"Are you the most graceful and highest flyer among birds? Answer me quick and heed well your answer."

The Koko-bird merely opened one eye and said sleepily, "I am," whereat the vast concourse of birds were astonished for the third time. Some opened their bills in amazement at such unheard of audacity; others hooted and screamed clamorously, demanding that the wicked Koko be severely dealt with.

The king of birds now flapped both wings to demand silence and attention. Those who had their bills open closed them with a snap and the clamorous ones became perfectly quiet. The king then turned toward the council and spoke in an even, stentorian voice, as follows:

"Gentlemen birds of the council. The prisoner, otherwise known as the Koko-bird, stands before you, self-accused and self-condemned. I commit him to your judgment. Let his punishment be as severe as the bird-law will permit."

The bird council then adjourned to the large council tree where they remained in closed session for one hour. They then returned to the bird assembly and the leader thus addressed the king of birds:

"Your majesty, the grand council of this bird assemblage, convened by you, find the prisoner guilty and fix upon the following punishment:

"1. Because of his boast that he is the handsomest of birds his tail and wing feathers shall be pulled out and all other feathers shall be shorn close.

"2. Because of his boast that he is the best singer among birds he shall be struck dumb.

"3. Because of his boast that he is the most graceful and highest flyer among birds, he shall forever be prevented from moving in the atmosphere in which we move."

No sooner had the speaker finished when the handsome feathers of the Koko-bird disappeared. This so surprised Koko that he actually awoke from his slumber. He tried to say, "Well! well! what has happened," but could not utter a sound. The king of birds now flew away, which was the signal for the adjournment of the assembly, for, you see, their work was done. All of the birds began to depart for their respective home trees, but before doing so each one said something sarcastic or insulting, hoping to humiliate the forsaken culprit. This merely annoyed Koko a little. He tried to retaliate by boldly declaring that he was the handsomest, the most musical and the most graceful of all birds, as he had often done before, but he could not, for had not the council decreed that he be "struck dumb?" He tried to catch the little sparrow, who, by his derisive twitterings, annoyed him even more than the vulture, by his coarse insults, but his wings would not carry him. He merely succeeded in falling into the Boozoo river.

"Now I shall be drowned," he thought, for you remember he could not talk. But behold! he did not drown; by means of his featherless wings and tail he could, swim beautifully on top of the water as well as in it. His body feathers being gone, they did not become water-soaked and give him the snuffles, a severe cold, or perhaps pneumonia. Koko was astonished to find that water, which he had formerly feared, was not bad at all. He could drink whenever he wanted to without having to stand at the edge of the river bank, as he formerly did and get his feet all mud. In time his wings and feet became fins and the feather stumps became scales; in other words, the erstwhile boastful Koko became a fish.

The Koko-fish (for so must the Koko-bird be called now), would have lived in the Boozoo river peacefully had not an owl noticed him one day.

"O, ho! What is this?" said the wise one, blinking both eyes. "Such a creature was never seen before. I must investigate closer." So saying he flew to a lower limb and looked hard at Koko. Koko, in turn, stared at the owl out of one eye; he did not wink or blink but simply stared and said nothing. "By my wisdom," said the owl, "if this isn't Koko. I know him by his eye. Well! well! what may not happen next?"