"How can I put live birds in a pie?" enquired the cook.

"Very easily, if you make the pie big enough to hold them. You can
serve the pie after the King has satisfied his hunger with other
dishes, and it will amuse the company to find live birds in the pie
when they expected cooked ones."

"It is a risky experiment," exclaimed the cook, "for I do not know the
new King's temper. But the idea may please His Majesty, and since you
will not allow me to kill the birds, it is the best thing I can do. As
for your other condition, you seem to be a very bright boy, and so I
will have the butler take you as his page, and you shall stand back of
the King's chair and keep the flies away while he eats."

The butler being called, and his consent secured, the cook fell to
making the crusts for his novel pie, while Gilligren was taken to the
servants' hall and dressed in a gorgeous suit of the King's livery.

When the dinner was served, the King kept looking for the blackbird
pie, but he said nothing, and at last the pie was placed before him,
its crusts looking light and brown, and sprigs of myrtle being stuck
in the four corners to make it look more inviting.

Although the King had already eaten heartily, he smacked his lips when
he saw this tempting dish, and picking up the carving-fork he pushed
it quickly into the pie.

At once the crust fell in, and all the four and twenty blackbirds put
up their heads and began to look about them. And coming from the