天涯在线书库《www.tianyabook.com》 《Just So Stories》 TABLE OF CONTENTS: HOW THE WHALE GOT HIS THROAT HOW THE CAMEL GOT HIS HUMP HOW THE RHINOT HIS SKIN HOW THE LEOT HIS SPOTS THE ELEPH99lib.ANTS 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 TH?９9ｌｉb?AT 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, ae fishes. He ate the starfish and the garfish, and the crab and the dab, and the plaid the dace, and the skate and his mate, and the mackereel and the pickereel, and the really truly twirly-whirly eel. All the fishes he could find in all the sea he ate with his mouth--so! Till at last there was only one small fish left in all the sea, and he was a small Stute Fish, and he swam a little behind the Whales right ear, so as to be out of harms way. Then the Whale stood up on his tail and said, Im hungry. And the small Stute Fish said in a small stute voioble and generous Ceta, have you ever tasted Man? No, said the Whale. What is it like? Nice, said the small Stute Fish. nubbly. Thech me some, said the Whale, and he made the sea froth up with his tail. O a time is enough, said the Stute Fish. If you swim to latitude Fifty North, longitude Forty West (that is magic), you will find, sitting _on_ a raft, _in_ the middle of the sea, with nothing on but a pair of blue vas breeches, a pair of suspenders (you must _not_ fet the suspenders, Best Beloved), and a jack- knife, one ship-wrecked Mariner, who, it is only fair to tell you, is a man of infinite-resourd-sagacity. So the Whale swam and swam to latitude Fifty North, longitude Forty West, as fast as he could swim, and _on_ a raft, _in_ the middle of the sea, _with_ nobbr>99liｂ?thing to wear except a pair of blue vas breeches, a pair of suspenders (you must particularly remember the suspenders, Best Beloved), _and_ a jaife, he found one single, solitary shipwrecked Marirailing his toes ier. (He had his mummys leave to paddle, or else he would never have do, because he was a man of infinite- resourd-sagacity.) Then the Whale opened his mouth bad bad back till it nearly touched his tail, and he swallowed the shipwrecked Mariner, and the raft he was sitting on, and his blue vas breeches, and the suspenders (whiust_ not fet), _and_ the jaife--He swallowed them all down into his warm, dark, inside cup-boards, and then he smacked his lips--so, and turned round three times on his tail. But as soon as the Mariner, who was a man of infinite-resource- and-sagacity, found himself truly ihe Whales warm, dark, inside cup-boards, he stumped and he jumped ahumped and he bumped, and he pranced and he danced, and he banged and he ged, a a, and he leaped and he creeped, and he prowled and he howled, and he hopped and he dropped, and he cried and he sighed, and he crawled and he bawled, aepped and he lepped, and he danced hornpipes where he shouldnt, and the Whale felt most unhappy indeed. (_Have_ you fotten the suspenders?) So he said to the Stute Fish, This man is very nubbly, and besides he is making me hiccough. What shall I do? Tell him to e out, said the Stute Fish. So the Whale called down his own throat to the shipwrecked Mariner, e out and behave yourself. Ive got the hiccoughs. Nay, nay! said the Mariner. Not so, but far otherwise. Take me to my natal-shore and the white-cliffs-of-Albion, and Ill 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-resourd-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 Mariners natal-shore and the white-cliffs-of-Albion, and he rushed half- the beach, and opened his mouth wide and wide and wide, and said, ge here for Wier, Ashuelot, Nashua, Keene, and stations on the _Fitch_burg Road; and just as he said Fitch the Mariner walked out of his mouth. But while the Whale had been swimming, the Mariner, who was indeed a person of infinite-resourd-sagacity, had taken his jaife and cut up the raft into a little square grating all running criss- cross, and he had tied it firm with his suspenders (_now_, you know why you were not tet the suspenders!), and he dragged that grating good and tight into the Whales throat, and there it stuck! Then he recited the following _Sloka_, which, as you have not heard it, I will now proceed to relate--.99liｂ. By means of a grati９9ｌiｂ?ng I have stopped your ating. For the Mariner he was also an Hi-ber-ni-an. Aepped out on the shingle, a home to his mother, who had given him leave to trail his toes ier; 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 her cough up nor swallow down, prevented him eating anything except very, very small fish; and that is the reason why whales nowadays never eat men or boys or little girls. The small Stute Fish went and hid himself in the mud uhe Door-sills of the Equator. He was afraid that the Whale might be angry with him. The Sailor took the jaife home. He was wearing the blue vas breeches when he walked out on the shihe suspenders were left behind, you see, to tie the grating with; and that is the end of _that_ tale. WHEN the 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 arent waked or washed or dressed, Why, then you will know (if you havent guessed) Youre Fifty North and Forty West! HOW THE CAMEL GOT HIS HUMP NOW this is the ale, and it tells how the Camel got his big hump. In the beginning of years, when the world was so new and all, and the Animals were just beginning to work for Man, there was a Camel, and he lived in the middle of a Howli because he did not want to work; and besides, he was a Howler himself. So he ate sticks 9９ｌｉｂ?and thorns and tamarisks and milkweed and prickles, most scruciating idle; and when anybody spoke to him he said Humph! Just Humph! and no more. Presently the Horse came to him on Monday m, with a saddle on his bad a b.９９lｉｂ. in his mouth, and said, Camel, O Camel, e out and trot 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 sti his mouth, and said, Camel, O Camel, e ad 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 ned said, Camel, O Camel, e 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 Ox together, and said, Three, O Three, Im very sorry for you (with the world so new-and-all); but that Humph-thing in the Desert t work, or he would have been here by now, so I am going to leave him alone, and you must work double-time to make up for it. That made the Three very angry (with the world so new-and-all), and they held a palaver, and an _indaba_, and a _punchayet_, and a po on the edge of the Desert; and the Camel came chewing on milkweed _most_ scruciating idle, and laughed at them. Then he said Humph! a away again. Presently there came along the Djinn in charge of All Deserts, rolling in a cloud of dust (Djinns always travel that way because it is Magic), aopped to palaver and poith the Three. Djinn of All Deserts, said the Horse, is it right for any oo be idle, with the world so new-and-all? Certainly not, said the Djinn. Well, said the Horse, theres a thing in the middle of your Howli (and hes a Howler himself) with a long ned long legs, and he hasnt done a stroke of work since Monday m. He wont trot. Whew! said the Djinn, whistling, thats my Camel, for all the gold in Arabia! What does he say about it? He says "Humph!" said the Dog; and he wod carry. Does he say anything else? Only "Humph!"; and he wont plough, said the Ox. Very good, said the Djinn. Ill humph him if you will kindly wait a minute. The Djinn rolled himself up in his dust-cloak, and took a bearing across the desert, and found the Camel most scruciatingly idle, looking at his own refle in a pool of water. My long and bubbling friend, said the Djinn, whats this I hear of your doing no work, with the world so new-and-all? Humph! said the Camel. The Djinn sat down, with his in his hand, and began to think a Great Magic, while the Camel looked at his own refle in the pool of water. Youve givehree extra work ever since Monday m, all on at of your scruciating idleness, said the Djinn; and he went on thinking Magics, with his in his hand. Humph! said the Camel. I shouldnt say that again if I were you, said the Djinn; you might say it ooo often. Bubbles, I want you to work. And the Camel said Humph! again; but no sooner had he said it than he saw his back, that he was so proud of, puffing up and puffing up into a great big lolloping humph. Do you see that? said the Djinn. Thats your very own humph that youve brought upon your very own self by not w. To-day is Thursday, and youve done no work since Monday, when the work began. Now yoing to work. How I, said the Camel, with this humph on my back? Thats made a-purpose, said the Djinn, all because you missed those three days. You will be able to work now for three days without eating, because you live on your humph; and dont you ever say I never did anything for you. e out of the Desert and go to the Three, and behave. Humph yourself! And the Camel humphed himself, humph and all, a away to joihree. And from that day to this the Camel always wears a humph (we call it hump now, not to hurt his feelings); but he has never yet caught up with the three days that he missed at the beginning of the world, and he has never yet learned how to behave. THE Camels 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 havent enough to do-oo-oo, We get the hump-- Cameelious hump-- The hump that is blad 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 er for me (And I know there is one for you) Whe the hump-- Cameelious hump-- The hump that is blad 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 blad blue! I get it as well as you-oo-oo-- If I havent enough to do-oo-oo-- We all get hump-- Cameelious hump-- Kiddies and grown-u?９9lｉｂ.t>ps 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 reflected in more-than-oriental splendour. And the Parsee lived by the Red Sea with nothing but his hat and his knife and a cooking-stove of the kind that you must particularly ouch. And one day he took flour and water and currants and plums and sugar and things, and made himself one cake which was two feet across and three feet thick. It was inde99ｌｉb?ed a Superior estible (thats magic), a it on stove because he was allowed to cook oove, and he baked it and he baked it till it was all done brown and smelt most seal. But just as he was going to eat it there came down to the beach from the Altogether Uninhabited Interior one Rhinoceros with a horn on his wo piggy eyes, and few manners. In those days the Rhinoceross skin fitted him quite tight. There were no wrinkles in it anywhere. He looked exactly like a Noahs Ark Rhinoceros, but of course much bigger. All the same, he had no mahen, and he has no manners now, and he never will have any manners. He said, How! and the Parsee left that cake and climbed to the top of a palm tree with nothing on but his hat, from which the rays of the sun were always reflected in more-than-oriental splendour. And the Rhinoceros upset the oil-stove with his nose, and the cake rolled on the sand, and he spiked that cake on the horn of his nose, ae it, and he went away, waving his tail, to the desolate and Exclusively Uninhabited Interior which abuts on the islands of Mazanderan, Socotra, and Promontories of the Larger Equinox. Then the Parsee came down from his palm-tree and put the stove on its legs aed the following Sloka, which, as you have not heard, I will now proceed 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, and everybody took off all the clothes they had. The Parsee took off his hat; but the Rhinoceros took off his skin and carried it over his shoulder as he came down to the beach to bathe. In those days it buttoned underh with three buttons and looked like a roof. He said nothing whatever about the Parsees cake, because he had eaten it 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 smile that ran all round his face two times. Then he dahree times round the skin and rubbed his hands. Then he went to his camp and filled his hat with cake-crumbs, for the Parsee e anything but cake, and never swept out his camp. He took that skin, and he shook that skin, and he 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 could possibly hold. Then he climbed to the top of his palm-tree and waited for the Rhinoceros to e out of the water and put it on. And the Rhinoceros did. He butto up with the three buttons, and it tickled like cake crumbs ihen he wao scratch, but that made it worse; and then he lay down on the sands and rolled and rolled and rolled, and every time he rolled the cake crumbs tickled him worse and worse and worse. Then he ran to the palm-tree and rubbed and rubbed and rubbed himself against it. He rubbed so mud so hard that he rubbed his skin into a great fold over his shoulders, and another fold underh, where the buttons used to be (but he rubbed the buttons off), and he rubbed some more folds over his legs. And it spoiled his temper, but it didnt make the least differeo the cake-crumbs. They were inside his skin and they tickled. So he went home, very angry indeed and horribly scratchy; and from that day to this every rhinoceros has great folds in his skin and a very bad temper, all on at of the cake-crumbs inside. But the Parsee came down from his palm-tree, wearing his hat, from which the rays of the sun were reflected in more-than-oriental splendour, packed up his cooking-stove, a away in the dire 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 its hot--too hot from Suez For the likes of you and me Ever to go In a P. and 0. And call on the Cake-Parsee! HOW THE LEOPARD GOT HIS SPOTS IN the days when everybody started fair, Best Beloved, the Leopard lived in a place called the High Veldt. Member it wasnt the Low Veldt, or the Bush Veldt, or the Sour Veldt, but the sclusively bare, hot, shiny High Veldt, where there was sand and sandy-coloured rod sclusively tufts of sandy- yellowish grass. The Giraffe and the Zebra and the Eland and the Koodoo and the Hartebeest lived there; and they were sclusively sandy-yellow-brownish all over; but the Leopard, he was the sclusivest sa-yellowish-brow of them all--a greyish-yellowish catty-shaped kind of beast, ached the sclusively yellowish-greyish-brownish colour of the High Veldt to one hair. This was very bad for the Giraffe and the Zebra and the rest of them; for he would lie down by a sclusively yellowish-greyish-brownish stone or clump of grass, and when the Giraffe or the Zebra or the Eland or the Koodoo or the Bush-Buck or the Bonte-Buck came by he would surprise them out of their jumpsome lives. He would indeed! And, also, there was ahiopian with bows and arrows (a sclusively greyish-brownish-yellowish man he was then), who lived on the High Veldt with the Leopard; and the two used to hunt together--the Ethiopian with his bows and arrows, and the Leopard sclusively with his teeth and claws--till the Giraffe and the Eland and the Koodoo and the Quagga and all the rest of them didnt kno藏书网w which way to jump, Best Beloved. They didnt indeed! After a long time--things lived for ever so long in those days--they learo avoid anything that looked like a Leopard or ahiopian; and bit by bit--the Giraffe began it, because his legs were the lo--they went away from the High Veldt. They scuttled for days and days and days till they came to a great forest, sclusively full of trees and bushes and stripy, speckly, patchy-blatchy shadows, and there they hid: and after another long time, what with standing half in the shade and half out of it, and what with the slippery-slidy shadows of the trees falling ohe Giraffe grew blotchy, and the Zebra grew stripy, and the Eland and the Koodoo grew darker, with little wavy grey lines on their backs like bark on a tree trunk; and so, though you could hear them and smell th..em, you could very seldom see them, and then only when you knew precisely where to look. They had a beautiful time in the sclusively speckly-spickly shadows of the forest, while the Leopard and the Ethiopian ran about over the sclusively greyish-yellowish-reddish High Veldt outside, w where all their breakfasts and their dinners and their teas had go last they were so hungry that they ate rats ales and rock-rabbits, the Leopard and the Ethiopian, and then they had the Big Tummy-ache, both together; and then they met Baviaan--the dog-headed, barking Baboon, who is Quite the Wisest Animal in All South Africa. Said Leopard to Baviaan (and it was a very hot day), Where has all the game gone? And Baviaan winked. He knew. Said the Ethiopian to Baviaan, you tell me the present habitat of the abinal Fauna? (That meant just the same thing, but the Ethiopian always used long words. He was a grown-up.) And Baviaan winked. He knew. Then said Baviaan, The game has goo other spots; and my advice to you, Leopard, is to go into other spots as soon as you . And the Ethiopian said, That is all very fine, but I wish to know whither the abinal Fauna has migrated. Then said Baviaan, The abinal Fauna has joihe abinal Flora because it was high time for a ge; and my advice to you, Ethiopian, is to ge as soon as you . That puzzled the Leopard and the Ethiopian, but they set off to look for the abinal Flora, and presently, after ever so many days, they saw a great, high, tall forest full of tree trunks all sclusively speckled and sprottled and spottled, dotted and splashed and slashed and hatched and cross-hatched with shadows. (Say that quickly aloud, and you will see how very shadowy the forest must have been.) What is this, said the Leopard, that is so sclusively dark, a so full of little pieces of light? I dont know, said the Ethiopian, but it ought to be the abinal Flora. I smell Giraffe, and I hear Giraffe, but I t see Giraffe. Thats curious, said the Leopard. I suppose it is because we have just e in out of the sunshine. I smell Zebra, and I hear Zebra, but I t see Zebra. Wait a bit, said the Ethiopian. Its a long time since weve hunted em. Perhaps weve fotten what they were like. Fiddle! said the Leopard. I remember them perfectly on the High Veldt, especially their marrow-bones. Giraffe is about seventee high, of a sclusively fulvous golden-yellow from head to heel; and Zebra is about four and a half feet high, of asclusively grey-fawn colour from head to heel. Umm, said the Ethiopian, looking into the speckly-spickly shadows of the abinal Flora-forest. Then they ought to show up in this dark place like ripe bananas in a smokehouse. But they didnt. The Leopard and the Ethiopian hunted all day; and though they could smell them ahem, they never saw one of them. Foodness sake, said the Leopard at tea-time, let us wait till it gets dark. This daylight hunting is a perfect sdal. So they waited till dark, and then the Leopard heard something breathing sniffily iarlight that fell all stripy through the branches, and he jumped at the noise, and it smelt like Zebra, and it felt like Zebra, and when he k down it kicked like Zebra, but he could. So he said, Be quiet, O you person without any form. I am going to sit on your head till m, because there is something about you that I dont uand. Presently he heard a grunt and a crash and a scramble, and the Ethiopian called out, Ive caught a thing that I t see. It smells like Giraffe, and it kicks like Giraffe, but it hasnt any form. Dont you trust it, said the Leopard. Sit on its head till the m--same as me. They havent any form--any of em. So they sat down on them hard till bright m-time, and then Leopard said, What have you at your end of the table, Brother? The Ethiopian scratched his head and said, It ought to be sclusively a rich fulvous e-tawny from head to heel, and it ought to be Giraffe; but it is covered all over with chestnut blotches. What have you at your end of the table, Brother? And the Leopard scratched his head and said, It ought to be sclusively a delicate greyish-fawn, and it ought to be Zebra; but it is covered all over with blad purple stripes. What in the world have you been doing to yourself, Zebra? Dont you know that if you were on the High Veldt I could see you ten miles off? You havent any form. Yes, said the Zebra, but this isnt the High Veldt. t you see? I ow, said the Leopard. But I couldnt all yesterday. How is it done? 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 some little thorn-bushes where the sunlight fell all stripy, and Giraffe moved off to some tallish trees where the shadows fell all blotchy. Now watch, said the Zebra and the Giraffe. This is the way its done. Owo--three! And wheres your breakfast? Leopard stared, ahiopian stared, but all they could see were stripy shadows and blotched shadows in the forest, but never a sign of Zebra and Giraffe. They had just walked off and hidden themselves in the shadowy forest. Hi! Hi! said the Ethiopian. Thats a trick worth learning. Take a lesson by it, Leopard. You show up in this dark place like a bar of soap in a coal-scuttle. Ho! Ho! said the Leopard. Would it surprise you very much to know that you show up in this dark place like a mustard-plaster on a sack of coals? Well, calling names wont catch dinner, said the Ethiopian. The long and the little of it is that we dont match our backgrounds. Im going to take Baviaans advice. He told me I ought to ge; and as Ive nothing to ge except my skin Im going to ge that. What to? said the Leopard, tremendously excited. To a nice w blackish-brownish colour, with a little purple in it, and touches of slaty-blue. It will be the very thing for hiding in hollows and behind trees. So he ged his skin then and there, and the Leopard was more excited than ever; he had never seen a man ge his skin before. But what about me? he said, whehiopian had worked his last little finger into his fine new black skin. You take Baviaans advice too. He told you to go into spots. So I did, said the Leopard. I went into other spots as fast as I could. I went into this spot with you, and a lot of good it has done me. Oh, said the Ethiopian, Baviaan didnt mean spots in South Africa. He meant spots on your skin. Whats 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-feet satisfa. Umm, said the Leopard. I wouldnt look like Zebra--not for ever so. Well, make up your mind, said the Ethiopian, because Id hate to go hunting without you, but I must if you insist on looking like a sun-flainst a tarred fence. Ill take spots, then, said the Leopard; but dont make em too vulgar-big. I wouldnt look like Giraffe--not for ever so. Ill make em with the tips of my fingers, said the Ethiopian. Theres plenty of black left on my skin still. Stand over! Thehiopian put his five fingers close together (there lenty of black left on his new skin still) and pressed them all over the Leopard, and wherever the five fiouched they left five little black marks, all close together. You see them on any Leopards skin you like, Best Beloved. Sometimes the fingers slipped and the marks got a little blurred; but if you look closely at any Leopard now you will see that there are always five spots--off five fat black fiips. Now you are a beauty! said the Ethiopian. You lie out on the bare ground and look like a heap of pebbles. You lie out on the naked rocks and look like a piece of pudding-stone. You lie out on a leafy brand look like sunshine sifting through the leaves; and you lie right across the tre of a path and look like nothing in particular. Think of that and purr! But if Im all this, said the Leopard, why didnt you go spotty too? Oh, plain blacks best for a nigger, said the Ethiopian. Now e along and well see if we t get even with Mr. Owo- Three-Wheres-your-Breakfast! So they went away and lived happily ever afterward, Best Beloved. That is all. Oh, now and then you will hear grown-ups say, the Ethiopian ge his skin or the Leopard his spots? I dont think even grown-ups would keep on saying such a silly thing if the Leopard and the Ethiopian hadnt do once--do you? But they will never do it agai Beloved. They are quite tented 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 e--in a carriage--calling. But Mummy is there.... Yes, I go if you take me--Nurse says she dont care. Lets go up to the pig-sties and sit on the farmyard rails! Lets say things to the bunnies, and watch em skitter their tails! Lets--oh, anything, daddy, so long as its you and me, And going truly expl, and not being in till tea! Heres your boots (Ive brought em), and heres your cap and stick, And heres your pipe and tobacco. Oh, e along out of it --quick. THE ELEPHANTS CHILD IN the High and Far-Off Times the Elephant, O Best Beloved, had no trunk. He had only a blackish, bulgy nose, as big as a boot, that he could wriggle about from side to side; but he couldnt pick up things with it. But there was one Elephant--a new Elephant--an Elephants Child--who was full of satiable ９９lｉb?curtiosity, and that means he asked ever so many questions. And he lived in Africa, and he filled all Africa with his satiable curtiosities. He asked his tall aunt, the Ostrich, why her tail-feathers grew just so, and his tall aunt the Ostrich spanked him with her hard, hard claw. He asked his tall uhe Giraffe, what made his skin spotty, and his tall uhe Giraffe, spanked him with his hard, hard hoof. And still he was full of satiable curtiosity! He asked his broad aunt, the Hippopotamus, why her eyes were red, and his broad aunt, the Hippopotamus, spanked him with her broad, broad hoof; and he asked his hairy uhe Baboon, why melons tasted just so, and his hairy uhe Baboon, spanked him with his hairy, hairy paw. And still he was full of satiable curtiosity! He asked questions about everything that he saw, or heard, or felt, or smelt, or touched, and all his uncles and his aunts spanked him. And still he was full of satiable curtiosity! One fine m in the middle of the Precession of the Equihis satiable Elephants Child asked a new fine question that he had never asked before. He asked, What does the Crocodile have for dihen everybody said, Hush! in a loud and dretful tone, and they spanked him immediately and directly, without stopping, for a long time. By and by, when that was finished, he came upon Kolokolo Bird sitting in the middle of a wait-a-bit thorn-bush, and he said, My father has spanked me, and my mother has spanked me; all my aunts and uncles have spanked me for my satiable curtiosity; and still I want to know what the Crocodile has for dinner! Then Kolokolo Bird said, with a mournful cry, Go to the banks of the great grey-green, greasy Limpopo River, all set about with fever-trees, and find out. That very m, when there was nothi of the Equinoxes, because the Precession had preceded acc to pret, this satiable Elephants Child took a hundred pounds of bananas (the little short red kind), and a hundred pounds of sugar-e (the long purple kind), aeen melons (the greeny-crackly kind), and said to all his dear families, Goodbye. I am going to the great grey-green, greasy Limpopo River, all set about with fever-trees, to find out what the Crocodile 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, eating melons, and throwing the rind about, because he could not pick it up. He went from Grahams Town to Kimberley, and from Kimberley to Khamas try, and from Khamas try he we by north, eating melons all 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 as Kolokolo Bird had said. Now you must know and uand, O Best Beloved, that till that very week, and day, and hour, and mihis satiable Elephants Child had never seen a Crocodile, and did not know what one was like. It was all his satiable curtiosity. The first thing that he found was a Bi-Coloured-Python-Roake curled round a rock. Scuse me, said the Elephants Child most politely, but have you seen such a thing as a Crocodile in these promiscuous parts? Have I seen a Crocodile? said the Bi-Coloured-Python-Roake, in a voice of dretful s. What will you ask me ? Scuse me, said the Elephants Child, but could you kindly tell me what he has for dinner? Then the Bi-Coloured-Python-Roake uncoiled himself very quickly from the rock, and spahe Elephants Child with his scalesome, flailsome tail. That is odd, said the Elephants Child, because my father and my mother, and my uncle and my aunt, not to mention my other aunt, the Hippopotamus, and my other uhe 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-Roake, and helped to coil him up on the rock again, a 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 was a log of wood at the very edge of the great grey-green, greasy L..impopo River, all set about with fever-trees. But it was really the Crocodile, O Best Beloved, and the Crocodile winked one eye--like this! Scuse me, said the Elephants Child most politely, but do you happen to have seen a Crocodile in these promiscuous parts? Then the Crocodile wihe other eye, and lifted half his tail out of the mud; and the Elephants Child stepped back most politely, because he did not wish to be spanked again. e hither, Little One, said the Crocodile. Why do you ask such things? Scuse me, said the Elephants Child most politely, but my father has spanked me, my mother has spanked me, not to mention my tall aunt, the Ostrich, and my tall uhe Giraffe, who kick ever so hard, as well as my broad aunt, the Hippopotamus, and my hairy uhe Baboon, and including the Bi-Coloured-Python-Roake, with the scalesome, flailsome tail, just up the bank, who spanks harder than any of them; and so, if its quite all the same to you, I dont want to be spanked any more. e hither, Little One, said the Crocodile, for I am the Crocodile, and he wept crocodile-tears to show it was quite true. Then the Elephants Child grew all breathless, and panted, and kneeled down on the bank and said, You are the very person I have been looking for all these long days. Will you please tell me what you have for dinner? e hither, Little One, said the Crocodile, and Ill whisper. Then the Elephants Child put his head down close to the Crocodiles musky, tusky mouth, and the Crocodile caught him by his little nose, which up to that very week, day, hour, and minute, had been no bigger than a boot, though much more useful. I think, said the Crocodile--and he said it between his teeth, like this--I think to-day I will begin with Elephants Child! At this, O Best Beloved, the Elephants Child was munoyed, and he said, speaking through his nose, like this, Led go! You are hurtig be! Then the Bi-Coloured-Python-Roake scuffled down from the bank and said, My young friend, if you do not now, immediately and instantly, pull as hard as ever you , it is my opinion that your acquaintan the large-patterher ulster (and by this he meant the Crocodile) will jerk you into yonder limpid stream before you say Jack Robinson. This is the way Bi-Coloured-Python-Roakes always talk. Then the Elephants Child sat ba his little haunches, and pulled, and pulled, and pulled, and his nose began to stretch. And the Crocodile floundered into the water, making it all creamy with great sweeps of his tail, and he pulled, and pulled, and pulled. And the Elephants Childs nose kept on stretg; and the Elephants Child spread all his little fs and pulled, and pulled, and pulled, and his nose kept on stretg; and the Crocodile threshed his tail like an oar, and he pulled, and pulled, and pulled, and at each pull the Elephants Childs nose grew longer and longer--and it hurt him hijjus! Then the Elephants Child felt his legs slipping, and he said through his nose, which was now nearly five feet long, This is too butch for be! Then the Bi-Coloured-Python-Roake came down from the bank, and knotted himself in a double-clove-hitch round the Elephants Childs hind legs, and said, Rash and inexperieraveller, we will now seriously devote ourselves to a little high tension, because if we do not, it is my impression that yonder self-propelling man-of-war with the armour-plated upper deck (and by this, O Best Beloved, he meant the Crocodile), will permaly vitiate your future career. That is the way all Bi-Coloured-Python-Roakes always talk. So he pulled, and the Elephants Child pulled, and the Crocodile pulled; but the Elephants Child and the Bi-Coloured-Python-Roake pulled hardest; and at last the Crocodile let go of the Elephants Childs h a plop that you could hear all up and down the Limpopo. Then the Elephants Child sat down most hard and sudden; but first he was careful to say Thank you to the Bi-Coloured-Python-Roake; a he was kind to his poor pulled nose, and ed it all up in cool banana leaves, and hung it in the great grey-green, greasy Limpopo to cool. What are you doing that for? said the Bi-Coloured-Python-Roake. Scuse me, said the Elephants Child, but my nose is badly out of shape, and I am waiting for it to shrink. Then you will have to wait a long time, said the Bi-Coloured-Python-Roake. Some people do not know what is good for them. The Elephants Child sat there for three days waiting for his o shrink. But it never grew any shorter, and, besides, it made him squint. For, O Best Beloved, you will see and uand that the Crocodile had pulled it out into a really truly trunk same as all Elephants have to-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 that fly dead with the end of it. Vantage number one! said the Bi-Coloured-Python-Roake. You couldnt have dohat with a mere-smear ry a a little now. Before he thought what he was doing the Elephants Child put out his trunk and plucked a large bundle of grass, dusted it against his fore-legs, and stuffed it into his own mouth. Vantage wo! said the Bi-Coloured-Python-Roake. You couldnt have dohat with a mear-smear nose. Dont you think the sun is very hot here? It is, said the Elephants Child, and before he thought what he was doing he schlooped up a schloop of mud from the banks of the great grey-green, greasy Limpopo, and slapped it on his head, where it made a cool schloopy-sloshy mud-cap all trickly behind his ears. Vantage hree! said the Bi-Coloured-Python-Roake. You couldnt have dohat with a mere-smear nose. Now how do you feel about being spanked again? Scuse me, said the Elephants Child, but I should not like it at all. How would you like to spank somebody? said the Bi- Coloured-Python-Roake. I should like it very mudeed, said the Elephants Child. Well, said the Bi-Coloured-Python-Roake, you will find that new nose of yours very useful to spank people with. Thank you, said the Elephants Child, Ill remember that; and now I think Ill go home to all my dear families and try. So the Elephants Child went home across Africa frisking and whisking his 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 grass he plucked grass up from the ground, instead of going on his knees as he used to do. When the flies bit him he broke off the branch of a tree and used it as fly-whisk; and he made himself a new, cool, slushy-squshy mud-cap whehe sun was hot. When he felt lonely walking through Africa he sang to himself down his trunk, and the noise was louder than several brass bands. He went especially out of his way to find a broad Hippopotamus (she was no re>.lation of his), and he spanked her very hard, to make sure that the Bi-Coloured-Python-Roake had spokeruth about his runk. The rest of the time he picked up the melon rinds that he had dropped on his way to the Limpopo--for he was a Tidy Pachyderm. One dark evening he came back to all his dear families, and he coiled up his trunk and said, How do you do? They were very glad to see him, and immediately said, e here and be spanked for your satiable curtiosity. Pooh, said the Elephants Child. I dont think you peoples know anything about spanking; but I do, and Ill show you. Then he uncurled his trunk and kwo of his dear brothers head over heels. O Bananas! said they, where did you learn that trick, and what have you doo your nose? I got a new one from the Crocodile on the banks of the great grey-green, greasy Limpopo River, said the Elephants Child. I asked him what he had for dinner, and he gave me this to keep. It looks very ugly, said his hairy uhe Baboon. It does, said the Elephants Child. But its very useful, and he picked up his hairy uhe Baboon, by one hairy leg, and hove him into a hors . Then that bad Elephants Child spanked all his dear families for a long time, till they were very warm and greatly astonished. He pulled out his tall Ostrich aunts tail-feathers; and he caught his tall uhe Giraffe, by the hind-leg, and dragged him through a thorn-bush; and he shouted at his broad aunt, the Hippopotamus, and blew bubbles into her ear when she was sleeping ier after meals; but he never let any oouch Kolokolo Bird. At last things grew so exg that his dear families went off one by one in a hurry to the banks of the great grey-green, greasy Limpopo River, all set about with fever-trees, to borrow new noses from the Crocodile. When they came baobody spanked anybody any more; and ever sihat day, O Best Beloved, all the Elephants you will ever see, besides all those that you wont, have trunks precisely like the trunk of the satiable Elephants Child. I Keep six ho serving-men: (They taught me all I kheir names are What and Where and When And How and Why and Who. I send them over land and sea, I send them east a; But after they have worked for me, I give them all a rest. I let them rest from ill 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 knoerson small-- She keeps ten million serving-men, Who get no rest at all! She sends em abroad on her own affairs, From the sed 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 Different Animal with four short legs. He was grey and he was woolly, and his pride was inordinate: he danced on an outcrop in the middle of Australia, and he went to the Little God Nqa. He went to Nqa at six before breakfast, saying, Make me different from all 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 danced on a rock-ledge in the middle of Australia, and he went to the Middle God Nquing. He went to Nquing at eight after breakfast, saying, Make me different from all other animals; make me, also, wonderfully popular by five this afternoon. 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 danced on a sandbank in the middle of Australia, and he went to the Big God Nqong. He went to Nqong at ten before diime, sayin.g, Make me different from all other animals; make me popular and wonderfully run after by five this afternoon. Up jumped Nqong from his bath in the salt-pan and shouted, Yes, I will! Nqong called Dingo--Yellow-Dog Dingo--always hungry, dusty in the sunshine, and showed him Kangaroo. Nqong said, Dingo! Wake up, Dingo! Do you see that gentleman dang on an ashpit? He wants to be popular aruly 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 a coal-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 through the salt-pans; he ran through the reed-beds; he ran through the blue gums; 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 a rat-trap, never getting nearer, never getting farther,--ran after Kangaroo. He had to! Still ran Kangaroo--Old Man Kangaroo. He ran through the ti-trees; he ran through the mulga; he ran through the long grass; he ran through the shrass; he ran through the Tropics of Capri and cer; he ran till his hind legs ached. He had to! Still ran Dingo--Yellow-Dog Dingo--hungrier and hungrier, grinning like a horse-collar, never getting nearer, never getting farther; and they came to the Wollgong River. Now, there wasnt any bridge, and there wasnt any ferry-boat, and Kangaroo didnt know how to get over; so he stood on his legs and hopped. He had to! He hopped through the Flinders; he hopped through the ders; he hopped through the deserts in the middle of Australia. He hopped like a Kangaroo. First he hopped one yard; then he hopped three yards; then he hopped five yards; his legs growing stronger; his legs growing longer. He hadnt any time for rest or refreshment, and he wahem very much. Still ran Dingo--Yellow-Dog Dingo--very much bewildered, very much hungry, and w what in the world or out of it made Old Man Kangaroo hop. For he hopped like a cricket; like a pea in a sau; or a new rubber ball on a nursery floor. He had to! He tucked up his front legs; he hopped on his hind legs; he stuck out his tail for a balance-weight behind him; and he hopped through the Darling Downs. He had to! Still ran Dingo--Tired-Dog Dingo--hungrier and hungrier, very much bewildered, and w when in the world or out of it would Old Man Kangaroo stop. Then came Nqong from his bath in the salt-pans, and said, Its five oclock. Down sat Dingo--P Dingo--always hungry, dusky in the sunshine; hung out his tongue and howled. Down sat Kangaroo--Old Man Kangaroo--stuck out his tail like a milking-stool behind him, and said, Thank goodhats finished! Then said Nqong, who is always a gentleman, Why arent you grateful to Yellow-Dog Dingo? Why dont you thank him for all he has done for you? Then said Kangaroo--Tired Old Kangaroo--Hes chased me out of the homes of my childhood; hes chased me out of my regular meal-times; h?es altered my shape so Ill never get it back; and hes played Old Scratch with my legs. Then said Nqong, Perhaps Im mistaken, but didnt you ask me to make you different from all other animals, as well as to make you very truly sought after? And now it is five oclock. Yes, said Kangaroo. I wish that I hadnt. I thought you would do it by charms and intations, but this is a practical joke. Joke! said Nqong from his bath in the blue gums. Say that again and Ill whistle up Dingo and run your hind legs off. No, said the Kangaroo. I must apologise. Legs are legs, and you alter em so far as I am ed. I only meant to explain to Your Lordlihat Ive had nothing to eat since m, and Im very empty indeed. Yes, said Dingo--Yellow-Dog Dingo,--I am just in the same situation. Ive made him different from all other animals; but what may I have for my tea? Then said Nqong from his bath in the salt-pan, e and ask me about it tomorrow, because Im going to wash. So they were left in the middle of Australia, Old Man Kangaroo and Yellow-Dog Dingo, and each said, Thats your fault. THIS is the mouth-filling song Of the race that was run by a Boomer, Run in a single burst--o of its kind-- Started by big God Nqong from Warrigabarooma, Old Man Kangaroo first: Yellow-Dog Dingo behind. Kangaroo bounded away, His back-legs w like pistons-- Bounded from m 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 ti Hadnt 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. Sposing you could trot From Adelaide to the Pacific, For an afternoons run Half what these gentlemen did You would feel rather hot, But ys would develop terrific-- Yes, my importunate son, Youd be a Marvellous Kid! THE BEGINNING OF THE ARMADILLOS THIS, O Best Beloved, is aory of the High and Far-Off Times. In the very middle of those times was a Stickly- Prickly Hedgehog, and he lived on the banks of the turbid Amazoing shelly snails and things. And he had a friend, a Slow- Solid Tortoise, who lived on the banks of the turbid Amazoing greeuces藏书网 and things. And so that was all right, Best Beloved. Do you see? But also, and at the same time, in those High and Far-Off Times, there ainted Jaguar, and he lived on the banks of the turbid Amazon too; ae everything that he could catch. When he could not catch deer or monkeys he would eat frogs ales; and when he could not catch frogs ales he went to his Muar, and she told him how to eat hedgehogs and tortoises. She said to him ever so many times, graciously waviail, My son, when you find a Hedgehog you must drop him into the water and then he will uncoil, and when you catch a Tortoise you must scoop him out of his shell with your paw. And so that was all right, Best Beloved. Oiful night on the banks of the turbid Amazon, Painted Jaguar found Stickly-Prickly Hedgehog and Slow-Solid Tortoise sitting uhe trunk of a fallehey could not run away, and so Stickly-Prickly curled himself up into a ball, because he was a Hedgehog, and Slow-Solid Tortoise drew in his head a into his shell as far as they would go, 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 very important. My mother said that when I meet a Hedgehog I am to drop him into the water and then he will uncoil, and when I meet a Tortoise I am to scoop him out of his shell with my paw. Now which of you is Hedgehog and which is Tortoise? because, to save my spots, I t tell. Are you sure of what your Mummy told you? said Stickly-Prickly Hedgehog. Are you quite sure? Perhaps she said that when you uncoil a Tortoise you must shell him out the water with a scoop, and when you paw a Hedgehog you must drop him on the shell. Are you sure of what your Mummy told you? said Slow-and-Solid Tortoise. Are you quite sure? Perhaps she said that when you water a Hedgehog you must drop him into your paw, and when you meet a Tortoise you must shell him till he uncoils. I dont think it was at all like that, said Painted Jaguar, but he felt a little puzzled; but, please, say it again more distinctly. When you scoop water with your paw you uncoil it with a Hedgehog, said Stickly-Prickly. Remember that, because its important. But, said the Tortoise, when you paw your meat you drop it into a Tortoise with a scoop. Why t you uand? You are making my spots ache, said Painted Jaguar; and besides, I didnt want your advice at all. I only wao know which of you is Hedgehog and which is Tortoise. I shant tell you, said Stickly-Prickly. but you se out of my shell if you like. Aha! said Painted Jaguar. Now I know youre Tortoise. You thought I wouldnt! Now I will. Painted Jaguar darted out his paddy-paw just as Stickly-Prickly curled himself up, and of course Jaguars paddy-paw was just filled with prickles. Worse than that, he kickly-Prickly away and away into the woods and the bushes, where it was too dark to find him. The his paddy-paw into his mouth, and of course the prickles hurt him worse than ever. As soon as he could speak he said, Now I know he isnt Tortoise at all. But--and then he scratched his head with his un-prickly paw--how do I know that this other is Tortoise? But I am Tortoise, said Slow-and-Solid. Your mother was quite right. She said that you were to se out of my shell with your paw. Begin. You didnt say she said that a minute ago, said Painted Jaguar, sug the prickles out of his paddy-paw. You said she said something quite different. Well, suppose you say that I said that she said something quite different, I dohat it makes any difference; because if she said what you said I said she said, its just the same as if I said what she said she said. Oher hand, if you think she said that you were to une with a scoop, instead of pawio drops with a shell, I t help that, I? But you said you wao be scooped out of your shell with my paainted Jaguar. If youll think again youll find that I didnt say anything of the kind. I said that your mother said that you were to se out of my shell, said Slow-and-Solid. What will happen if I do? said the Jaguar most sniffily and most cautious. I dont know, because Ive never been scooped out of my shell before; but I tell you truly, if you want to see me swim away youve only got to drop me into the water. I dont believe it, said Painted Jaguar. Youve mixed up all the things my mother told me to do with the things that you asked me whether I was sure that she didnt say, till I dont know whether Im on my head or my paiail; and now you e and tell me something I uand, and it makes me more mixy than before. My mother told me that I was to drop one of you two into the water, and as you seem so anxious to be dropped I think you dont want to be dropped. So jump into the turbid Amazon and be quick about it. I warn you that your Mummy wont be pleased. Dont tell her I didnt tell you, said Slow-Solid. If you say another word about what my mother said-- the Jaguar answered, but he had not fihe sentence before Slow-and-Solid quietly 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 dont rib Painted Jaguar. What did you tell him that you were? I told him truthfully that I was a truthful Tortoise, but he wouldnt believe it, and he made me jump into the river to see if I was, and I was, and he is surprised. Now hes goo tell his Mummy. Listen to him! They could hear Painted Jaguar r up and down among the trees and the bushes by the side of the turbid Amazon, till his Mummy came. Son, son! said his mother ever so many times, graciously waviail, what have you been doing that you shouldnt have done? I tried to scoop something that said it wao be scooped out of its shell with my paw, and my paw is full of per-ickles, said Painted Jaguar. Son, son! said his mother ever so many times, graciously waviail, by the prickles in your paddy-paw I see that that must have been a Hedgehog. You should have dropped him into the water. I did that to the other thing; and he said he was a Tortoise, and I didnt believe him, and it was quite true, and he has dived uhe turbid Amazon, and he wont e up again, and I havent anything at all to eat, and I think we had better find lodgings somewhere else. They are too clever ourbid Amazon for poor me! Son, son! said his mother ever so many times, graciously waviail, now attend to me and remember what I say. A Hedgehog curls himself up into a ball and his prickles stick out every which way at once. By this you may know the Hedgehog. I dont like this old lady otle bit, said Stickly-Prickly, uhe shadow of a large leaf. I wonder what else she knows? A Tortoise t curl himself up, Muar went on, ever so many times, graciously waviail. He only draws his head and legs into his shell. By this you may know the tortoise. I dont like this old lady at all--at all, said Slow-and-Solid Tortoise. Even Painted Jaguar t fet those dires. Its a great pity that you t swim, Stickly-Prickly. Dont talk to me, said Stickly-Prickly. Just think how much better it would be if you could curl up. This is a mess! Listen to Painted Jaguar. Painted Jaguar was sitting on the banks of the turbid Amazon sug prickles out of his Paws and saying to himself-- t curl, but swim-- Slow-Solid, thats him! Curls up, but t swim-- Stickly-Prickly, thats him! Hell never fet that this month of Sundays, said Stickly-Prickly. Hold up my , Slow-and-Solid. Im going to try to learn to swim. It may be us９９ｌｉb?eful. Excellent! said Slow-and-Solid; and he held up Stickly-Pricklys , while Stickly-Prickly kicked iers of the turbid Amazon. Youll make a fine swimmer yet, said Slow-and-Solid. Now, if you unlace my back-plates a little, Ill see what I do towards curling up. It may be useful. Stickly-Prickly helped to uortoises back-plates, so that by twisting and straining Slow-and-Solid actually mao curl up a tiddy wee bit. Excellent! said Stickly-Prickly; but I shouldnt do any more just now. Its making you bla the face. Kindly lead me into the water once again and Ill 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 you a regular whale. Now, if I may trouble you to unlace my bad front plates two holes more, Ill try that fasatihat you say is so easy. Wont Painted Jaguar be surprised! Excellent! said Stickly-Prickly, all wet from the turbid Amazon. I declare, I shouldnt know you from one of my own family. Two holes, I think, you said? A little more expression, please, and dont grunt quite so much, or Painted Jaguar may hear us. When youve finished, I want to try that long dive which you say is so easy. Wont Painted Jaguar be surprised! And so Stickly-Prickly dived, and Slow-and-Solid dived alongside. Excellent! said Slow-and-Solid. A leetle more attention to holding your breath and you will be able to keep house at the bottom of the turbid Amazon. Now Ill try that exercise of putting my hind legs round my ears which you say is so peculiarly fortable. Wont Painted Jaguar be surprised! Excellent! said Stickly-Prickly. But its straining your back-plates a little. They are all overlapping now, instead of lying side by side. Oh, thats the result of exercise, said Slow-and-Solid. Ive noticed that your prickles seem to be melting into one another, and that yrowing to look rather more like a pinee, and less like a chestnut-burr, than you used to. Am I? said Stickly-Prickly. That es from my soaking ier. Oh, wont Painted Jaguar be surprised! They went on with their exercises, each helping the other, till m came; and when the sun was high they rested and dried themselves. Then they saw that they were both of them quite different from what they had been. Stickly-Prickly, said Tortoise after breakfast, I am not what I was yesterday; 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 nothing of being able to swim. Oh, wont Painted Jaguar be surprised! Lets go and find him. By and by they found Painted Jaguar, still nursing his paddy-paw that had been hurt the night before. He was so astohat he fell three times backward over his own paiail without stopping. Good m! said Stickly-Prickly. And how is your dear graummy this m? She is quite well, thank you, said Painted Jaguar; but you must five me if I do not at this precise moment recall your name. Thats unkind of you, said Stickly-Prickly, seeing that this time yesterday you tried to se out of my shell with your paw. But you hadnt any shell. It rickles, said Painted Jaguar. I know it was. Just look at my paw! You told me to drop into the turbid Amazon and be drowned, said Slow-Solid. Why are you so rude and fetful to-day? Dont you remember what your mother told you? said Stickly- Prickly,-- t curl, but swim-- Stickly-Prickly, thats him! Curls up, but t swim-- Slow-Solid, thats him! Then they both curled themselves up and rolled round and round Painted Jaguar till his eyes turruly 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, and the ohat you said couldnt swim, swims, and the ohat you said couldnt curl up, curls; and theyve gone shares in their prickles, I think, because both of them are scaly all over, instead of one being smooth and the other very prickly; and, besides that, they are rolling round and round in circles, and I dont feel fy. Son, son! said Muar ever so many times, graciously waviail, a Hedgehog is a Hedgehog, and t be anything but a Hedgehog; and a Tortoise is a Tortoise, and ever be anything else. But it isnt a Hedgehog, and it isnt a Tortoise. Its a little bit of both, and I dont know its proper name. Nonsense! said Muar. Everything has its proper name. I should call it "Armadillo" till I found out the real one. And I should leave it alone. So Painted Jaguar did as he was told, especially about leaving them alone; but the curious thing is that from that day to this, O Best Beloved, no one on the banks of the turbid Amazon has ever called Stickly-Prickly and Slow-Solid anything except Armadillo. There are Hedgehogs and Tortoises in other places, of course (there are some in my garden); but the real old and clever kind, with their scales lying lippety-lappety one over the other, like pine-e scales, that lived on the banks of the turbid Amazon in the High and Far-Off Days, are always called Armadillos, because they were so clever. So that; all right, Best Beloved. Do you see? IVE never sailed the Amazon, Ive never reached Brazil; But the Don and Magdelana, They 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 Id like to roll to Rio Some day before Im old! Ive never seen a Jaguar, Nor yet an Armadill O dilloing in his armour, And I spose I never will, Unless I go to Rio These woo behold-- Roll down--roll down to Rio-- Roll really down to Rio! Oh, Id love to roll to Rio Some day before Im old! HOW THE FIRST LETTER WAS WRITTEN ONCE upon a most early time was a hi. He was not a Jute or an Angle, or even a Dravidian, which he might well have bee Beloved, but never mind why. He rimitive, and he lived cavily in a Cave, and he wore very few clothes, and he couldnt read and he couldnt write and he didnt want to, and except when he was hungry he was quite happy. His name was Tegumai Bopsulai, and that means, Man-who-does-not-put-his-foot- forward-in-a-hurry; but we, O Best Beloved, will call him Tegumai, for short. And his wifes name was Teshumai Tewindrow, and that means, Lady-who-asks-a-very-many-questions; but we, O Best Beloved, will call her Teshumai, for short. And his little girl-daughters name was Taffimai Metallumai, and that means, Small-person-without-any-manners-who-ought-to-be-spanked; but Im going to call her Taffy. And she was Tegumai Bopsulais Best Beloved and her own Mummys Best Beloved, and she was not spanked half as much as was good for her; and they were all three very happy. As soon as Taffy could run about she went everywhere with her Daddy Tegumai, and sometimes they would not e home to the Cave till they were hungry, and then Teshumai Tewindrow would say, Where in the world have you two been to, to get so shog dirty? Really, my Tegumai, youre er than my Taffy. Now attend and listen! One day Tegumai Bopsulai went down through the beaver-s to the Wagai river to spear carp-fish for dinner, and Taffy went too. Tegumais spear was made of wood with sharks teeth at the end, and before he had caught any fish at all he actally broke it across by jabbing it down too hard otom of the river. They were miles and miles from home (of course they had their lunch with them in a little bag), and Tegumai had fotten t ara spears. Heres a pretty kettle of fish! said Tegumai. It will take me half the day to mend this. Theres y black spear at home, said Taffy. Let me run back to the Cave and ask Mummy to give it me. Its too far for your little fat legs, said Tegumai. Besides, you might fall into the beaver-s and be drowned. We must make the best of a bad job. He sat down and took out a little leather mendy-bag, full of reindeer-sinews and strips of leather, and lumps of bees-wax and resin, and began to mend the spear. Taffy sat down too, with her toes ier and her in her hand, and thought very hard. Then she said--I say, Daddy, its an awful nuisahat you and I dont know how to write, isnt it? If we did we could send a message for the new spear. Taffy, said Tegumai, how often have I told you not to use slang? "Awful" isnt a pretty word, but it could be a venienow you mention it, if we could write home. Just then a Stranger-man came along the river, but he beloo a far tribe, the Tewaras, and he did not uand one word of Tegumais language. He stood on the bank and smiled at Taffy, because he had a little girl-daughter Of his own at home. Tegumai drew a hank of deer-sinews from his mendy-bag and began to mend his spear. e here, said Taffy. Do you know where my Mummy lives? And the Stranger-man said Um! being, as you know, a Tewara. Silly! said Taffy, and she stamped her foot, because she saw a shoal of very big carp going up the river just when her Daddy couldnt use his spear. Dont brown-ups, said Tegumai, so busy with his spear-mending that he did not turn round. I arent, said Taffy. I only want him to do what I want him to do, and he wont uand. Then dont bother me, said Tegumai, and he went on pulling and straining at the deer-sinews with his mouth full of loose ends. The Stranger-man--a geewara he was--sat down on the grass, and Taffy showed him what her Daddy was ..t>doing. The Stranger-man thought, this is a very wonderful child. She stamps her foot at me and she makes faces. She must be the daughter of that noble Chief who is so great that he wont take any notie. So he smiled more politely than ever. Now, said Taffy, I want you to go to my Mummy, because ys are lohan mine, and you wont fall into the beaver-s, and ask for Daddys other spear--the oh the black hahat hangs over our fireplace. The Stranger-man (and he was a Tewara) thought, This is a very, very wonderful child. She waves her arms and she shouts at me, but I dont uand a word of what she says. But if I dont do what she wants, I greatly fear that that haughty Chief, Man-who-turns-his-ba-callers, will be angry. He got up and twisted a big flat piece of bark off a birch-tree and gave it to Taffy. He did this, Best Beloved, to show that his heart was as white as the birch-bark and that he meant no harm; but Taffy didnt quite uand. Oh! said she. Now I see! You want my Mummys living-address? Of course I t write, but I draw pictures if Ive anything sharp to scratch with. Please lehe sharks tooth off your necklace. The Stranger-man (and he was a Tewara) didnt say anything, So Taffy put up her little hand and pulled at the beautiful bead and seed and shark-tooth necklace round his neck. The Stranger-man (and he was a Tewara) thought, This is a very, very, very wonderful child. The sharks tooth on my necklace is a magic sharks tooth, and I was always told that if anybody touched it without my leave they would immediately swell up or burst, but this child doesnt swell up or burst, and that important Chief, Man-who-attends-strictly-to-his-business, who has not yet taken any notie at all, doeso be afraid that she will swell up or burst. I had better be more polite. So he gave Taffy the sharks tooth, and she lay down flat oummy with her legs in the air, like some people on the drawing-room floor when they want to draw pictures, and she said, Now Ill draw you some beautiful pictures! You look over my shoulder, but you mustnt joggle. First Ill draw Daddy fishing. It isnt very like him; but Mummy will know, because Ive drawn his spear all broken. Well, now Ill draw the other spear that he wants, the black-handled spear. It looks as if it was stig in Daddys back, but thats because the sharks tooth slipped and this piece of bark isnt big enough. Thats the spear I want you to fetch; so Ill draicture of me myself splaining to you. My hair doesnt stand up like Ive drawn, but its easier to draw that way. Now Ill draw you. I think youre very nice really, but I t make you pretty in the picture, so you mustnt be fended. Are you fended? The Stranger-man (and he was a Tewara) smiled. He thought, There must be a big battle going to be fought somewhere, and this extraordinary child, who takes my magic sharks tooth but who does not swell up or burst, is tellio call all the great Chiefs tribe to help him. He is a great Chief, or he would have noticed me. Look, said Taffy, drawing very hard and rather scratchily, now Ive drawn you, and Ive put the spear that Daddy wants into your hand, just to remind you that youre t it. Now Ill show you how to find my Mummys living-address. You go along till you e to two trees (those are trees), and then you go over a hill (thats a hill), and then you e into a beaver-s all full of beavers. I havent put in all the beavers, because I t draw beavers, but Ive drawn their heads, and thats all youll see of them when you cross the s. Mind you dont 藏书网fall in! Then our Cave is just beyond the beaver-s. It isnt as high as the hills really, but I t draw things very small. Thats my Mummy outside. She is beautiful. She is the most beautifullest Mummy there ever was, but she wont be fended when she sees Ive drawn her so plain. Shell be pleased of me because I draw. Now, in case you fet, Ive drawn the spear that Daddy wants outside our Cave. Its inside really, but you show the picture to my Mummy and shell give it you. Ive made her holding up her hands, because I know shell be so pleased to see you. Isnt it a beautiful picture? And do you quite uand, or shall I splain again? The Stranger-man (and he was a Tewara) looked at the picture and nodded very hard. He said to himself, If I do not fetch this great Chiefs tribe to help him, he will be slain by his enemies who are ing up on all sides with spears. Now I see why the great Chief pretended not to notice me! He feared that his enemies were hiding in the bushes and would see him. Therefore he turo me his back, ahe wise and wonderful child draw the terrible picture showing me his difficulties. I will away and get help for him from his tribe. He did not even ask Taffy the road, but raced off into the bushes like the wind, with the birch-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 spear and was carefully waving it to and fro. Its a little bera of my own, Daddy dear, said Taffy. If you wont ask me questions, youll know all about it in a little time, and youll be surprised. You dont know how surprised youll be, Daddy! Promise youll be surprised. Very well, said Tegumai, a on fishing. The Stranger-man--did you know he was a Tewara?--hurried away with the picture and ran for some miles, till quite by act he found Teshumai Tewindrow at the door of her Cave, talking to some other hic ladies who had e in to a Primitive lunch. Taffy was very like Teshumai, especially about the upper part of the fad the eyes, so the Stranger-man--always a pure Tewara--smiled politely and haeshumai the birch-bark. He had run hard, so that he panted, and his legs were scratched with brambles, but he still tried to be polite. As soon as Teshumai saw the picture she screamed like anything and flew at the Stranger-man. The other hic ladies at onocked him down and sat on him in a long line of six, while Teshumai pulled his hair. Its as plain as the nose on this Stranger-mans face, she said. He has stuck my Tegumai all full of spears, and frightened poor Taffy so that her hair stands all on end; and not tent with that, he brings me a horrid picture of how it was done. Look! She showed the picture to all the hic ladies sitting patiently oranger-man. Here is my Tegumai with his arm broken; here is a spear stig into his back; here is a man with a spear ready to throw; here is another man throwing a spear from a Cave, and here are a whole pack of people (they were Taffys beavers really, but they did look rather like people) ing up behind Tegumai. Isnt it shog! Most shog! said the hic ladies, and they filled the Stranger-mans hair with mud (at which he was surprised), and they beat upon the Reverberating Tribal Drums, and called together all the chiefs of the Tribe of Tegumai, with their Hetmans and Dolmans, all Neguses, Woons, and Akhoonds of the anisation, in addition to the Warlocks, Angekoks, Juju-men, Bonzes, and the rest, who decided that before they chopped the Stranger-mans head off he should instantly lead them down to the river and show them where he had hidden poor Taffy. By this time the Stranger-man (in spite of being a Tewara) was really ahey had filled his hair quite solid with mud; they had rolled him up and down on knobby pebbles; they had sat upon him in a long line of six; they had thumped him and bumped him till he could hardly breathe; and though he did not uand their language, he was almost sure that the he hic 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 they found Taffy making daisy-s, and Tegumai carefully spearing small carp with his mended spear. Well, you have been quick! said Taffy. But why did y so many people? 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, , quiet Tribe is here, Taffy. And so they were. First of all walked Teshumai Tewindrow and the hic ladies, tightly holding on to the Stranger-man, whose hair was full 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 upper teeth), the Hetmans and Heads of Hundreds, Platoffs with their Platoons, and Dolmans with their Detabbr>ts; Woons, Neguses, and Akhoonds ranking in the rear (still armed to the teeth). Behind them was the Tribe in hierarchical order, from owners of four caves (one for each season), a private reindeer-run, and two salmon-leaps, to feudal and prognathous Villeins, semi-entitled to half a bearskin of winter nights, seven yards from the fire, and adscript serfs, holding the reversion of a scraped marrow-bone under heriot (Arent those beautiful words, Best Beloved?). They were all there, prang and shouting, and they frightened every fish for twenty miles, and Tegumai thahem in a fluid hic oration. Then Teshumai Tewindrow ran down and kissed and hugged Taffy very mudeed; but the Head Chief of the Tribe of Tegumai took Tegumai by the top-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. t a man break his carp-spear without the whole tryside desding on him? Youre a very interfering people. I dont believe youve brought my Daddys black-handled spear after all, said Taffy. And what are you doing to my ranger-man? They were thumping him by twos and threes aill his eyes turned round and round. He could only gasp and point at Taffy. Where are the bad people who speared you, my darling? said Teshumai Tewindrow. There werent any, said Tegumai. My only visitor this m was the poor fellow that you are trying to choke. Arent you well, or are you ill, O Tribe of Tegumai? He came with a horrible picture, said the Head Chief,--a picture that showed you were full of spears. Er-um-Praps Id better splain that I gave him that picture, said Taffy, but she did not feel quite fy. You! said the Tribe of Tegumai all together. Small-person-with-no-manners-who-ought-to-be-spanked! You? Taffy dear, Im afraid were in for a little trouble, said her Daddy, and put his arm round her, so she didnt care. Explain! Explain! Explain! said the Head Chief of the Tribe of Tegumai, and he hopped on one foot. I wahe Stranger-man to fetch Daddys spear, so I drawded it, said Taffy. There wasnt lots of spears. There was only one spear. I drawded it three times to make sure. I couldnt help it looking as if it stuto Daddys head--there wasnt room on the birch-bark; and those things that Mummy called bad people are my beavers. I drawded them to show him the way through the s; and I drawded Mummy at the mouth of the Cave looking pleased because he is a ranger-man, and I think you are just the stupidest people in the world, said Taffy. He is a very 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; theranger-man (who was at least a Tewara) laughed; then Tegumai laughed till he fell down flat on the bank; then all the Tribe laughed more and worse and louder. The only people who did not laugh were Teshumai Tewindrow and all the hic ladies. They were very polite to all their husbands, and said Idiot! ever so often. Then the Head Chief of the Tribe of Tegumai cried and said and sang, O Small-person-with-out-any-manners-who-ought-to-be-spanked, youve hit upon a great iion! I didnt io; I only wanted Daddys black-handled spear, said Taffy. Never mind. It is a great iion, and some day men will call it writing. At present it is only pictures, and, as we have seen to-day, pictures are not alroperly uood. But a time will e, O Babe of Tegumai, when we shall make letters--all twenty-six of em,--and when we shall be able to read as well as to write, and then we shall always say exactly what we mean without any mistakes. Let the hic ladies wash the mud out of the strangers hair. I shall be glad of that, said Taffy, because, after all, though youve brought every siher spear iribe of Tegumai, youve fotten my Daddys black-handled spear. Then the Head Chief cried and said and sang, Taffy dear, the ime you write a picture-letter, youd better send a man who talk our language with it, to explain what it means. I dont mind it myself, because I am a Head Chief, but its very bad for the rest of the Tribe of Tegumai, and, as you see, it surprises the stranger. Then they adopted the Stranger-man (a geewara of Tewar) into the Tribe of Tegumai, because he was a gentleman and did not make a fuss about the mud that the hic ladies had put into his hair. But from that day to this (and I suppose it is all Taffys fault), very few little girls have ever liked learning to read or write. Most of them prefer to draw pictures and play about with their Daddies--just like Taffy. 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 a Britons dressed and rode To watch the dark Phoenis 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 fay shell torques and such. But long and long before that time (When bisoo 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 s where Bramley stands: And hears from Shere would e 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 Daddys spear and the Stranger-man and the picture-letter and all, she went carp-fishing again with her Daddy. Her Mummy wanted her to stay at home and help hang up hides to dry on the big drying-poles outside their hic Cave, but Taffy slipped away down to her Daddy quite early, and they fished. Presently she began to giggle, and her Daddy said, Dont be silly, child. But wasnt it ing! said Taffy. Dont you remember how the Head Chief puffed out his cheeks, and how funny the ranger-man looked with the mud in his hair? Well do I, said Tegumai. I had to pay two deerskins--soft ones with frio the Stranger-man for the things we did to him. We didnt do anything, said Taffy. It was Mummy and the other hic ladies--and the mud. We wont talk about that, said her Daddy, Lets 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 sharks tooth. Then she said, Daddy, Ive thinked of a secret surprise. You make a noise--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. Dont be rude, my daughter. Im not meaning rude, really and truly, said Taffy. Its part of my secret-surprise-think. Do say ah, Daddy, and keep your mouth open at the end, and lehat tooth. Im going to draw a carp-fishs mouth wide-open. What for? said her Daddy. Dont you see? said Taffy, scratg away on the bark. That will be our little secret sprise. When I draw a carp-fish with his mouth open in the smoke at the back of our Cave--if Mummy doesnt mind--it will remind you of that ah-hen lay that it was me jumped out of the dark and sprised you with that noise--same as I did in the beaver-s last winter. Really? said her Daddy, in the voice that grown-ups use when they are truly attending. Go on, Taffy. Oh bother! she said. I t draw all of a carp-fish, but I draw something that means a carp-fishs mouth. Dont you know how they stand on their heads rooting in the mud? Well, heres a pretence carp-fish (lay that the rest of him is drawn). Heres just his mouth, and that means ah. And she drew this. (1.) Thats not bad, said Tegumai, and scratched on his own piece of bark for himself; but youve fotten the feeler that hangs across his mouth. But I t draw, Daddy. You draw anything of him except just the opening of his mouth and the feeler across. Then well know hes a carp-fish, cause the perches and trouts havent got feelers. Look here, Taffy. And he drew this. (2.) Now Ill copy it. said Taffy. Will you uand this when you see it? Perfectly, said her Daddy. And she drew this. (3.) And Ill be quite as sprised when I see it anywhere, 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. Hm, said Taffy. Thats a mixy he end part is ah-carp-fish-mouth; but what we do about the front part? Yer- yer-yer and ah! Ya! Its very like the carp-fish-mouth noise. Lets draw another bit of the carp-fish and join em, said her Daddy. He was quite ioo. No. If theyre joined, Ill fet. Draw it separate. Draw his tail. If hes standing on his head the tail will e first. Sides, I think I draw tails easiest, said Taffy. A good notion, said Tegumai. "Heres a carp-fish tail for the yer-noise. And he drew this. (4.) Ill try now, said Taffy. Member I t draw like you, Daddy. Will it do if I just draw the split part of the tail, and the sticky-down line for where it joins? And she drew this. (5.) Her Daddy nodded, and his eyes were shiny bright with citement. Thats beautiful, she said. Now make another noise, Daddy. Oh! said her Daddy, very loud. Thats quite easy, said Taffy. You make your mouth all around like an egg or a stone. So an egg or a stone will do for that. You t always find eggs or stones. Well have to scratch a round something like one. And he drew this. (6.) My gracious! said Taffy, what a lot of noise-pictures weve made,--carp-mouth, carp-tail, and egg! Now, make another noise, Daddy. Ssh! said her Daddy, and frowo himself, but Taffy was too io notice. Thats quite easy, she said, scratg on the bark. Eh, what? said her Daddy. I meant I was thinking, and didnt want to be disturbed. Its a noise just the same. Its the noise a snake makes, Daddy, when it is thinking and doesnt want to be disturbed. Lets make the ssh-noise a snake. Will this do? And she drew this. (7.) There, she said. Thats another sprise-secret. When you draw a hissy-snake by the door of your little back-cave where you mend the spears, Ill know youre thinking hard; and Ill e in most mousy-quiet. And if you draw it on a tree by the river when you are fishing, Ill know you want m?e to walk most most mousy-quiet, so as not to shake the banks. Perfectly true, said Tegumai. And theres more in this game than you think. Taffy, dear, Ive a notion that your Daddys daughter has hit upon the fihing that there ever was sihe Tribe of Tegumai took to using sharks teeth instead of flints for their spear-heads. I believe weve found out the big secret of the world. Why? said Taffy, and her eyes shooo with i. Ill show, said her Daddy. Whats water iegumai 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--black water--s-water? Yo, of course. Now look, said her Daddy. Spose you saw this scratched by the side of a pool in the beaver-s? And he drew this. (8.) Carp-tail and round egg. Two noises mixed! Yo, bad water, said Taffy. Course I wouldnt drink that water because Id know you said it was bad. But I be he 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, "Gway, Taffy, or youll get fever." All that in a carp-fish-tail and a round egg! O Daddy, we must tell Mummy, quick! and Taffy danced all round him. Not yet, said Tegumai; not till weve gone a littl..e further. Lets see. Yo is bad water, but So is food cooked on the fire, isnt it? And he drew this. (9.) Yes. Snake and egg, said Taffy So that means dinners ready. If you saw that scratched on a tree youd know it was time to e to the Cave. Sod I. My Winkie! said Tegumai. Thats true too. But wait a minute. I see a difficulty. SO means "e and have dinner," but sho means the drying-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 thought it meant dinner, and I came in from the wood and found that it meant I was to help Mummy hang the two hides on the drying-poles, what would I do? Youd be cross. Sod Mummy. We must make a new picture for sho. We must d..raotty shat hisses sh-sh, and well play that the plain snake only hisses ssss. I couldnt be sure how to put in the spots, said Taffy. And praps if you were in a hurry you might leave them out, and Id think it was so when it was sho, and then Mummy would catch me just the same. No! I think wed better draicture of the horrid high drying-poles their very selves, and make quite sure. Ill put them in just after the hissy-snake. Look! And she drew this. (10.) Praps thats safest. Its very like our drying-poles, anyhow, said her Daddy, laughing. Now Ill make a new h a snake and drying-pole sound in it. Ill say shi. Thats Tegumai for spear, Taffy. And he laughed. Dont make fun of me, said Taffy, as she thought of her picture-letter and the mud iranger-mans hair. You draw it, Daddy. We wont have beavers or hills this time, eh? said her Daddy, Ill just draw a straight line for my spear. and he drew this. (11.) Even Mummy couldnt mistake that for me being killed. Please dont, Daddy. It makes me unfy. Do some more noises. Were getting oifully. Er-hm! said Tegumai, looking up. Well say shu. That means sky. Taffy drew the snake and the drying-pole. Theopped. We must make a new picture for that end sound, mustnt we? Shu-shu-u-u-u! said her Daddy. Why, its just like the round-egg-sound made thin. Then spose we draw a thin round egg, and pretend its a frog that hasen anything for years. N-no, said her Daddy. If we drew that in a hurry we might mistake it for the round egg itself. Shu-shu-shu! I tell you what well do. Well open a little hole at the end of the rouo show how the O-noise runs out all thin, ooo-oo-oo. Like this. And he drew this. (12.) Oh, thats lovely! Much better than a thin frog. Go on, said Taffy, using her sharks tooth. Her Daddy went on drawing, and his hand shook with i. He went on till he had drawn this. (13.) Dont look up, Taffy, he said. Try if you make out what that means iegumai language. If you , weve 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 the day had clouded over. Why, Daddy, its raining. Was that what you meant to tell me? Of course, said her Daddy. And I told it you without saying a word, didnt I? Well, I think I would have known it in a minute, but that raindrop made me quite sure. Ill always remember now. Shu-ya means rain, or "it is going to rain." Why, Daddy! She got up and danced round him. Spose you went out before I was awake, and drawed shu-ya in the smoke on the wall, Id know it was going to rain and Id take my beaver-skin hood. Wouldnt Mummy be surprised? Tegumai got up and danced. (Daddies didnt mind doing those things in those days.) More than that! More than that! he said. Spose I wao tell you it wasnt going to rain mud you must e down to the river, what would we draw? Say the words in Tegumai-talk first. Shu-ya-las, ya maru. (Sky-water ending. River e to.) what a lot of new sounds! I dont see how we draw them. But I do--but I do! said Tegumai. Just attend a miaffy, and we wont do any more to-day. Weve got shu-ya all right, havent we? But this las is a teaser. La-la-la and he waved his shark-tooth. Theres the hissy-s the end and the carp-mouth before the snake--as-as-as. We only want la-la, said Taffy. I know it, but we have to make la-la. Ahe first people in all the world whove ever tried to do it, Taffimai! Well, said Taffy, yawning, for she was rather tired. Las means breaking or finishing as well as ending, doesnt it? So it does, said Tegumai. To-las means that theres no water iank for Mummy to cook with--just when Im going hunting, too. And shi-las means that your spear is broken. If Id only thought of that instead of drawing silly beaver pictures for the Stranger! La! La! La! said Tegumai, waiving his stid frowning. Oh bother! I could have drawn shi quite easily, Taffy went on. Then Id have drawn your spear all broken--this way! And she drew. (14.) The very thing, said Tegumai. Thats la all over. It isnt like any of the other marks either. And he drew this. (15.) Now for ya. Oh, weve dohat before. Now for maru. Mum-mum-mum. Mum shuts ones mouth up, doesnt it? Well draw a shut mouth like this. And he drew. (16.) Then the carp-mouth open. That makes Ma-ma-ma! But what about this rrrrr-thing, Taffy? It sounds all rough and edgy, like your shark-tooth saw when youre cutting out a plank for the oe, said Taffy. You mean all sharp at the edges, like this? said Tegumai. And he drew. (17.) Xactly, said Taffy. But we dont want all those teeth: only put two. Ill only put in one, said Tegumai. If this game of ours is going to be what I think it will, the easier we make our sound- pictures the better for everybody. And he drew. (18.) Now, weve got it, said Tegumai, standing on one leg. Ill draw em all in a string like fish. Hadter put a little bit of stick or somethiween each word, sos they wont rub up against each other and jostle, same as if they were carps? Oh, Ill leave a space for that, said her Daddy. And very incitedly he drew 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. Thats enough for to-day, said Tegumai. Besides, yetting tired, Taffy. Never mind, dear. Well finish it all to- morrow, and then well be remembered for years and years after the biggest trees you see are all chopped up for firewood. So they went home, and all that evening Tegumai sat on one side of the fire and Taffy oher, drawing yas and yos and shus and shis in the smoke on the wall and giggling together till her Mummy said, Really, Tegumai, youre worse than my Taffy. Please dont mind, said Taffy. Its only our secret-sprise, Mummy dear, aell you all about it the very mis done; but please dont ask me what it is now, or else Ill have to tell. So her Mummy most carefully didnt; and bright and early m Tegumai 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 stoer-tank, outsidbbr>e the Cave. Um, said Taffy. These picture-sounds are rather a bother! Daddys just as good as e here himself and told me to get more water for Mummy to cook with. She went to the spring at the back of the house and filled the tank from a bark bucket, and then she ran down to the river and pulled her Daddys left ear--the ohat beloo her to pull when she was good. Now e along and well draw all the left-over sound-pictures, said her Daddy, and they had a most ing day of it, and a beautiful lun the middle, and two games of romps. When they came to T, Taffy said that as her name, and her Daddys, and her Mummys all began with that sound, they should draw a sort of family group of themselves holding hands. That was all very well to draw once or twice; but when it came to drawing it six or seven times, Taffy and Tegumai drew it scratchier and scratchier, till at last the T-sound was only a thin long Tegumai with his arms out to hold Taffy and Teshumai. You see from these three pictures 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 ain on birch-bark, they became plainer and easier, till at last even Tegumai said he could find no fault with them. They turhe hissy-she other way round for the Z-sound, to show it was hissing backwards in a soft ale way (23); and they just made a twiddle for E, because it came into the pictures so often (24); and they drew pictures of the sacred Beaver of the Tegumais for the B-sound (25, 26, 27, 28); and because it was a nasty, nosy hey just drew noses for the N-sound, till they were tired (29); and they dreicture of the big lake-pikes mouth for the greedy Ga-sound (30); and they drew the pikes mouth 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 river for the nice windy-windy Wa-sound (32, 33); and so on and so forth and so following till they had done and drawn all the sound-pictures that they wanted, and there was the Alphabet, all plete. And after thousands and thousands and thousands of years, and after Hieroglyphid Demotics, and Nilotics, and Cryptics, and Cufics, and Runics, and Dorics, and Ionics, and all sorts of other ricks and tricks (because the Woons, and the Neguses, and the Akhoonds, and the Repositories of Tradition would never leave a good thing alone when they saw it), the fine old easy, uandable Alphabet--A, B, C, D, E, and the rest of em--got bato its proper shape again for all Best Beloveds to learhey are old enough. But I remember Tegumai Bopsulai, and Taffimai Metallumai and Teshumai Tewindrow, her dear Mummy, and all the days gone by. And it was so--just so--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 silend the sun remain. But as the faithful years return As unwounded sing again, es Taffy dang through the fern To lead the Surrey spring again. Her brows are bound with bra-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 ot call to him, es Tegumai aloo 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 of the Very Beginnings; and that was in the days when the Eldest Magi was getting Things ready. First he got the Earth ready; the the Sea ready; and theold all the Animals that they could e out and play. And the Animals said, O Eldest Magi, what shall we play at? and he said, I will show you. He took the Elephant--All-the-Elephant-there-was--..and said, Play at being an Elephant, and All-the-Elephant-there-layed. He took the Beaver--All-the-Beaver-there-was and said, Play at being a Beaver, and All-the Beaver-there-layed. He took the Cow--All-the Cow-there-was--and said, Play at being a Cow, and All-the-Cow-there-layed. He took the Turtle--All-the-Turtle there-was and said, Play at being a Turtle, and All-the-Turtle-there-layed. One by oook all the beasts and birds 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, with his ow beloved little girl-daughter sitting upon his shoulder, and he said, What is this play, Eldest Magi? And the Eldest Magi said, Ho, Son of Adam, this is the play of the Very Beginning; but you are too wise for this play. And the Man saluted and said, Yes, I am too wise for this play; but see that you make all the Animals obedient to me. Now, while the two were talking together, Pau Amma the Crab, who was in the game, scuttled off sideways and stepped into the sea, saying to himself, I will play my play alone in the deep waters, and I will never be obedient to this son of Adam. Nobody saw him go away except the little girl-daughter where she leaned on the Mans shoulder. And the play went on till there were no more Animals left without orders; and the Eldest Magi wiped the fine dust off his hands and walked about the world to see how the Animals were playing. He went North, Best Beloved, and he found All-the-Elephant-there-was digging with his tusks and stamping with his feet in the niew earth that had been made ready for him. Kun? said All-the-Elephant-there-was, meaning, Is this right? Payah kun, said the Eldest Magi, meaning, That is quite right; and he breathed upon the great rocks and lumps of earth that All-the-Elephant-there-was had thrown up, and they became the great Himalayan Mountains, and you look them out on the map. He we, and he found All-the-Cow there-was feeding in the field that had been made ready for her, and she licked her tongue round a whole 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 Magi; and he breathed upon the bare patch where she had eaten, and upon the place where she had sat down, and one became the great India, and the other became the Desert of Sahara, and you look them out on the map. He we, and he found All-the-Beaver-there-was making a beaver-dam across the mouths of broad rivers that had been got ready for him. Kun? said All-the-Beaver-there-was. Payah kun, said the Eldest Magi; and he breathed upon the fallen trees 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 scratg with his flippers in the sand that had been got ready for him, and the sand and 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 Magi; and he breathed upon the sand and the rocks, where they had fallen in the sea, and they became the most beautiful islands of Borneo, Celebes, Sumatra, Java, and the rest of the Malay Archipelago, and you look them out on the map! By and by the Eldest Magi met the Man on the banks of the Perak river, 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 the Perak river and drives the sweet-water bato the forest, so that my house is made wet; once a day and once a night it runs down the river and draws all the water after it, so that there is nothi but mud, and my oe is upset. Is that the play you told it to play? No, said the Eldest Magi. That is a new and a bad play. Look! said the Man, and as he spoke the great Sea came up the mouth of the Perak river, driving the river backwards till it overflowed all the dark forests for miles and miles, and flooded the Mans house. This is wrong. Launch your oe and we will find out who is playing with the Sea, said the Eldest Magi. They stepped into the oe; the little girl-daughter came with them; and the Man took his kris--a curving, wavy dagger with a blade like a flame,--and they pushed out on the Perak river. Then the sea began to run bad back, and the oe was sucked out of the mouth of the Perak river, past Selangor, past Malacca, past Singapore, out and out to the Island of Bingtang, as though it had been pulled by a string. Then the Eldest Magi stood up and shouted, Ho! beasts, birds, and fishes, that I took between my hands at the Very Beginning and taught the play that you should play, whie of you is playing with the Sea? Then all the beasts, birds, and fishes said together, Eldest Magi, we play the plays that you taught us to play--we and our childrens children. But not one of us plays with the Sea. Then the Moon rose big and full over the water, and the Eldest Magi said to the hunchbacked old man who sits in the Moon spinning a fishing-lih which he hopes one day to catch the world, Ho! Fisher of the Moon, are you playing with the Sea? No, said the Fisherman, I am spinning a lih which I shall some day catch the world; but I do not play with the Sea. And he went on spinning his line. Now there is also a Rat up in the Moon who always bites the old Fishermans line as fast as it is made, and the Eldest Magi said to him, Ho! Rat of the Moon, are you playing with the Sea? And the Rat said, I am too busy biting through the lihat this old Fisherman is spinning. I do not play with the Sea. And he went on biting the line. Thetle girl-daughter put up her little soft brown arms with the beautiful white shell bracelets and said, O Eldest Magi! when my father here talked to you at the Very Beginning, and I leaned upon his shoulder while the beasts were being taught their plays, o went away naughtily into the Sea before you had taught him his play. And the Eldest Magi said, How wise are little children who see and are silent! What was the beast like? And the little girl-daughter said, He was round and he was flat; and his eyes grew upon stalks; and he walked sideways like this ; and he was covered with strong armour upon his back. And the Eldest Magi said, How wise are little children who speak truth! Now I know where Pau Amma went. Give me the paddle! So he took the paddle; but there was o paddle, for the water flowed steadily past all the islands till they came to the place called Pusat Tasek--the Heart of the Sea--where the great hollow is that leads down to the heart of the world, and in that hollow grows the Wonderful Tree, Pauh Janggi, that bears the magic twin nuts. Then the Eldest Magi slid his arm up to the shoulder through the deep warm water, and uhe roots of the Wonderful Tree he touched the broad back of Pau Amma the Crab. And Pau Amma settled down at the touch, and all the Sea rose up as water rises in a basin when you put your hand into it. Ah! said the Eldest Magi. Now I know who has been playing with the 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 I go out to look for my food. Once a day and once a night I return. Leave me alone. Then the Eldest Magi said, Listen, Pau Amma. When you go out from your cave the waters of the Sea pour down into Pusat Tasek, and all the beaches of all the islands are left bare, and the little fish die, and Raja Moyang Kaban, the King of the Elephants, his legs are made muddy. When you e bad sit in Pusat Tasek, the waters of the Sea rise, and half the little islands are drowned, and the Mans house is flooded, and Raja Abdullah, the King of the Crocodiles, his mouth is filled with the salt water. Then Pau Amma, deep down below, laughed and said, I did not know I was so important. Henceforward I will go out seven times a day, and the waters shall never be still. And the Eldest Magi said, I ake you play the play you were meant to play, Pau Amma, because you escaped me at the Very Beginning; but if you are not afraid, e up and we will talk about it. I am not afraid, said Pau Amma, and he rose to the top of the sea in the moonlight. There was nobody in the world so big as Pau Amma--for he was the King Crab of all Crabs. Not a on Crab, but a King Crab. One side of his great shell touched the beach at Sarawak; the other touched the beach at Pahang; and he was taller than the smoke of three voloes! As he rose up through the branches of the Wonderful Tree he tore off one of the great twin fruits--the magic double kernelled nuts that make people young,-- and the little girl-daughter saw it bobbing alongside the oe, and pulled it in and began to pick out the soft eyes of it with her little golden scissors. Now, said the Magi, make a Magic, Pau Amma, to show that you are really important. Pau Amma rolled his eyes and waved his legs, but he could only stir up the Sea, because, though he was a King Crab, he was nothing more than a Crab, and the Eldest Magi laughed. You are not so important after all, Pau Amma, he said. Now, let me try, and he made a Magic with his left hand--with just the little finger of his left hand--and--lo and behold, Best Beloved, Pau Ammas hard, blue-green-black shell fell off him as a husk falls off a cout, and Pau Amma was left all soft--soft as the little crabs that you sometimes find on the beach, Best Beloved. Indeed, you are very important, said the Eldest Magi. Shall I ask the Mao 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 call Raja Abdullah, the King of the Crocodiles, to bite you? And Pau Amma said, I am ashamed! Give me back my hard shell a me go back to Pusat Tasek, and I will only stir out once a day and once a night to get my food. And the Eldest Magi said, No, Pau Amma, I will not give you back your shell, for you will grow bigger and prouder and stronger, and perhaps you will fet your promise, and you will play with the Sea once more. Then Pau Amma said, What shall I do? I am so big that I only hide in Pusat Tasek, and if I go anywhere else, all soft as I am now, the sharks and the dogfish will eat me. And if I go to Pusat Tasek, all soft as I am now, though I may be safe, I ever stir out to get my food, and so I shall die. Then he waved his legs and lamented. Listen, Pau Amma, said the Eldest Magi. I ake you play the play you were meant to play, because you escaped me at the Very Beginning; but if you choose, I make every stone and every hole and every bunch of weed in all the seas a safe Pusat Tasek for you and your children for always. Then Pau Amma said, That is good, but I do not choose yet. Look! there is that Man who talked to you at the Very Beginning. If he had not taken up 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 both the deep water and the dry ground will be a home for you and your children--so that you shall be able to hide both on the land and in the sea. And Pau Amma said, I do not choose yet. Look! there is that girl who saw me running away at the Very Beginning. If she had spokehe Eldest Magi would have called me back, and all this would never have happened. 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 Magid I will give you this pair of scissors, very sharp and strong, so that you and your children eat couts like this all day long when you e up from the Sea to the land; or you dig a Pusat Tasek for yourself with the scissors that belong to you when there is no stone or hole near by; and when the earth is too hard, by the help of these same scissors you run up a tree. And Pau Amma said, I do not choose yet, for, all soft as I am, these gifts would not help me. Give me back my shell, O Eldest Magi, and then I will play your play. And the Eldest Magi said, I will give it back, Pau Amma, for eleven months of the year; but owelfth month of every year it shall grow soft again, to remind you and all your children that I make magics, and to keep you humble, Pau Amma; for I see that if you run both uhe water and on land, you will grow too bold; and if you climb trees and crauts and dig holes with your scissors, you will grow too greedy, Pau Amma. Then Pau Amma thought a little and said, I have made my choice. I will take all the gifts. Then the Eldest Magi made a Magic with the right hand, with all five fingers of his right hand, and lo ?and behold, Best Beloved, Pau Amma grew smaller and smaller and smaller, till at last there was only a little green crab swimming ier alongside the oe, g in a very small voice, Give me the scissors! And the girl-daughter picked him up on the palm of her little brown hand, and sat him itom of the oe and gave him her scissors, and he waved them in his little arms, and opehem and shut them and shem, and said, I eat nuts. I crack shells. I dig holes. I climb trees. I breathe in the dry air, and I find a safe Pusat Tasek under every stone. I did not know I was so important. Kun? (Is this right?) Payah-kun, said the Eldest Magi, and he laughed and gave him his blessing; and little Pau Amma scuttled over the side of the oe into the water; and he was so tiny that he could have hidden uhe shadow of a dry leaf on land or of a dead shell at the bottom of the sea. Was that well done? said the Eldest Magi. Yes, said the Man. But now we must go back to Perak, and that is a weary way to paddle. If we had waited till Pau Amma had go of Pusat Tasek and e home, the water would have carried us there by itself. You are lazy, said the Eldest Magi. So your children shall be lazy. They shall be the laziest people in the world. They shall be called the Malazy--the lazy people; and he held up his fio the Moon and said, O Fisherman, here is the Man too lazy to row home. Pull his oe home with your line, Fisherman. No, said the Man. If I am to be lazy all my days, let the Sea work for me twice a day for ever. That will save paddling. And the Eldest Magi laughed and said, Payah kun (That is right). And the Rat of the Moon stopped biting the line; and ?he Fisherma his line down till it touched the Sea, and he pulled the whole deep Sea along, past the Island of Bintang, past Singapore, past Malacca, past Selangor, till the oe whirled into the mouth of the Perak River again. Kun? said the Fisherman of the Moon. Payah kun, said the Eldest Magi. See now that you pull the Sea twice a day and twice a night for ever, so that the Malazy fishermen may be saved paddling. But be careful not to do it too hard, or I shall make a magi you as I did to Pau Amma. Then they all went up the Perak River ao bed, Best Beloved. Now listen and attend! From that day to this the Moon has alulled the sea up and down and made what we call the tides. Sometimes the Fisher of the Sea pulls a little too hard, and the spring tides; and sometimes he pulls a little too softly, and the what are called ides; but nearly always he is careful, because of the Eldest Magi. And Pau Amma? You see when you go to the beach, hoau Ammas babies make little Pusat Taseks for themselves under every stone and bunch of weed on the sands; you see them waving their little scissors; and in some parts of the world they truly live on the dry land and run up the palm trees a couts, exactly as the girl-daughter promised. But once a year all Pau Ammas must shake off their hard armour and be soft-to remind them of what the Eldest Magi could do. And so it isnt fair to kill or hunt Pau Ammas babies just because old Pau Amma was stupidly rude a very long time ago. Oh yes! And Pau Ammas babies hate being taken out of their little Pusat Taseks and brought home in pickle-bottles. That is why they nip you with their scissors, and it serves yht! A-GOING Ps and Os Pass Pau Ammas playground close, And his Pusat Tasek lies he traost B.I.s. U.Y.K. and N.D.L. Know Pau Ammas 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 ot e 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 Passeo Singapore, Or a White Star were to try a Little trip to Sourabaya, Or a B.S.A. went on Past Natal to Cheribon, The Mr. Lloyds would e With a wire and drag them home! Youll know what my riddle means When youve eaten mangosteens. Or if you t wait till then, ask them to let you have the outside page of the Times; turo page 2 where it is marked Shipping oop left hand; then take the Atlas (and that is the fi picture-book in the world) and see how the names of the places that the steamers go to fit into the names of the places on the map. Any steamer-kiddy ought to be able to do that; but if you t read, ask some oo show it you. THE CAT THAT WALKED BY HIMSELF HEAR and attend and listen; for this befell and behappened and became and was, O my Best Beloved, wheame animals were wild. The Dog was wild, and the Horse was wild, and the Coild, and the Sheep was wild, and the Pig was wild--as wild as wild could be--and they walked i Wild Woods by their wild lones. But the wildest of all the wild animals was the Cat. He walked by himself, and all places were alike to him. Of course the Man was wild too. He was dreadfully wild. He didnt even begin to be tame till he met the Woman, and she told him that she did 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 sand on the floor; and she lit a nice fire of wood at the back of the Cave; and she hung a dri藏书网ed wild-horse skin, tail-down, across the opening of the Cave; and she said, Wipe you feet, dear, when you e in, and now well keep house. That night, Best Beloved, they ate wild sheep roasted o stones, and flavoured with wild garlid wild pepper; and wild duck stuffed with wild rid wild fenugreek and wild coriander; and marrow-bones of wild oxen; and wild cherries, and wild grenadillas. Then the Mao sleep in front of the fire ever so happy; but the Woman sat up, bing her hair. She took the bone of the shoulder of mutton--the big fat blade-bone--and she looked at the wonderful marks on it, and she threw more wood on the fire, and she made a Magic. She made the First Singing Magi the world. Out i Wild Woods all the wild animals gathered together where they could see the light of the fire a long way off, and they wondered what it meant. Then Wild Horse stamped with his wild foot and said, O my Friends and O my Enemies, why have the Man and the Woman made that great light in that great 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 is good. Cat, e with me. Nenni! said the Cat. I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to me. I will not e. Then we ever be friends again, said Wild Dog, arotted off to 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 look and e 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 l藏书网ifted up the dried horse-skin with his nose and she beautiful smell of the roast mutton, and the Woman, looking at the blade-bone, heard him, and laughed, and said, Here es the first. Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods, what do you want? Wild Dog said, O my Enemy and Wife of my Enemy, what is this that smells so good in the Wild Woods? Then the icked up a roasted mutton-bone and threw it to Wild Dog, and said, Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods, taste and try. Wild Dog ghe bone, and it was more delicious than anything he had ever tasted, 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 hunt through the day and guard this Cave at night, and I will give you as many roast bones as you need. Ah! said the Cat, listening. This is a very wise Woman, but she is not so wise as I am. Wild Dog crawled into the Cave and laid his head on the Womans lap, and said, O my Friend and Wife of my Friend, I will help Your Man to hunt through the day, and at night I will guard your Cave. Ah! said the Cat, listening. That is a very foolish Dog. And he went back through the Wet Wild Woods waving his wild tail, and walking by his wild lone. But he old anybody. When the Man waked up he said, What is Wild Dog doing here? And the Woman 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 him with you when you go hunting. night the Woman cut great green armfuls of fresh grass from the water-meadows, and dried it before the fire, so that it smelt like new-mown hay, and she sat at the mouth of the Cave and plaited a halter out of horse-hide, and she looked at the shoulder of mutton-bo the big broad blade-bone--and she made a Magic. She made the Sed Singing Magi the world. Out in the Wild Woods all the wild animals wondered what had happeo Wild Dog, and at last Wild Horse stamped with his foot and said, I will go and see and say why Wild Dog has not returned. Cat, e with me. Nenni! said the Cat. I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to me. I will not e. But all the same he followed Wild Horse softly, very softly, and hid himself where he could hear everything. When the Woman heard Wild Horse tripping and stumbling on his long mane, she laughed and said, Here es the sed. Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods 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, and said, Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods, you did not e here for Wild Dog, but for the sake of this good grass. And Wild Horse, tripping and stumbling on his long mane, said, That is true; give it me to eat. The Woman said, Wild Thing out of the Wild Woods, bend your wild head and wear what I give you, and you shall eat the wonderful grass three times a day. Ah, said the Cat, listening, this is a clever Woman, but she is not so clever as I am. Wild Horse bent his wild head, and the Woman slipped the plaited hide halter over it, and Wild Horse breathed on the Woma and said, O my Mistress, and Wife of my Master, I will be your servant for the sake of the wonderful grass. Ah, said the Cat, listening, that is a very foolish Horse. And he went back through the Wet Wild Woods, waving his wild tail and walking by his wild lone. But he old anybody. When the Man and the Dog came back from hunting, the Man said, What is Wild Horse doing here? And the Woman said, His name is not Wild Horse any more, but the First Servant, because he will carry us from place to place for always and always and always. Ride on his back when you go hunting. day, holding her wild head high that her wild horns should not cat the wild trees, Wild Cow came up to the Cave, and the Cat followed, and hid himself just the same as before; and everything happened just the same as before; and the Cat said the same things as before, and when Wild Coromised to give her milk to the Woman every day in exge for the wonderful grass, the Cat went back through the Wet Wild Woods waving his wild tail and walking by his wild lone, just the same as before. But he old anybody. And when the Man and the Horse and the Dog came home from hunting and asked the same questions same as before, the Woman said, Her name is not Wild Cow any more, but the Giver of Good Food. She will give us the warm white milk for always and always and always, and I will take care of her while you and the First Friend and the First Servant go hunting. day the Cat waited to see if any other Wild thing would go up to the Cave, but no one moved i Wild Woods, so the Cat walked there by himself; and he saw t>..he Woman milking the Cow, and he saw the light of the fire in the Cave, and he smelt the smell of the warm white milk. 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 back to the Woods again, for I have braided up my hair, and I have put away the magic blade-bone, and we have no more need of either friends or servants in our Cave. Cat said, I am not a friend, and I am not a servant. I am the Cat who walks by himself, and I wish to e into your cave. Woman said, Then why did you not e with First Friend on the first night? 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 her a friend nor a servant. You have said it yourself. Go away and walk by yourself in all places alike. Then Cat preteo be sorry and said, Must I never e into the Cave? Must I never sit by the warm fire? Must I never drink the warm white milk? You are very wise and very beautiful. You should not be cruel even to a Cat. Woman said, I kneise, but I did not know I was beautiful. So I will make a bargain with you. If ever I say one word in your praise you may e 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 your praise, you may drink the warm white milk three times a day for always and always and always. The arched his bad said, Now let the Curtain at the mouth of the Cave, and the Fire at the back of the Cave, and the Milk-pots that stand beside the Fire, remember what my Enemy and the Wife of my Enemy has said. And he went away through the Wet Wild Woods waving his wild tail and walking by his wild lone. T藏书网hat night when the Man and the Horse and the Dog came home from hunting, the Woman did not tell them of the bargain that she had made with the Cat, because she was afraid that they might not like it. Cat went far and far away and hid himself i Wild Woods by his wild lone for a long time till the Woman fot all about him. Only the Bat--the little upside-down Bat--that hung ihe Cave, knew where Cat hid; and every evening Bat would fly to Cat with news of what was happening. One evening Bat said, There is a Baby in the Cave. He is neink and 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 is fond of warm things to hold in his arms when he goes to sleep. He is fond of being played with. He is fond of all those things. Ah, said the Cat, listening, then my time has e. night Cat walked through the Wet Wild Woods and hid very he Cave till m-time, and Man and Dog and Horse went hunting. The Woman was busy cooking that m, and the Baby cried and interrupted. So she carried him outside the Cave and gave him a handful of pebbles to play with. But still the Baby cried. The put out his paddy paatted the Baby on the cheek, and it cooed; and the Cat rubbed against its fat knees and tickled it us fat with his tail. And the Baby laughed; and the Woman heard him and smiled. The--the little upside-down bat--that hung in the mouth of the Cave said, O my Hostess and Wife of my Host and Mother of my Hosts Son, a Wild Thing from the Wild Woods is most beautifully playing with your Baby. A blessing on that Wild Thing whoever he may be, said the Woman, straightening her back, for I was a busy woman this m and he has done me a service. That very minute and sed, Best Beloved, the dried horse-skin Curtain that was stretched tail-down at the mouth of the Cave fell down--whoosh!--because it remembered the bargain she had made with the Cat, and when the Womao pick it up-- lo and behold!--the Cat was sitting quite fy ihe 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 sit within the Cave for always and always and always. But still I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to me. The Woman was very angry, and shut her lips tight and took up her spinning-wheel and began to spin. But the Baby cried because the Cat had gone away, and the Woman could not hush it, for it struggled and kicked and grew bla 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 your spinning-whorl and drag it along the floor, and I will show you a magic that shall make your Baby laugh as loudly as he is n. I will do so, said the Woman, because I am at my wits end; but I will not thank you for it. She tied the thread to the little clay spindle whorl and drew it across the floor, and the Cat ran after it and patted it with his paws and rolled head over heels, and tossed it backward over his shoulder and chased it between his hind-legs and preteo lose it, and pounced down upon it again, till the Baby laughed as loudly as it had been g, and scrambled after the Cat and frolicked all over the Cave till it grew tired aled down to sleep with the Cat in its arms. Now, said the Cat, I will sing the Baby a song that shall keep him asleep 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 upowo of them and said, That was wonderfully done. No question but you are very clever, O Cat. That very minute and sed, Best Beloved, the smoke of the fire at the back of the Cave came down in clouds from the roof--puff!-- because it remembered the bargain she had made with the Cat, and when it had cleared away--lo and behold!--the Cat was sitting quite fy close to the 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 sed word in my praise, and now I sit by the warm fire at the back of the Cave for always and always and always. But still I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to me. Then the Woman was very very angry, a down her hair and put more wood on the fire and brought out the broad blade-bone of the shoulder of mutton and began to make a Magic that should prevent her from saying a third word in praise of the Cat. It was not a Singing Magic, Best Beloved, it was a Still Magid by and by the Cave grew so still that a little wee-wee mouse crept out of a er 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 yic? Ouh! Chee! No indeed! said the Woman, and she dropped the blade-bone and jumped upon the footstool in front of the fire and braided up her hair very quick for fear that the mouse should run up it. Ah, said the Cat, watg, then the mouse will do me no harm if I eat it? No, said the Woman, braiding up her hair, eat it quickly and I will ever be grateful to you. Cat made one jump and caught the little mouse, and the Woman said, A huhanks. Even the First Friend is not quiough to catch little mice as you have done. You must be very wise. That very moment and sed, O Best Beloved, the Milk-pot that stood by the fire cracked in two pieces--ffft--because it remembered the bargain she had made with the Cat, and when the Woman jumped down from the footstool--lo and behold!--the Cat was lapping up the warm white milk that 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 drink the warm white milk three times a day for always and always and always. But still I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to me. Then the Woman laughed ahe Cat a bowl of the warm white milk and said, O Cat, you are as clever as a man, but remember that your bargain was not made with the Man or the Dog, and I do not know what they will do when they e home. What is that to me? said the Cat. If I have my pla the Cave by the fire and my warm white milk three times a day I do not care what the Man or the Dog do. That evening when the Man and the Dog came into the Cave, the Woman told them all the story of the bargain while the Cat sat by the fire and smiled. Then the Man said, Yes, but he has not made a bargain with me or with all proper Men after me. Theook off his two leather boots aook up his little stone axe (that makes three) ached a piece of wood and a hatchet (that is five altogether), a them out in a row and he said, Noill make our bargain. If you do not catch mice when you are in the Cave for always and always and always, I will throw these five things at you whenever I see you, and so shall all proper Men do after me. Ah, said the Woman, listening, this is a very clever Cat, but he is not so clever as my Man. The Cat ted the five things (and they looked very knobby) and he said, I will catch mice when I am in the Cave for always and always and always; but still I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to me. Not when I am near, said the Man. If you had not said that last I would 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 (that makes three) at you whenever I meet you. And so shall all proper Men do after me! Then the Dog said, Wait a minute. He has not made a bargain with me or with all prs after me. And he showed his teeth and said, If you are not kind to the Baby while I am in the Cave for always and always and always, I will hunt you till I catch you, and when I catch you I will bite you. And so shall all prs do after me. Ah, said the Woman, listening, this is a very clever Cat, but he is not so clever as the Dog. Cat ted the Dogs 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 does not pull my tail too hard, for always and always and always. But still I am 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 I would have shut my mouth for always and always and always; but now I am going to hunt you up a tree whenever I meet you. And so shall all prs do after me. Then the Man threw his two boots and his little stone axe (that makes three) at the Cat, and the Cat ran out of the Cave and the Dog chased him up a tree; and from that day to this, Best Beloved, three proper Men out of five will always throw things at a Cat whehey meet him, and all prs will chase him up a tree. But the Cat keeps his side of the bargain too. He will kill mid he will be kind to Babies when he is in the house, just as long as they do not pull his tail too hard. But when he has dohat, aween times, and when the moos up and night es, he is the Cat that walks by himself, and all places are alike to him. Then he goes out to the Wet Wild Woods or up the Wet Wild Trees or o Wild Roofs, waving his wild tail and walking by his wild lone. PUSSY ?９9ｌib.sit by the fire and sing, Pussy climb a tree, Or play with a silly old cork and string Tomuse herself, not me. But I like Binkie my dog, because He Lnows how to behave; So, Bihe same as the First Friend was, And I am the Man in the Cave. Pussy will play man-Friday till Its 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 wont 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 m-light; So I know it is only pretend; But Binkie, he s 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--a story quite different from the other stories--a story about The Most Wise Sn 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 who found the Water; or the Hoopoe who shaded Suleimanbin-Daoud from the heat. It is not the story of the Glass Pavement, or the Ruby with the Crooked Hole, or the Gold Bars of Balkis. It is the story of the Butterfly that Stamped. Now attend all ain and listen! Suleiman-bin-Daoud was wise. He uood what the beasts said, what the birds said, what the fishes said, and what the is said. He uood what the rocks said deep uhe earth when they bowed in towards each other and groaned; and he uood what the trees said when they rustled in the middle of the m. He uood everything, from the bishop on the bench to the hyssop on the wall, and Balkis, his Head Queen, the Most Beautiful Queen Balkis, was nearly as wise as he was. Suleiman-bin-Daoud was strong. Upohird finger of the right hand he wore a ring. Wheur once, Afrits and Djinns came Out of the earth to do whatever he told them. Wheur twice, Fairies came down from the sky to do whatever he told them; and wheur three times, the very great angel Azrael of the Sword came dressed as a water-carrier, and told him the news of the three worlds,--Above--Below--and Here. A Suleiman-bin-Daoud was not proud. He very seldom showed off, and when he did he was sorry for it. Once he tried to feed all the animals in all the world in one day, but when the food was ready an Animal came out of the deep sea and ate it up in three mouthfuls. Suleiman-bin-Daoud was very surprised and said, O Animal, who are you? And the Animal said, O King, live for ever! I am the smallest of thirty thousand brothers, and our home is at the bottom of the sea. We heard that you were going to feed all the animals in all the world, and my brothers seo ask when dinner would be ready. Suleiman-bin-Daoud was more surprised than ever and said, O Animal, you have eaten all the dihat I made ready for all the animals in the world. And the Animal said, O King, live for ever, but do you really call that a dinner? Where I e from we each eat twice as much as that between meals. Then Suleiman-bin-Daoud fell flat on his fad said, O Animal! I gave that dio show what a great and rich king I was, and not because I really wao be kind to the animals. Now I am ashamed, and it serves me right. Suleiman-bin-Daoud was a really truly wise ma Beloved. After that he never fot that it was silly to show off; and now the real story part of my story begins. He married ever so many wifes. He married nine hundred and y-nine wives, besides the Most Beautiful Balkis; and they all lived in a great golden pala the middle of a lovely garden with fountains. He didnt really want nine-hundred and y-nine wives, but in those days everybody married ever so many wives, and of course the King had to marry 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 horrid ones quarrelled with the nies and made them horrid too, and then they would all quarrel with Suleiman-bin-Daoud, and that was horrid for him. But Balkis the Most Beautiful never quarrelled with Suleiman-bin-Daoud. She loved him too much. She sat in her rooms in the Golden Palace, or walked in the Palace garden, and was truly sorry for him. Of course if he had chosen to turn his ring on his finger and call up the Djinns and the Afrits they would have magicked all those nine hundred and y-nine quarrelsome wives into white mules of the desert reyhounds or pomegranate seeds; but Suleiman-bin-Daoud thought that that would be showing off. So, when they quarrelled too much, he only walked by himself in one part of the beautiful Palace gardens and wished he had never been born. One day, when they had quarrelled for three weeks--all nine hundred and y-nine wives together--Suleiman-bin-Daoud went out for pead quiet as usual; and among the e trees he met Balkis the Most Beautiful, 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 upon your finger and show these Queens of Egypt and Mesopotamia and Persia and a that you are the great and terrible King. But Suleiman-bin-Daoud shook his head and said, O my Lady and Delight of my Life, remember the Animal that came out of the sea and made me ashamed before all the animals in all the world because I showed off. Now, if I showed off before these Queens of Persia a and Abyssinia and a, merely because they worry me, I might be made even more ashamed than 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 tent of my Heart, I shall tio endure my fate at the hands of these nine hundred and y-nine Queens who vex me with their tinual quarrelling. So he went oween the lilies and the loquats and the roses and the as and the heavy-sted ginger-plants that grew in the garden, till he came to the great camphor-tree that was called the Camphor Tree of Suleiman-bin-Daoud. But Balkis hid among the tall irises and the spotted bamboos and the red lillies behind the camphor-tree, so as to be near her own true love, Suleiman-bin-Daoud. Presently two Butterflies flew uhe tree, quarrelling. Suleiman-bin-Daoud heard one say to the other, I wo your presumption in talking like this to me. Dont you know that if I stamped with my foot all Suleiman-bin-Daouds Palad this garden here would immediately vanish in a clap of thunder. Then Suleiman-bin-Daoud fot his nine hundred and y-hersome wives, and laughed, till the camphor-tree shook, at the Butterflys boast. And he held out his finger and said, Little man, e here. The Butterfly was dreadfully frightened, but he mao fly up to the hand of Suleiman-bin-Daoud, and g there, fanning himself. Suleiman-bin-Daoud bent his head and whispered very softly, Little man, you know that all your stamping wouldnt bend one blade of grass. What made you tell that awful fib to your wife?--for doubtless she is your wife. The Butterfly looked at Suleiman-bin-Daoud and saw the most wise Kiwinkle like stars on a frosty night, and he picked up his ce with both wings, a his head on one side and said, O King, live for ever. She is my wife; and you know what wives are like. Suleiman-bin-Daoud smiled in his beard and said, Yes, I know, little brother. One must keep them in order somehow, said the Butterfly, and she has been quarrelling with me all the m. I said that to quiet her. And Suleiman-bin-Daoud said, May it quiet her. Go back to your wife, little brother, a me hear what you say. Back flew the Butterfly to his wife, who was all of a twitter behind a leaf, and she said, He heard you! Suleiman-bin-Daoud himself heard you! Heard me! said the Butterfly. Of course he did. I meant him to hear me. And what did he say? Oh, what did he say? Well, said the Butterfly, fanning himself most importantly, between you and me, my dear--of course I dont blame him, because his Palace must have cost a great deal and the es are just ripening,--he asked me not to stamp, and I promised I wouldnt. Gracious! said his wife, and sat quite quiet; but Suleiman-bin-Daoud laughed till the tears ran down his face at the impudence of the bad little Butterfly. Balkis the Most Beautiful stood up behind the tree among the red lilies and smiled to herself, for she had heard all this talk. She thought, If I am wise I yet save my Lord from the persecutions of these quarrelsome Queens, and she held out her finger and whispered softly to the Butterflys Wife, Little woman, e here. Up flew the Butterflys Wife, very frightened, and g to Balkiss white hand. Balkis bent her beautiful head down and whispered, Little woman, do you believe what your husband has just said? The Butterflys Wife looked at Balkis, and saw the most beautiful Queens eyes shining like deep pools with starlight on them, and she picked up her ce with both wings and said, O Queen, be lovely for ever. You know what men-folk are like. And the Queen Balkis, the Wise Balkis of Sheba, put her hand to her lips to hide a smile and said, Little sister, I know. They get angry, said the Butterflys Wife, fanning herself quickly, over nothing at all, but we must humour them, O Queen. They never mean half they say. If it pleases my husband to believe that I believe he make Suleiman-bin-Daouds Palace disappear by stamping his foot, Im sure I dont care. Hell fet all about it to-morrow. Little sister, said Balkis, you are quite right; but ime he begins to boast, take him at his word. Ask him to stamp, and see what will happen. We know what men-folk are like, dont we? Hell be very much ashamed. Away flew the Butterflys Wife to her husband, and in five mihey were quarrelling worse than ever. Remember! said the Butterfly. Remember what I do if I stamp my foot. I dont believe you otle bit, said the Butterflys Wife. I should very much like to see it done. Suppose you stamp now. I promised Suleiman-bin-Daoud that I wouldnt, said the Butterfly, and I dont want to break my promise. It wouldnt matter if you did, said his wife. You couldnt bend a blade of grass with your stamping. I dare you to do it, she said. Stamp! Stamp! Stamp! Suleiman-bin-Daoud, sitting uhe camphor-tree, heard every word of this, and he laughed as he had never laughed in his life before. He fot all about his Queens; he fot all about the Animal that came out of the sea; he fot about showing off. He just laughed with joy, and Balkis, oher side of the tree, smiled because her own true love was so joyful. Presently the Butterfly, very hot and puffy, came whirling bader the shadow of the camphor-tree and said to Suleiman, She wants me to stamp! She wants to see what will happen, O Suleiman-bin-Daoud! You know I t do it, and now shell never believe a word I say. Shell laugh at me to the end of my days! No, little brother, said Suleiman-bin-Daoud, she will never laugh at you again, aurhe ring on his finger--just for the little Butterflys sake, not for the sake of showing off,--and, lo and behold, fe Djinns came out of the earth! Slaves, said Suleiman-bin-Daoud, when this gentleman on my fihat was where the impudent Butterfly was sitting) stamps his left front forefoot you will make my Palad these gardens disappear in a clap of thunder. Wheamps again you will bring them back carefully. Now, little brother, he said, go back to your wife and stamp all youve a mind to. Away flew the Butterfly to his wife, who was g, I dare you to do it! I dare you to do it! Stamp! Stamp now! Stamp! Balkis saw the four vast Djinns stoop down to the four ers of the gardens with the Pala the middle, and she clapped her hands softly and said, At last Suleiman-bin-Daoud will do for the sake of a Butterfly what he ought to have done long ago for his own sake, and the quarrelsome Queens will be frightened! The the butterfly stamped. The Djinns jerked the Palad the gardens a thousand miles into the air: there was a most awful thunder-clap, and everything grew inky-black. The Butterflys Wife fluttered about in the dark, g, Oh, Ill be good! Im so sorry I spoke. Only bring the gardens back, my dear darling husband, and?. Ill never tradict again. The Butterfly was nearly as frightened as his wife, and Suleiman-bin-Daoud laughed so much that it was several minutes before he found breath enough to whisper to the Butterfly, Stamp again, little brive me back my Palace, most great magi. Yes, give him back his Palace, said the Butterflys Wife, still flying about in the dark like a moth. Give him back his Palace, and dos have any more horrid.magic. Well, my dear, said the Butterfly as bravely as he could, you see what yging has led to. Of course it doesnt make any differeo me--Im used to this kind of thing--but as a favour to you and to Suleiman-bin-Daoud I dont mind putting things right. So he stamped once more, and that instant the Djin down the Palad the gardens, without even a bump. The sun shone on the dark-green e leaves; the fountains played among the piian lilies; the birds went on singing, and the Butterflys Wife lay on her side uhe camphor-tree waggling her wings and panting, Oh, Ill be good! Ill be good! Suleiman-bin-Daolld could hardly speak for laughing. He leaned back all weak and hiccoughy, and shook his fi the Butterfly and said, O great wizard, what is the sense of returning to me my Palace if at the same time you slay me with mirth! Then came a terrible noise, for all the nine hundred and y-nine Queens ran out of the Palace shrieking and shouting and calling for their babies. They hurried down the great marble steps below the fountain, one hundred abreast, and the Most Wise Balkis went statelily forward to meet them and said, What is your trouble, O Queens? They stood on the marble steps one hundred abreast and shouted, What is our trouble? We were living peacefully in olden palace, as is our , when upon a sudden the Palace disappeared, and we were left sitting in a thid noisome darkness; and it thundered, and Djinns and Afrits moved about in the darkness! That is our trouble, O Head Queen, and we are most extremely troubled on at of that trouble, for it was a troublesome trouble, unlike any trouble we have known. Then Balkis the Most Beautiful Queen--Suleiman-bin-Daouds Very Best Beloved--Queen that was of Sheba and Sable and the Rivers of the Gold of 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, It is nothing, O Queens! A Butterfly has made plaint against his wife because she quarrelled with him, and it has pleased our Lord Suleiman-bin-Daoud to teach her a lesson in low-speaking and humbleness, for that is ted a virtue among the wives of the butterflies. Then up and spoke aian Queen--the daughter of a Pharoah--and she said, Our Palace ot be plucked up by the roots like a leek for the sake of a little i. No! Suleiman-bin-Daoud must be dead, and what we heard and saw was the earth thundering and darkening at the news. Then Balkis beed that bold Queen without looking at her, and said to her and to the others, e and see. They came down the marble steps, one hundred abreast, ah his camphor-tree, still weak with laughing, they saw the Most Wise King Suleiman-bin-Daoud rog bad forth with a Butterfly oher hand, and they heard him say, O wife of my brother in the air, remember after this, to please your husband in all things, lest he be provoked to stamp his foot yet again; for he has said that he is used to this magid he is most emily a great magi--one who steals away the very Palace of Suleirnan-bin-Daoud himself. Go in peace, little folk! And he kissed them on the wings, and they flew away. Then all the Queens except Balkis--the Most Beautiful and Splendid Balkis, who stood apart smiling--fell flat on their faces, for they said, If these things are done when a Butterfly is displeased with his wife, what shall be doo us who have vexed our King with our loud-speaking and open quarrelling through many days? Then they put their veils over their heads, and they put their hands over their mouths, and they tiptoed back to the Palaousy-quiet. Then Balkis--The Most Beautiful and Excellent Balkis--went forward through the red lilies into the shade of the camphor-tree and laid her hand upon Suleiman-bin-Daouds shoulder and said, O my Lord and Treasure of my Soul, rejoice, for we have taught the Queens of Egypt ahiopia and Abyssinia and Persia and India and a with a great and a memorable teag. And Suleiman-bin-Daoud, still looking after the Butterflies where they played in the sunlight, said, O my Lady and Jewel of my Felicity, when did this happen? For I have beeing with a Butterfly ever since I came into the garden. Aold Balkis what he had done. Balkis--The tender and Most Lovely Balkis--said, O my Lord a of my Existence, I hid behind the camphor-tree and saw it all. It was I who told the Butterflys Wife to ask t?９9liｂ.terfly to stamp, because I hoped that for the sake of the jest my Lord would make some great magid that the Queens would see it and be frightened. And she told him what the Queens had said and seen and thought. Then Suleiman-bin-Daoud rose up from his seat uhe camphor-tree, and stretched his arms and rejoiced and said, O my Lady and Sweetener of my Days, know that if I had made a magic against my Queens for the sake of pride er, as I made that feast for all the animals, I should certainly have been put to shame. But by means of your wisdom I made the magic for the sake of a jest and for the sake of a little Butterfly, and--behold--it has also delivered me from the vexations of my vexatious wives! Tell me, therefore, O my Lady a of my Heart, how did you e to be so wise? And Balkis the Queeiful and tall, looked up into Suleiman-bin-Daouds eyes and put her head a little on one side, just like the Butterfly, and said, First, O my Lord, because I loved you; and sedly, O my Lord, because I know what women-folk are. Then they went up to the Palad lived happily ever afterwards. But wasnt it clever of Balkis? THERE was never a Queen like Balkis, From here to the wide worlds end; But Balkis tailed to a butterfly As you would talk to a friend. There was never a King like Solomon, Not sihe world began; But Solomon talked to a butterfly As a man would talk to a man. She was Queen of Sabaea-- And he was Asias Lord-- But they both of em talked to butterflies Wheook their walks abroad!天涯在线书库《www.tianyabook.com》