88 STORIES FROM DAUDET

‘Will he bite?’

‘Will he bite?’ said the violets.

The old nightingale answered,

‘No, he is quite tame.’

And thus satisfied, the birds began
to sing, the streams to flow, the violets
to perfume the air as if the gentleman
was not there. Unmoved amidst this
pretty clatter, the Sub-Prefect in-
voked in his heart the Muse of Agri-
cultural Meetings, and pencil in hand
began to speak in his official voice.

‘Gentlemen and competitors.’

‘Gentlemen and competitors,’ said
the Sub-Prefect in his official voice.

A peal of laughter interrupted him.
He turned round and saw nobody but
a big woodpecker, who was looking at
him and laughing. It was perched
on his opera hat. The Sub-Prefect
shrugged his shoulders and tried to go
on with his speech, but the woodpecker
interrupted him again and called out,

‘What is the use of it?’

‘What do you say? What is the