JUST SO STORIES

By Rudyard Kipling

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

 HOW THE WHALE GOT HIS THROAT HOW THE CAMEL GOT HIS HUMP HOW THE RHINOCEROS GOT HIS SKIN HOW THE LEOPARD GOT HIS SPOTS THE ELEPHANT'S CHILD THE SING-SONG OF OLD MAN KANGAROO THE BEGINNING OF THE ARMADILLOS HOW THE FIRST LETTER WAS WRITTEN HOW THE ALPHABET WAS MADE THE CRAB THAT PLAYED WITH THE SEA THE CAT THAT WALKED BY HIMSELF THE BUTTERFLY THAT STAMPED

HOW THE WHALE GOT HIS THROAT

IN the sea, once upon a time, O my Best Beloved, there was a Whale, andhe ate fishes. He ate the starfish and the garfish, and the crab and thedab, and the plaice and the dace, and the skate and his mate, and themackereel and the pickereel, and the really truly twirly-whirly eel. Allthe fishes he could find in all the sea he ate with his mouth--so! Tillat last there was only one small fish left in all the sea, and he was asmall 'Stute Fish, and he swam a little behind the Whale's right ear, so as to be out of harm's way. Then the Whale stood up on his tail andsaid, 'I'm hungry. ' And the small 'Stute Fish said in a small 'stutevoice, 'Noble and generous Cetacean, have you ever tasted Man?'

'No, ' said the Whale. 'What is it like?'

'Nice, ' said the small 'Stute Fish. 'Nice but nubbly. '

'Then fetch me some, ' said the Whale, and he made the sea froth up withhis tail. 

'One at a time is enough, ' said the 'Stute Fish. 'If you swim tolatitude Fifty North, longitude Forty West (that is magic), you willfind, sitting _on_ a raft, _in_ the middle of the sea, with nothing onbut a pair of blue canvas breeches, a pair of suspenders (you must _not_forget the suspenders, Best Beloved), and a jack-knife, oneship-wrecked Mariner, who, it is only fair to tell you, is a man ofinfinite-resource-and-sagacity. '

So the Whale swam and swam to latitude Fifty North, longitude FortyWest, as fast as he could swim, and _on_ a raft, _in_ the middle of thesea, _with_ nothing to wear except a pair of blue canvas breeches, apair of suspenders (you must particularly remember the suspenders, BestBeloved), _and_ a jack-knife, he found one single, solitary shipwreckedMariner, trailing his toes in the water. (He had his mummy's leave topaddle, or else he would never have done it, because he was a man ofinfinite-resource-and-sagacity. )

Then the Whale opened his mouth back and back and back till it nearlytouched his tail, and he swallowed the shipwrecked Mariner, and theraft he was sitting on, and his blue canvas breeches, and the suspenders(which you _must_ not forget), _and_ the jack-knife--He swallowed themall down into his warm, dark, inside cup-boards, and then he smacked hislips--so, and turned round three times on his tail. 

But as soon as the Mariner, who was a man ofinfinite-resource-and-sagacity, found himself truly inside the Whale'swarm, dark, inside cup-boards, he stumped and he jumped and he thumpedand he bumped, and he pranced and he danced, and he banged and heclanged, and he hit and he bit, and he leaped and he creeped, and heprowled and he howled, and he hopped and he dropped, and he cried and hesighed, and he crawled and he bawled, and he stepped and he lepped, andhe danced hornpipes where he shouldn't, and the Whale felt most unhappyindeed. (_Have_ you forgotten the suspenders?)

So he said to the 'Stute Fish, 'This man is very nubbly, and besides heis making me hiccough. What shall I do?'

'Tell him to come out, ' said the 'Stute Fish. 

So the Whale called down his own throat to the shipwrecked Mariner, 'Come out and behave yourself. I've got the hiccoughs. '

'Nay, nay!' said the Mariner. 'Not so, but far otherwise. Take me to mynatal-shore and the white-cliffs-of-Albion, and I'll think about it. 'And he began to dance more than ever. 

 'You had better take him home, ' said the 'Stute Fish to the Whale. 'I ought to have warned you that he is a man of infinite-resource-and-sagacity. '

So the Whale swam and swam and swam, with both flippers and his tail, as hard as he could for the hiccoughs; and at last he saw the Mariner'snatal-shore and the white-cliffs-of-Albion, and he rushed half-wayup the beach, and opened his mouth wide and wide and wide, and said, 'Change here for Winchester, Ashuelot, Nashua, Keene, and stations onthe _Fitch_burg Road;' and just as he said 'Fitch' the Mariner walkedout of his mouth. But while the Whale had been swimming, the Mariner, who was indeed a person of infinite-resource-and-sagacity, had taken hisjack-knife and cut up the raft into a little square grating all runningcriss-cross, and he had tied it firm with his suspenders (_now_, youknow why you were not to forget the suspenders!), and he dragged thatgrating good and tight into the Whale's throat, and there it stuck! Thenhe recited the following _Sloka_, which, as you have not heard it, Iwill now proceed to relate--

 By means of a grating I have stopped your ating. 

For the Mariner he was also an Hi-ber-ni-an. And he stepped out on theshingle, and went home to his mother, who had given him leave to trailhis toes in the water; and he married and lived happily ever afterward. So did the Whale. But from that day on, the grating in his throat, which he could neither cough up nor swallow down, prevented him eatinganything except very, very small fish; and that is the reason why whalesnowadays never eat men or boys or little girls. 

The small 'Stute Fish went and hid himself in the mud under theDoor-sills of the Equator. He was afraid that the Whale might be angrywith him. 

The Sailor took the jack-knife home. He was wearing the blue canvasbreeches when he walked out on the shingle. The suspenders were leftbehind, you see, to tie the grating with; and that is the end of _that_tale. 

 WHEN the cabin port-holes are dark and green Because of the seas outside; When the ship goes _wop_ (with a wiggle between) And the steward falls into the soup-tureen, And the trunks begin to slide; When Nursey lies on the floor in a heap, And Mummy tells you to let her sleep, And you aren't waked or washed or dressed, Why, then you will know (if you haven't guessed) You're 'Fifty North and Forty West!'

HOW THE CAMEL GOT HIS HUMP

NOW this is the next tale, and it tells how the Camel got his big hump. 

In the beginning of years, when the world was so new and all, and theAnimals were just beginning to work for Man, there was a Camel, and helived in the middle of a Howling Desert because he did not want to work;and besides, he was a Howler himself. So he ate sticks and thorns andtamarisks and milkweed and prickles, most 'scruciating idle; and whenanybody spoke to him he said 'Humph!' Just 'Humph!' and no more. 

Presently the Horse came to him on Monday morning, with a saddle on hisback and a bit in his mouth, and said, 'Camel, O Camel, come out andtrot like the rest of us. '

'Humph!' said the Camel; and the Horse went away and told the Man. 

Presently the Dog came to him, with a stick in his mouth, and said, 'Camel, O Camel, come and fetch and carry like the rest of us. '

'Humph!' said the Camel; and the Dog went away and told the Man. 

Presently the Ox came to him, with the yoke on his neck and said, 'Camel, O Camel, come and plough like the rest of us. '

'Humph!' said the Camel; and the Ox went away and told the Man. 

At the end of the day the Man called the Horse and the Dog and the Oxtogether, and said, 'Three, O Three, I'm very sorry for you (with theworld so new-and-all); but that Humph-thing in the Desert can't work, or he would have been here by now, so I am going to leave him alone, andyou must work double-time to make up for it. '

That made the Three very angry (with the world so new-and-all), and theyheld a palaver, and an _indaba_, and a _punchayet_, and a pow-wow onthe edge of the Desert; and the Camel came chewing on milkweed _most_'scruciating idle, and laughed at them. Then he said 'Humph!' and wentaway again. 

Presently there came along the Djinn in charge of All Deserts, rollingin a cloud of dust (Djinns always travel that way because it is Magic), and he stopped to palaver and pow-pow with the Three. 

'Djinn of All Deserts, ' said the Horse, 'is it right for any one to beidle, with the world so new-and-all?'

'Certainly not, ' said the Djinn. 

'Well, ' said the Horse, 'there's a thing in the middle of your HowlingDesert (and he's a Howler himself) with a long neck and long legs, andhe hasn't done a stroke of work since Monday morning. He won't trot. '

'Whew!' said the Djinn, whistling, 'that's my Camel, for all the gold inArabia! What does he say about it?'

'He says "Humph!"' said the Dog; 'and he won't fetch and carry. '

'Does he say anything else?'

'Only "Humph!"; and he won't plough, ' said the Ox. 

'Very good, ' said the Djinn. 'I'll humph him if you will kindly wait aminute. '

The Djinn rolled himself up in his dust-cloak, and took a bearing acrossthe desert, and found the Camel most 'scruciatingly idle, looking at hisown reflection in a pool of water. 

'My long and bubbling friend, ' said the Djinn, 'what's this I hear ofyour doing no work, with the world so new-and-all?'

'Humph!' said the Camel. 

The Djinn sat down, with his chin in his hand, and began to think aGreat Magic, while the Camel looked at his own reflection in the pool ofwater. 

'You've given the Three extra work ever since Monday morning, all onaccount of your 'scruciating idleness, ' said the Djinn; and he went onthinking Magics, with his chin in his hand. 

'Humph!' said the Camel. 

'I shouldn't say that again if I were you, ' said the Djinn; you mightsay it once too often. Bubbles, I want you to work. '

And the Camel said 'Humph!' again; but no sooner had he said it than hesaw his back, that he was so proud of, puffing up and puffing up into agreat big lolloping humph. 

'Do you see that?' said the Djinn. 'That's your very own humph thatyou've brought upon your very own self by not working. To-day isThursday, and you've done no work since Monday, when the work began. Nowyou are going to work. '

'How can I, ' said the Camel, 'with this humph on my back?'

'That's made a-purpose, ' said the Djinn, 'all because you missed thosethree days. You will be able to work now for three days without eating, because you can live on your humph; and don't you ever say I neverdid anything for you. Come out of the Desert and go to the Three, andbehave. Humph yourself!'

And the Camel humphed himself, humph and all, and went away to join theThree. And from that day to this the Camel always wears a humph (we callit 'hump' now, not to hurt his feelings); but he has never yet caught upwith the three days that he missed at the beginning of the world, and hehas never yet learned how to behave. 

 THE Camel's hump is an ugly lump Which well you may see at the Zoo; But uglier yet is the hump we get From having too little to do. 

 Kiddies and grown-ups too-oo-oo, If we haven't enough to do-oo-oo, We get the hump-- Cameelious hump-- The hump that is black and blue!

 We climb out of bed with a frouzly head And a snarly-yarly voice. We shiver and scowl and we grunt and we growl At our bath and our boots and our toys;

 And there ought to be a corner for me (And I know there is one for you) When we get the hump-- Cameelious hump-- The hump that is black and blue!

 The cure for this ill is not to sit still, Or frowst with a book by the fire; But to take a large hoe and a shovel also, And dig till you gently perspire;

 And then you will find that the sun and the wind. And the Djinn of the Garden too, Have lifted the hump-- The horrible hump-- The hump that is black and blue!

 I get it as well as you-oo-oo-- If I haven't enough to do-oo-oo-- We all get hump-- Cameelious hump-- Kiddies and grown-ups too!

HOW THE RHINOCEROS GOT HIS SKIN

ONCE upon a time, on an uninhabited island on the shores of the Red Sea, there lived a Parsee from whose hat the rays of the sun were reflectedin more-than-oriental splendour. And the Parsee lived by the Red Seawith nothing but his hat and his knife and a cooking-stove of the kindthat you must particularly never touch. And one day he took flour andwater and currants and plums and sugar and things, and made himself onecake which was two feet across and three feet thick. It was indeed aSuperior Comestible (that's magic), and he put it on stove because hewas allowed to cook on the stove, and he baked it and he baked it tillit was all done brown and smelt most sentimental. But just as hewas going to eat it there came down to the beach from the AltogetherUninhabited Interior one Rhinoceros with a horn on his nose, two piggyeyes, and few manners. In those days the Rhinoceros's skin fitted himquite tight. There were no wrinkles in it anywhere. He looked exactlylike a Noah's Ark Rhinoceros, but of course much bigger. All the same, he had no manners then, and he has no manners now, and he never willhave any manners. He said, 'How!' and the Parsee left that cake andclimbed to the top of a palm tree with nothing on but his hat, fromwhich the rays of the sun were always reflected in more-than-orientalsplendour. And the Rhinoceros upset the oil-stove with his nose, andthe cake rolled on the sand, and he spiked that cake on the horn of hisnose, and he ate it, and he went away, waving his tail, to the desolateand Exclusively Uninhabited Interior which abuts on the islands ofMazanderan, Socotra, and Promontories of the Larger Equinox. Then theParsee came down from his palm-tree and put the stove on its legs andrecited the following Sloka, which, as you have not heard, I will nowproceed to relate:--

 Them that takes cakes Which the Parsee-man bakes Makes dreadful mistakes. 

And there was a great deal more in that than you would think. 

Because, five weeks later, there was a heat wave in the Red Sea, andeverybody took off all the clothes they had. The Parsee took off hishat; but the Rhinoceros took off his skin and carried it over hisshoulder as he came down to the beach to bathe. In those days itbuttoned underneath with three buttons and looked like a waterproof. Hesaid nothing whatever about the Parsee's cake, because he had eatenit all; and he never had any manners, then, since, or henceforward. He waddled straight into the water and blew bubbles through his nose, leaving his skin on the beach. 

Presently the Parsee came by and found the skin, and he smiled one smilethat ran all round his face two times. Then he danced three times roundthe skin and rubbed his hands. Then he went to his camp and filled hishat with cake-crumbs, for the Parsee never ate anything but cake, andnever swept out his camp. He took that skin, and he shook that skin, andhe scrubbed that skin, and he rubbed that skin just as full of old, dry, stale, tickly cake-crumbs and some burned currants as ever it couldpossibly hold. Then he climbed to the top of his palm-tree and waitedfor the Rhinoceros to come out of the water and put it on. 

And the Rhinoceros did. He buttoned it up with the three buttons, andit tickled like cake crumbs in bed. Then he wanted to scratch, but thatmade it worse; and then he lay down on the sands and rolled and rolledand rolled, and every time he rolled the cake crumbs tickled him worseand worse and worse. Then he ran to the palm-tree and rubbed and rubbedand rubbed himself against it. He rubbed so much and so hard that herubbed his skin into a great fold over his shoulders, and another foldunderneath, where the buttons used to be (but he rubbed the buttonsoff), and he rubbed some more folds over his legs. And it spoiled histemper, but it didn't make the least difference to the cake-crumbs. They were inside his skin and they tickled. So he went home, very angryindeed and horribly scratchy; and from that day to this every rhinoceroshas great folds in his skin and a very bad temper, all on account of thecake-crumbs inside. 

But the Parsee came down from his palm-tree, wearing his hat, from whichthe rays of the sun were reflected in more-than-oriental splendour, packed up his cooking-stove, and went away in the direction of Orotavo, Amygdala, the Upland Meadows of Anantarivo, and the Marshes of Sonaput. 

 THIS Uninhabited Island Is off Cape Gardafui, By the Beaches of Socotra And the Pink Arabian Sea: But it's hot--too hot from Suez For the likes of you and me Ever to go In a P. And O. And call on the Cake-Parsee!

HOW THE LEOPARD GOT HIS SPOTS

IN the days when everybody started fair, Best Beloved, the Leopard livedin a place called the High Veldt. 'Member it wasn't the Low Veldt, orthe Bush Veldt, or the Sour Veldt, but the 'sclusively bare, hot, shinyHigh Veldt, where there was sand and sandy-coloured rock and 'sclusivelytufts of sandy-yellowish grass. The Giraffe and the Zebra and the Elandand the Koodoo and the Hartebeest lived there; and they were 'sclusivelysandy-yellow-brownish all over; but the Leopard, he was the 'sclusivestsandiest-yellowish-brownest of them all--a greyish-yellowishcatty-shaped kind of beast, and he matched the 'sclusivelyyellowish-greyish-brownish colour of the High Veldt to one hair. Thiswas very bad for the Giraffe and the Zebra and the rest of them; forhe would lie down by a 'sclusively yellowish-greyish-brownish stone orclump of grass, and when the Giraffe or the Zebra or the Eland or theKoodoo or the Bush-Buck or the Bonte-Buck came by he would surprise themout of their jumpsome lives. He would indeed! And, also, there was anEthiopian with bows and arrows (a 'sclusively greyish-brownish-yellowishman he was then), who lived on the High Veldt with the Leopard; and thetwo used to hunt together--the Ethiopian with his bows and arrows, andthe Leopard 'sclusively with his teeth and claws--till the Giraffe andthe Eland and the Koodoo and the Quagga and all the rest of them didn'tknow which way to jump, Best Beloved. They didn't indeed!

After a long time--things lived for ever so long in those days--theylearned to avoid anything that looked like a Leopard or an Ethiopian;and bit by bit--the Giraffe began it, because his legs were thelongest--they went away from the High Veldt. They scuttled for daysand days and days till they came to a great forest, 'sclusively full oftrees and bushes and stripy, speckly, patchy-blatchy shadows, and therethey hid: and after another long time, what with standing half in theshade and half out of it, and what with the slippery-slidy shadows ofthe trees falling on them, the Giraffe grew blotchy, and the Zebra grewstripy, and the Eland and the Koodoo grew darker, with little wavy greylines on their backs like bark on a tree trunk; and so, though you couldhear them and smell them, you could very seldom see them, and then onlywhen you knew precisely where to look. They had a beautiful time in the'sclusively speckly-spickly shadows of the forest, while the Leopard andthe Ethiopian ran about over the 'sclusively greyish-yellowish-reddishHigh Veldt outside, wondering where all their breakfasts and theirdinners and their teas had gone. At last they were so hungry that theyate rats and beetles and rock-rabbits, the Leopard and the Ethiopian, and then they had the Big Tummy-ache, both together; and then they metBaviaan--the dog-headed, barking Baboon, who is Quite the Wisest Animalin All South Africa. 

Said Leopard to Baviaan (and it was a very hot day), 'Where has all thegame gone?'

And Baviaan winked. He knew. 

Said the Ethiopian to Baviaan, 'Can you tell me the present habitatof the aboriginal Fauna?' (That meant just the same thing, but theEthiopian always used long words. He was a grown-up. )

And Baviaan winked. He knew. 

Then said Baviaan, 'The game has gone into other spots; and my advice toyou, Leopard, is to go into other spots as soon as you can. '

And the Ethiopian said, 'That is all very fine, but I wish to knowwhither the aboriginal Fauna has migrated. '

Then said Baviaan, 'The aboriginal Fauna has joined the aboriginal Florabecause it was high time for a change; and my advice to you, Ethiopian, is to change as soon as you can. '

That puzzled the Leopard and the Ethiopian, but they set off to look forthe aboriginal Flora, and presently, after ever so many days, they sawa great, high, tall forest full of tree trunks all 'sclusively speckledand sprottled and spottled, dotted and splashed and slashed and hatchedand cross-hatched with shadows. (Say that quickly aloud, and you willsee how very shadowy the forest must have been. )

'What is this, ' said the Leopard, 'that is so 'sclusively dark, and yetso full of little pieces of light?'

'I don't know, said the Ethiopian, 'but it ought to be the aboriginalFlora. I can smell Giraffe, and I can hear Giraffe, but I can't seeGiraffe. '

'That's curious, ' said the Leopard. 'I suppose it is because we havejust come in out of the sunshine. I can smell Zebra, and I can hearZebra, but I can't see Zebra. '

'Wait a bit, said the Ethiopian. 'It's a long time since we've hunted'em. Perhaps we've forgotten what they were like. '

'Fiddle!' said the Leopard. 'I remember them perfectly on the HighVeldt, especially their marrow-bones. Giraffe is about seventeen feethigh, of a 'sclusively fulvous golden-yellow from head to heel; andZebra is about four and a half feet high, of a'sclusively grey-fawncolour from head to heel. '

'Umm, said the Ethiopian, looking into the speckly-spickly shadows ofthe aboriginal Flora-forest. 'Then they ought to show up in this darkplace like ripe bananas in a smokehouse. '

But they didn't. The Leopard and the Ethiopian hunted all day; andthough they could smell them and hear them, they never saw one of them. 

'For goodness' sake, ' said the Leopard at tea-time, 'let us wait till itgets dark. This daylight hunting is a perfect scandal. '

So they waited till dark, and then the Leopard heard something breathingsniffily in the starlight that fell all stripy through the branches, andhe jumped at the noise, and it smelt like Zebra, and it felt like Zebra, and when he knocked it down it kicked like Zebra, but he couldn't seeit. So he said, 'Be quiet, O you person without any form. I am going tosit on your head till morning, because there is something about you thatI don't understand. '

Presently he heard a grunt and a crash and a scramble, and the Ethiopiancalled out, 'I've caught a thing that I can't see. It smells likeGiraffe, and it kicks like Giraffe, but it hasn't any form. '

'Don't you trust it, ' said the Leopard. 'Sit on its head till themorning--same as me. They haven't any form--any of 'em. '

So they sat down on them hard till bright morning-time, and then Leopardsaid, 'What have you at your end of the table, Brother?'

The Ethiopian scratched his head and said, 'It ought to be 'sclusively arich fulvous orange-tawny from head to heel, and it ought to be Giraffe;but it is covered all over with chestnut blotches. What have you at yourend of the table, Brother?'

And the Leopard scratched his head and said, 'It ought to be 'sclusivelya delicate greyish-fawn, and it ought to be Zebra; but it is coveredall over with black and purple stripes. What in the world have you beendoing to yourself, Zebra? Don't you know that if you were on the HighVeldt I could see you ten miles off? You haven't any form. '

'Yes, ' said the Zebra, 'but this isn't the High Veldt. Can't you see?'

'I can now, ' said the Leopard. 'But I couldn't all yesterday. How is itdone?'

'Let us up, ' said the Zebra, 'and we will show you. 

They let the Zebra and the Giraffe get up; and Zebra moved away to somelittle thorn-bushes where the sunlight fell all stripy, and Giraffemoved off to some tallish trees where the shadows fell all blotchy. 

'Now watch, ' said the Zebra and the Giraffe. 'This is the way it's done. One--two--three! And where's your breakfast?'

Leopard stared, and Ethiopian stared, but all they could see were stripyshadows and blotched shadows in the forest, but never a sign of Zebraand Giraffe. They had just walked off and hidden themselves in theshadowy forest. 

'Hi! Hi!' said the Ethiopian. 'That's a trick worth learning. Take alesson by it, Leopard. You show up in this dark place like a bar of soapin a coal-scuttle. '

'Ho! Ho!' said the Leopard. 'Would it surprise you very much to knowthat you show up in this dark place like a mustard-plaster on a sack ofcoals?'

'Well, calling names won't catch dinner, said the Ethiopian. 'The longand the little of it is that we don't match our backgrounds. I'm goingto take Baviaan's advice. He told me I ought to change; and as I'venothing to change except my skin I'm going to change that. '

'What to?' said the Leopard, tremendously excited. 

'To a nice working blackish-brownish colour, with a little purple init, and touches of slaty-blue. It will be the very thing for hiding inhollows and behind trees. '

So he changed his skin then and there, and the Leopard was more excitedthan ever; he had never seen a man change his skin before. 

'But what about me?' he said, when the Ethiopian had worked his lastlittle finger into his fine new black skin. 

'You take Baviaan's advice too. He told you to go into spots. '

'So I did, ' said the Leopard. I went into other spots as fast as Icould. I went into this spot with you, and a lot of good it has doneme. '

'Oh, ' said the Ethiopian, 'Baviaan didn't mean spots in South Africa. Hemeant spots on your skin. '

'What's the use of that?' said the Leopard. 

'Think of Giraffe, ' said the Ethiopian. 'Or if you prefer stripes, think of Zebra. They find their spots and stripes give them per-feetsatisfaction. '

'Umm, ' said the Leopard. 'I wouldn't look like Zebra--not for ever so. '

'Well, make up your mind, ' said the Ethiopian, 'because I'd hate togo hunting without you, but I must if you insist on looking like asun-flower against a tarred fence. '

'I'll take spots, then, ' said the Leopard; 'but don't make 'em toovulgar-big. I wouldn't look like Giraffe--not for ever so. '

'I'll make 'em with the tips of my fingers, ' said the Ethiopian. 'There's plenty of black left on my skin still. Stand over!'

Then the Ethiopian put his five fingers close together (there was plentyof black left on his new skin still) and pressed them all over theLeopard, and wherever the five fingers touched they left five littleblack marks, all close together. You can see them on any Leopard's skinyou like, Best Beloved. Sometimes the fingers slipped and the marks gota little blurred; but if you look closely at any Leopard now you willsee that there are always five spots--off five fat black finger-tips. 

'Now you are a beauty!' said the Ethiopian. 'You can lie out on the bareground and look like a heap of pebbles. You can lie out on the nakedrocks and look like a piece of pudding-stone. You can lie out on a leafybranch and look like sunshine sifting through the leaves; and youcan lie right across the centre of a path and look like nothing inparticular. Think of that and purr!'

'But if I'm all this, ' said the Leopard, 'why didn't you go spotty too?'

'Oh, plain black's best for a nigger, ' said the Ethiopian. 'Now comealong and we'll see if we can't get even with Mr. One-Two-Three Where'syour Breakfast!'

So they went away and lived happily ever afterward, Best Beloved. Thatis all. 

Oh, now and then you will hear grown-ups say, 'Can the Ethiopian changehis skin or the Leopard his spots?' I don't think even grown-ups wouldkeep on saying such a silly thing if the Leopard and the Ethiopianhadn't done it once--do you? But they will never do it again, BestBeloved. They are quite contented as they are. 

 I AM the Most Wise Baviaan, saying in most wise tones, 'Let us melt into the landscape--just us two by our lones. ' People have come--in a carriage--calling. But Mummy is there. .. . Yes, I can go if you take me--Nurse says she don't care. Let's go up to the pig-sties and sit on the farmyard rails! Let's say things to the bunnies, and watch 'em skitter their tails! Let's--oh, anything, daddy, so long as it's you and me, And going truly exploring, and not being in till tea! Here's your boots (I've brought 'em), and here's your cap and stick, And here's your pipe and tobacco. Oh, come along out of it--quick. 

THE ELEPHANT'S CHILD

IN the High and Far-Off Times the Elephant, O Best Beloved, had notrunk. He had only a blackish, bulgy nose, as big as a boot, that hecould wriggle about from side to side; but he couldn't pick up thingswith it. But there was one Elephant--a new Elephant--an Elephant'sChild--who was full of 'satiable curtiosity, and that means he askedever so many questions. And he lived in Africa, and he filled all Africawith his 'satiable curtiosities. He asked his tall aunt, the Ostrich, why her tail-feathers grew just so, and his tall aunt the Ostrichspanked him with her hard, hard claw. He asked his tall uncle, theGiraffe, what made his skin spotty, and his tall uncle, the Giraffe, spanked him with his hard, hard hoof. And still he was full of 'satiablecurtiosity! He asked his broad aunt, the Hippopotamus, why her eyes werered, and his broad aunt, the Hippopotamus, spanked him with her broad, broad hoof; and he asked his hairy uncle, the Baboon, why melons tastedjust so, and his hairy uncle, the Baboon, spanked him with his hairy, hairy paw. And still he was full of 'satiable curtiosity! He askedquestions about everything that he saw, or heard, or felt, or smelt, ortouched, and all his uncles and his aunts spanked him. And still he wasfull of 'satiable curtiosity!

One fine morning in the middle of the Precession of the Equinoxes this'satiable Elephant's Child asked a new fine question that he had neverasked before. He asked, 'What does the Crocodile have for dinner?' Theneverybody said, 'Hush!' in a loud and dretful tone, and they spanked himimmediately and directly, without stopping, for a long time. 

By and by, when that was finished, he came upon Kolokolo Bird sittingin the middle of a wait-a-bit thorn-bush, and he said, 'My father hasspanked me, and my mother has spanked me; all my aunts and uncles havespanked me for my 'satiable curtiosity; and still I want to know whatthe Crocodile has for dinner!'

Then Kolokolo Bird said, with a mournful cry, 'Go to the banks of thegreat grey-green, greasy Limpopo River, all set about with fever-trees, and find out. '

That very next morning, when there was nothing left of the Equinoxes, because the Precession had preceded according to precedent, this'satiable Elephant's Child took a hundred pounds of bananas (the littleshort red kind), and a hundred pounds of sugar-cane (the long purplekind), and seventeen melons (the greeny-crackly kind), and said to allhis dear families, 'Goodbye. I am going to the great grey-green, greasyLimpopo River, all set about with fever-trees, to find out what theCrocodile has for dinner. ' And they all spanked him once more for luck, though he asked them most politely to stop. 

Then he went away, a little warm, but not at all astonished, eatingmelons, and throwing the rind about, because he could not pick it up. 

He went from Graham's Town to Kimberley, and from Kimberley to Khama'sCountry, and from Khama's Country he went east by north, eating melonsall the time, till at last he came to the banks of the great grey-green, greasy Limpopo River, all set about with fever-trees, precisely asKolokolo Bird had said. 

Now you must know and understand, O Best Beloved, that till that veryweek, and day, and hour, and minute, this 'satiable Elephant's Child hadnever seen a Crocodile, and did not know what one was like. It was allhis 'satiable curtiosity. 

The first thing that he found was a Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake curledround a rock. 

''Scuse me, ' said the Elephant's Child most politely, 'but have you seensuch a thing as a Crocodile in these promiscuous parts?'

'Have I seen a Crocodile?' said the Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake, in avoice of dretful scorn. 'What will you ask me next?'

''Scuse me, ' said the Elephant's Child, 'but could you kindly tell mewhat he has for dinner?'

Then the Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake uncoiled himself very quicklyfrom the rock, and spanked the Elephant's Child with his scalesome, flailsome tail. 

'That is odd, ' said the Elephant's Child, 'because my father and mymother, and my uncle and my aunt, not to mention my other aunt, theHippopotamus, and my other uncle, the Baboon, have all spanked me for my'satiable curtiosity--and I suppose this is the same thing. 

So he said good-bye very politely to the Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake, and helped to coil him up on the rock again, and went on, a little warm, but not at all astonished, eating melons, and throwing the rind about, because he could not pick it up, till he trod on what he thought wasa log of wood at the very edge of the great grey-green, greasy LimpopoRiver, all set about with fever-trees. 

But it was really the Crocodile, O Best Beloved, and the Crocodilewinked one eye--like this!

''Scuse me, ' said the Elephant's Child most politely, 'but do you happento have seen a Crocodile in these promiscuous parts?'

Then the Crocodile winked the other eye, and lifted half his tail out ofthe mud; and the Elephant's Child stepped back most politely, because hedid not wish to be spanked again. 

'Come hither, Little One, ' said the Crocodile. 'Why do you ask suchthings?'

''Scuse me, ' said the Elephant's Child most politely, 'but my father hasspanked me, my mother has spanked me, not to mention my tall aunt, theOstrich, and my tall uncle, the Giraffe, who can kick ever so hard, aswell as my broad aunt, the Hippopotamus, and my hairy uncle, the Baboon, and including the Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake, with the scalesome, flailsome tail, just up the bank, who spanks harder than any of them;and so, if it's quite all the same to you, I don't want to be spankedany more. '

'Come hither, Little One, ' said the Crocodile, 'for I am the Crocodile, 'and he wept crocodile-tears to show it was quite true. 

Then the Elephant's Child grew all breathless, and panted, and kneeleddown on the bank and said, 'You are the very person I have been lookingfor all these long days. Will you please tell me what you have fordinner?'

'Come hither, Little One, ' said the Crocodile, 'and I'll whisper. '

Then the Elephant's Child put his head down close to the Crocodile'smusky, tusky mouth, and the Crocodile caught him by his little nose, which up to that very week, day, hour, and minute, had been no biggerthan a boot, though much more useful. 

'I think, said the Crocodile--and he said it between his teeth, likethis--'I think to-day I will begin with Elephant's Child!'

At this, O Best Beloved, the Elephant's Child was much annoyed, and hesaid, speaking through his nose, like this, 'Led go! You are hurtig be!'

Then the Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake scuffled down from the bank andsaid, 'My young friend, if you do not now, immediately and instantly, pull as hard as ever you can, it is my opinion that your acquaintance inthe large-pattern leather ulster' (and by this he meant the Crocodile)'will jerk you into yonder limpid stream before you can say JackRobinson. '

This is the way Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snakes always talk. 

Then the Elephant's Child sat back on his little haunches, and pulled, and pulled, and pulled, and his nose began to stretch. And the Crocodilefloundered into the water, making it all creamy with great sweeps of histail, and he pulled, and pulled, and pulled. 

And the Elephant's Child's nose kept on stretching; and the Elephant'sChild spread all his little four legs and pulled, and pulled, andpulled, and his nose kept on stretching; and the Crocodile threshed histail like an oar, and he pulled, and pulled, and pulled, and at eachpull the Elephant's Child's nose grew longer and longer--and it hurt himhijjus!

Then the Elephant's Child felt his legs slipping, and he said throughhis nose, which was now nearly five feet long, 'This is too butch forbe!'

Then the Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake came down from the bank, andknotted himself in a double-clove-hitch round the Elephant's Child'shind legs, and said, 'Rash and inexperienced traveller, we will nowseriously devote ourselves to a little high tension, because if we donot, it is my impression that yonder self-propelling man-of-war withthe armour-plated upper deck' (and by this, O Best Beloved, he meant theCrocodile), 'will permanently vitiate your future career. 

That is the way all Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snakes always talk. 

So he pulled, and the Elephant's Child pulled, and the Crocodile pulled;but the Elephant's Child and the Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake pulledhardest; and at last the Crocodile let go of the Elephant's Child's nosewith a plop that you could hear all up and down the Limpopo. 

Then the Elephant's Child sat down most hard and sudden; but first hewas careful to say 'Thank you' to the Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake; andnext he was kind to his poor pulled nose, and wrapped it all up in coolbanana leaves, and hung it in the great grey-green, greasy Limpopo tocool. 

'What are you doing that for?' said the Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake. 

''Scuse me, ' said the Elephant's Child, 'but my nose is badly out ofshape, and I am waiting for it to shrink. 

'Then you will have to wait a long time, said theBi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake. 'Some people do not know what is good forthem. '

The Elephant's Child sat there for three days waiting for his nose toshrink. But it never grew any shorter, and, besides, it made him squint. For, O Best Beloved, you will see and understand that the Crocodilehad pulled it out into a really truly trunk same as all Elephants haveto-day. 

At the end of the third day a fly came and stung him on the shoulder, and before he knew what he was doing he lifted up his trunk and hit thatfly dead with the end of it. 

''Vantage number one!' said the Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake. 'Youcouldn't have done that with a mere-smear nose. Try and eat a littlenow. '

Before he thought what he was doing the Elephant's Child put out histrunk and plucked a large bundle of grass, dusted it clean against hisfore-legs, and stuffed it into his own mouth. 

'Vantage number two!' said the Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake. 'Youcouldn't have done that with a mear-smear nose. Don't you think the sunis very hot here?'

'It is, ' said the Elephant's Child, and before he thought what he wasdoing he schlooped up a schloop of mud from the banks of the greatgrey-green, greasy Limpopo, and slapped it on his head, where it made acool schloopy-sloshy mud-cap all trickly behind his ears. 

'Vantage number three!' said the Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake. 'Youcouldn't have done that with a mere-smear nose. Now how do you feelabout being spanked again?'

''Scuse me, ' said the Elephant's Child, 'but I should not like it atall. '

'How would you like to spank somebody?' said theBi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake. 

'I should like it very much indeed, ' said the Elephant's Child. 

'Well, ' said the Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake, 'you will find that newnose of yours very useful to spank people with. '

'Thank you, ' said the Elephant's Child, 'I'll remember that; and now Ithink I'll go home to all my dear families and try. '

So the Elephant's Child went home across Africa frisking and whiskinghis trunk. When he wanted fruit to eat he pulled fruit down from a tree, instead of waiting for it to fall as he used to do. When he wanted grasshe plucked grass up from the ground, instead of going on his knees as heused to do. When the flies bit him he broke off the branch of a treeand used it as fly-whisk; and he made himself a new, cool, slushy-squshymud-cap whenever the sun was hot. When he felt lonely walking throughAfrica he sang to himself down his trunk, and the noise was louder thanseveral brass bands. 

He went especially out of his way to find a broad Hippopotamus (she wasno relation of his), and he spanked her very hard, to make sure that theBi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake had spoken the truth about his new trunk. The rest of the time he picked up the melon rinds that he had dropped onhis way to the Limpopo--for he was a Tidy Pachyderm. 

One dark evening he came back to all his dear families, and he coiled uphis trunk and said, 'How do you do?' They were very glad to see him, and immediately said, 'Come here and be spanked for your 'satiablecurtiosity. '

'Pooh, ' said the Elephant's Child. 'I don't think you peoples knowanything about spanking; but I do, and I'll show you. ' Then he uncurledhis trunk and knocked two of his dear brothers head over heels. 

'O Bananas!' said they, 'where did you learn that trick, and what haveyou done to your nose?'

'I got a new one from the Crocodile on the banks of the greatgrey-green, greasy Limpopo River, ' said the Elephant's Child. 'I askedhim what he had for dinner, and he gave me this to keep. '

'It looks very ugly, ' said his hairy uncle, the Baboon. 

'It does, ' said the Elephant's Child. 'But it's very useful, ' and hepicked up his hairy uncle, the Baboon, by one hairy leg, and hove himinto a hornet's nest. 

Then that bad Elephant's Child spanked all his dear families for a longtime, till they were very warm and greatly astonished. He pulled outhis tall Ostrich aunt's tail-feathers; and he caught his tall uncle, theGiraffe, by the hind-leg, and dragged him through a thorn-bush; and heshouted at his broad aunt, the Hippopotamus, and blew bubbles into herear when she was sleeping in the water after meals; but he never let anyone touch Kolokolo Bird. 

At last things grew so exciting that his dear families went off oneby one in a hurry to the banks of the great grey-green, greasy LimpopoRiver, all set about with fever-trees, to borrow new noses from theCrocodile. When they came back nobody spanked anybody any more; and eversince that day, O Best Beloved, all the Elephants you will ever see, besides all those that you won't, have trunks precisely like the trunkof the 'satiable Elephant's Child. 

 I Keep six honest serving-men: (They taught me all I knew) Their names are What and Where and When And How and Why and Who. I send them over land and sea, I send them east and west; But after they have worked for me, I give them all a rest. 

 I let them rest from nine till five. For I am busy then, As well as breakfast, lunch, and tea, For they are hungry men: But different folk have different views: I know a person small-- She keeps ten million serving-men, Who get no rest at all! She sends 'em abroad on her own affairs, From the second she opens her eyes-- One million Hows, two million Wheres, And seven million Whys!

THE SING-SONG OF OLD MAN KANGAROO

NOT always was the Kangaroo as now we do behold him, but a DifferentAnimal with four short legs. He was grey and he was woolly, andhis pride was inordinate: he danced on an outcrop in the middle ofAustralia, and he went to the Little God Nqa. 

He went to Nqa at six before breakfast, saying, 'Make me different fromall other animals by five this afternoon. '

Up jumped Nqa from his seat on the sandflat and shouted, 'Go away!'

He was grey and he was woolly, and his pride was inordinate: he dancedon a rock-ledge in the middle of Australia, and he went to the MiddleGod Nquing. 

He went to Nquing at eight after breakfast, saying, 'Make me differentfrom all other animals; make me, also, wonderfully popular by five thisafternoon. '

Up jumped Nquing from his burrow in the spinifex and shouted, 'Go away!'

He was grey and he was woolly, and his pride was inordinate: he dancedon a sandbank in the middle of Australia, and he went to the Big GodNqong. 

He went to Nqong at ten before dinner-time, saying, 'Make me differentfrom all other animals; make me popular and wonderfully run after byfive this afternoon. '

Up jumped Nqong from his bath in the salt-pan and shouted, 'Yes, Iwill!'

Nqong called Dingo--Yellow-Dog Dingo--always hungry, dusty in thesunshine, and showed him Kangaroo. Nqong said, 'Dingo! Wake up, Dingo!Do you see that gentleman dancing on an ashpit? He wants to be popularand very truly run after. Dingo, make him SO!'

Up jumped Dingo--Yellow-Dog Dingo--and said, 'What, that cat-rabbit?'

Off ran Dingo--Yellow-Dog Dingo--always hungry, grinning like acoal-scuttle, --ran after Kangaroo. 

Off went the proud Kangaroo on his four little legs like a bunny. 

This, O Beloved of mine, ends the first part of the tale!

He ran through the desert; he ran through the mountains; he ran throughthe salt-pans; he ran through the reed-beds; he ran through the bluegums; he ran through the spinifex; he ran till his front legs ached. 

He had to!

Still ran Dingo--Yellow-Dog Dingo--always hungry, grinning like arat-trap, never getting nearer, never getting farther, --ran afterKangaroo. 

He had to!

Still ran Kangaroo--Old Man Kangaroo. He ran through the ti-trees; heran through the mulga; he ran through the long grass; he ran through theshort grass; he ran through the Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer; he rantill his hind legs ached. 

He had to!

Still ran Dingo--Yellow-Dog Dingo--hungrier and hungrier, grinning likea horse-collar, never getting nearer, never getting farther; and theycame to the Wollgong River. 

Now, there wasn't any bridge, and there wasn't any ferry-boat, andKangaroo didn't know how to get over; so he stood on his legs andhopped. 

He had to!

He hopped through the Flinders; he hopped through the Cinders; hehopped through the deserts in the middle of Australia. He hopped like aKangaroo. 

First he hopped one yard; then he hopped three yards; then he hoppedfive yards; his legs growing stronger; his legs growing longer. Hehadn't any time for rest or refreshment, and he wanted them very much. 

Still ran Dingo--Yellow-Dog Dingo--very much bewildered, very muchhungry, and wondering what in the world or out of it made Old ManKangaroo hop. 

For he hopped like a cricket; like a pea in a saucepan; or a new rubberball on a nursery floor. 

He had to!

He tucked up his front legs; he hopped on his hind legs; he stuck outhis tail for a balance-weight behind him; and he hopped through theDarling Downs. 

He had to!

Still ran Dingo--Tired-Dog Dingo--hungrier and hungrier, very muchbewildered, and wondering when in the world or out of it would Old ManKangaroo stop. 

Then came Nqong from his bath in the salt-pans, and said, 'It's fiveo'clock. '

Down sat Dingo--Poor Dog Dingo--always hungry, dusky in the sunshine;hung out his tongue and howled. 

Down sat Kangaroo--Old Man Kangaroo--stuck out his tail like amilking-stool behind him, and said, 'Thank goodness that's finished!'

Then said Nqong, who is always a gentleman, 'Why aren't you grateful toYellow-Dog Dingo? Why don't you thank him for all he has done for you?'

Then said Kangaroo--Tired Old Kangaroo--He's chased me out of the homesof my childhood; he's chased me out of my regular meal-times; he'saltered my shape so I'll never get it back; and he's played Old Scratchwith my legs. '

Then said Nqong, 'Perhaps I'm mistaken, but didn't you ask me to makeyou different from all other animals, as well as to make you very trulysought after? And now it is five o'clock. '

'Yes, ' said Kangaroo. 'I wish that I hadn't. I thought you would do itby charms and incantations, but this is a practical joke. '

'Joke!' said Nqong from his bath in the blue gums. 'Say that again andI'll whistle up Dingo and run your hind legs off. '

'No, ' said the Kangaroo. 'I must apologise. Legs are legs, and youneedn't alter 'em so far as I am concerned. I only meant to explain toYour Lordliness that I've had nothing to eat since morning, and I'm veryempty indeed. '

'Yes, ' said Dingo--Yellow-Dog Dingo, --'I am just in the same situation. I've made him different from all other animals; but what may I have formy tea?'

Then said Nqong from his bath in the salt-pan, 'Come and ask me about ittomorrow, because I'm going to wash. '

So they were left in the middle of Australia, Old Man Kangaroo andYellow-Dog Dingo, and each said, 'That's your fault. '

 THIS is the mouth-filling song Of the race that was run by a Boomer, Run in a single burst--only event of its kind-- Started by big God Nqong from Warrigaborrigarooma, Old Man Kangaroo first: Yellow-Dog Dingo behind. 

 Kangaroo bounded away, His back-legs working like pistons-- Bounded from morning till dark, Twenty-five feet to a bound. Yellow-Dog Dingo lay Like a yellow cloud in the distance-- Much too busy to bark. My! but they covered the ground!

 Nobody knows where they went, Or followed the track that they flew in, For that Continent Hadn't been given a name. They ran thirty degrees, From Torres Straits to the Leeuwin (Look at the Atlas, please), And they ran back as they came. 

 S'posing you could trot From Adelaide to the Pacific, For an afternoon's run Half what these gentlemen did You would feel rather hot, But your legs would develop terrific-- Yes, my importunate son, You'd be a Marvellous Kid!

THE BEGINNING OF THE ARMADILLOS

THIS, O Best Beloved, is another story of the High and Far-Off Times. In the very middle of those times was a Stickly-Prickly Hedgehog, andhe lived on the banks of the turbid Amazon, eating shelly snails andthings. And he had a friend, a Slow-Solid Tortoise, who lived on thebanks of the turbid Amazon, eating green lettuces and things. And sothat was all right, Best Beloved. Do you see?

But also, and at the same time, in those High and Far-Off Times, therewas a Painted Jaguar, and he lived on the banks of the turbid Amazontoo; and he ate everything that he could catch. When he could not catchdeer or monkeys he would eat frogs and beetles; and when he could notcatch frogs and beetles he went to his Mother Jaguar, and she told himhow to eat hedgehogs and tortoises. 

She said to him ever so many times, graciously waving her tail, 'My son, when you find a Hedgehog you must drop him into the water and then hewill uncoil, and when you catch a Tortoise you must scoop him out of hisshell with your paw. ' And so that was all right, Best Beloved. 

One beautiful night on the banks of the turbid Amazon, Painted Jaguarfound Stickly-Prickly Hedgehog and Slow-Solid Tortoise sitting under thetrunk of a fallen tree. They could not run away, and so Stickly-Pricklycurled himself up into a ball, because he was a Hedgehog, and Slow-SolidTortoise drew in his head and feet into his shell as far as they wouldgo, because he was a Tortoise; and so that was all right, Best Beloved. Do you see?

'Now attend to me, ' said Painted Jaguar, 'because this is veryimportant. My mother said that when I meet a Hedgehog I am to drop himinto the water and then he will uncoil, and when I meet a Tortoise I amto scoop him out of his shell with my paw. Now which of you is Hedgehogand which is Tortoise? because, to save my spots, I can't tell. '

'Are you sure of what your Mummy told you?' said Stickly-PricklyHedgehog. 'Are you quite sure? Perhaps she said that when you uncoil aTortoise you must shell him out the water with a scoop, and when you pawa Hedgehog you must drop him on the shell. '

'Are you sure of what your Mummy told you?' said Slow-and-SolidTortoise. 'Are you quite sure? Perhaps she said that when you water aHedgehog you must drop him into your paw, and when you meet a Tortoiseyou must shell him till he uncoils. '

'I don't think it was at all like that, ' said Painted Jaguar, but hefelt a little puzzled; 'but, please, say it again more distinctly. '

'When you scoop water with your paw you uncoil it with a Hedgehog, ' saidStickly-Prickly. 'Remember that, because it's important. '

'But, ' said the Tortoise, 'when you paw your meat you drop it into aTortoise with a scoop. Why can't you understand?'

'You are making my spots ache, ' said Painted Jaguar; 'and besides, Ididn't want your advice at all. I only wanted to know which of you isHedgehog and which is Tortoise. '

'I shan't tell you, ' said Stickly-Prickly, 'but you can scoop me out ofmy shell if you like. '

'Aha!' said Painted Jaguar. 'Now I know you're Tortoise. You thought Iwouldn't! Now I will. ' Painted Jaguar darted out his paddy-paw just asStickly-Prickly curled himself up, and of course Jaguar's paddy-paw wasjust filled with prickles. Worse than that, he knocked Stickly-Pricklyaway and away into the woods and the bushes, where it was too dark tofind him. Then he put his paddy-paw into his mouth, and of course theprickles hurt him worse than ever. As soon as he could speak he said, 'Now I know he isn't Tortoise at all. But'--and then he scratchedhis head with his un-prickly paw--'how do I know that this other isTortoise?'

'But I am Tortoise, ' said Slow-and-Solid. Your mother was quite right. She said that you were to scoop me out of my shell with your paw. Begin. '

'You didn't say she said that a minute ago, said Painted Jaguar, suckingthe prickles out of his paddy-paw. 'You said she said something quitedifferent. '

'Well, suppose you say that I said that she said something quitedifferent, I don't see that it makes any difference; because if she saidwhat you said I said she said, it's just the same as if I said what shesaid she said. On the other hand, if you think she said that you were touncoil me with a scoop, instead of pawing me into drops with a shell, Ican't help that, can I?'

'But you said you wanted to be scooped out of your shell with my paw, 'said Painted Jaguar. 

'If you'll think again you'll find that I didn't say anything of thekind. I said that your mother said that you were to scoop me out of myshell, ' said Slow-and-Solid. 

'What will happen if I do?' said the Jaguar most sniffily and mostcautious. 

'I don't know, because I've never been scooped out of my shell before;but I tell you truly, if you want to see me swim away you've only got todrop me into the water. 

'I don't believe it, ' said Painted Jaguar. 'You've mixed up all thethings my mother told me to do with the things that you asked me whetherI was sure that she didn't say, till I don't know whether I'm on myhead or my painted tail; and now you come and tell me something I canunderstand, and it makes me more mixy than before. My mother told methat I was to drop one of you two into the water, and as you seem soanxious to be dropped I think you don't want to be dropped. So jump intothe turbid Amazon and be quick about it. '

'I warn you that your Mummy won't be pleased. Don't tell her I didn'ttell you, ' said Slow-Solid. 

'If you say another word about what my mother said--' the Jaguaranswered, but he had not finished the sentence before Slow-and-Solidquietly dived into the turbid Amazon, swam under water for a long way, and came out on the bank where Stickly-Prickly was waiting for him. 

'That was a very narrow escape, ' said Stickly-Prickly. 'I don't ribPainted Jaguar. What did you tell him that you were?'

'I told him truthfully that I was a truthful Tortoise, but he wouldn'tbelieve it, and he made me jump into the river to see if I was, and Iwas, and he is surprised. Now he's gone to tell his Mummy. Listen tohim!'

They could hear Painted Jaguar roaring up and down among the trees andthe bushes by the side of the turbid Amazon, till his Mummy came. 

'Son, son!' said his mother ever so many times, graciously waving hertail, 'what have you been doing that you shouldn't have done?'

'I tried to scoop something that said it wanted to be scooped out ofits shell with my paw, and my paw is full of per-ickles, ' said PaintedJaguar. 

'Son, son!' said his mother ever so many times, graciously waving hertail, 'by the prickles in your paddy-paw I see that that must have beena Hedgehog. You should have dropped him into the water. 

'I did that to the other thing; and he said he was a Tortoise, and Ididn't believe him, and it was quite true, and he has dived under theturbid Amazon, and he won't come up again, and I haven't anything at allto eat, and I think we had better find lodgings somewhere else. They aretoo clever on the turbid Amazon for poor me!'

'Son, son!' said his mother ever so many times, graciously wavingher tail, 'now attend to me and remember what I say. A Hedgehog curlshimself up into a ball and his prickles stick out every which way atonce. By this you may know the Hedgehog. '

'I don't like this old lady one little bit, ' said Stickly-Prickly, underthe shadow of a large leaf. 'I wonder what else she knows?'

'A Tortoise can't curl himself up, ' Mother Jaguar went on, ever so manytimes, graciously waving her tail. 'He only draws his head and legs intohis shell. By this you may know the tortoise. '

'I don't like this old lady at all--at all, ' said Slow-and-SolidTortoise. 'Even Painted Jaguar can't forget those directions. It's agreat pity that you can't swim, Stickly-Prickly. '

'Don't talk to me, ' said Stickly-Prickly. 'Just think how much betterit would be if you could curl up. This is a mess! Listen to PaintedJaguar. '

Painted Jaguar was sitting on the banks of the turbid Amazon suckingprickles out of his Paws and saying to himself--

 'Can't curl, but can swim-- Slow-Solid, that's him! Curls up, but can't swim-- Stickly-Prickly, that's him!'

'He'll never forget that this month of Sundays, ' said Stickly-Prickly. 'Hold up my chin, Slow-and-Solid. I'm going to try to learn to swim. Itmay be useful. '

'Excellent!' said Slow-and-Solid; and he held up Stickly-Prickly's chin, while Stickly-Prickly kicked in the waters of the turbid Amazon. 

'You'll make a fine swimmer yet, ' said Slow-and-Solid. 'Now, if you canunlace my back-plates a little, I'll see what I can do towards curlingup. It may be useful. '

Stickly-Prickly helped to unlace Tortoise's back-plates, so that bytwisting and straining Slow-and-Solid actually managed to curl up atiddy wee bit. 

'Excellent!' said Stickly-Prickly; 'but I shouldn't do any more justnow. It's making you black in the face. Kindly lead me into the wateronce again and I'll practice that side-stroke which you say is so easy. 'And so Stickly-Prickly practiced, and Slow-Solid swam alongside. 

'Excellent!' said Slow-and-Solid. 'A little more practice will make youa regular whale. Now, if I may trouble you to unlace my back and frontplates two holes more, I'll try that fascinating bend that you say is soeasy. Won't Painted Jaguar be surprised!'

'Excellent!' said Stickly-Prickly, all wet from the turbid Amazon. 'Ideclare, I shouldn't know you from one of my own family. Two holes, Ithink, you said? A little more expression, please, and don't grunt quiteso much, or Painted Jaguar may hear us. When you've finished, I wantto try that long dive which you say is so easy. Won't Painted Jaguar besurprised!'

And so Stickly-Prickly dived, and Slow-and-Solid dived alongside. 

'Excellent!' said Slow-and-Solid. 'A leetle more attention to holdingyour breath and you will be able to keep house at the bottom of theturbid Amazon. Now I'll try that exercise of putting my hind legs roundmy ears which you say is so peculiarly comfortable. Won't Painted Jaguarbe surprised!'

'Excellent!' said Stickly-Prickly. 'But it's straining your back-platesa little. They are all overlapping now, instead of lying side by side. '

'Oh, that's the result of exercise, ' said Slow-and-Solid. 'I've noticedthat your prickles seem to be melting into one another, and thatyou're growing to look rather more like a pinecone, and less like achestnut-burr, than you used to. '

'Am I?' said Stickly-Prickly. 'That comes from my soaking in the water. Oh, won't Painted Jaguar be surprised!'

They went on with their exercises, each helping the other, till morningcame; and when the sun was high they rested and dried themselves. Thenthey saw that they were both of them quite different from what they hadbeen. 

'Stickly-Prickly, ' said Tortoise after breakfast, 'I am not what I wasyesterday; but I think that I may yet amuse Painted Jaguar. 

'That was the very thing I was thinking just now, ' said Stickly-Prickly. 'I think scales are a tremendous improvement on prickles--to say nothingof being able to swim. Oh, won't Painted Jaguar be surprised! Let's goand find him. '

By and by they found Painted Jaguar, still nursing his paddy-paw thathad been hurt the night before. He was so astonished that he fell threetimes backward over his own painted tail without stopping. 

'Good morning!' said Stickly-Prickly. 'And how is your dear graciousMummy this morning?'

'She is quite well, thank you, ' said Painted Jaguar; 'but you mustforgive me if I do not at this precise moment recall your name. '

'That's unkind of you, ' said Stickly-Prickly, 'seeing that this timeyesterday you tried to scoop me out of my shell with your paw. '

'But you hadn't any shell. It was all prickles, ' said Painted Jaguar. 'Iknow it was. Just look at my paw!'

'You told me to drop into the turbid Amazon and be drowned, ' saidSlow-Solid. 'Why are you so rude and forgetful to-day?'

'Don't you remember what your mother told you?' said Stickly-Prickly, --

 'Can't curl, but can swim-- Stickly-Prickly, that's him! Curls up, but can't swim-- Slow-Solid, that's him!'

Then they both curled themselves up and rolled round and round PaintedJaguar till his eyes turned truly cart-wheels in his head. 

Then he went to fetch his mother. 

'Mother, ' he said, 'there are two new animals in the woods to-day, andthe one that you said couldn't swim, swims, and the one that you saidcouldn't curl up, curls; and they've gone shares in their prickles, Ithink, because both of them are scaly all over, instead of one beingsmooth and the other very prickly; and, besides that, they are rollinground and round in circles, and I don't feel comfy. '

'Son, son!' said Mother Jaguar ever so many times, graciously waving hertail, 'a Hedgehog is a Hedgehog, and can't be anything but a Hedgehog;and a Tortoise is a Tortoise, and can never be anything else. '

'But it isn't a Hedgehog, and it isn't a Tortoise. It's a little bit ofboth, and I don't know its proper name. '

'Nonsense!' said Mother Jaguar. 'Everything has its proper name. Ishould call it "Armadillo" till I found out the real one. And I shouldleave it alone. '

So Painted Jaguar did as he was told, especially about leaving themalone; but the curious thing is that from that day to this, O BestBeloved, no one on the banks of the turbid Amazon has ever calledStickly-Prickly and Slow-Solid anything except Armadillo. There areHedgehogs and Tortoises in other places, of course (there are some inmy garden); but the real old and clever kind, with their scales lyinglippety-lappety one over the other, like pine-cone scales, that lived onthe banks of the turbid Amazon in the High and Far-Off Days, are alwayscalled Armadillos, because they were so clever. 

So that; all right, Best Beloved. Do you see?

 I'VE never sailed the Amazon, I've never reached Brazil; But the Don and Magdelana, They can go there when they will!

 Yes, weekly from Southampton, Great steamers, white and gold, Go rolling down to Rio (Roll down--roll down to Rio!) And I'd like to roll to Rio Some day before I'm old!

 I've never seen a Jaguar, Nor yet an Armadill O dilloing in his armour, And I s'pose I never will, Unless I go to Rio These wonders to behold-- Roll down--roll down to Rio-- Roll really down to Rio! Oh, I'd love to roll to Rio Some day before I'm old!

HOW THE FIRST LETTER WAS WRITTEN

ONCE upon a most early time was a Neolithic man. He was not a Jute or anAngle, or even a Dravidian, which he might well have been, Best Beloved, but never mind why. He was a Primitive, and he lived cavily in a Cave, and he wore very few clothes, and he couldn't read and he couldn't writeand he didn't want to, and except when he was hungry he wasquite happy. His name was Tegumai Bopsulai, and that means, 'Man-who-does-not-put-his-foot-forward-in-a-hurry'; but we, O BestBeloved, will call him Tegumai, for short. And his wife's namewas Teshumai Tewindrow, and that means, 'Lady-who-asks-a-very-many-questions'; but we, O Best Beloved, willcall her Teshumai, for short. And his little girl-daughter's namewas Taffimai Metallumai, and that means, 'Small-person-without-any-manners-who-ought-to-be-spanked'; but I'mgoing to call her Taffy. And she was Tegumai Bopsulai's Best Beloved andher own Mummy's Best Beloved, and she was not spanked half as much aswas good for her; and they were all three very happy. As soon asTaffy could run about she went everywhere with her Daddy Tegumai, andsometimes they would not come home to the Cave till they were hungry, and then Teshumai Tewindrow would say, 'Where in the world have you twobeen to, to get so shocking dirty? Really, my Tegumai, you're no betterthan my Taffy. '

Now attend and listen!

One day Tegumai Bopsulai went down through the beaver-swamp to the Wagairiver to spear carp-fish for dinner, and Taffy went too. Tegumai's spearwas made of wood with shark's teeth at the end, and before he had caughtany fish at all he accidentally broke it clean across by jabbing it downtoo hard on the bottom of the river. They were miles and miles from home(of course they had their lunch with them in a little bag), and Tegumaihad forgotten to bring any extra spears. 

'Here's a pretty kettle of fish!' said Tegumai. 'It will take me halfthe day to mend this. '

'There's your big black spear at home, ' said Taffy. 'Let me run back tothe Cave and ask Mummy to give it me. '

'It's too far for your little fat legs, ' said Tegumai. 'Besides, youmight fall into the beaver-swamp and be drowned. We must make the bestof a bad job. ' He sat down and took out a little leather mendy-bag, fullof reindeer-sinews and strips of leather, and lumps of bee's-wax andresin, and began to mend the spear. 

Taffy sat down too, with her toes in the water and her chin in herhand, and thought very hard. Then she said--'I say, Daddy, it's an awfulnuisance that you and I don't know how to write, isn't it? If we did wecould send a message for the new spear. '

'Taffy, ' said Tegumai, 'how often have I told you not to use slang?"Awful" isn't a pretty word, but it could be a convenience, now youmention it, if we could write home. '

Just then a Stranger-man came along the river, but he belonged to afar tribe, the Tewaras, and he did not understand one word of Tegumai'slanguage. He stood on the bank and smiled at Taffy, because he hada little girl-daughter Of his own at home. Tegumai drew a hank ofdeer-sinews from his mendy-bag and began to mend his spear. 

'Come here, said Taffy. 'Do you know where my Mummy lives?' And theStranger-man said 'Um!' being, as you know, a Tewara. 

'Silly!' said Taffy, and she stamped her foot, because she saw a shoalof very big carp going up the river just when her Daddy couldn't use hisspear. 

'Don't bother grown-ups, ' said Tegumai, so busy with his spear-mendingthat he did not turn round. 

'I aren't, said Taffy. 'I only want him to do what I want him to do, andhe won't understand. '

'Then don't bother me, said Tegumai, and he went on pulling andstraining at the deer-sinews with his mouth full of loose ends. TheStranger-man--a genuine Tewara he was--sat down on the grass, and Taffyshowed him what her Daddy was doing. The Stranger-man thought, this is avery wonderful child. She stamps her foot at me and she makes faces. Shemust be the daughter of that noble Chief who is so great that he won'ttake any notice of me. ' So he smiled more politely than ever. 

'Now, ' said Taffy, 'I want you to go to my Mummy, because your legs arelonger than mine, and you won't fall into the beaver-swamp, and ask forDaddy's other spear--the one with the black handle that hangs over ourfireplace. '

The Stranger-man (and he was a Tewara) thought, 'This is a very, verywonderful child. She waves her arms and she shouts at me, but I don'tunderstand a word of what she says. But if I don't do what she wants, Igreatly fear that that haughty Chief, Man-who-turns-his-back-on-callers, will be angry. ' He got up and twisted a big flat piece of bark off abirch-tree and gave it to Taffy. He did this, Best Beloved, to show thathis heart was as white as the birch-bark and that he meant no harm; butTaffy didn't quite understand. 

'Oh!' said she. 'Now I see! You want my Mummy's living-address? Ofcourse I can't write, but I can draw pictures if I've anything sharp toscratch with. Please lend me the shark's tooth off your necklace. '

The Stranger-man (and he was a Tewara) didn't say anything, So Taffyput up her little hand and pulled at the beautiful bead and seed andshark-tooth necklace round his neck. 

The Stranger-man (and he was a Tewara) thought, 'This is a very, very, very wonderful child. The shark's tooth on my necklace is a magicshark's tooth, and I was always told that if anybody touched it withoutmy leave they would immediately swell up or burst, but thischild doesn't swell up or burst, and that important Chief, Man-who-attends-strictly-to-his-business, who has not yet taken anynotice of me at all, doesn't seem to be afraid that she will swell up orburst. I had better be more polite. '

So he gave Taffy the shark's tooth, and she lay down flat on her tummywith her legs in the air, like some people on the drawing-room floorwhen they want to draw pictures, and she said, 'Now I'll draw you somebeautiful pictures! You can look over my shoulder, but you mustn'tjoggle. First I'll draw Daddy fishing. It isn't very like him; but Mummywill know, because I've drawn his spear all broken. Well, now I'll drawthe other spear that he wants, the black-handled spear. It looks as ifit was sticking in Daddy's back, but that's because the shark's toothslipped and this piece of bark isn't big enough. That's the spear I wantyou to fetch; so I'll draw a picture of me myself 'splaining to you. Myhair doesn't stand up like I've drawn, but it's easier to draw that way. Now I'll draw you. I think you're very nice really, but I can't make youpretty in the picture, so you mustn't be 'fended. Are you 'fended?'

The Stranger-man (and he was a Tewara) smiled. He thought, 'There mustbe a big battle going to be fought somewhere, and this extraordinarychild, who takes my magic shark's tooth but who does not swell up orburst, is telling me to call all the great Chief's tribe to help him. Heis a great Chief, or he would have noticed me. 

'Look, ' said Taffy, drawing very hard and rather scratchily, 'now I'vedrawn you, and I've put the spear that Daddy wants into your hand, justto remind you that you're to bring it. Now I'll show you how to find myMummy's living-address. You go along till you come to two trees (thoseare trees), and then you go over a hill (that's a hill), and then youcome into a beaver-swamp all full of beavers. I haven't put in all thebeavers, because I can't draw beavers, but I've drawn their heads, andthat's all you'll see of them when you cross the swamp. Mind you don'tfall in! Then our Cave is just beyond the beaver-swamp. It isn't as highas the hills really, but I can't draw things very small. That's my Mummyoutside. She is beautiful. She is the most beautifullest Mummy thereever was, but she won't be 'fended when she sees I've drawn her soplain. She'll be pleased of me because I can draw. Now, in case youforget, I've drawn the spear that Daddy wants outside our Cave. It'sinside really, but you show the picture to my Mummy and she'll give ityou. I've made her holding up her hands, because I know she'll be sopleased to see you. Isn't it a beautiful picture? And do you quiteunderstand, or shall I 'splain again?'

The Stranger-man (and he was a Tewara) looked at the picture and noddedvery hard. He said to himself, ' If I do not fetch this great Chief'stribe to help him, he will be slain by his enemies who are coming up onall sides with spears. Now I see why the great Chief pretended not tonotice me! He feared that his enemies were hiding in the bushes andwould see him. Therefore he turned to me his back, and let the wise andwonderful child draw the terrible picture showing me his difficulties. I will away and get help for him from his tribe. ' He did not even askTaffy the road, but raced off into the bushes like the wind, with thebirch-bark in his hand, and Taffy sat down most pleased. 

Now this is the picture that Taffy had drawn for him!

'What have you been doing, Taffy?' said Tegumai. He had mended his spearand was carefully waving it to and fro. 

'It's a little berangement of my own, Daddy dear, ' said Taffy. 'If youwon't ask me questions, you'll know all about it in a little time, andyou'll be surprised. You don't know how surprised you'll be, Daddy!Promise you'll be surprised. '

'Very well, ' said Tegumai, and went on fishing. 

The Stranger-man--did you know he was a Tewara?--hurried away with thepicture and ran for some miles, till quite by accident he found TeshumaiTewindrow at the door of her Cave, talking to some other Neolithicladies who had come in to a Primitive lunch. Taffy was very likeTeshumai, especially about the upper part of the face and the eyes, so the Stranger-man--always a pure Tewara--smiled politely and handedTeshumai the birch-bark. He had run hard, so that he panted, and hislegs were scratched with brambles, but he still tried to be polite. 

As soon as Teshumai saw the picture she screamed like anything and flewat the Stranger-man. The other Neolithic ladies at once knocked him downand sat on him in a long line of six, while Teshumai pulled his hair. 

'It's as plain as the nose on this Stranger-man's face, ' she said. 'Hehas stuck my Tegumai all full of spears, and frightened poor Taffy sothat her hair stands all on end; and not content with that, he bringsme a horrid picture of how it was done. Look!' She showed the picture toall the Neolithic ladies sitting patiently on the Stranger-man. 'Here ismy Tegumai with his arm broken; here is a spear sticking into his back;here is a man with a spear ready to throw; here is another man throwinga spear from a Cave, and here are a whole pack of people' (they wereTaffy's beavers really, but they did look rather like people) 'coming upbehind Tegumai. Isn't it shocking!'

'Most shocking!' said the Neolithic ladies, and they filled theStranger-man's hair with mud (at which he was surprised), and they beatupon the Reverberating Tribal Drums, and called together all the chiefsof the Tribe of Tegumai, with their Hetmans and Dolmans, all Neguses, Woons, and Akhoonds of the organisation, in addition to the Warlocks, Angekoks, Juju-men, Bonzes, and the rest, who decided that before theychopped the Stranger-man's head off he should instantly lead them downto the river and show them where he had hidden poor Taffy. 

By this time the Stranger-man (in spite of being a Tewara) was reallyannoyed. They had filled his hair quite solid with mud; they had rolledhim up and down on knobby pebbles; they had sat upon him in a longline of six; they had thumped him and bumped him till he could hardlybreathe; and though he did not understand their language, he was almostsure that the names the Neolithic ladies called him were not ladylike. However, he said nothing till all the Tribe of Tegumai were assembled, and then he led them back to the bank of the Wagai river, and there theyfound Taffy making daisy-chains, and Tegumai carefully spearing smallcarp with his mended spear. 

'Well, you have been quick!' said Taffy. 'But why did you bring so manypeople? Daddy dear, this is my surprise. Are you surprised, Daddy?'

'Very, ' said Tegumai; 'but it has ruined all my fishing for the day. Why, the whole dear, kind, nice, clean, quiet Tribe is here, Taffy. '

And so they were. First of all walked Teshumai Tewindrow and theNeolithic ladies, tightly holding on to the Stranger-man, whose hair wasfull of mud (although he was a Tewara). Behind them came the Head Chief, the Vice-Chief, the Deputy and Assistant Chiefs (all armed to the upperteeth), the Hetmans and Heads of Hundreds, Platoffs with their Platoons, and Dolmans with their Detachments; Woons, Neguses, and Akhoonds rankingin the rear (still armed to the teeth). Behind them was the Tribe inhierarchical order, from owners of four caves (one for each season), aprivate reindeer-run, and two salmon-leaps, to feudal and prognathousVilleins, semi-entitled to half a bearskin of winter nights, seven yardsfrom the fire, and adscript serfs, holding the reversion of a scrapedmarrow-bone under heriot (Aren't those beautiful words, Best Beloved?). They were all there, prancing and shouting, and they frightened everyfish for twenty miles, and Tegumai thanked them in a fluid Neolithicoration. 

Then Teshumai Tewindrow ran down and kissed and hugged Taffy very muchindeed; but the Head Chief of the Tribe of Tegumai took Tegumai by thetop-knot feathers and shook him severely. 

'Explain! Explain! Explain!' cried all the Tribe of Tegumai. 

'Goodness' sakes alive!' said Tegumai. 'Let go of my top-knot. Can'ta man break his carp-spear without the whole countryside descending onhim? You're a very interfering people. '

'I don't believe you've brought my Daddy's black-handled spear afterall, ' said Taffy. 'And what are you doing to my nice Stranger-man?'

They were thumping him by twos and threes and tens till his eyes turnedround and round. He could only gasp and point at Taffy. 

'Where are the bad people who speared you, my darling?' said TeshumaiTewindrow. 

'There weren't any, ' said Tegumai. 'My only visitor this morning was thepoor fellow that you are trying to choke. Aren't you well, or are youill, O Tribe of Tegumai?'

'He came with a horrible picture, ' said the Head Chief, --'a picture thatshowed you were full of spears. '

'Er-um-Pr'aps I'd better 'splain that I gave him that picture, ' saidTaffy, but she did not feel quite comfy. 

'You!' said the Tribe of Tegumai all together. 'Small-person-with-no-manners-who-ought-to-be-spanked! You?'

'Taffy dear, I'm afraid we're in for a little trouble, ' said her Daddy, and put his arm round her, so she didn't care. 

'Explain! Explain! Explain!' said the Head Chief of the Tribe ofTegumai, and he hopped on one foot. 

'I wanted the Stranger-man to fetch Daddy's spear, so I drawded it, 'said Taffy. 'There wasn't lots of spears. There was only one spear. Idrawded it three times to make sure. I couldn't help it looking as if itstuck into Daddy's head--there wasn't room on the birch-bark; and thosethings that Mummy called bad people are my beavers. I drawded them toshow him the way through the swamp; and I drawded Mummy at the mouth ofthe Cave looking pleased because he is a nice Stranger-man, and I thinkyou are just the stupidest people in the world, ' said Taffy. 'He is avery nice man. Why have you filled his hair with mud? Wash him!'

Nobody said anything at all for a longtime, till the Head Chief laughed;then the Stranger-man (who was at least a Tewara) laughed; then Tegumailaughed till he fell down flat on the bank; then all the Tribe laughedmore and worse and louder. The only people who did not laugh wereTeshumai Tewindrow and all the Neolithic ladies. They were very politeto all their husbands, and said 'Idiot!' ever so often. 

Then the Head Chief of the Tribe of Tegumai cried and said and sang, 'OSmall-person-with-out-any-manners-who-ought-to-be-spanked, you've hitupon a great invention!'

'I didn't intend to; I only wanted Daddy's black-handled spear, ' saidTaffy. 

'Never mind. It is a great invention, and some day men will call itwriting. At present it is only pictures, and, as we have seen to-day, pictures are not always properly understood. But a time will come, OBabe of Tegumai, when we shall make letters--all twenty-six of 'em, --andwhen we shall be able to read as well as to write, and then we shallalways say exactly what we mean without any mistakes. Let the Neolithicladies wash the mud out of the stranger's hair. '

'I shall be glad of that, ' said Taffy, 'because, after all, thoughyou've brought every single other spear in the Tribe of Tegumai, you'veforgotten my Daddy's black-handled spear. '

Then the Head Chief cried and said and sang, 'Taffy dear, the next timeyou write a picture-letter, you'd better send a man who can talk ourlanguage with it, to explain what it means. I don't mind it myself, because I am a Head Chief, but it's very bad for the rest of the Tribeof Tegumai, and, as you can see, it surprises the stranger. '

Then they adopted the Stranger-man (a genuine Tewara of Tewar) into theTribe of Tegumai, because he was a gentleman and did not make a fussabout the mud that the Neolithic ladies had put into his hair. Butfrom that day to this (and I suppose it is all Taffy's fault), very fewlittle girls have ever liked learning to read or write. Most of themprefer to draw pictures and play about with their Daddies--just likeTaffy. 

 THERE runs a road by Merrow Down-- A grassy track to-day it is An hour out of Guildford town, Above the river Wey it is. 

 Here, when they heard the horse-bells ring, The ancient Britons dressed and rode To watch the dark Phoenicians bring Their goods along the Western Road. 

 And here, or hereabouts, they met To hold their racial talks and such-- To barter beads for Whitby jet, And tin for gay shell torques and such. 

 But long and long before that time (When bison used to roam on it) Did Taffy and her Daddy climb That down, and had their home on it. 

 Then beavers built in Broadstone brook And made a swamp where Bramley stands: And hears from Shere would come and look For Taffimai where Shamley stands. 

 The Wey, that Taffy called Wagai, Was more than six times bigger then; And all the Tribe of Tegumai They cut a noble figure then!

HOW THE ALPHABET WAS MADE

THE week after Taffimai Metallumai (we will still call her Taffy, Best Beloved) made that little mistake about her Daddy's spear and theStranger-man and the picture-letter and all, she went carp-fishing againwith her Daddy. Her Mummy wanted her to stay at home and help hang uphides to dry on the big drying-poles outside their Neolithic Cave, but Taffy slipped away down to her Daddy quite early, and they fished. Presently she began to giggle, and her Daddy said, 'Don't be silly, child. '

'But wasn't it inciting!' said Taffy. 'Don't you remember how the HeadChief puffed out his cheeks, and how funny the nice Stranger-man lookedwith the mud in his hair?'

'Well do I, ' said Tegumai. 'I had to pay two deerskins--soft ones withfringes--to the Stranger-man for the things we did to him. '

'We didn't do anything, ' said Taffy. 'It was Mummy and the otherNeolithic ladies--and the mud. '

'We won't talk about that, ' said her Daddy, 'Let's have lunch. '

Taffy took a marrow-bone and sat mousy-quiet for ten whole minutes, while her Daddy scratched on pieces of birch-bark with a shark's tooth. Then she said, 'Daddy, I've thinked of a secret surprise. You make anoise--any sort of noise. '

'Ah!' said Tegumai. 'Will that do to begin with?'

'Yes, ' said Taffy. 'You look just like a carp-fish with its mouth open. Say it again, please. '

'Ah! ah! ah!' said her Daddy. 'Don't be rude, my daughter. '

'I'm not meaning rude, really and truly, ' said Taffy. 'It's part of mysecret-surprise-think. Do say ah, Daddy, and keep your mouth open atthe end, and lend me that tooth. I'm going to draw a carp-fish's mouthwide-open. '

'What for?' said her Daddy. 

'Don't you see?' said Taffy, scratching away on the bark. 'That will beour little secret s'prise. When I draw a carp-fish with his mouth openin the smoke at the back of our Cave--if Mummy doesn't mind--it willremind you of that ah-noise. Then we can play that it was me jumpedout of the dark and s'prised you with that noise--same as I did in thebeaver-swamp last winter. '

'Really?' said her Daddy, in the voice that grown-ups use when they aretruly attending. 'Go on, Taffy. '

'Oh bother!' she said. 'I can't draw all of a carp-fish, but I can drawsomething that means a carp-fish's mouth. Don't you know how they standon their heads rooting in the mud? Well, here's a pretence carp-fish (wecan play that the rest of him is drawn). Here's just his mouth, and thatmeans ah. ' And she drew this. (1. )

'That's not bad, ' said Tegumai, and scratched on his own piece of barkfor himself; but you've forgotten the feeler that hangs across hismouth. '

'But I can't draw, Daddy. '

'You needn't draw anything of him except just the opening of his mouthand the feeler across. Then we'll know he's a carp-fish, 'cause theperches and trouts haven't got feelers. Look here, Taffy. ' And he drewthis. (2. )

'Now I'll copy it. ' said Taffy. 'Will you understand this when you seeit?'

'Perfectly, ' said her Daddy. 

And she drew this. (3. ) 'And I'll be quite as s'prised when I see itanywhere, as if you had jumped out from behind a tree and said '"Ah!"'

'Now, make another noise, ' said Taffy, very proud. 

'Yah!' said her Daddy, very loud. 

'H'm, ' said Taffy. 'That's a mixy noise. The end part isah-carp-fish-mouth; but what can we do about the front part? Yer-yer-yerand ah! Ya!'

'It's very like the carp-fish-mouth noise. Let's draw another bit of thecarp-fish and join 'em, ' said her Daddy. He was quite incited too. 

'No. If they're joined, I'll forget. Draw it separate. Draw his tail. If he's standing on his head the tail will come first. 'Sides, I think Ican draw tails easiest, ' said Taffy. 

'A good notion, ' said Tegumai. 'Here's a carp-fish tail for theyer-noise. ' And he drew this. (4. )

'I'll try now, ' said Taffy. ''Member I can't draw like you, Daddy. Willit do if I just draw the split part of the tail, and the sticky-downline for where it joins?' And she drew this. (5. )

Her Daddy nodded, and his eyes were shiny bright with 'citement. 

'That's beautiful, ' she said. 'Now make another noise, Daddy. '

'Oh!' said her Daddy, very loud. 

'That's quite easy, ' said Taffy. 'You make your mouth all around like anegg or a stone. So an egg or a stone will do for that. '

'You can't always find eggs or stones. We'll have to scratch a roundsomething like one. ' And he drew this. (6. )

'My gracious!' said Taffy, 'what a lot of noise-pictures we'vemade, --carp-mouth, carp-tail, and egg! Now, make another noise, Daddy. '

'Ssh!' said her Daddy, and frowned to himself, but Taffy was too incitedto notice. 

'That's quite easy, ' she said, scratching on the bark. 

'Eh, what?' said her Daddy. 'I meant I was thinking, and didn't want tobe disturbed. '

'It's a noise just the same. It's the noise a snake makes, Daddy, when it is thinking and doesn't want to be disturbed. Let's make thessh-noise a snake. Will this do?' And she drew this. (7. )

'There, ' she said. 'That's another s'prise-secret. When you draw ahissy-snake by the door of your little back-cave where you mendthe spears, I'll know you're thinking hard; and I'll come in mostmousy-quiet. And if you draw it on a tree by the river when you arefishing, I'll know you want me to walk most most mousy-quiet, so as notto shake the banks. '

'Perfectly true, ' said Tegumai. And there's more in this game than youthink. Taffy, dear, I've a notion that your Daddy's daughter has hitupon the finest thing that there ever was since the Tribe of Tegumaitook to using shark's teeth instead of flints for their spear-heads. Ibelieve we've found out the big secret of the world. '

'Why?' said Taffy, and her eyes shone too with incitement. 

'I'll show, ' said her Daddy. 'What's water in the Tegumai language?'

'Ya, of course, and it means river too--like Wagai-ya--the Wagai river. '

'What is bad water that gives you fever if you drink it--blackwater--swamp-water?'

'Yo, of course. '

'Now look, ' said her Daddy. 'S'pose you saw this scratched by the sideof a pool in the beaver-swamp?' And he drew this. (8. )

'Carp-tail and round egg. Two noises mixed! Yo, bad water, ' said Taffy. ''Course I wouldn't drink that water because I'd know you said it wasbad. '

'But I needn't be near the water at all. I might be miles away, hunting, and still--'

'And still it would be just the same as if you stood there and said, "G'way, Taffy, or you'll get fever. " All that in a carp-fish-tail anda round egg! O Daddy, we must tell Mummy, quick!' and Taffy danced allround him. 

'Not yet, ' said Tegumai; 'not till we've gone a little further. Let'ssee. Yo is bad water, but So is food cooked on the fire, isn't it?' Andhe drew this. (9. )

'Yes. Snake and egg, ' said Taffy 'So that means dinner's ready. If yousaw that scratched on a tree you'd know it was time to come to the Cave. So'd I. '

'My Winkie!' said Tegumai. 'That's true too. But wait a minute. I seea difficulty. SO means "come and have dinner, " but sho means thedrying-poles where we hang our hides. '

'Horrid old drying-poles!' said Taffy. 'I hate helping to hang heavy, hot, hairy hides on them. If you drew the snake and egg, and I thoughtit meant dinner, and I came in from the wood and found that it meant Iwas to help Mummy hang the two hides on the drying-poles, what would Ido?'

'You'd be cross. So'd Mummy. We must make a new picture for sho. We mustdraw a spotty snake that hisses sh-sh, and we'll play that the plainsnake only hisses ssss. '

'I couldn't be sure how to put in the spots, ' said Taffy. 'And p'rapsif you were in a hurry you might leave them out, and I'd think it wasso when it was sho, and then Mummy would catch me just the same. No! Ithink we'd better draw a picture of the horrid high drying-poles theirvery selves, and make quite sure. I'll put them in just after thehissy-snake. Look!' And she drew this. (10. )

'P'raps that's safest. It's very like our drying-poles, anyhow, 'said her Daddy, laughing. 'Now I'll make a new noise with a snake anddrying-pole sound in it. I'll say shi. That's Tegumai for spear, Taffy. 'And he laughed. 

'Don't make fun of me, ' said Taffy, as she thought of her picture-letterand the mud in the Stranger-man's hair. 'You draw it, Daddy. '

'We won't have beavers or hills this time, eh?' said her Daddy, 'I'lljust draw a straight line for my spear. ' and he drew this. (11. )

'Even Mummy couldn't mistake that for me being killed. '

'Please don't, Daddy. It makes me uncomfy. Do some more noises. We'regetting on beautifully. '

'Er-hm!' said Tegumai, looking up. 'We'll say shu. That means sky. '

Taffy drew the snake and the drying-pole. Then she stopped. 'We mustmake a new picture for that end sound, mustn't we?'

'Shu-shu-u-u-u!' said her Daddy. 'Why, it's just like theround-egg-sound made thin. '

'Then s'pose we draw a thin round egg, and pretend it's a frog thathasn't eaten anything for years. '

'N-no, ' said her Daddy. 'If we drew that in a hurry we might mistake itfor the round egg itself. Shu-shu-shu! 'I tell you what we'll do. We'llopen a little hole at the end of the round egg to show how the O-noiseruns out all thin, ooo-oo-oo. Like this. ' And he drew this. (12. )

'Oh, that's lovely! Much better than a thin frog. Go on, ' said Taffy, using her shark's tooth. Her Daddy went on drawing, and his hand shookwith incitement. He went on till he had drawn this. (13. )

'Don't look up, Taffy, ' he said. 'Try if you can make out what thatmeans in the Tegumai language. If you can, we've found the Secret. '

'Snake--pole--broken--egg--carp--tail and carp-mouth, ' said Taffy. 'Shu-ya. Sky-water (rain). ' Just then a drop fell on her hand, for theday had clouded over. 'Why, Daddy, it's raining. Was that what you meantto tell me?'

'Of course, ' said her Daddy. 'And I told it you without saying a word, didn't I?'

'Well, I think I would have known it in a minute, but that raindrop mademe quite sure. I'll always remember now. Shu-ya means rain, or "it isgoing to rain. " Why, Daddy!' She got up and danced round him. 'S'poseyou went out before I was awake, and drawed shu-ya in the smoke on thewall, I'd know it was going to rain and I'd take my beaver-skin hood. Wouldn't Mummy be surprised?'

Tegumai got up and danced. (Daddies didn't mind doing those things inthose days. ) 'More than that! More than that!' he said. 'S'pose I wantedto tell you it wasn't going to rain much and you must come down to theriver, what would we draw? Say the words in Tegumai-talk first. '

'Shu-ya-las, ya maru. (Sky-water ending. River come to. ) what a lot ofnew sounds! I don't see how we can draw them. '

'But I do--but I do!' said Tegumai. 'Just attend a minute, Taffy, andwe won't do any more to-day. We've got shu-ya all right, haven't we? Butthis las is a teaser. La-la-la' and he waved his shark-tooth. 

'There's the hissy-snake at the end and the carp-mouth before thesnake--as-as-as. We only want la-la, ' said Taffy. 

'I know it, but we have to make la-la. And we're the first people in allthe world who've ever tried to do it, Taffimai!'

'Well, ' said Taffy, yawning, for she was rather tired. 'Las meansbreaking or finishing as well as ending, doesn't it?'

'So it does, ' said Tegumai. 'To-las means that there's no water in thetank for Mummy to cook with--just when I'm going hunting, too. '

'And shi-las means that your spear is broken. If I'd only thought ofthat instead of drawing silly beaver pictures for the Stranger!'

'La! La! La!' said Tegumai, waiving his stick and frowning. 'Oh bother!'

'I could have drawn shi quite easily, ' Taffy went on. 'Then I'd havedrawn your spear all broken--this way!' And she drew. (14. )

'The very thing, ' said Tegumai. 'That's la all over. It isn't like anyof the other marks either. ' And he drew this. (15. )

'Now for ya. Oh, we've done that before. Now for maru. Mum-mum-mum. Mumshuts one's mouth up, doesn't it? We'll draw a shut mouth like this. 'And he drew. (16. )

'Then the carp-mouth open. That makes Ma-ma-ma! But what about thisrrrrr-thing, Taffy?'

'It sounds all rough and edgy, like your shark-tooth saw when you'recutting out a plank for the canoe, ' said Taffy. 

'You mean all sharp at the edges, like this?' said Tegumai. And he drew. (17. )

''Xactly, ' said Taffy. 'But we don't want all those teeth: only puttwo. '

'I'll only put in one, ' said Tegumai. 'If this game of ours is goingto be what I think it will, the easier we make our sound-pictures thebetter for everybody. ' And he drew. (18. )

'Now, we've got it, ' said Tegumai, standing on one leg. 'I'll draw 'emall in a string like fish. '

'Hadn't we better put a little bit of stick or something between eachword, so's they won't rub up against each other and jostle, same as ifthey were carps?'

'Oh, I'll leave a space for that, ' said her Daddy. And very incitedly hedrew them all without stopping, on a big new bit of birch-bark. (19. )

'Shu-ya-las ya-maru, ' said Taffy, reading it out sound by sound. 

'That's enough for to-day, ' said Tegumai. 'Besides, you're gettingtired, Taffy. Never mind, dear. We'll finish it all to-morrow, and thenwe'll be remembered for years and years after the biggest trees you cansee are all chopped up for firewood. '

So they went home, and all that evening Tegumai sat on one side of thefire and Taffy on the other, drawing ya's and yo's and shu's and shi'sin the smoke on the wall and giggling together till her Mummy said, 'Really, Tegumai, you're worse than my Taffy. '

'Please don't mind, ' said Taffy. 'It's only our secret-s'prise, Mummydear, and we'll tell you all about it the very minute it's done; butplease don't ask me what it is now, or else I'll have to tell. '

So her Mummy most carefully didn't; and bright and early next morningTegumai went down to the river to think about new sound pictures, and when Taffy got up she saw Ya-las (water is ending or running out)chalked on the side of the big stone water-tank, outside the Cave. 

'Um, ' said Taffy. 'These picture-sounds are rather a bother! Daddy'sjust as good as come here himself and told me to get more water forMummy to cook with. ' She went to the spring at the back of the house andfilled the tank from a bark bucket, and then she ran down to the riverand pulled her Daddy's left ear--the one that belonged to her to pullwhen she was good. 

'Now come along and we'll draw all the left-over sound-pictures, ' saidher Daddy, and they had a most inciting day of it, and a beautiful lunchin the middle, and two games of romps. When they came to T, Taffy saidthat as her name, and her Daddy's, and her Mummy's all began with thatsound, they should draw a sort of family group of themselves holdinghands. That was all very well to draw once or twice; but when it came todrawing it six or seven times, Taffy and Tegumai drew it scratchier andscratchier, till at last the T-sound was only a thin long Tegumai withhis arms out to hold Taffy and Teshumai. You can see from these threepictures partly how it happened. (20, 21, 22. )

Many of the other pictures were much too beautiful to begin with, especially before lunch, but as they were drawn over and over again onbirch-bark, they became plainer and easier, till at last even Tegumaisaid he could find no fault with them. They turned the hissy-snake theother way round for the Z-sound, to show it was hissing backwards in asoft and gentle way (23); and they just made a twiddle for E, becauseit came into the pictures so often (24); and they drew pictures of thesacred Beaver of the Tegumais for the B-sound (25, 26, 27, 28); andbecause it was a nasty, nosy noise, they just drew noses for theN-sound, till they were tired (29); and they drew a picture of the biglake-pike's mouth for the greedy Ga-sound (30); and they drew the pike'smouth again with a spear behind it for the scratchy, hurty Ka-sound(31); and they drew pictures of a little bit of the winding Wagai riverfor the nice windy-windy Wa-sound (32, 33); and so on and so forth andso following till they had done and drawn all the sound-pictures thatthey wanted, and there was the Alphabet, all complete. 

And after thousands and thousands and thousands of years, and afterHieroglyphics and Demotics, and Nilotics, and Cryptics, and Cufics, andRunics, and Dorics, and Ionics, and all sorts of other ricks andtricks (because the Woons, and the Neguses, and the Akhoonds, and theRepositories of Tradition would never leave a good thing alone when theysaw it), the fine old easy, understandable Alphabet--A, B, C, D, E, and the rest of 'em--got back into its proper shape again for all BestBeloveds to learn when they are old enough. 

But I remember Tegumai Bopsulai, and Taffimai Metallumai and TeshumaiTewindrow, her dear Mummy, and all the days gone by. And it was so--justso--a little time ago--on the banks of the big Wagai!

 OF all the Tribe of Tegumai Who cut that figure, none remain, -- On Merrow Down the cuckoos cry The silence and the sun remain. 

 But as the faithful years return And hearts unwounded sing again, Comes Taffy dancing through the fern To lead the Surrey spring again. 

 Her brows are bound with bracken-fronds, And golden elf-locks fly above; Her eyes are bright as diamonds And bluer than the skies above. 

 In mocassins and deer-skin cloak, Unfearing, free and fair she flits, And lights her little damp-wood smoke To show her Daddy where she flits. 

 For far--oh, very far behind, So far she cannot call to him, Comes Tegumai alone to find The daughter that was all to him. 

THE CRAB THAT PLAYED WITH THE SEA

BEFORE the High and Far-Off Times, O my Best Beloved, came the Time ofthe Very Beginnings; and that was in the days when the Eldest Magicianwas getting Things ready. First he got the Earth ready; then he got theSea ready; and then he told all the Animals that they could come out andplay. And the Animals said, 'O Eldest Magician, what shall we playat?' and he said, 'I will show you. He took theElephant--All-the-Elephant-there-was--and said, 'Play at beingan Elephant, ' and All-the-Elephant-there-was played. He took theBeaver--All-the-Beaver-there-was and said, 'Play at being a Beaver, 'and All-the Beaver-there-was played. He took the Cow--All-theCow-there-was--and said, 'Play at being a Cow, ' andAll-the-Cow-there-was played. He took the Turtle--All-the-Turtlethere-was and said, 'Play at being a Turtle, ' andAll-the-Turtle-there-was played. One by one he took all the beasts andbirds and fishes and told them what to play at. 

But towards evening, when people and things grow restless and tired, there came up the Man (With his own little girl-daughter?)--Yes, withhis own best beloved little girl-daughter sitting upon his shoulder, andhe said, 'What is this play, Eldest Magician?' And the Eldest Magiciansaid, 'Ho, Son of Adam, this is the play of the Very Beginning; but youare too wise for this play. ' And the Man saluted and said, 'Yes, I amtoo wise for this play; but see that you make all the Animals obedientto me. '

Now, while the two were talking together, Pau Amma the Crab, who wasnext in the game, scuttled off sideways and stepped into the sea, sayingto himself, 'I will play my play alone in the deep waters, and I willnever be obedient to this son of Adam. ' Nobody saw him go away exceptthe little girl-daughter where she leaned on the Man's shoulder. And theplay went on till there were no more Animals left without orders; andthe Eldest Magician wiped the fine dust off his hands and walked aboutthe world to see how the Animals were playing. 

He went North, Best Beloved, and he found All-the-Elephant-there-wasdigging with his tusks and stamping with his feet in the nice new cleanearth that had been made ready for him. 

'Kun?' said All-the-Elephant-there-was, meaning, 'Is this right?'

'Payah kun, ' said the Eldest Magician, meaning, 'That is quiteright'; and he breathed upon the great rocks and lumps of earth thatAll-the-Elephant-there-was had thrown up, and they became the greatHimalayan Mountains, and you can look them out on the map. 

He went East, and he found All-the-Cow there-was feeding in the fieldthat had been made ready for her, and she licked her tongue round awhole forest at a time, and swallowed it and sat down to chew her cud. 

'Kun?' said All-the-Cow-there-was. 

'Payah kun, ' said the Eldest Magician; and he breathed upon the barepatch where she had eaten, and upon the place where she had sat down, and one became the great Indian Desert, and the other became the Desertof Sahara, and you can look them out on the map. 

He went West, and he found All-the-Beaver-there-was making a beaver-damacross the mouths of broad rivers that had been got ready for him. 

'Kun?' said All-the-Beaver-there-was. 

'Payah kun, ' said the Eldest Magician; and he breathed upon the fallentrees and the still water, and they became the Everglades in Florida, and you may look them out on the map. 

Then he went South and found All-the-Turtle-there-was scratching withhis flippers in the sand that had been got ready for him, and the sandand the rocks whirled through the air and fell far off into the sea. 

'Kun?' said All-the-Turtle-there-was. 

'Payah kun, ' said the Eldest Magician; and he breathed upon the sand andthe rocks, where they had fallen in the sea, and they became the mostbeautiful islands of Borneo, Celebes, Sumatra, Java, and the rest of theMalay Archipelago, and you can look them out on the map!

By and by the Eldest Magician met the Man on the banks of the Perakriver, and said, 'Ho! Son of Adam, are all the Animals obedient to you?'

'Yes, ' said the Man. 

'Is all the Earth obedient to you?'

'Yes, ' said the Man. 

'Is all the Sea obedient to you?'

'No, ' said the Man. 'Once a day and once a night the Sea runs up thePerak river and drives the sweet-water back into the forest, so that myhouse is made wet; once a day and once a night it runs down the riverand draws all the water after it, so that there is nothing left but mud, and my canoe is upset. Is that the play you told it to play?'

'No, ' said the Eldest Magician. 'That is a new and a bad play. '

'Look!' said the Man, and as he spoke the great Sea came up the mouth ofthe Perak river, driving the river backwards till it overflowed all thedark forests for miles and miles, and flooded the Man's house. 

'This is wrong. Launch your canoe and we will find out who is playingwith the Sea, ' said the Eldest Magician. They stepped into the canoe;the little girl-daughter came with them; and the Man took his kris--acurving, wavy dagger with a blade like a flame, --and they pushed out onthe Perak river. Then the sea began to run back and back, and the canoewas sucked out of the mouth of the Perak river, past Selangor, pastMalacca, past Singapore, out and out to the Island of Bingtang, asthough it had been pulled by a string. 

Then the Eldest Magician stood up and shouted, 'Ho! beasts, birds, andfishes, that I took between my hands at the Very Beginning and taughtthe play that you should play, which one of you is playing with theSea?'

Then all the beasts, birds, and fishes said together, 'Eldest Magician, we play the plays that you taught us to play--we and our children'schildren. But not one of us plays with the Sea. '

Then the Moon rose big and full over the water, and the Eldest Magiciansaid to the hunchbacked old man who sits in the Moon spinning afishing-line with which he hopes one day to catch the world, 'Ho! Fisherof the Moon, are you playing with the Sea?'

'No, ' said the Fisherman, 'I am spinning a line with which I shall someday catch the world; but I do not play with the Sea. ' And he went onspinning his line. 

Now there is also a Rat up in the Moon who always bites the oldFisherman's line as fast as it is made, and the Eldest Magician said tohim, 'Ho! Rat of the Moon, are you playing with the Sea?'

And the Rat said, 'I am too busy biting through the line that thisold Fisherman is spinning. I do not play with the Sea. ' And he went onbiting the line. 

Then the little girl-daughter put up her little soft brown arms with thebeautiful white shell bracelets and said, 'O Eldest Magician! when myfather here talked to you at the Very Beginning, and I leaned upon hisshoulder while the beasts were being taught their plays, one beast wentaway naughtily into the Sea before you had taught him his play. 

And the Eldest Magician said, 'How wise are little children who see andare silent! What was the beast like?'

And the little girl-daughter said, 'He was round and he was flat; andhis eyes grew upon stalks; and he walked sideways like this; and he wascovered with strong armour upon his back. '

And the Eldest Magician said, 'How wise are little children who speaktruth! Now I know where Pau Amma went. Give me the paddle!'

So he took the paddle; but there was no need to paddle, for the waterflowed steadily past all the islands till they came to the place calledPusat Tasek--the Heart of the Sea--where the great hollow is that leadsdown to the heart of the world, and in that hollow grows the WonderfulTree, Pauh Janggi, that bears the magic twin nuts. Then the EldestMagician slid his arm up to the shoulder through the deep warm water, and under the roots of the Wonderful Tree he touched the broad back ofPau Amma the Crab. And Pau Amma settled down at the touch, and all theSea rose up as water rises in a basin when you put your hand into it. 

'Ah!' said the Eldest Magician. 'Now I know who has been playing withthe Sea;' and he called out, 'What are you doing, Pau Amma?'

And Pau Amma, deep down below, answered, 'Once a day and once a night Igo out to look for my food. Once a day and once a night I return. Leaveme alone. '

Then the Eldest Magician said, 'Listen, Pau Amma. When you go out fromyour cave the waters of the Sea pour down into Pusat Tasek, and all thebeaches of all the islands are left bare, and the little fish die, andRaja Moyang Kaban, the King of the Elephants, his legs are made muddy. When you come back and sit in Pusat Tasek, the waters of the Sea rise, and half the little islands are drowned, and the Man's house is flooded, and Raja Abdullah, the King of the Crocodiles, his mouth is filled withthe salt water. 

Then Pau Amma, deep down below, laughed and said, 'I did not know Iwas so important. Henceforward I will go out seven times a day, and thewaters shall never be still. '

And the Eldest Magician said, 'I cannot make you play the play you weremeant to play, Pau Amma, because you escaped me at the Very Beginning;but if you are not afraid, come up and we will talk about it. '

'I am not afraid, ' said Pau Amma, and he rose to the top of the sea inthe moonlight. There was nobody in the world so big as Pau Amma--for hewas the King Crab of all Crabs. Not a common Crab, but a King Crab. Oneside of his great shell touched the beach at Sarawak; the othertouched the beach at Pahang; and he was taller than the smoke of threevolcanoes! As he rose up through the branches of the Wonderful Tree hetore off one of the great twin fruits--the magic double kernelled nutsthat make people young, --and the little girl-daughter saw it bobbingalongside the canoe, and pulled it in and began to pick out the softeyes of it with her little golden scissors. 

'Now, ' said the Magician, 'make a Magic, Pau Amma, to show that you arereally important. '

Pau Amma rolled his eyes and waved his legs, but he could only stir upthe Sea, because, though he was a King Crab, he was nothing more than aCrab, and the Eldest Magician laughed. 

'You are not so important after all, Pau Amma, ' he said. 'Now, letme try, ' and he made a Magic with his left hand--with just the littlefinger of his left hand--and--lo and behold, Best Beloved, Pau Amma'shard, blue-green-black shell fell off him as a husk falls off acocoa-nut, and Pau Amma was left all soft--soft as the little crabs thatyou sometimes find on the beach, Best Beloved. 

'Indeed, you are very important, ' said the Eldest Magician. 'Shall I askthe Man here to cut you with kris? Shall I send for Raja Moyang Kaban, the King of the Elephants, to pierce you with his tusks, or shall I callRaja Abdullah, the King of the Crocodiles, to bite you?'

And Pau Amma said, 'I am ashamed! Give me back my hard shell and let mego back to Pusat Tasek, and I will only stir out once a day and once anight to get my food. '

And the Eldest Magician said, 'No, Pau Amma, I will not give you backyour shell, for you will grow bigger and prouder and stronger, andperhaps you will forget your promise, and you will play with the Seaonce more. 

Then Pau Amma said, 'What shall I do? I am so big that I can only hidein Pusat Tasek, and if I go anywhere else, all soft as I am now, thesharks and the dogfish will eat me. And if I go to Pusat Tasek, all softas I am now, though I may be safe, I can never stir out to get my food, and so I shall die. ' Then he waved his legs and lamented. 

'Listen, Pau Amma, ' said the Eldest Magician. 'I cannot make you playthe play you were meant to play, because you escaped me at the VeryBeginning; but if you choose, I can make every stone and every hole andevery bunch of weed in all the seas a safe Pusat Tasek for you and yourchildren for always. '

Then Pau Amma said, 'That is good, but I do not choose yet. Look! thereis that Man who talked to you at the Very Beginning. If he had not takenup your attention I should not have grown tired of waiting and run away, and all this would never have happened. What will he do for me?'

And the Man said, 'If you choose, I will make a Magic, so that boththe deep water and the dry ground will be a home for you and yourchildren--so that you shall be able to hide both on the land and in thesea. '

And Pau Amma said, 'I do not choose yet. Look! there is that girl whosaw me running away at the Very Beginning. If she had spoken then, theEldest Magician would have called me back, and all this would never havehappened. What will she do for me?'

And the little girl-daughter said, 'This is a good nut that I am eating. If you choose, I will make a Magic and I will give you this pair ofscissors, very sharp and strong, so that you and your children can eatcocoa-nuts like this all day long when you come up from the Sea to theland; or you can dig a Pusat Tasek for yourself with the scissors thatbelong to you when there is no stone or hole near by; and when the earthis too hard, by the help of these same scissors you can run up a tree. '

And Pau Amma said, 'I do not choose yet, for, all soft as I am, thesegifts would not help me. Give me back my shell, O Eldest Magician, andthen I will play your play. '

And the Eldest Magician said, 'I will give it back, Pau Amma, for elevenmonths of the year; but on the twelfth month of every year it shall growsoft again, to remind you and all your children that I can make magics, and to keep you humble, Pau Amma; for I see that if you can run bothunder the water and on land, you will grow too bold; and if you canclimb trees and crack nuts and dig holes with your scissors, you willgrow too greedy, Pau Amma. '

Then Pau Amma thought a little and said, 'I have made my choice. I willtake all the gifts. '

Then the Eldest Magician made a Magic with the right hand, with all fivefingers of his right hand, and lo and behold, Best Beloved, Pau Ammagrew smaller and smaller and smaller, till at last there was only alittle green crab swimming in the water alongside the canoe, crying in avery small voice, 'Give me the scissors!'

And the girl-daughter picked him up on the palm of her little brownhand, and sat him in the bottom of the canoe and gave him her scissors, and he waved them in his little arms, and opened them and shut them andsnapped them, and said, 'I can eat nuts. I can crack shells. I can digholes. I can climb trees. I can breathe in the dry air, and I can finda safe Pusat Tasek under every stone. I did not know I was so important. Kun?' (Is this right?)

'Payah-kun, ' said the Eldest Magician, and he laughed and gave him hisblessing; and little Pau Amma scuttled over the side of the canoe intothe water; and he was so tiny that he could have hidden under the shadowof a dry leaf on land or of a dead shell at the bottom of the sea. 

'Was that well done?' said the Eldest Magician. 

'Yes, ' said the Man. 'But now we must go back to Perak, and that isa weary way to paddle. If we had waited till Pau Amma had gone out ofPusat Tasek and come home, the water would have carried us there byitself. '

'You are lazy, ' said the Eldest Magician. 'So your children shall belazy. They shall be the laziest people in the world. They shall becalled the Malazy--the lazy people;' and he held up his finger to theMoon and said, 'O Fisherman, here is the Man too lazy to row home. Pullhis canoe home with your line, Fisherman. '

'No, ' said the Man. 'If I am to be lazy all my days, let the Sea workfor me twice a day for ever. That will save paddling. '

And the Eldest Magician laughed and said, 'Payah kun' (That is right). 

And the Rat of the Moon stopped biting the line; and the Fisherman lethis line down till it touched the Sea, and he pulled the whole deep Seaalong, past the Island of Bintang, past Singapore, past Malacca, pastSelangor, till the canoe whirled into the mouth of the Perak Riveragain. Kun?' said the Fisherman of the Moon. 

'Payah kun, ' said the Eldest Magician. 'See now that you pull the Seatwice a day and twice a night for ever, so that the Malazy fishermen maybe saved paddling. But be careful not to do it too hard, or I shall makea magic on you as I did to Pau Amma. '

Then they all went up the Perak River and went to bed, Best Beloved. 

Now listen and attend!

From that day to this the Moon has always pulled the sea up and downand made what we call the tides. Sometimes the Fisher of the Sea pulls alittle too hard, and then we get spring tides; and sometimes he pullsa little too softly, and then we get what are called neap-tides; butnearly always he is careful, because of the Eldest Magician. 

And Pau Amma? You can see when you go to the beach, how all Pau Amma'sbabies make little Pusat Taseks for themselves under every stoneand bunch of weed on the sands; you can see them waving their littlescissors; and in some parts of the world they truly live on the dryland and run up the palm trees and eat cocoa-nuts, exactly as thegirl-daughter promised. But once a year all Pau Ammas must shake offtheir hard armour and be soft-to remind them of what the Eldest Magiciancould do. And so it isn't fair to kill or hunt Pau Amma's babies justbecause old Pau Amma was stupidly rude a very long time ago. 

Oh yes! And Pau Amma's babies hate being taken out of their little PusatTaseks and brought home in pickle-bottles. That is why they nip you withtheir scissors, and it serves you right!

 CHINA-GOING P's and O's Pass Pau Amma's playground close, And his Pusat Tasek lies Near the track of most B. I. 's. U. Y. K. And N. D. L. Know Pau Amma's home as well As the fisher of the Sea knows 'Bens, ' M. M. 's, and Rubattinos. But (and this is rather queer) A. T. L. 's can not come here; O. And O. And D. O. A. Must go round another way. Orient, Anchor, Bibby, Hall, Never go that way at all. U. C. S. Would have a fit If it found itself on it. And if 'Beavers' took their cargoes To Penang instead of Lagos, Or a fat Shaw-Savill bore Passengers to Singapore, Or a White Star were to try a Little trip to Sourabaya, Or a B. S. A. Went on Past Natal to Cheribon, Then great Mr. Lloyds would come With a wire and drag them home!

 You'll know what my riddle means When you've eaten mangosteens. 

Or if you can't wait till then, ask them to let you have the outsidepage of the Times; turn over to page 2 where it is marked 'Shipping'on the top left hand; then take the Atlas (and that is the finestpicture-book in the world) and see how the names of the places thatthe steamers go to fit into the names of the places on the map. Anysteamer-kiddy ought to be able to do that; but if you can't read, asksome one to show it you. 

THE CAT THAT WALKED BY HIMSELF

HEAR and attend and listen; for this befell and behappened and becameand was, O my Best Beloved, when the Tame animals were wild. The Dog waswild, and the Horse was wild, and the Cow was wild, and the Sheep waswild, and the Pig was wild--as wild as wild could be--and they walked inthe Wet Wild Woods by their wild lones. But the wildest of all the wildanimals was the Cat. He walked by himself, and all places were alike tohim. 

Of course the Man was wild too. He was dreadfully wild. He didn't evenbegin to be tame till he met the Woman, and she told him that shedid not like living in his wild ways. She picked out a nice dry Cave, instead of a heap of wet leaves, to lie down in; and she strewed cleansand on the floor; and she lit a nice fire of wood at the back ofthe Cave; and she hung a dried wild-horse skin, tail-down, across theopening of the Cave; and she said, 'Wipe you feet, dear, when you comein, and now we'll keep house. '

That night, Best Beloved, they ate wild sheep roasted on the hot stones, and flavoured with wild garlic and wild pepper; and wild duck stuffedwith wild rice and wild fenugreek and wild coriander; and marrow-bonesof wild oxen; and wild cherries, and wild grenadillas. Then the Manwent to sleep in front of the fire ever so happy; but the Woman sat up, combing her hair. She took the bone of the shoulder of mutton--the bigfat blade-bone--and she looked at the wonderful marks on it, and shethrew more wood on the fire, and she made a Magic. She made the FirstSinging Magic in the world. 

Out in the Wet Wild Woods all the wild animals gathered together wherethey could see the light of the fire a long way off, and they wonderedwhat it meant. 

Then Wild Horse stamped with his wild foot and said, 'O my Friends and Omy Enemies, why have the Man and the Woman made that great light in thatgreat Cave, and what harm will it do us?'

Wild Dog lifted up his wild nose and smelled the smell of roast mutton, and said, 'I will go up and see and look, and say; for I think it isgood. Cat, come with me. '

'Nenni!' said the Cat. 'I am the Cat who walks by himself, and allplaces are alike to me. I will not come. '

'Then we can never be friends again, ' said Wild Dog, and he trotted offto the Cave. But when he had gone a little way the Cat said to himself, 'All places are alike to me. Why should I not go too and see and lookand come away at my own liking. ' So he slipped after Wild Dog softly, very softly, and hid himself where he could hear everything. 

When Wild Dog reached the mouth of the Cave he lifted up the driedhorse-skin with his nose and sniffed the beautiful smell of the roastmutton, and the Woman, looking at the blade-bone, heard him, andlaughed, and said, 'Here comes the first. Wild Thing out of the WildWoods, what do you want?'

Wild Dog said, 'O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy, what is this thatsmells so good in the Wild Woods?'

Then the Woman picked up a roasted mutton-bone and threw it to Wild Dog, and said, 'Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods, taste and try. ' Wild Doggnawed the bone, and it was more delicious than anything he had evertasted, and he said, 'O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy, give me another. '

The Woman said, 'Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods, help my Man to huntthrough the day and guard this Cave at night, and I will give you asmany roast bones as you need. '

'Ah!' said the Cat, listening. 'This is a very wise Woman, but she isnot so wise as I am. '

Wild Dog crawled into the Cave and laid his head on the Woman's lap, andsaid, 'O my Friend and Wife of my Friend, I will help Your Man to huntthrough the day, and at night I will guard your Cave. '

'Ah!' said the Cat, listening. 'That is a very foolish Dog. ' And he wentback through the Wet Wild Woods waving his wild tail, and walking by hiswild lone. But he never told anybody. 

When the Man waked up he said, 'What is Wild Dog doing here?' And theWoman said, 'His name is not Wild Dog any more, but the First Friend, because he will be our friend for always and always and always. Take himwith you when you go hunting. '

Next night the Woman cut great green armfuls of fresh grass from thewater-meadows, and dried it before the fire, so that it smelt likenew-mown hay, and she sat at the mouth of the Cave and plaited a halterout of horse-hide, and she looked at the shoulder of mutton-bone--at thebig broad blade-bone--and she made a Magic. She made the Second SingingMagic in the world. 

Out in the Wild Woods all the wild animals wondered what had happened toWild Dog, and at last Wild Horse stamped with his foot and said, 'I willgo and see and say why Wild Dog has not returned. Cat, come with me. '

'Nenni!' said the Cat. 'I am the Cat who walks by himself, and allplaces are alike to me. I will not come. ' But all the same he followedWild Horse softly, very softly, and hid himself where he could heareverything. 

When the Woman heard Wild Horse tripping and stumbling on his long mane, she laughed and said, 'Here comes the second. Wild Thing out of the WildWoods what do you want?'

Wild Horse said, 'O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy, where is Wild Dog?'

The Woman laughed, and picked up the blade-bone and looked at it, andsaid, 'Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods, you did not come here for WildDog, but for the sake of this good grass. '

And Wild Horse, tripping and stumbling on his long mane, said, 'That istrue; give it me to eat. '

The Woman said, 'Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods, bend your wild headand wear what I give you, and you shall eat the wonderful grass threetimes a day. '

'Ah, ' said the Cat, listening, 'this is a clever Woman, but she is notso clever as I am. ' Wild Horse bent his wild head, and the Woman slippedthe plaited hide halter over it, and Wild Horse breathed on the Woman'sfeet and said, 'O my Mistress, and Wife of my Master, I will be yourservant for the sake of the wonderful grass. '

'Ah, ' said the Cat, listening, 'that is a very foolish Horse. ' And hewent back through the Wet Wild Woods, waving his wild tail and walkingby his wild lone. But he never told anybody. 

When the Man and the Dog came back from hunting, the Man said, 'What isWild Horse doing here?' And the Woman said, 'His name is not Wild Horseany more, but the First Servant, because he will carry us from placeto place for always and always and always. Ride on his back when you gohunting. 

Next day, holding her wild head high that her wild horns should notcatch in the wild trees, Wild Cow came up to the Cave, and the Catfollowed, and hid himself just the same as before; and everythinghappened just the same as before; and the Cat said the same things asbefore, and when Wild Cow had promised to give her milk to the Womanevery day in exchange for the wonderful grass, the Cat went back throughthe Wet Wild Woods waving his wild tail and walking by his wild lone, just the same as before. But he never told anybody. And when the Manand the Horse and the Dog came home from hunting and asked the samequestions same as before, the Woman said, 'Her name is not Wild Cow anymore, but the Giver of Good Food. She will give us the warm white milkfor always and always and always, and I will take care of her while youand the First Friend and the First Servant go hunting. 

Next day the Cat waited to see if any other Wild thing would go up tothe Cave, but no one moved in the Wet Wild Woods, so the Cat walkedthere by himself; and he saw the Woman milking the Cow, and he saw thelight of the fire in the Cave, and he smelt the smell of the warm whitemilk. 

Cat said, 'O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy, where did Wild Cow go?'

The Woman laughed and said, 'Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods, go backto the Woods again, for I have braided up my hair, and I have put awaythe magic blade-bone, and we have no more need of either friends orservants in our Cave. 

Cat said, 'I am not a friend, and I am not a servant. I am the Cat whowalks by himself, and I wish to come into your cave. '

Woman said, 'Then why did you not come with First Friend on the firstnight?'

Cat grew very angry and said, 'Has Wild Dog told tales of me?'

Then the Woman laughed and said, 'You are the Cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to you. Your are neither a friend nor aservant. You have said it yourself. Go away and walk by yourself in allplaces alike. '

Then Cat pretended to be sorry and said, 'Must I never come into theCave? Must I never sit by the warm fire? Must I never drink the warmwhite milk? You are very wise and very beautiful. You should not becruel even to a Cat. '

Woman said, 'I knew I was wise, but I did not know I was beautiful. So Iwill make a bargain with you. If ever I say one word in your praise youmay come into the Cave. '

'And if you say two words in my praise?' said the Cat. 

'I never shall, ' said the Woman, 'but if I say two words in your praise, you may sit by the fire in the Cave. '

'And if you say three words?' said the Cat. 

'I never shall, ' said the Woman, 'but if I say three words in yourpraise, you may drink the warm white milk three times a day for alwaysand always and always. '

Then the Cat arched his back and said, 'Now let the Curtain at the mouthof the Cave, and the Fire at the back of the Cave, and the Milk-potsthat stand beside the Fire, remember what my Enemy and the Wife of myEnemy has said. ' And he went away through the Wet Wild Woods waving hiswild tail and walking by his wild lone. 

That night when the Man and the Horse and the Dog came home fromhunting, the Woman did not tell them of the bargain that she had madewith the Cat, because she was afraid that they might not like it. 

Cat went far and far away and hid himself in the Wet Wild Woods by hiswild lone for a long time till the Woman forgot all about him. Only theBat--the little upside-down Bat--that hung inside the Cave, knew whereCat hid; and every evening Bat would fly to Cat with news of what washappening. 

One evening Bat said, 'There is a Baby in the Cave. He is new and pinkand fat and small, and the Woman is very fond of him. '

'Ah, ' said the Cat, listening, 'but what is the Baby fond of?'

'He is fond of things that are soft and tickle, ' said the Bat. 'He isfond of warm things to hold in his arms when he goes to sleep. He isfond of being played with. He is fond of all those things. '

'Ah, ' said the Cat, listening, 'then my time has come. '

Next night Cat walked through the Wet Wild Woods and hid very near theCave till morning-time, and Man and Dog and Horse went hunting. TheWoman was busy cooking that morning, and the Baby cried and interrupted. So she carried him outside the Cave and gave him a handful of pebbles toplay with. But still the Baby cried. 

Then the Cat put out his paddy paw and patted the Baby on the cheek, andit cooed; and the Cat rubbed against its fat knees and tickled it underits fat chin with his tail. And the Baby laughed; and the Woman heardhim and smiled. 

Then the Bat--the little upside-down bat--that hung in the mouth of theCave said, 'O my Hostess and Wife of my Host and Mother of my Host'sSon, a Wild Thing from the Wild Woods is most beautifully playing withyour Baby. '

'A blessing on that Wild Thing whoever he may be, ' said the Woman, straightening her back, 'for I was a busy woman this morning and he hasdone me a service. '

That very minute and second, Best Beloved, the dried horse-skinCurtain that was stretched tail-down at the mouth of the Cave felldown--whoosh!--because it remembered the bargain she had made with theCat, and when the Woman went to pick it up--lo and behold!--the Cat wassitting quite comfy inside the Cave. 

'O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy and Mother of my Enemy, ' said the Cat, 'it is I: for you have spoken a word in my praise, and now I can sitwithin the Cave for always and always and always. But still I am the Catwho walks by himself, and all places are alike to me. '

The Woman was very angry, and shut her lips tight and took up herspinning-wheel and began to spin. But the Baby cried because the Cat hadgone away, and the Woman could not hush it, for it struggled and kickedand grew black in the face. 

'O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy and Mother of my Enemy, ' said the Cat, 'take a strand of the wire that you are spinning and tie it to yourspinning-whorl and drag it along the floor, and I will show you a magicthat shall make your Baby laugh as loudly as he is now crying. '

'I will do so, ' said the Woman, 'because I am at my wits' end; but Iwill not thank you for it. '

She tied the thread to the little clay spindle whorl and drew it acrossthe floor, and the Cat ran after it and patted it with his paws androlled head over heels, and tossed it backward over his shoulder andchased it between his hind-legs and pretended to lose it, and pounceddown upon it again, till the Baby laughed as loudly as it had beencrying, and scrambled after the Cat and frolicked all over the Cave tillit grew tired and settled down to sleep with the Cat in its arms. 

'Now, ' said the Cat, 'I will sing the Baby a song that shall keep himasleep for an hour. And he began to purr, loud and low, low and loud, till the Baby fell fast asleep. The Woman smiled as she looked down uponthe two of them and said, 'That was wonderfully done. No question butyou are very clever, O Cat. '

That very minute and second, Best Beloved, the smoke of the fire at theback of the Cave came down in clouds from the roof--puff!--becauseit remembered the bargain she had made with the Cat, and when it hadcleared away--lo and behold!--the Cat was sitting quite comfy close tothe fire. 

'O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy and Mother of My Enemy, ' said the Cat, 'it is I, for you have spoken a second word in my praise, and now I cansit by the warm fire at the back of the Cave for always and always andalways. But still I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all places arealike to me. '

Then the Woman was very very angry, and let down her hair and put morewood on the fire and brought out the broad blade-bone of the shoulder ofmutton and began to make a Magic that should prevent her from sayinga third word in praise of the Cat. It was not a Singing Magic, BestBeloved, it was a Still Magic; and by and by the Cave grew so still thata little wee-wee mouse crept out of a corner and ran across the floor. 

'O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy and Mother of my Enemy, ' said the Cat, 'is that little mouse part of your magic?'

'Ouh! Chee! No indeed!' said the Woman, and she dropped the blade-boneand jumped upon the footstool in front of the fire and braided up herhair very quick for fear that the mouse should run up it. 

'Ah, ' said the Cat, watching, 'then the mouse will do me no harm if Ieat it?'

'No, ' said the Woman, braiding up her hair, 'eat it quickly and I willever be grateful to you. '

Cat made one jump and caught the little mouse, and the Woman said, 'A hundred thanks. Even the First Friend is not quick enough to catchlittle mice as you have done. You must be very wise. '

That very moment and second, O Best Beloved, the Milk-pot that stood bythe fire cracked in two pieces--ffft--because it remembered the bargainshe had made with the Cat, and when the Woman jumped down from thefootstool--lo and behold!--the Cat was lapping up the warm white milkthat lay in one of the broken pieces. 

'O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy and Mother of my Enemy, said the Cat, 'it is I; for you have spoken three words in my praise, and now I candrink the warm white milk three times a day for always and always andalways. But still I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all places arealike to me. '

Then the Woman laughed and set the Cat a bowl of the warm white milk andsaid, 'O Cat, you are as clever as a man, but remember that your bargainwas not made with the Man or the Dog, and I do not know what they willdo when they come home. '

'What is that to me?' said the Cat. 'If I have my place in the Cave bythe fire and my warm white milk three times a day I do not care what theMan or the Dog can do. '

That evening when the Man and the Dog came into the Cave, the Womantold them all the story of the bargain while the Cat sat by the fire andsmiled. Then the Man said, 'Yes, but he has not made a bargain with meor with all proper Men after me. ' Then he took off his two leather bootsand he took up his little stone axe (that makes three) and he fetched apiece of wood and a hatchet (that is five altogether), and he set themout in a row and he said, 'Now we will make our bargain. If you do notcatch mice when you are in the Cave for always and always and always, Iwill throw these five things at you whenever I see you, and so shall allproper Men do after me. '

'Ah, ' said the Woman, listening, 'this is a very clever Cat, but he isnot so clever as my Man. '

The Cat counted the five things (and they looked very knobby) and hesaid, 'I will catch mice when I am in the Cave for always and always andalways; but still I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all places arealike to me. '

'Not when I am near, ' said the Man. 'If you had not said that last Iwould have put all these things away for always and always and always;but I am now going to throw my two boots and my little stone axe (thatmakes three) at you whenever I meet you. And so shall all proper Men doafter me!'

Then the Dog said, 'Wait a minute. He has not made a bargain with me orwith all proper Dogs after me. ' And he showed his teeth and said, 'Ifyou are not kind to the Baby while I am in the Cave for always andalways and always, I will hunt you till I catch you, and when I catchyou I will bite you. And so shall all proper Dogs do after me. '

'Ah, ' said the Woman, listening, 'this is a very clever Cat, but he isnot so clever as the Dog. '

Cat counted the Dog's teeth (and they looked very pointed) and he said, 'I will be kind to the Baby while I am in the Cave, as long as he doesnot pull my tail too hard, for always and always and always. But still Iam the Cat that walks by himself, and all places are alike to me. '

'Not when I am near, ' said the Dog. 'If you had not said that last Iwould have shut my mouth for always and always and always; but now I amgoing to hunt you up a tree whenever I meet you. And so shall all properDogs do after me. '

Then the Man threw his two boots and his little stone axe (that makesthree) at the Cat, and the Cat ran out of the Cave and the Dog chasedhim up a tree; and from that day to this, Best Beloved, three proper Menout of five will always throw things at a Cat whenever they meet him, and all proper Dogs will chase him up a tree. But the Cat keeps his sideof the bargain too. He will kill mice and he will be kind to Babies whenhe is in the house, just as long as they do not pull his tail too hard. But when he has done that, and between times, and when the moon gets upand night comes, he is the Cat that walks by himself, and all places arealike to him. Then he goes out to the Wet Wild Woods or up the Wet WildTrees or on the Wet Wild Roofs, waving his wild tail and walking by hiswild lone. 

 PUSSY can sit by the fire and sing, Pussy can climb a tree, Or play with a silly old cork and string To'muse herself, not me. But I like Binkie my dog, because He Lnows how to behave; So, Binkie's the same as the First Friend was, And I am the Man in the Cave. 

 Pussy will play man-Friday till It's time to wet her paw And make her walk on the window-sill (For the footprint Crusoe saw); Then she fluffles her tail and mews, And scratches and won't attend. But Binkie will play whatever I choose, And he is my true First Friend. 

 Pussy will rub my knees with her head Pretending she loves me hard; But the very minute I go to my bed Pussy runs out in the yard, And there she stays till the morning-light; So I know it is only pretend; But Binkie, he snores at my feet all night, And he is my Firstest Friend!

THE BUTTERFLY THAT STAMPED

THIS, O my Best Beloved, is a story--a new and a wonderful story--astory quite different from the other stories--a story about The MostWise Sovereign Suleiman-bin-Daoud--Solomon the Son of David. 

There are three hundred and fifty-five stories about Suleiman-bin-Daoud;but this is not one of them. It is not the story of the Lapwing whofound the Water; or the Hoopoe who shaded Suleimanbin-Daoud from theheat. It is not the story of the Glass Pavement, or the Ruby withthe Crooked Hole, or the Gold Bars of Balkis. It is the story of theButterfly that Stamped. 

Now attend all over again and listen!

Suleiman-bin-Daoud was wise. He understood what the beasts said, whatthe birds said, what the fishes said, and what the insects said. Heunderstood what the rocks said deep under the earth when they bowed intowards each other and groaned; and he understood what the treessaid when they rustled in the middle of the morning. He understoodeverything, from the bishop on the bench to the hyssop on the wall, andBalkis, his Head Queen, the Most Beautiful Queen Balkis, was nearly aswise as he was. 

Suleiman-bin-Daoud was strong. Upon the third finger of the right handhe wore a ring. When he turned it once, Afrits and Djinns came Out ofthe earth to do whatever he told them. When he turned it twice, Fairiescame down from the sky to do whatever he told them; and when he turnedit three times, the very great angel Azrael of the Sword came dressedas a water-carrier, and told him the news of the three worlds, Above--Below--and Here. 

And yet Suleiman-bin-Daoud was not proud. He very seldom showed off, andwhen he did he was sorry for it. Once he tried to feed all the animalsin all the world in one day, but when the food was ready an Animal cameout of the deep sea and ate it up in three mouthfuls. Suleiman-bin-Daoudwas very surprised and said, 'O Animal, who are you?' And the Animalsaid, 'O King, live for ever! I am the smallest of thirty thousandbrothers, and our home is at the bottom of the sea. We heard that youwere going to feed all the animals in all the world, and my brotherssent me to ask when dinner would be ready. ' Suleiman-bin-Daoud was moresurprised than ever and said, 'O Animal, you have eaten all the dinnerthat I made ready for all the animals in the world. ' And the Animalsaid, 'O King, live for ever, but do you really call that a dinner?Where I come from we each eat twice as much as that between meals. ' ThenSuleiman-bin-Daoud fell flat on his face and said, 'O Animal! I gavethat dinner to show what a great and rich king I was, and not because Ireally wanted to be kind to the animals. Now I am ashamed, and it servesme right. Suleiman-bin-Daoud was a really truly wise man, Best Beloved. After that he never forgot that it was silly to show off; and now thereal story part of my story begins. 

He married ever so many wifes. He married nine hundred and ninety-ninewives, besides the Most Beautiful Balkis; and they all lived in a greatgolden palace in the middle of a lovely garden with fountains. Hedidn't really want nine-hundred and ninety-nine wives, but in thosedays everybody married ever so many wives, and of course the King had tomarry ever so many more just to show that he was the King. 

Some of the wives were nice, but some were simply horrid, and the horridones quarrelled with the nice ones and made them horrid too, and thenthey would all quarrel with Suleiman-bin-Daoud, and that was horridfor him. But Balkis the Most Beautiful never quarrelled withSuleiman-bin-Daoud. She loved him too much. She sat in her rooms in theGolden Palace, or walked in the Palace garden, and was truly sorry forhim. 

Of course if he had chosen to turn his ring on his finger and callup the Djinns and the Afrits they would have magicked all those ninehundred and ninety-nine quarrelsome wives into white mules of the desertor greyhounds or pomegranate seeds; but Suleiman-bin-Daoud thought thatthat would be showing off. So, when they quarrelled too much, he onlywalked by himself in one part of the beautiful Palace gardens and wishedhe had never been born. 

One day, when they had quarrelled for three weeks--all nine hundred andninety-nine wives together--Suleiman-bin-Daoud went out for peaceand quiet as usual; and among the orange trees he met Balkis the MostBeautiful, very sorrowful because Suleiman-bin-Daoud was so worried. And she said to him, 'O my Lord and Light of my Eyes, turn the ring uponyour finger and show these Queens of Egypt and Mesopotamia andPersia and China that you are the great and terrible King. ' ButSuleiman-bin-Daoud shook his head and said, 'O my Lady and Delight of myLife, remember the Animal that came out of the sea and made me ashamedbefore all the animals in all the world because I showed off. Now, ifI showed off before these Queens of Persia and Egypt and Abyssinia andChina, merely because they worry me, I might be made even more ashamedthan I have been. '

And Balkis the Most Beautiful said, 'O my Lord and Treasure of my Soul, what will you do?'

And Suleiman-bin-Daoud said, 'O my Lady and Content of my Heart, Ishall continue to endure my fate at the hands of these nine hundred andninety-nine Queens who vex me with their continual quarrelling. '

So he went on between the lilies and the loquats and the roses and thecannas and the heavy-scented ginger-plants that grew in the garden, tillhe came to the great camphor-tree that was called the Camphor Tree ofSuleiman-bin-Daoud. But Balkis hid among the tall irises and the spottedbamboos and the red lillies behind the camphor-tree, so as to be nearher own true love, Suleiman-bin-Daoud. 

Presently two Butterflies flew under the tree, quarrelling. 

Suleiman-bin-Daoud heard one say to the other, 'I wonder at yourpresumption in talking like this to me. Don't you know that if I stampedwith my foot all Suleiman-bin-Daoud's Palace and this garden here wouldimmediately vanish in a clap of thunder. '

Then Suleiman-bin-Daoud forgot his nine hundred and ninety-ninebothersome wives, and laughed, till the camphor-tree shook, at theButterfly's boast. And he held out his finger and said, 'Little man, come here. '

The Butterfly was dreadfully frightened, but he managed to fly up tothe hand of Suleiman-bin-Daoud, and clung there, fanning himself. Suleiman-bin-Daoud bent his head and whispered very softly, 'Little man, you know that all your stamping wouldn't bend one blade of grass. Whatmade you tell that awful fib to your wife?--for doubtless she is yourwife. '

The Butterfly looked at Suleiman-bin-Daoud and saw the most wise King'seye twinkle like stars on a frosty night, and he picked up his couragewith both wings, and he put his head on one side and said, 'O King, livefor ever. She is my wife; and you know what wives are like. 

Suleiman-bin-Daoud smiled in his beard and said, 'Yes, I know, littlebrother. 

'One must keep them in order somehow, said the Butterfly, and she hasbeen quarrelling with me all the morning. I said that to quiet her. '

And Suleiman-bin-Daoud said, 'May it quiet her. Go back to your wife, little brother, and let me hear what you say. '

Back flew the Butterfly to his wife, who was all of a twitter behinda leaf, and she said, 'He heard you! Suleiman-bin-Daoud himself heardyou!'

'Heard me!' said the Butterfly. 'Of course he did. I meant him to hearme. '

'And what did he say? Oh, what did he say?'

'Well, ' said the Butterfly, fanning himself most importantly, 'betweenyou and me, my dear--of course I don't blame him, because his Palacemust have cost a great deal and the oranges are just ripening, --he askedme not to stamp, and I promised I wouldn't. '

'Gracious!' said his wife, and sat quite quiet; but Suleiman-bin-Daoudlaughed till the tears ran down his face at the impudence of the badlittle Butterfly. 

Balkis the Most Beautiful stood up behind the tree among the red liliesand smiled to herself, for she had heard all this talk. She thought, 'If I am wise I can yet save my Lord from the persecutions of thesequarrelsome Queens, ' and she held out her finger and whispered softly tothe Butterfly's Wife, 'Little woman, come here. ' Up flew the Butterfly'sWife, very frightened, and clung to Balkis's white hand. 

Balkis bent her beautiful head down and whispered, 'Little woman, do youbelieve what your husband has just said?'

The Butterfly's Wife looked at Balkis, and saw the most beautifulQueen's eyes shining like deep pools with starlight on them, and shepicked up her courage with both wings and said, 'O Queen, be lovely forever. You know what men-folk are like. '

And the Queen Balkis, the Wise Balkis of Sheba, put her hand to her lipsto hide a smile and said, 'Little sister, I know. '

'They get angry, ' said the Butterfly's Wife, fanning herself quickly, 'over nothing at all, but we must humour them, O Queen. They never meanhalf they say. If it pleases my husband to believe that I believe hecan make Suleiman-bin-Daoud's Palace disappear by stamping his foot, I'msure I don't care. He'll forget all about it to-morrow. '

'Little sister, ' said Balkis, 'you are quite right; but next time hebegins to boast, take him at his word. Ask him to stamp, and see whatwill happen. We know what men-folk are like, don't we? He'll be verymuch ashamed. '

Away flew the Butterfly's Wife to her husband, and in five minutes theywere quarrelling worse than ever. 

'Remember!' said the Butterfly. 'Remember what I can do if I stamp myfoot. '

'I don't believe you one little bit, ' said the Butterfly's Wife. 'Ishould very much like to see it done. Suppose you stamp now. '

'I promised Suleiman-bin-Daoud that I wouldn't, ' said the Butterfly, 'and I don't want to break my promise. '

'It wouldn't matter if you did, ' said his wife. 'You couldn't benda blade of grass with your stamping. I dare you to do it, ' she said. Stamp! Stamp! Stamp!'

Suleiman-bin-Daoud, sitting under the camphor-tree, heard every wordof this, and he laughed as he had never laughed in his life before. Heforgot all about his Queens; he forgot all about the Animal that cameout of the sea; he forgot about showing off. He just laughed with joy, and Balkis, on the other side of the tree, smiled because her own truelove was so joyful. 

Presently the Butterfly, very hot and puffy, came whirling back underthe shadow of the camphor-tree and said to Suleiman, 'She wants me tostamp! She wants to see what will happen, O Suleiman-bin-Daoud! You knowI can't do it, and now she'll never believe a word I say. She'll laughat me to the end of my days!'

'No, little brother, ' said Suleiman-bin-Daoud, 'she will never laugh atyou again, ' and he turned the ring on his finger--just for the littleButterfly's sake, not for the sake of showing off, --and, lo and behold, four huge Djinns came out of the earth!

'Slaves, ' said Suleiman-bin-Daoud, 'when this gentleman on my finger'(that was where the impudent Butterfly was sitting) 'stamps his leftfront forefoot you will make my Palace and these gardens disappear ina clap of thunder. When he stamps again you will bring them backcarefully. '

'Now, little brother, ' he said, 'go back to your wife and stamp allyou've a mind to. '

Away flew the Butterfly to his wife, who was crying, 'I dare you to doit! I dare you to do it! Stamp! Stamp now! Stamp!' Balkis saw the fourvast Djinns stoop down to the four corners of the gardens with thePalace in the middle, and she clapped her hands softly and said, 'Atlast Suleiman-bin-Daoud will do for the sake of a Butterfly what heought to have done long ago for his own sake, and the quarrelsome Queenswill be frightened!'

The the butterfly stamped. The Djinns jerked the Palace and the gardensa thousand miles into the air: there was a most awful thunder-clap, andeverything grew inky-black. The Butterfly's Wife fluttered about in thedark, crying, 'Oh, I'll be good! I'm so sorry I spoke. Only bring thegardens back, my dear darling husband, and I'll never contradict again. '

The Butterfly was nearly as frightened as his wife, andSuleiman-bin-Daoud laughed so much that it was several minutes beforehe found breath enough to whisper to the Butterfly, 'Stamp again, littlebrother. Give me back my Palace, most great magician. '

'Yes, give him back his Palace, ' said the Butterfly's Wife, still flyingabout in the dark like a moth. 'Give him back his Palace, and don'tlet's have any more horrid. Magic. '

'Well, my dear, ' said the Butterfly as bravely as he could, 'you seewhat your nagging has led to. Of course it doesn't make any differenceto me--I'm used to this kind of thing--but as a favour to you and toSuleiman-bin-Daoud I don't mind putting things right. '

So he stamped once more, and that instant the Djinns let down the Palaceand the gardens, without even a bump. The sun shone on the dark-greenorange leaves; the fountains played among the pink Egyptian lilies; thebirds went on singing, and the Butterfly's Wife lay on her side underthe camphor-tree waggling her wings and panting, 'Oh, I'll be good! I'llbe good!'

Suleiman-bin-Daolld could hardly speak for laughing. He leaned back allweak and hiccoughy, and shook his finger at the Butterfly and said, 'Ogreat wizard, what is the sense of returning to me my Palace if at thesame time you slay me with mirth!'

Then came a terrible noise, for all the nine hundred and ninety-nineQueens ran out of the Palace shrieking and shouting and calling fortheir babies. They hurried down the great marble steps below thefountain, one hundred abreast, and the Most Wise Balkis went statelilyforward to meet them and said, 'What is your trouble, O Queens?'

They stood on the marble steps one hundred abreast and shouted, 'What isour trouble? We were living peacefully in our golden palace, as is ourcustom, when upon a sudden the Palace disappeared, and we were leftsitting in a thick and noisome darkness; and it thundered, and Djinnsand Afrits moved about in the darkness! That is our trouble, O HeadQueen, and we are most extremely troubled on account of that trouble, for it was a troublesome trouble, unlike any trouble we have known. '

Then Balkis the Most Beautiful Queen--Suleiman-bin-Daoud's Very BestBeloved--Queen that was of Sheba and Sable and the Rivers of the Goldof the South--from the Desert of Zinn to the Towers of Zimbabwe--Balkis, almost as wise as the Most Wise Suleiman-bin-Daoud himself, said, 'Itis nothing, O Queens! A Butterfly has made complaint against hiswife because she quarrelled with him, and it has pleased our LordSuleiman-bin-Daoud to teach her a lesson in low-speaking and humbleness, for that is counted a virtue among the wives of the butterflies. '

Then up and spoke an Egyptian Queen--the daughter of a Pharoah--and shesaid, 'Our Palace cannot be plucked up by the roots like a leek for thesake of a little insect. No! Suleiman-bin-Daoud must be dead, and whatwe heard and saw was the earth thundering and darkening at the news. '

Then Balkis beckoned that bold Queen without looking at her, and said toher and to the others, 'Come and see. '

They came down the marble steps, one hundred abreast, and beneath hiscamphor-tree, still weak with laughing, they saw the Most Wise KingSuleiman-bin-Daoud rocking back and forth with a Butterfly on eitherhand, and they heard him say, 'O wife of my brother in the air, rememberafter this, to please your husband in all things, lest he be provoked tostamp his foot yet again; for he has said that he is used to this magic, and he is most eminently a great magician--one who steals away the veryPalace of Suleirnan-bin-Daoud himself. Go in peace, little folk!' And hekissed them on the wings, and they flew away. 

Then all the Queens except Balkis--the Most Beautiful and SplendidBalkis, who stood apart smiling--fell flat on their faces, for theysaid, 'If these things are done when a Butterfly is displeased withhis wife, what shall be done to us who have vexed our King with ourloud-speaking and open quarrelling through many days?'

Then they put their veils over their heads, and they put their handsover their mouths, and they tiptoed back to the Palace most mousy-quiet. 

Then Balkis--The Most Beautiful and Excellent Balkis--went forwardthrough the red lilies into the shade of the camphor-tree and laidher hand upon Suleiman-bin-Daoud's shoulder and said, 'O my Lord andTreasure of my Soul, rejoice, for we have taught the Queens of Egypt andEthiopia and Abyssinia and Persia and India and China with a great and amemorable teaching. '

And Suleiman-bin-Daoud, still looking after the Butterflies where theyplayed in the sunlight, said, 'O my Lady and Jewel of my Felicity, whendid this happen? For I have been jesting with a Butterfly ever since Icame into the garden. ' And he told Balkis what he had done. 

Balkis--The tender and Most Lovely Balkis--said, 'O my Lord and Regentof my Existence, I hid behind the camphor-tree and saw it all. It was Iwho told the Butterfly's Wife to ask the Butterfly to stamp, because Ihoped that for the sake of the jest my Lord would make some great magicand that the Queens would see it and be frightened. ' And she told himwhat the Queens had said and seen and thought. 

Then Suleiman-bin-Daoud rose up from his seat under the camphor-tree, and stretched his arms and rejoiced and said, 'O my Lady and Sweetenerof my Days, know that if I had made a magic against my Queens for thesake of pride or anger, as I made that feast for all the animals, Ishould certainly have been put to shame. But by means of your wisdomI made the magic for the sake of a jest and for the sake of a littleButterfly, and--behold--it has also delivered me from the vexations ofmy vexatious wives! Tell me, therefore, O my Lady and Heart of my Heart, how did you come to be so wise?' And Balkis the Queen, beautiful andtall, looked up into Suleiman-bin-Daoud's eyes and put her head a littleon one side, just like the Butterfly, and said, 'First, O my Lord, because I loved you; and secondly, O my Lord, because I know whatwomen-folk are. '

Then they went up to the Palace and lived happily ever afterwards. 

But wasn't it clever of Balkis?

 THERE was never a Queen like Balkis, From here to the wide world's end; But Balkis tailed to a butterfly As you would talk to a friend. 

 There was never a King like Solomon, Not since the world began; But Solomon talked to a butterfly As a man would talk to a man. 

 She was Queen of Sabaea-- And he was Asia's Lord-- But they both of 'em talked to butterflies When they took their walks abroad!