A Cock rose to crow that the business before the meeting was the selection of a President. He was deeply impressed with the solemnity of the occasion, and, albeit not given to crowing over others, he thought he might venture to say that no one there had so just an appreciation of the importance of the struggle in which they were about to engage as himself. Nor did he believe that there were any there whose peculiar capacity–ahem! he would not say more–was so well adapted to the responsible duties of President as his own. He had been accustomed to command. While his friend, the Lion, for instance, thought himself fortunate if he secured one partner in his home, he (the Cock) had never less than seven in his hareem. he had historic prestige too.
The Animal Declaration of Independence Harper’s January 1857 [edited extract being part six in a series of 19]
