THE OX _and_ THE COW (_holding him back by the tail_) What are you doing?... Don't be a fool!... It's a bad business!... It will end badly.... It is we who will pay for it.... Do let be.... It's the wild animals' business.... THE BULL No, no!... It's my business!... Wait and see!... Look here, hold me back or there will be an accident!... TYLTYL (_to_ MYTYL, _who is uttering piercing screams_) Don't be afraid!... Stand behind me.... I have my knife.... THE COCK He has plenty of pluck, the little chap!... TYLTYL So you've made up your minds, it's me you're going for?... THE ASS Why, of course, my little man; you've taken long enough to see it!... THE PIG You can say your prayers; your last hour has come.... But don't hide the little girl.... I want to feast my eyes on her.... I'm going to eat her first.... TYLTYL What have I done to you?... THE SHEEP Nothing at all, my little man.... Eaten my little brother, my two sisters, my three uncles, my aunt, my grandpapa and my grandmamma.... Wait, wait, when you're down, you shall see that I have teeth also.... THE ASS And I hoofs!... THE HORSE (_haughtily pawing the ground_) You shall see what you shall see!... Would you rather that I tore you with my teeth or knocked you down with a kick?... (_He moves ostentatiously towards_ TYLTYL, _who faces him and raises his knife. Suddenly the_ HORSE, _seized with panic, turns and rushes away_.) Ah, no!... That's not fair!... That's against the rules!.... He's defending himself!... THE COCK (_unable to hide his admiration_) I don't care, the little chap's full of grit!... THE PIG (_to the_ BEAR _and the_ WOLF) Let us all rush on them together.... I will support you from the rear.... We will throw them down and share the little girl when she is on the ground.... THE WOLF Divert their attention in front.... I am going to make a turning movement.... (_He goes round_ TYLTYL, _whom he attacks from behind and half overthrows_.) TYLTYL You brute!... (_He raises himself on one knee brandishing his knife and doing his best to cover his little sister, who utters yells of distress. Seeing him half overturned, all the_ ANIMALS _and_ TREES _come up and try to hit him_. TYLTYL _calls distractedly for assistance_.) Help! Help!... Tylô! Tylô!... Where is the Cat?... Tylô!... Tylette! Tylette!... Come! Come!... THE CAT (_hypocritically, holding aloof_) I can't come.... I have sprained my paw.... TYLTYL (_warding of the blows and defending himself as best he can_) Help!... Tylô! Tylô!... I can't hold out!... There are too many of them!... The Bear! The Pig! The Donkey! The Ass! The Fir-tree! The Beech!... Tylô! Tylô! Tylô!... (_Dragging his broken bonds after him, the_ DOG _leaps from behind the trunk of the_ OAK _and, elbowing his way through_ TREES _and_ ANIMALS, _flings himself before_ TYLTYL, _whom he defends furiously_.)