth.... I will not conceal from you the deep and painful nature of my emotion.... This is the first time that it is given to us to judge Man and make him feel our power.... I do not think that, after the harm which he has done us, after the monstrous injustice which we have suffered, there can remain the least doubt as to the sentence that awaits him.... ALL THE TREES and ALL THE ANIMALS No! No! No!... No doubt at all!... Hanging!... Death!... The injustice has been too great!... The abuse too wicked!... It has lasted too long!... Crush him!... Eat him!... At once!... Here and now!... TYLTYL (_to the_ CAT) What is the matter with them?... Are they displeased?... THE CAT Don't be alarmed.... They are a little annoyed because Spring is late.... Leave it to me; I will settle it all.... THE OAK This unanimity was inevitable.... We must now decide, in order to avoid reprisals, which form of execution will be the most practical, the easiest, the quickest and the safest, which will leave the fewest accusing traces when Man finds the little bodies in the forest.... TYLTYL What is all this about?... What is he driving at?... I am getting tired of this.... He has got the Blue Bird; let him hand it over.... THE BULL (_coming forward_) The most practical and the surest way is a good butt with the horns in the pit of the stomach.... Shall I go at him?... THE OAK Who speaks?... THE CAT It's the Bull. THE COW It would be better to keep quiet.... I won't meddle with it.... I have all the grass to browse in the field which you can see down there in the blue light of the moon.... I have quite enough to do.... THE OX I also.... However, I agree to everything beforehand.... THE BEECH I can offer my highest branch to hang them on.... THE IVY And I the slip-knot.... THE FIR-TREE And I the four planks for their little coffin.... THE CYPRESS And I a perpetual grant of a tomb.... THE WILLOW The simplest way would be to drown them in one of my rivers.... I will take charge of that.... THE LIME-TREE (_in a conciliatory tone_) Come, come.... Is it really necessary to go to such extremities?... They are very young.... We could quite simply prevent them from doing any harm by keeping them prisoners in an enclosure which I will undertake to form by planting myself all around.... THE OAK Who speaks?... I seem to recognise the honeyed accents of the Lime-tree.... THE FIR-TREE Yes, it's he.... THE OAK So there is a renegade among us, as among the Animals?... Hitherto we have only had to deplore the disloyalty of the Fruit-trees; but they are not real trees.... THE PIG (_rolling his small eyes gluttonously_) I think we should first eat the little girl.... She ought to be very tender.... TYLTYL What's he saying?... Just wait a bit, you...