{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_52515/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_52515","id":"gutenberg_52515","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/52515","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Children & Young Adult Reading","Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Tales -- India"],"text":"[Illustration: The White Elephant]\n\n  [Illustration: \u201cNo, no,\u201d said the Queen.... \u201cI never coax the King to\n  do anything against his will.\u201d]\n\n  [Illustration: The White Elephant And Other Tales from Old India]\n\n\n\n\n                                  _The\n                             White Elephant\n                    And Other Tales from Old India_\n\n\n                               _Retold by\n                           Georgene Faulkner\n                           \u201cThe Story Lady\u201d_\n\n                            _Illustrated by\n                         Frederick Richardson_\n\n\n                             _Published by\n                       The P. F. Volland Company\n                                 Joliet\n                        New York Chicago Boston_\n\n\n                  The White Elephant, Copyright, 1929\n                      By THE P. F. VOLLAND COMPANY\n               All Rights Reserved :: Printed in U. S. A.\n\n  [Illustration: P. F. Volland Logo]\n\n\n                           TO MY RADIO FAMILY\n                     Who, unseen but appreciative,\n                          always request more\n                              Animal Tales\n\n  [Illustration: Storyteller with scroll]\n\n  [Illustration: Illuminated Table of Contents]\n\n\n\n\n                          _Table of Contents_\n\n\n  The White Elephant                                                   11\n  The Grain of Corn                                                    17\n  The Timid Little Rabbit                                              22\n  Singh Rajah and the Cunning Little Jackals                           29\n  The Kingdom of Mouseland                                             35\n  The Alligator and the Jackal                                         42\n  The Bold Blackbird                                                   50\n  The Kid and the Tiger                                                59\n  The Brahmin and the Tiger                                            67\n  The Bear\u2019s Bad Bargain                                               75\n  The Man Who Rode a Tiger                                             84\n\n  [Illustration: Storks]\n\nMy Dear Children:\n\nThese old, old tales from India have been favorites for many, many\nyears; some have come down to us from the early days of Buddha, and were\ntaken from a book, called the \u201cJataka Tales,\u201d telling of the Buddha\u2019s\nprevious existences. Some of these old tales have been translated from\nthe Pali by Eugene Watson Burlinghame, and they have also been retold\nfor us in attractive form by Ellen C. Babbitt.\n\nThese stories are somewhat similar to stories which we have all known in\nanother form; for instance, our first story of \u201cThe White Elephant\u201d is\nsomewhat like the story of Androcles and the lion. While the story of\n\u201cThe Timid Little Rabbit\u201d is like the old English tale of \u201cChicken\nLittle.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Story of the Grain of Corn\u201d (which is repeated from \u201cTales of the\nPunjab\u201d by Flora Annie Steel) compares with our well-known version of\n\u201cThe Old Woman and the Pig.\u201d In this same book, we find the story of\n\u201cThe Bear\u2019s Bad Bargain,\u201d and we learn how a stupid and clumsy bear is\noutwitted by a grasping old woman and her greedy husband. Even if they\nhave the best of the bargain, our sympathies are all with the poor old\nbear.\n\n\u201cThe King of the Mice,\u201d \u201cThe Bold Blackbird,\u201d and \u201cThe Kid and the\nTiger\u201d (retold from \u201cThe Talking Thrush and Other Tales from India,\u201d\ncollected by W. Crooke and retold by W. H. D. Rouse) are all stories of\nthe triumph of the weak and cunning over the brutish and strong. \u201cThe\nBold Blackbird\u201d may remind you of the old French tale of \u201cDrakesbill and\nHis Friends.\u201d\n\nIn many of these old tales, the little Jackal is the hero, and, like\nReynard the Fox of European folk lore, and our own Bre\u2019r Rabbit in the\n\u201cUncle Remus\u201d tales, we find the Jackal through his wit and strategy\novercoming the larger, stronger animals.\n\nFor example, in the stories of \u201cSingh Rajah and the Cunning Little\nJackals,\u201d \u201cThe Alligator and the Jackal,\u201d and \u201cThe Brahmin and the\nTiger,\u201d the Jackal wins his victories by his cunning. These stories of\nthe little Jackal have been retold from \u201cOld Deccan Days\u201d by M. Frere, a\nmost interesting book of tales collected from oral tradition. \u201cThe\nValiant Chattee-Maker\u201d is also from the same book.\n\nThe pictures drawn by our artist, Frederick Richardson, will delight\nyou. Mr. Richardson always makes each illustration true to life: his\npeople dress in the costumes of the country, and his animals are real\nanimals; you can almost hear the big beasts roaring with rage when the\nlittle jackal tricks them.\n\nAll these tales I have told to you many times over the radio; now I am\nglad to place them in your own hands to read and retell yourselves.\n\n                                                        Your Story Lady.\n\n  [Illustration: Storks]\n\n  [Illustration: Flower]\n\n\n\n\n                           THE WHITE ELEPHANT\n\n\n  [Illustration: Elephant]\n\nOnce upon a time there stood on the banks of a river, near a large\nforest, a village of Woodcutters. These Woodcutters would go in their\nboats to the forest and there they would chop down trees. Then they\nwould roll the logs down to the river, and the river would carry the\nlogs to the village, where they were cut into boards and used by the\ncarpenters in building houses and temples.\n\nOne day, when the Woodcutters were all busily at work chopping down\ntrees, they heard a great bellowing. A huge Elephant came limping along\non three legs, and every little while he gave a great snort.\n\nOne of the Woodcutters went up to the Elephant and examined his sore\nfoot. \u201cCome here and help me pull out this big splinter in the\nElephant\u2019s foot!\u201d he called to the other men. \u201cNo wonder the poor fellow\nis crying with pain.\u201d\n\nThe Woodcutters all helped. They pulled the splinter out of the\nElephant\u2019s foot and they brought water from the river and washed the\nwound carefully. They brought mud from the river banks and spread a mud\nplaster upon it, and one man tore up his scarf and bound it about the\nsore foot. Then the men gave the Elephant some food, and he stretched\nout under the trees to rest.\n\nWhile he was resting, he watched the Woodcutters at their work. \u201cThese\nmen have done so much for me I should like to help them,\u201d said the\nElephant. So, a few days after that, when his foot was well, the\nElephant came again to the place where the Woodcutters were working.\n\nThe Woodcutters were cutting down a tree, chop, chop, went their axes\nand a great tree fell to the ground. Then the Elephant took the log and\nrolled it over and over until he had pushed it into the river.\n\n\u201cWhy, our friend, the Elephant, is helping us with our work!\u201d exclaimed\nthe Woodcutters.\n\nEvery day the great Elephant came back. Sometimes he would pull down the\ntrees, and roll them to the water. Other times he would carry the tools\nfor the Woodcutters; and every day the Woodcutters fed him, morning,\nnoon and night, and give him fresh water to drink.\n\nHe saved them much hard work and the Woodcutters grew very fond of the\nbig Elephant. He worked for them many years.\n\nNow, this Elephant had a young baby Elephant, who was white all over;\nand he was very beautiful, indeed.\n\nWhen the old Elephant saw that his Baby Elephant was strong enough to\nwork, he said to himself: \u201cI must take my son to the Woodcutters, for I\nam getting old and I am no longer strong. He can learn to do my work and\nbe of service to them.\u201d\n\nSo the old Elephant said to his son: \u201cWhite Elephant, now that you have\ngrown large and strong, I want you to help my friends, the Woodcutters.\nOne day, many years ago, when I had a cruel splinter in my foot, they\npulled it out for me and bound me up, and gave me food. I have tried to\nrepay their kindness by serving them each day. And each day they give me\nfood and water and are most kind to me. They are my friends and I wish\nnow that you would be friendly with them, also.\u201d\n\nSo the old Elephant took the White Elephant to the Woodcutters and soon\nthe White Elephant learned to help them, just as his father had done,\nand they fed him and treated him kindly.\n\nThe White Elephant became very friendly with the Woodcutters and every\nnight, when he had finished his work, he would go down on the banks of\nthe river and take a bath and play in the water; and the children of the\nWoodcutters played with him. Sometimes he would pick the children up in\nhis long trunk and swing them back and forth. Sometimes he would pick\nthem up and put them on his back, and give them a fine ride. And\nsometimes he would lift them up into the branches of the tall trees.\n\nWhen it was very warm, he would wade out into the water and take a bath,\nand often he would take a deep drink of water and then let it out upon\nthe children like a shower bath.\n\nThe children loved to romp and play with the White Elephant, and he\nloved to play with them.\n\nOne day the Rajah of the country came down the river and when he saw the\nWhite Elephant working for the Woodcutters, he ordered his men to stop\nwhile he watched the Elephant. Then the Rajah said:\n\n\u201cI wish to own that Elephant, for I want to ride upon him, myself. He\nlooks so very kind and gentle, and he is very beautiful.\u201d\n\nSo the Woodcutters had to sell their friend the White Elephant to the\nRajah. He paid them a very large price, and then the servants of the\nRajah led the Elephant away.\n\n  [Illustration: So the old Elephant took the White Elephant to the\n  Woodcutters.]\n\n  [Illustration: So the old Elephant took the White Elephant to the\n  Woodcutters.]\n\nBut, as he left the forest, he gave one last look at his playmates, the\nchildren, as though he was sorry to say goodbye to them.\n\nThe Rajah was so very proud of his beautiful White Elephant he had made\nfor him a robe of crimson velvet embroidered in gold. On his back, the\nWhite Elephant carried a throne of gold covered by a gorgeous canopy of\ncloth of gold.\n\nWhen the Rajah rode out in great processions he always went upon the\nback of the beautiful White Elephant. All the days of his life the Rajah\ncared for the White Elephant, and always the White Elephant served his\nmaster, the Rajah, gladly and proudly.\n\n  [Illustration: Elephant heads and flowers.]\n\n\n\n\n                           THE GRAIN OF CORN\n\n\n  [Illustration: Woman and crow.]\n\nOnce upon a time a farmer\u2019s wife was cutting corn in a field when a crow\ncame flying down, swooped off with a bit of the grain and carried it up\nto a tree to eat it.\n\nThe farmer\u2019s wife was very angry and scolded loudly:\n\n\u201cYou robber, you, to steal my corn!\u201d Picking up a clod of earth, she\nthrew it at the bird with such good aim that the crow fell to the\nground, dropping the grain of corn which rolled into a crack in the\ntree.\n\nThe farmer\u2019s wife ran up to the crow and, seizing him by the tail, she\ncried; \u201cYou, robber, you! give me back my grain of corn, or I will kill\nyou.\u201d\n\n\u201cCaw, caw, caw!\u201d cried the crow. \u201cIf you will set me free, I promise to\nget it for you.\u201d\n\nBut, lo and behold, when the crow came to search for the corn, it had\nrolled so far into the crack in the tree that he could not reach it with\nhis beak nor with his claw.\n\nSo the poor crow flew off through the forest until he met a woodman and\nhe said:\n\n  \u201cCaw, caw! Man, Man! Cut tree,\n      I can\u2019t get the grain of corn\n  To save my life from the farmer\u2019s wife!\u201d\n\nBut the woodman refused to cut the tree.\n\nSo the crow flew and flew until at last he reached the palace of the\nking. There were the king and the queen, walking in the courtyard. So\nthe crow flew down to the king and said:\n\n  \u201cCaw, caw! King, King! Kill man!\n      Man won\u2019t cut tree;\n  I can\u2019t get the grain of corn\n      To save my life from the farmer\u2019s wife!\u201d\n\nBut the king refused to kill the man.\n\nSo the crow pulled at the royal robes of the queen, and said:\n\n  \u201cCaw, caw! Queen, Queen! Coax king,\n      King won\u2019t kill man;\n  Man won\u2019t cut tree;\n      I can\u2019t get the grain of corn\n  To save my life from the farmer\u2019s wife!\u201d\n\n\u201cNo, no,\u201d said the queen. \u201cI never coax the king to do anything against\nhis will.\u201d\n\nSo the crow was very angry and he flew and flew until he met a snake,\nand he said to the snake:\n\n  \u201cCaw, caw! Snake, Snake! Bite queen;\n      Queen won\u2019t coax king;\n  King won\u2019t kill man;\n      Man won\u2019t cut tree;\n  I can\u2019t get the grain of corn\n      To save my life from the farmer\u2019s wife!\u201d\n\n\u201cHiss-ss! Hiss-ss!\u201d hissed the snake. \u201cI will not bite the queen.\u201d\n\nSo the crow flew to a stick and said:\n\n  \u201cCaw, caw! Stick, Stick! Beat snake!\n      Snake won\u2019t bite queen;\n  Queen won\u2019t coax king;\n      King won\u2019t kill man;\n  Man won\u2019t cut tree;\n      I can\u2019t get the grain of corn\n  To save my life from the farmer\u2019s wife!\u201d\n\nBut the stick refused to beat the snake.\n\nSo the crow flew on until he saw the fire, and said:\n\n  \u201cCaw, caw! Fire, Fire! Burn stick;\n      Stick won\u2019t beat snake;\n  Snake won\u2019t bite queen;\n      Queen won\u2019t coax king;\n  King won\u2019t kill man;\n      Man won\u2019t cut tree;\n  I can\u2019t get the grain of corn\n      To save my life from the farmer\u2019s wife!\u201d\n\nBut the fire refused to burn the stick.\n\nSo the crow flew and flew until he saw some water, and he said:\n\n  \u201cCaw, caw! Water, Water! Quench fire;\n      Fire won\u2019t burn stick;\n  Stick won\u2019t beat snake;\n      Snake won\u2019t bite queen;\n  Queen won\u2019t coax king;\n      King won\u2019t kill man;\n  Man won\u2019t cut tree;\n      I can\u2019t get the grain of corn\n  To save my life from the farmer\u2019s wife!\u201d\n\nBut the water ran along as fast as possible and refused to quench the\nfire.\n\nSo the crow flew on until he met an ox, and said:\n\n  \u201cCaw, caw! Ox, Ox! Drink water;\n      Water won\u2019t quench fire;\n  Fire won\u2019t burn stick;\n      Stick won\u2019t beat snake;\n  Snake won\u2019t bite queen;\n      Queen won\u2019t coax king;\n  King won\u2019t kill man;\n      Man won\u2019t cut tree;\n  I can\u2019t get the grain of corn\n      To save my life from the farmer\u2019s wife!\u201d\n\nBut the ox refused to drink the water.\n\nSo the crow flew and flew until he met a rope and said:\n\n  \u201cCaw, caw! Rope, Rope! Bind ox;\n      Ox won\u2019t drink water;\n  Water won\u2019t quench fire;\n      Fire won\u2019t burn stick;\n  Stick won\u2019t beat snake;\n      Snake won\u2019t bite queen;\n  Queen won\u2019t coax king;\n      King won\u2019t kill man;\n  Man won\u2019t cut tree;\n      I can\u2019t get the grain of corn\n  To save my life from the farmer\u2019s wife!\u201d\n\nBut the rope wouldn\u2019t bind the ox.\n\nSo the crow flew on until he met a mouse, and said:\n\n  \u201cCaw, caw! Mouse, Mouse! Gnaw rope;\n      Rope won\u2019t bind ox;\n  Ox won\u2019t drink water;\n      Water won\u2019t quench fire;\n  Fire won\u2019t burn stick;\n      Stick won\u2019t beat snake;\n  Snake won\u2019t bite queen;\n      Queen won\u2019t coax king;\n  King won\u2019t kill man;\n      Man won\u2019t cut tree;\n  I can\u2019t get the grain of corn\n      To save my life from the farmer\u2019s wife!\u201d\n\n\u201cEe-EE-Ee-e-e-ee,\u201d squeaked the mouse. \u201cI won\u2019t help you.\u201d\n\nSo the crow flew and flew until he met a cat; and he said:\n\n  \u201cCaw, caw! Cat, Cat! Catch mouse;\n      Mouse won\u2019t gnaw rope;\n  Rope won\u2019t bind ox;\n      Ox won\u2019t drink water;\n  Water won\u2019t quench fire;\n      Fire won\u2019t burn stick;\n  Stick won\u2019t beat snake;\n      Snake won\u2019t bite queen;\n  Queen won\u2019t coax king;\n      King won\u2019t kill man;\n  Man won\u2019t cut tree;\n      I can\u2019t get the grain of corn\n  To save my life from the farmer\u2019s wife!\u201d\n\n\u201cMiaow! Miaow!\u201d said the cat. \u201cI will\u2014I will.\u201d And the moment she heard\nthe word \u201cmouse,\u201d she was after it in a rush.\n\nSo\u2014\n\n  \u201cThe Cat began to catch the Mouse;\n      The Mouse began to gnaw the Rope;\n  The Rope began to bind the Ox;\n      The Ox began to drink the Water;\n  The Water began to quench the Fire;\n      The Fire began to burn the Stick;\n  The Stick began to beat the Snake;\n      The Snake began to bite the Queen;\n  The Queen began to coax the King;\n      The King began to kill the Man;\n  The Man began to cut the Tree;\n      So the Crow got the grain of corn\n  And saved his life from the farmer\u2019s wife!\u201d\n\n  [Illustration: Tiger.]\n\n\n\n\n                        THE TIMID LITTLE RABBIT\n\n\n  [Illustration: Rabbits.]\n\nOnce upon a time there lived a very timid little Rabbit who was always\ntrembling for fear that something terrible was going to happen to him.\n\nOne day he went to sleep under a big palm-tree and, when he awoke, he\nshivered and shook with fright, and said, \u201cWhat if the earth should fall\nin? What would become of me, then?\u201d\n\nJust at that very moment, some monkeys up in the tree dropped a big\ncocoanut. It fell down with a bang upon the ground.\n\n\u201cOh, dear me! oh, dear me! what a terrible noise!\u201d gasped the little\nRabbit. \u201cOh, dear me! the earth is falling in. Where shall I run and\nhide?\u201d and the little Rabbit ran bouncing away through the jungle. He\nnever looked behind him to see what had made the noise; he just ran on\nand on in a panic of fear.\n\nAnother little Rabbit saw him running and called out, \u201cWhy do you run so\nfast\u2014and where are you running?\u201d\n\n\u201cOh, don\u2019t ask me, for I cannot stop to tell you,\u201d he shrieked, as he\ngalloped along.\n\nThe second little Rabbit ran by his side saying, \u201cTell me! Tell me! What\nis the matter!\u201d\n\n\u201cRun, run!\u201d gasped the first little Rabbit. \u201cThe earth is falling in.\nThe earth is falling in, and I am running away.\u201d\n\nSo the second Rabbit ran as fast as he could go.\n\nAnd soon they met another frightened Rabbit, and then they were joined\nby another and another, until there were hundreds of them, running as\nfast as they could go, and all shrieking out, \u201cRun! Run! The earth is\nfalling in! The earth is falling in!\u201d\n\nThey passed a Deer and the Deer called out, \u201cWhere are you all running,\nand what is the matter?\u201d\n\n\u201cRun! Run!\u201d they cried in terror. \u201cThe earth is falling in! The earth is\nfalling in!\u201d\n\n\u201cOh, oh, where shall we run?\u201d cried the Deer, wildly, for deer are\nalways very timid creatures. And the Deer bounced away after the\nrabbits.\n\nNext they met a Fox and when he barked out, \u201cWhat is the matter? Where\nare you running?\u201d they called to him, \u201cRun! Run! Brother Fox! The earth\nis falling in! The earth is falling in!\u201d\n\nSo the Fox ran with them.\n\nOn and on they ran\u2014faster and faster\u2014until they met a Camel and the Fox\ncalled out, \u201cRun! Run! Brother Camel! The earth is falling in! The earth\nis falling in!\u201d So the Camel ran with them.\n\nOn and on, they ran, faster and faster, until presently they met a big\nElephant. He snorted at them through his long trumpet. \u201cWhy do you all\nrun so fast, and where are you going?\u201d\n\n\u201cRun! Run! Brother Elephant! The earth is falling in! The earth is\nfalling in!\u201d called the Camel.\n\nSo the Elephant joined them and went madly rushing along through the\njungle, blowing a blast through his trumpet and shouting, \u201cRun! Run! The\nearth is falling in! The earth is falling in!\u201d\n\nPresently they met a big Lion and when he saw them all running in a wild\npanic, he roared in a loud voice three times, \u201cGrr-rr! Grr-rr! Grr-rr!\nStop at once, I command you, and tell me the meaning of this!\u201d\n\nNow this big Lion was the Rajah Lion and he ruled over all the animals\nin the jungle, so that, when he ordered them to stop, they all stopped\nat once, and stood still, quivering with fright.\n\n\u201cWhat is this that you are crying out, and why were you all running in\nsuch a panic?\u201d roared the Lion.\n\n\u201cOh, great and mighty Rajah,\u201d they answered, \u201cthe earth is falling in\nand we are running away to save our lives!\u201d\n\n\u201cBut if the earth is falling in, how then can you run from it?\u201d asked\nthe Rajah Lion. \u201cI see no signs to show that the earth is falling in.\nHow do you know this, Brother Elephant?\u201d\n\n\u201cWhy, I did not know it myself, but Brother Camel told me,\u201d answered the\nElephant.\n\n\u201cBrother Camel, how did you hear that the earth was falling in?\u201d asked\nthe Lion.\n\n\u201cWhy, I did not hear it myself, but Brother Fox told me,\u201d answered the\nCamel.\n\n\u201cHow do you know this, Brother Fox?\u201d asked the Lion.\n\n\u201cWhy, I did not hear it myself, but the Deer told me,\u201d answered the Fox.\n\n\u201cHow do you know this, Brother Deer?\u201d\n\n\u201cWhy, I did not hear it myself, but the Rabbits told me,\u201d answered the\nDeer.\n\n\u201cLittle Rabbits\u2014little Rabbits,\u201d said the Rajah Lion, \u201chow do you know\nthat the earth is falling in? Who told you this?\u201d\n\nThen each Rabbit pointed his paw at another Rabbit and said, \u201cThat\nRabbit told me.\u201d\n\nFinally the Lion asked the little Rabbit who had first told the tale,\n\u201cIs it true that you are the one who first cried out that the earth is\nfalling in?\u201d\n\n\u201cYes, Mighty Rajah,\u201d answered the little Rabbit, trembling with fear.\n\n\u201cWhy, Brother Rabbit, what made you say that the earth is falling in? Is\nthat the truth?\u201d roared the Lion.\n\n\u201cOh, yes, Mighty Rajah,\u201d answered the little Rabbit. \u201cI was asleep under\na palm-tree and I awoke in fright and thought \u2018What would become of me\nif the earth should fall in?\u2019 Then, right behind me I heard a terrible\nbang! I was afraid to look around, for I knew that the earth was falling\nin. And so I ran away as fast as I could.\u201d\n\n\u201cWell, little Rabbit,\u201d said the Rajah Lion, \u201csince you started all this\nrunning, you must come back with me to the place where you heard the\nsound, and we will see if the earth is falling in. All you other\nanimals, wait here until we come back.\u201d\n\nSo the big strong Rajah Lion took the timid little Rabbit upon his back,\nand away they went through the jungle. When they came to the very tree\nwhere the little Rabbit had slept, the Lion looked all about and there\nupon the ground he saw the large cocoanut which the monkeys had dropped\nfrom the tree.\n\n\u201cOh, you foolish little Rabbit, it was the sound of this large cocoanut\nfalling upon the ground that you heard. Now, you see that the earth is\nnot falling in. We must go back and you must tell all the other animals\nthe truth,\u201d said the Lion.\n\n  [Illustration: \u201cRun! Run! The earth is falling in.\u201d]\n\n  [Illustration: \u201cRun! Run! The earth is falling in.\u201d]\n\nWhen they came back to the place where the animals were waiting, the\nlittle Rabbit stood before all the animals and said, \u201cThe earth is not\nfalling in; the noise that I heard was made by a big cocoanut falling to\nthe ground. I was so startled that I did not look to see what had\nhappened. I am sorry that I frightened you, for the earth is not falling\nin.\u201d\n\nThe animals all began to repeat this, and they ran away through the\njungle, saying to themselves:\n\n\u201cThe earth is not falling in! The earth is not falling in!\u201d\n\n  [Illustration: Elephant heads and flowers.]\n\n\n\n\n               SINGH RAJAH AND THE CUNNING LITTLE JACKALS\n\n\n  [Illustration: Lion]\n\nOnce upon a time there lived in a jungle a great lion. He was so strong\na lion that he had made himself Rajah of all the jungle. Every day when\nthis Rajah lion was hungry he would come out from his cave in the deep\ndark rocks, and roar in an angry voice:\n\n\u201cGrr-rr-rr! Grr-rr-rr! Grr-rr-rr! Come here, all you animals in this\njungle! You are all my subjects, and I will eat you up! Grr-rr-rr,\nGrr-rr-rr!\u201d\n\nThen all of the frightened little animals would run here, there and\neverywhere, trying to hide from the angry lion. But Singh Rajah would\nalways catch them and eat them for his dinner.\n\nNow, this went on for a long, long time until at last he had left no\nliving creatures in the jungle except two little jackals, a Rajah Jackal\nand a Ranee Jackal, who were husband and wife.\n\n  [Illustration: \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d growled the great Singh Rajah....\n  \u201cI am the king of this jungle.\u201d]\n\n  [Illustration: \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d growled the great Singh Rajah....\n  \u201cI am the king of this jungle.\u201d]\n\nThese two little jackals were so frightened that they ran here, there\nand everywhere, trying to get away from that Rajah Lion. But every day\nhe came nearer and nearer.\n\n\u201cOh dear! oh dear!\u201d moaned the poor little Ranee Jackal; \u201cI am\nfrightened to death. Don\u2019t you hear him roaring louder and louder? He is\nmuch nearer us today than he was yesterday. Where shall we hide?\u201d\n\n\u201cNever fear, my dear,\u201d answered her husband, the Rajah Jackal. \u201cI will\ntake care of you. Let us run another mile or two. Come now, run fast!\nCome, come!\u201d And they would run on and on through the jungle as fast as\nthey could.\n\nThey grew more tired and weary every day, and at last the little Ranee\nJackal said, \u201cOh dear! oh dear! I must stop. I really cannot run another\nstep. I am just worn out.\u201d\n\n\u201cNever fear, my dear,\u201d answered her husband, bravely. \u201cI will take care\nof you! Never fear!\u201d\n\n\u201cOh dear! oh dear!\u201d gasped she, \u201cI hear him coming nearer and nearer.\nHow loud his roaring sounds! He is in a terrible temper and he will\nsurely catch us and eat us today. Oh dear! oh dear!\u201d\n\n\u201cNever fear, my dear!\u201d said the brave little Rajah Jackal. \u201cCome with me\nand do just what I tell you, and we can save ourselves. Do not look so\nfrightened. Cheer up! Now, come with me, and we will go right up to that\nlion.\u201d\n\nAnd what did those cunning little jackals do but take hold of paws and\ngo prancing boldly right up to the lion.\n\nWhen he saw them he began to shake his mane about and his eyes glowed\nwith anger as he roared out, \u201cGrr-rr-rr! Grr-rr-rr! You miserable little\nwretches! Come here and be eaten at once! I have had no dinner for three\nwhole days, and I am very hungry. I am the Rajah of this jungle, and I\nhave called and called you, but you did not come. And I have run and run\nto catch you while you have always run away, you miserable little\njackals, leading me on and on over hill and dale. Come here and be eaten\nat once! Grr-rr-rr! Grr-rr-rr! Come here-re-re!\u201d And the Rajah Lion\ngnashed his teeth and looked very terrible indeed. \u201cGrr-rr-rr! Why\ndidn\u2019t you come before?\u201d\n\n\u201cOh, great Singh Rajah,\u201d answered the brave little Jackal, \u201cwe do know\nthat you are our master, and we would have obeyed your voice and come at\nyour call long ago, but, indeed, Sire, there is a much bigger Rajah than\nyou in this jungle. For many days he has tried to catch us and eat us,\nand we are so afraid of him that we have run and run, trying to find a\nplace to hide.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d growled the great Singh Rajah. \u201cI am the king of\nthis jungle. There is no king here but me.\u201d\n\n\u201cAh, Sire,\u201d answered the jackal, \u201cin truth, one would think that you\nwere the king, for you are most terrible. Your very voice is death. But,\nindeed, there lives a horrible lion in this jungle. His eyes glow like\nfire. His step is as thunder, and his power is supreme. We have seen him\nwith our own eyes, and he is as much larger than you, as you are larger\nthan we are. Oh, he is indeed most terrible! When he roars his voice is\nso loud that the leaves tremble upon the trees. He is far more fearful\nthan you!\u201d\n\n\u201cThat is impossible!\u201d roared the Lion. \u201cBut show me this Rajah who has\nso terrified you, and I will destroy him at once. I will show you how\nquickly I can overpower him, and, after I have eaten him, I will eat\nyou!\u201d\n\nThen the little Jackals ran on and on through the jungle with the great\nlion following them until they reached a very deep well of water. They\ncowered down beside the well, looking very frightened, while the Rajah\nJackal pointed down into the water with his paw, and whispered in an\nexcited little voice, \u201cSee, Sire! Look down there!\u201d\n\nThe great Singh Rajah came close to the well and, peering down into the\nwater, he saw a great lion\u2019s face peering up at him. He was very angry.\nHe shook his great mane, and his eyes glowed like flaming fire, as he\nroared and roared.\n\nThen the shadow lion shook his mane. His eyes were glowing and he opened\nhis mouth to roar.\n\n\u201cGr-rr-rr!\u201d roared the Rajah Lion.\n\n\u201cGr-rr-rr!\u201d answered the echo of his voice from the well.\n\n\u201cCome out of your den and I will show you who is ruler here,\u201d roared the\nlion, gnashing his teeth in rage. But the echo mocked him, and the lion\nin the well gnashed his teeth.\n\nNow, Singh Rajah was so angry that he could not wait to fight that other\nlion. So, with a terrific roar, he jumped into the well to kill him.\n\nThe well was so deep and the sides were so steep that the great Singh\nRajah could not climb out to punish the two little Jackals, who peeped\ndown at him from the top of the well.\n\nNow, when the little jackals knew that he was drowned, they danced round\nand round the well, singing, \u201cAo! Ao! Ao! the King of the Jungle is\ndead. We have killed the great Lion who would have killed us! Ao! Ao!\nAo! Ring-a-ting, Ding-a-ting, Ding-a-ting, Ring-a-ting! Ao! Ao! Ao!\u201d\n\n  [Illustration: Birds and flowers.]\n\n\n\n\n                        THE KINGDOM OF MOUSELAND\n\n\n  [Illustration: Camel, fox, and mice.]\n\nLong, long ago and far, far away, there lived in a forest many, many\nlittle mice. They had a wonderful city of their own with their own\nlittle shops and churches and a beautiful large palace for their King.\nEach little mouse had his own little house, with his own little chairs\nand tables and beds and everything complete. And they all lived very\nhappily in their Kingdom of Mouseland, until one day a terrible thing\nhappened to them. A great caravan came through the kingdom, and none of\nthe men in the caravan knew that their camels were trampling down the\nforts and big buildings of Mouseland. To them these buildings looked\nlike mounds of sand and Mouseland seemed like any other part of the\nforest.\n\nSo these men, on the backs of the big camels, not knowing what great\nhavoc they were working with the mice, encamped in Mouseland for the\nnight.\n\nOne of the Camels became sick and, as the owner thought that it was\ngoing to die, he left it in the forest and went on with the caravan. But\nthe Camel did not die. Very soon he got well and, when he was well, he\nbecame very hungry. So he strolled all about Mouseland, eating up the\ncrops of the Mice, and treading down their houses until at last he came\nto the Mouse King\u2019s park. He ate a great many trees and trampled down\nthe grass and flowers; and the Keeper ran in a hurry to tell the King.\n\n\u201cEe-ee-ee-ee!\u201d squeaked the Keeper. \u201cOh, King, great King! there\u2019s a\nlarge mountain several miles high out in our garden, eating everything\nup that is within sight. What shall we do?\u201d\n\n\u201cWe must make an example of this mountain,\u201d said the King, \u201cor the whole\nearth will be moving and we shall all be destroyed.\u201d\n\nThen the King called to his Prime Minister who was a Fox, named Sandy.\n\u201cGo, and command that mountain to come to me at once!\u201d\n\nSo Sandy, the Prime Minister, went to find the mountain. And the next\nday he came back, leading the Camel by his nose-string. But, when the\nCamel saw how very little the King of the Mice was, he began to grunt\nand to gurgle, to wrinkle up his nose and make scornful faces at the\nKing.\n\n\u201cHello, is this little thing your King? I thought that your King was a\nlion at least. I should never have come for such a tiny creature. Bah!\nyou are no more than a speck.\u201d Then he turned about and stamped out of\nthe court, eating everything that came in his way.\n\nWhat could the King do? He was very, very angry, but he had to swallow\nhis wrath and make the best of it. However, he made up his mind that he\nwould take revenge.\n\nAnd one day, the Camel\u2019s nose-string became caught in a creeper so that\nhe could not get away.\n\nThen Sandy, the Fox, came along and he laughed, \u201cHe-he-he! You are at\nour mercy now. He-he-he!\u201d And away ran the Fox and told the King.\n\nThe King came with the Fox and when he found that the Camel was a\nprisoner he said, \u201cOh, Camel, boastful Camel, you despised my words and\nnow see the result of your wickedness. You are punished for your sins.\u201d\n\n\u201cOh, mighty King,\u201d said the Camel very humbly, for he knew now that he\nwas caught, \u201cI do indeed confess my fault and I pray you to forgive me.\nI will be your faithful servant from now on, if you will only save me.\u201d\n\nThe Mouse King was not spiteful and, as soon as he heard the Camel beg\nfor forgiveness, his heart grew very soft and he said, \u201cCamel, oh,\nCamel, I will set you free but hereafter you shall be my servant.\u201d\n\nThen the little Mouse climbed up on the creeper and gnawed, and gnawed\nthrough the Camel\u2019s nose-string and set the camel free.\n\nThe big Camel kept his word and he became the servant of the Mouse King.\nHe was so big and strong that he could carry loads which would have\nneeded thousands of Mice, and so he could do more work in one day than a\nwhole army of Mice could do in a week.\n\nThe Mouse King commanded the Camel to build strong walls and forts\naround the city and to make everything so strong that he had no fear of\nhis enemies.\n\nFor a long, long time, things went on very smoothly, but one day some\nWoodcutters came into the forest. These men lived in a strong village of\ntheir own and they used the forest wood to build houses. When anyone\nwanted a new house, the Woodcutters went into the forest and chopped\ndown trees, sawed them into planks, and built a house.\n\nNow, in the course of their wanderings, the Woodcutters found the stray\nCamel. They seized him and carried him away to serve them by drawing\nwood.\n\n  [Illustration: \u201cPooh! You silly little mouse,\u201d laughed the\n  Woodcutters.... \u201cCome and get your Camel if you want him.\u201d]\n\n  [Illustration: \u201cPooh! You silly little mouse,\u201d laughed the\n  Woodcutters.... \u201cCome and get your Camel if you want him.\u201d]\n\nWhen Sandy told the King that their Camel was caught by the Woodcutters,\nthe Mouse King sent the Fox with a bodyguard to bring the Woodcutters to\nhim. Two of the Woodcutters came before the King, but when they saw the\ntiny Mouse King, they laughed in his face and mocked him.\n\n\u201cI demand that you return my Camel at once!\u201d squeaked the Mouse King.\n\n\u201cPooh! You silly little Mouse,\u201d laughed the Woodcutters. \u201cCome and get\nyour Camel if you want him!\u201d\n\n\u201cThat is what I will do,\u201d said the Mouse King. \u201cYou may tell your Chief\nthat I will make war upon him unless he gives me back my Camel.\u201d\n\nThen the Mouse King called his subjects\u2014millions and millions of\nthem\u2014and they all set out for the village of the Woodcutters.\n\nThe Woodcutters had just finished their work and they had been paid a\ngood sum of money, so they were all feeling very happy.\n\nNow the tiny Mice were not able to meet the big Woodcutters out in the\nfield, and fight them, but they had their own way of waging warfare.\nNight and day, day and night, they burrowed and burrowed under the\nearth. First they gnawed under the treasury, where no danger was\nexpected; and, one by one, they carried off every coin until it was all\nempty. Then they burrowed underneath all the houses in the village.\nMillions of Mice were busy all day and all night, carrying out little\nbaskets of earth from under the foundations. They worked and worked and\nthey gnawed and gnawed, until very soon the Woodcutters\u2019 village was\nstanding on a thin shell of earth, while underneath them was a big dark\nhole.\n\nAt last the Mouse King felt that the time had come to strike a blow. He\nknew that the crust of earth was so thin that the least shock would\ndestroy it. So the Mouse King wrote a letter to the Woodcutter Chief\nasking once more for his Camel. And in this letter he hid a small\npackage of snuff. He put the letter in the mail and then all of the Mice\nwent away and waited.\n\nWhen the postman brought the letter to the Woodcutter Chief, he read it\nthrough and laughed heartily.\n\n\u201cHa-ha-ha! that\u2019s a good joke. His majesty, the Mouse King, demands that\nI send back the Camel, or he will wage war against us. Well, let him\ncome on. We will soon wipe the Mice from the face of the earth.\u201d\n\nHe waved the letter in the air and said, \u201cLet them come on at once!\u201d\n\nNow, as he waved the letter about, all the snuff fell out of it and flew\nup his nose.\n\n\u201cKerchoo-Kerchoo-Kerchoo-oo!\u201d sneezed the Chief. And\n\u201cKerchoo-Kerchoo-Kerchoo-oo!\u201d sneezed all the men who were near him.\n\nThey sneezed so loud and so long that the house shook. The thin crust of\nearth under them trembled and gave way, and all the Woodcutters fell in,\nand all the houses in the village tumbled and sank down into the deep\ndark hole.\n\nAfter this victory, the Mouse King led his Camel and his army back to\nMouseland where they lived in peace the rest of their lives.\n\n  [Illustration: Lion]\n\n\n\n\n                      THE ALLIGATOR AND THE JACKAL\n\n\n  [Illustration: Alligator and Jackal.]\n\nOnce upon a time, a hungry little Jackal went down to the river-side to\ncatch crabs for his dinner. Now, it chanced that in this river there\nlived an ugly old Alligator, who, being very hungry himself, would have\nbeen glad to catch and eat the Jackal. The Jackal ran up and down the\nbank, hunting for crabs.\n\nHe was so hungry that he did not look about cautiously. Had he done so,\nhe might have seen that ugly old Alligator, lying half hidden under some\ntall bulrushes. So, when the hungry Jackal saw a crab sidling along, he\npoked his paw down into the water.\n\nSnap! the old Alligator caught the paw of the Jackal.\n\n\u201cOh, dear, oh, dear!\u201d cried the little Jackal to himself. \u201cWhat shall I\ndo now? This ugly old Alligator has caught my paw, and soon he will drag\nme down under the water and eat me.\u201d\n\nBut the Jackal sang out in a cheerful voice, \u201cClever Mr. Alligator!\nClever Mr. Alligator! I hope you will find that hard old bulrush root\ntender and you will enjoy chewing on it for dinner.\u201d\n\nThe Alligator was so buried in the mud under the bulrushes that he could\nhardly see. He thought that he had made a mistake and he said to\nhimself, \u201cDear me, how very tiresome! I thought I had caught the\nJackal\u2019s paw when I had only seized a bulrush root. And there is that\nsaucy little Jackal up on the bank mocking me.\u201d So the Alligator opened\nhis jaws and let the Jackal go.\n\n\u201cOh, wise Mr. Alligator! Wise Mr. Alligator! Thank you for letting me\ngo!\u201d laughed the Jackal. \u201cSo you really believed my paw was a root?\nThank you, Mr. Alligator!\u201d\n\nNow, when the Alligator found that he was tricked in this way, he was\nvery angry, and he went swimming away, lashing the water to a foam with\nhis tail, while the Jackal hurried up the bank.\n\nThe next day the Jackal returned to the river to catch crabs for his\ndinner. But this time he was very cautious. So he called out, \u201cWhenever\nI go fishing for my dinner, I see the nice little crabs crawling up\nthrough the mud, then I reach down and catch them and eat them. Oh, how\nI wish that I could see a nice little crab!\u201d\n\nThe old Alligator was buried in the mud at the bottom of the river and\nhe heard every word, so he popped out the point of his snout, saying to\nhimself, \u201cThat Jackal will take the tip of my nose for a crab and, when\nhe puts his paw down to catch me, I will gobble him up.\u201d\n\nBut, of course, when the Jackal saw the tip of the Alligator\u2019s nose, he\ncalled out, in a saucy voice, \u201cHa, ha! my friend! So that is where you\nare hidden! I am glad to know where you are. Thank you, wise Mr.\nAlligator! I will not take my dinner with you today.\u201d\n\nAnd the little Jackal ran barking up the bank as fast as he could go,\nwhile the old Alligator lashed the water to a foam with his tail.\n\nOn the following day the old Alligator hid himself in the bulrushes\nclose to the bank of the river. He was determined to catch that saucy\nJackal.\n\nWhen the Jackal was hungry for his dinner, he went again to the river to\ncatch crabs. This time, he was very cautious; he went peering all\naround. He was really much afraid of that old Alligator. However, he\ncalled out in a loud and cheerful voice:\n\n\u201cWhere have all the nice little crabs gone today? I do not see one, and\nI am so hungry! Even when they are down under the water I can see them\nblow bubbles. All the little bubbles go, \u2018Pop! pop! pop!\u2019\u201d\n\nWhen the Alligator heard this, he laughed to himself, \u201cI will pretend to\nbe a little crab and blow bubbles; but, when that Jackal puts in his\npaws, I will catch him and gobble him up!\u201d\n\nSo the Alligator began to blow bubbles. \u201cPuff, puff, puff! Bubble,\nbubble!\u201d But, of course, the bubbles he blew were very large bubbles.\nThey rushed to the top of the water and burst there\u2014\u201cPOP! POP! POP!\u201d\n\nAs soon as the Jackal saw those big bubbles, he ran away as fast as he\ncould go, calling out, \u201cThank you, kindly, Mr. Alligator! Thank you! I\nam glad to see by the bubbles just where you are hidden in the mud. I\nwould not have come here had I known that you were still around.\u201d\n\nThe Alligator was so angry that he lashed the water to a foam with his\ntail. \u201cI will not be tricked again by that saucy Jackal,\u201d he said. \u201cNext\ntime, I will be as cunning as he is and catch him at his own game.\u201d\n\nThe Alligator waited for the Jackal many, many days, but the Jackal did\nnot return to the river.\n\n\u201cWho knows,\u201d said the Jackal to himself, \u201cbut another time that greedy\nold Alligator will gobble me up. I will not go fishing for crabs any\nmore. I will eat wild figs after this.\u201d\n\nSo the Jackal stayed in the jungle and ate wild ripe figs for his\ndinner.\n\nWhen the Alligator found out that the Jackal did not come down to the\nriver for crabs, he was very angry. \u201cI will follow that rascal up on the\nland and catch him next time,\u201d he said.\n\nAnd the Alligator crawled and crawled up on the land, dragging his long\nbody through the jungle until he came to the largest fig tree. Here he\ncollected a pile of wild figs and buried himself under them to wait for\nthe Jackal.\n\nAfter a while the Jackal came scampering into the jungle. But when the\nlittle rascal saw the huge pile of wild figs on the ground, he said,\n\u201cAha, that looks as though someone was buried under it. Maybe my friend,\nthe Alligator, is under those figs.\u201d\n\nAnd so the Jackal called out cheerfully:\n\n\u201cThe nice juicy wild figs I like to eat tumble about on the ground as\nthe wind blows them. This great pile of figs is so still I am sure they\nare not good to eat. No! I will not eat those figs.\u201d\n\n\u201cHow suspicious the Jackal is, to be sure,\u201d said the Alligator to\nhimself. \u201cBut if he wants to see figs tumble about I can make them, and\nwhen he comes to eat them, I will catch him and gobble him up.\u201d So the\ngreat beast shook himself and all the figs went, rolling right off his\nback, farther than any blustering wind could have blown them, and the\nJackal could see the leathery back of the Alligator. So he scampered\naway, calling out mockingly:\n\n\u201cSo kind of you, Mr. Alligator, to let me know just where you are buried\nunder that great heap of figs. No! I don\u2019t believe that I want to eat\nany figs today.\u201d\n\nThe Alligator was so angry that he snapped his jaws and gnashed his\nteeth with rage. He ran after the Jackal as fast as he could go but, of\ncourse, a big Alligator cannot crawl very fast on his short legs, and\nthe Jackal ran so much faster that the Alligator had to give up the\nchase. But he said to himself:\n\n  [Illustration: The Alligator was so angry that he lashed the water to\n  a foam with his tail....]\n\n  [Illustration: The Alligator was so angry that he lashed the water to\n  a foam with his tail....]\n\n\u201cI will not allow that tricky little wretch to mock me and run out of my\nreach in this way. I will show him that I can be just as cunning as he\nis.\u201d\n\nSo, early the next morning, the old Alligator crawled as fast as he\ncould to the Jackal\u2019s den and crept into it and hid himself to wait for\nthe little Jackal to come home.\n\nWhen the Jackal came near to his den, he thought, \u201cDear me! dear me! The\nground is all torn up about here as though some great heavy creature had\nbeen crawling over it, and the earth is knocked down at the side of my\ndoor as though some big animal had been pushing through it. I certainly\nwill not go into my den until I am sure that everything is safe there.\u201d\n\nThen the little Jackal began to call out in a sweet voice, \u201cLittle\nhouse, my pretty little house! Why do you not answer me when I call?\nWhen all is safe and right you always call out to me and welcome me back\nhome. Is anything wrong today, little house, that you will not speak to\nme?\u201d\n\nWhen the Alligator heard this, he said, \u201cIf that is true I\u2019d better call\nout, so he will know that all is right in his house.\u201d And, in a very\ngentle voice, the Alligator murmured, \u201cWelcome home, sweet little\nJackal! Welcome home!\u201d\n\nUpon hearing this the frightened Jackal thought, \u201cOh, oh! That dreadful\nold Alligator is in my house. Well, I will surely kill him this time, or\nhe will catch and kill me.\u201d\n\nThen the Jackal answered, very sweetly, \u201cThank you, my dear little\nhouse! I like to hear your sweet voice! I\u2019m coming right in. But first,\nI must collect some fire-wood to cook my dinner.\u201d So the Jackal ran\nabout as fast as he could and dragged all the branches and dry sticks\nclose to the mouth of the den.\n\nThe old Alligator kept very still, and smiled as he said to himself,\n\u201cAha! At last I will catch that tiresome little Jackal! In a few minutes\nhe will run in here and then won\u2019t I snap him up?\u201d And the old Alligator\nrolled his eyes and smacked his lips and ground his teeth.\n\nNow when the Jackal had piled up all the sticks that he could find, he\npushed them close up to the den and set them on fire. And the smoke and\nflames filled the den and smothered the wicked old Alligator and burned\nhim to a cinder.\n\nThe little Jackal danced about the den singing:\n\n\u201cRing-a-ting-a-ting! How do you like my house, friend Alligator? Is it\nnice and warm in my house, friend Alligator? The Alligator will trouble\nme no more! Ding-dong, ding-dong! So I dance and sing! Sing-song,\nsing-song! My enemy is gone! Ring-a-ting, ting-a-ting, ding, ding,\ndong!\u201d\n\n  [Illustration: Storks.]\n\n\n\n\n                           THE BOLD BLACKBIRD\n\n\n  [Illustration: Blackbird and cat.]\n\nOnce upon a time a Blackbird and his mate lived happily in a tall tree.\nThe Blackbird kept singing sweetly to his mate, pouring out his heart,\nas they built their nest together. And when the nest was finished and\nthey settled in it, he sang more sweetly than ever.\n\nNow, the King was riding that way and, when he heard this song of joy,\nhe said to the Fowler: \u201cCatch that Blackbird, so that I may hear his\nhappy song every day.\u201d\n\nNot long after that the Fowler came with his nets and, by mistake, he\ncaught Mrs. Blackbird. Now Mrs. Blackbird could sing hardly a note, but\nthe Fowler could not tell her from Mr. Blackbird as both wore such black\nfeathers.\n\nThe King was delighted to get the bird and he put her into a cage. But\nMrs. Blackbird was so unhappy without her husband that she began to\nmourn and droop, and gave unhappy little chirps.\n\nThe King could not understand why he never heard the glad song of the\nforest; but he kept her a prisoner, hoping that some day she might sing.\n\nNow, when Mr. Blackbird heard that his dear little wife had been stolen\nby the King, he was very angry indeed. He made up his mind that he would\ngo to the palace and make war upon the King, demanding that his wife be\nset free. So, he got a long sharp thorn, and tied it at his waist for a\nsword. On his head he put half a walnut shell for a helmet. He took the\nskin of a dead frog and put it on for armor, and the other half of the\nwalnut shell he used for a drum. And so he marched away beating upon his\ndrum to make war upon the King.\n\nAs he walked along the road, beating upon his drum, he met a Cat.\n\n\u201cMiaow! Miaow!\u201d said the Cat. \u201cWhere are you going, Mr. Blackbird?\u201d\n\n\u201cI am going to fight against the King,\u201d answered the bold Blackbird.\n\n\u201cI will go with you and help you,\u201d said the Cat, \u201cfor the King drowned\nmy kittens, and I should like to help punish him.\u201d\n\n\u201cJump into my ear, then,\u201d said the bold Blackbird, \u201cand I will take you\nwith me.\u201d\n\nSo the Cat climbed into the Blackbird\u2019s ear, curled up and went to\nsleep; the Blackbird marched on beating upon his drum.\n\nFurther down the road he met some Ants.\n\n\u201cWhere are you going, Mr. Blackbird?\u201d asked the Ants.\n\n\u201cI am going to fight against the King,\u201d answered the bold Blackbird,\n\u201cfor he has stolen my wife and shut her up in a cage.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe will join you,\u201d said the Ants, \u201cfor the King poured hot water down\nour hole.\u201d\n\n\u201cJump into my ear,\u201d said the Blackbird.\n\nSo they jumped in, and away went the Blackbird beating upon his drum.\n\nNext the Blackbird met a Rope and a Club, and when they heard that he\nwas going to fight against the King, they jumped into his ear, and away\nthey all went together.\n\nNot far from the palace of the King, the Blackbird had to cross over a\nriver.\n\n\u201cWhere are you going, Mr. Blackbird?\u201d asked the River.\n\n\u201cTo fight against the King, for he has taken my wife as prisoner.\u201d\n\n\u201cI will join you,\u201d said the River.\n\n\u201cJump into my ear,\u201d said the Blackbird. So the River went into his ear,\nand away they all went to the palace of the King.\n\nWhen they reached the outer gate, the bold Blackbird knocked loudly:\n\u201cThump! Thump! Thump!\u201d\n\n\u201cWho is there?\u201d said the Porter.\n\n\u201cGeneral Blackbird, who has come to make war upon the King and to get\nhis wife back again,\u201d said the Blackbird.\n\nWhen the Porter saw General Blackbird in his frog-skin coat of armor,\nwith his helmet and drum made from a walnut shell, and with a thorn for\na sword, he laughed so hard that he could scarcely open the gate. And\nwhen the King saw the bold bird, he laughed so heartily he nearly fell\nfrom his throne. \u201cHa! Ha! Ha!\u201d roared the King. \u201cWhat do you wish with\nme, bold General Blackbird?\u201d\n\n\u201cI want my wife at once,\u201d said the Blackbird, beating upon his drum,\nrub-a-dub, rub-a-dub!\n\n\u201cYou shall not have her! I have shut her up in a cage and I am waiting\nfor her to sing to me,\u201d said the King.\n\n\u201cVery well, then,\u201d answered the Blackbird. \u201cWar is declared and you must\ntake the consequences.\u201d Rub-a-dub, rub-a-dub! went the drum.\n\n\u201cSeize that insolent bird,\u201d said the King, \u201cand shut him up in the\nhen-house. There will be nothing left of him in the morning.\u201d\n\nSo the servants took the Blackbird and threw him out into the hen-house.\n\nWhen all the world was sound asleep, Blackbird said:\n\n  \u201cCome out, Pussy, from my ear!\n  There are many fowls for you here;\n  Scratch them\u2014make their feathers fly,\n  Wring their necks until they die!\u201d\n\n\u201cMiaow! Miaow,\u201d said the big Pussy Cat. And in an instant all was wild\nconfusion in the hen-house.\n\n\u201cCluck-cluck-cluck!\u201d said the Hens, as they went scurrying all over the\nplace. \u201cBad luck-cluck-cluck!\u201d\n\n\u201cCock-a-doodle-do-oo! Get out of here, oh, do!\u201d shrieked the Rooster.\n\n\u201cQuack, Quack!\u201d said the Ducks. \u201cAlack, Alack!\u201d\n\n\u201cHiss-ss! Hiss-ss! What\u2019s amiss-ss?\u201d hissed the Geese.\n\nBut the big Pussy Cat caught them all, scratched out their feathers, and\nsoon made an end of them. Then she climbed back into the Blackbird\u2019s\near, and they all went to sleep.\n\nThe next morning, the King said to his servants, \u201cGo and find the body\nof that insolent bird and give all of my poultry an extra measure of\ncorn.\u201d\n\nBut when they entered the chicken-yard, there was General Blackbird\nstrutting about among all the dead fowls.\n\n  [Illustration: \u201cHa, ha, ha!\u201d roared the King.... \u201cWhat do you wish\n  with me, bold General Blackbird?\u201d]\n\n  [Illustration: \u201cHa, ha, ha!\u201d roared the King.... \u201cWhat do you wish\n  with me, bold General Blackbird?\u201d]\n\nThe King was very angry when he heard about this, and he said, \u201cTonight,\nyou must shut that insolent bird in the stable among my prancing steeds.\nThey will soon kick the life out of him.\u201d\n\nSo General Blackbird was shut in the stable.\n\nAt midnight, when all the world was asleep, Blackbird said:\n\n  \u201cCome out, Rope, and come out, Stick!\n  Tie the horses lest they kick.\n  Beat the horses on the head!\n  Beat them till they fall down dead!\u201d\n\nOut came the Rope and the Club, and the Rope bound all the horses until\nthey could not move, and the Club beat them until they all fell down\ndead.\n\nThen the Rope and the Club climbed back into the Blackbird\u2019s ear, and\nthey all went to sleep again.\n\nThe next morning the King said, \u201cI am sure my wild horses have settled\nthat Blackbird. Go out and bring in his corpse.\u201d\n\nThe servants went out to the stable, and there was the Blackbird sitting\non a stall, drumming away on his walnut shell, while all around him were\nthe dead bodies of the horses. Now these horses had cost the King a\ngreat deal of money and to have them killed in this way was more than he\ncould stand.\n\n\u201cThat Blackbird shall not trick me again,\u201d scolded the King. \u201cI will\nkill him tonight. Put him in with my Elephants and they will crush the\nlife out of him.\u201d\n\nSo that night the servants shut the Blackbird up in the shed with all\nthe big Elephants.\n\nAt midnight, when all the world was sound asleep, the Blackbird began to\nsing:\n\n  \u201cCome out from my ear, you Ants,\n  Come and sting the Elephants.\n  Sting each trunk and sting each head!\n  Sting them till they fall down dead!\u201d\n\nThen out came the swarm of Ants from the Blackbird\u2019s ear. They crawled\ninside the Elephants\u2019 trunks; they burrowed into the Elephants\u2019 brains;\nthey bit them and stung them so sharply that the Elephants all went mad\nand trumpeted wildly as they pushed each other about tramping upon each\nother until they all fell down dead.\n\nThe next morning the King said to his servants, \u201cGo and bring me the\nproof that the insolent Blackbird is dead.\u201d\n\nBut, when the servants went out, there they found the Blackbird playing\nupon his drum, while about him all the dead Elephants were piled upon\nthe ground.\n\nWhen the King heard this he was furious, and he said, \u201cI cannot imagine\nhow he does this, but, tonight, you must tie him to my bed and I will\nwatch to see what happens.\u201d\n\nSo that night General Blackbird was escorted to the King\u2019s bedroom, and\nthere he was tied fast to the King\u2019s bed.\n\nThe King would not go to sleep, but kept awake listening to find out\nwhat the Blackbird was doing.\n\nAt midnight the Blackbird began to sing:\n\n  \u201cCome out, River, from my ear!\n  Flow about the King\u2019s room here.\n  Pour yourself upon his bed!\n  Drown the King until he\u2019s dead!\u201d\n\nThen out came the River, drip-drip-drip, pour-pour-pouring out of the\nBlackbird\u2019s ear. It flooded the room; the chairs and tables began to\nfloat about; then the King\u2019s bed began to float, and the King himself\nwas wet. At last the King cried out:\n\n\u201cOh, good General Blackbird, stop the River! I will give you back your\nwife if you will only be gone and leave me in peace.\u201d\n\nSo the Blackbird stopped the River, took his wife and they went back to\ntheir home.\n\nOn the way, the Blackbird took all his helpers out of his ear and put\neach one back where he lived. Taking off his helmet, he said, with a low\nbow:\n\n\u201cMy friends, my wife and I appreciate and thank you for your timely\nassistance. Without your aid, I should never have been able to overcome\nthe enemy.\u201d\n\nThen the Blackbird threw off his frog-skin coat of armor, put aside his\nthorn sword, his walnut helmet and his drum, and he and his wife flew\nback to their home in the tall tree.\n\nHe sang her a sweet song, and they all lived happily ever after.\n\n  [Illustration: Birds and flowers.]\n\n\n\n\n                         THE KID AND THE TIGER\n\n\n  [Illustration: Kid and tiger.]\n\nOnce upon a time there lived in the forest a mother goat who had four\nfat little kids, named Roley, Poley, Skipster and Jumpster.\n\nNot far away from the home of the goats lived a mother tiger with her\ntwo little cubs.\n\nNow the mother tiger always pretended to be a dear friend of the Nanny\ngoat, but she really was jealous because Nanny had four little ones\nwhile she herself had only two.\n\nOne day the old tiger growled to herself, \u201cIf only I could find some way\nto eat up two of Nanny\u2019s kids, then all things would be equal. But I\nmust never let Nanny suspect me.\u201d So the tricky tiger licked her striped\ncoat until it fairly shone and she went to call on the Nanny goat.\n\n\u201cDear friend Nanny,\u201d she said with a sweet smile, \u201cmy little ones have\ngone out and I am very lonely at home. Do please let one of your dear\nlittle kids sleep with me.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhy, I shall be very glad to have one of them go,\u201d answered the stupid\ngoat, for she felt flattered that one of her children should be invited\nto visit the great tiger.\n\nSo Mother Goat went out to find her children. They were all having a\nfrolic together. Roley and Poley were rolling over and over upon the\nground, and Jumpster was jumping over Skipster.\n\n\u201cCome, children! Come, children!\u201d called their mother. \u201cA good, kind\nfriend has invited one of you to come and spend the night in her house.\u201d\n\n\u201cMa\u2014aa, Ma\u2014aa,\u201d bleated all the kids as they came running up and three\nof the little kids shouted, \u201cLet me go! Let me! Oh, let me!\u201d\n\nBut Roley, who was a wise little kid, said very quietly, \u201cWho is the\nfriend, Mammy?\u201d\n\n\u201cWhy, it is your dear Aunt Yellow-Stripe,\u201d answered the Mother Goat.\n\nThen all the little kids looked very sad, for they were afraid of the\ntiger. Although the Mother Tiger always smiled upon them, they could see\nher glistening teeth and when she tried to shake paws with them, they\nwere afraid of her cruel claws; sometimes, when she rolled her eyes and\nlooked at them, they felt that there was a gleam in her eyes which was\nnot for their good.\n\n\u201cNo-oo, thank you, Mammy! I would rather stay at home with you,\u201d said\nSkipster.\n\n\u201cNo-oo, No-oo, thank you, Mammy!\u201d said Jumpster.\n\n\u201cNo-oo, No-oo, thank you, Mammy!\u201d said Poley.\n\nThey looked about at Roley to join in their frolic but, to their great\nsurprise, Roley said, \u201cYes, Mammy, I will go, gladly.\u201d\n\n\u201cBaa-ba-bad. Too bad-baa-baad!\u201d bleated the other three kids. \u201cOh, don\u2019t\ngo, poor Roley, we do not trust that terrible tiger!\u201d\n\nBut Roley would not heed their warning. He knew what he was about and he\nmade up his mind that he would not let that terrible tiger trick him.\n\nSo Roley went home with the tiger, and although she purred over him and\nmade a great fuss over him, he watched her very sharply.\n\nWhen it was time to go to bed, Roley pretended to go to sleep, but he\nwas watching all the time. At last he heard the old tiger snoring. He\ngot up as softly as he could and went to the back of the den and found\none of the baby tigers. They had not gone out as their mother had said,\nbut were sleeping in a dark corner.\n\nRoley took the little tiger-cub and put it down by the Mother Tiger,\nthen he went and hid by the other little tiger.\n\nAbout midnight the old Mother Tiger awoke and felt the little warm thing\ncurled up by her side. Then she brought down her powerful paw with such\nforce that she killed the little one at once, and gobbled him up. It was\nso pitchy black that she did not know, until morning, that she had eaten\none of her own babies by mistake, for there was little Roley on the\nfloor playing with her other little one.\n\nWhen she realized what had happened she was wild with rage. Her eyes\ngleamed with a cruel light, but she managed to purr out sweetly, \u201cDid\nyou sleep well last night, Roley dear?\u201d\n\n\u201cYes, Auntie,\u201d said Roley, \u201conly a gnat stung me.\u201d\n\n\u201cWell, never mind,\u201d she murmured. \u201cJust come again tonight and we shall\nsee what we shall see.\u201d\n\nThat night everything happened just as before; only Roley put a huge\nstone in his place, and then he ran for home as fast as he could go.\n\nAt midnight, when the tiger awoke, she brought down her paw upon the\nstone.\n\n  [Illustration: \u201cDid you sleep well last night, Roley dear?\u201d]\n\n  [Illustration: \u201cDid you sleep well last night, Roley dear?\u201d]\n\n\u201cMy gracious,\u201d she said, \u201cbut that is a strong kid. I must kill him now,\nor he will kill me when he grows up.\u201d So she bit at the stone with all\nher might\u2014and broke all her front teeth. Howling with rage and pain, she\nlooked all about her den, but Roley was not to be found.\n\nMother Tiger lay awake all night with the pain in her teeth. She thought\nand thought, but she could not plan her revenge upon Roley. So, in the\nmorning, she went to a wise old, one-eyed tiger, her friend and\ncounsellor, and asked him how she could punish Roley.\n\nThey talked and they walked and they walked and they talked and when\nthey came back to the den, there was the reckless Roley, rolling about\nwith the little tiger cub.\n\n\u201cHa, ha,\u201d laughed the old tiger. \u201cSo here you are, you little rascal!\nJust sit down and I will tell you a nice story.\u201d\n\n\u201cOh, do, dear Uncle One-eye,\u201d cried Roley.\n\nSo One-Eye began, \u201cWhen I eat my dinner, I like to eat kids. Four little\nkids are just one mouthful for me, and today I\u2019m very hungry. So I am\ncoming to your house and I shall make one mouthful of you and your\nbrothers and sisters.\u201d\n\n\u201cGood, good!\u201d cried Roley, clapping his paws. \u201cWhat good stories you do\ntell. Now, listen, and I will tell you a story.\n\n\u201cWhen you come to eat us up, Skipster will hold you by the forelegs, and\nJumpster will hold you by the hind legs, and Poley will hold your head,\nand Roley will chop it off. And our mother will have a big fire ready,\nand we will cook you. But I think first we will skin off your coat for\nit will make us such a nice striped rug for our floor.\u201d\n\nThis story terrified the old tiger and he took to his heels and ran for\nhome as fast as he could go.\n\nOn the way home, he met six other tigers and he said, \u201cMy dear friends,\nI know where there\u2019s a fine kid for you to eat. I do not care for him,\nmyself, but I will help you catch him, and I will watch you eat him.\u201d\n\nThe six tigers were all so hungry that each one would have liked to eat\nthe whole kid. As they followed One-Eye, each tiger was plotting how to\nmake the others do the work so that he could get the kid.\n\nThey started toward the goat\u2019s home and, sure enough, there was Roley,\nrolling along toward home. But the minute he saw the tigers he crawled\nup into a tall tree that grew near his house.\n\nThe first tiger gave a spring in the air, but could not reach the branch\nwhere Roley was sitting. Then the second tiger tried. And, one after\nanother, each tiger jumped, but missed Roley. So he sat there on his\nperch, mocking them: \u201cBaa-ba\u2014too baad! too bad!\u201d\n\nAt last the tigers had to give up and they all sat in a ring and took\ncounsel together. Then One-Eye said, \u201cI know how we can reach him. I\nwill stand here against the tree trunk and the rest of you can climb on\nmy back, one on top of the other. Then we can catch the rascal very\neasily.\u201d\n\nThey all agreed that this was an excellent plan. So One-Eye propped\nhimself against the tree, and the other tigers climbed one on top of the\nother, until the top tiger reached out his paw and almost touched Roley.\nAs he did so, One-Eye cocked up his eye to see how they were getting\nalong.\n\nRoley called out, \u201cMother, oh, Mother, give me a lump of mud, and I will\nhit the old brute in his one eye, and that will finish him.\u201d\n\nWhen One-Eye heard this he was so frightened that he gave a great jump\nand down tumbled the whole seven tigers in a heap, and all fighting and\nbiting and scratching and spitting at each other, for they imagined\nother beasts were fighting them, and so they fought with one another\nuntil they were quite worn out.\n\nAs soon as each of the seven tigers got his four legs to himself, off he\nwent to his home.\n\nThen Roley climbed down from the tree and all those joyous kids kicked\nup their heels and rejoiced together.\n\nAlthough they never had a tiger skin rug for their floor, they were just\nas happy, for they did not care to be reminded of their tricky friend,\nYellow-Stripe. And the terrible tigers were so frightened that they\nnever again troubled Nanny Goat and her four frolicsome kids.\n\n  [Illustration: Birds and flowers.]\n\n\n\n\n                       THE BRAHMIN AND THE TIGER\n\n\n  [Illustration: Brahmin and tiger.]\n\nOnce upon a time there lived in India a very good man. He was a Brahmin,\nor priest, and he had such a kind heart that he could not bear to see\nanything suffer. Everyone loved him, because he was so good to all the\npoor people and so gentle with the beasts.\n\nOne day, as the Brahmin was walking along the road, he saw a huge Tiger\nwho had been caught by the villagers and put in an iron cage to punish\nhim for his wickedness.\n\n\u201cBrother Brahmin, Brother Brahmin,\u201d moaned the Tiger, \u201cpray have pity on\nme and let me out of this cruel cage for one little minute, so that I\nmay get a drink of water for I am dying of thirst.\u201d\n\n\u201cOh, no, Brother Tiger,\u201d answered the Brahmin, \u201cI could not do that, for\nyou are being punished for your wickedness. Moreover if I should let you\nout of your cage, you would eat me up.\u201d\n\n\u201cIn truth, I would not,\u201d answered the Tiger. \u201cI would never do such an\nungrateful thing. Have pity on me, kind Brother Brahmin, I pray!\u201d\n\nThen the Brahmin, feeling sorry for the Tiger, unlocked the cage door.\nBut the moment he opened the door, the Tiger sprang out upon him,\ngrowling, \u201cGurr! gurr! gurr-r-r! Now I will eat you first and drink the\nwater afterwards.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhy, Brother Tiger!\u201d said the Brahmin, \u201cdo not kill me so hastily. You\npromised not to eat me, and now, when I set you free, you break your\nword. Is that fair, or just? Is that according to the law?\u201d\n\n\u201cGurr! gurr! gurr-r-r!\u201d growled the Tiger. \u201cI care not whether it is\nfair or just. I learned no law in the jungle. Man is the food for the\nbeast.\u201d\n\n\u201cBut, Brother Tiger, you must listen to reason,\u201d said the Brahmin. \u201cWe\nwill ask six judges if you are keeping your word to me, and if each one\nof them says that you should kill me, then I am willing to die.\u201d\n\n\u201cVery well,\u201d agreed the Tiger, \u201cwe will ask the judgment of six and if\nthey all say that you are to die, I shall kill you, but if anyone of\nthem grants you your life, I will have to let you go.\u201d\n\nSo the Brahmin and the Tiger walked to a Banyan tree, and the Brahmin\nsaid:\n\n\u201cOh, Banyan tree, Banyan tree, hear and give judgment!\u201d\n\n\u201cOn what must I give judgment?\u201d asked the Banyan tree.\n\n\u201cThis Tiger was caught in a cruel cage,\u201d said the Brahmin. \u201cHe was\nthirsty and begged piteously for a drink of water. He promised not to\nhurt me if I set him free. But when I did so, he sprang upon me to kill\nme. Do you think it fair and just for him to break his word?\u201d\n\nThe Banyan tree rustled his leaves and whispered in a mournful voice,\n\u201cMen take shelter under my boughs from the scorching rays of the sun.\nYet when I have protected them and they are rested, they break my pretty\nbranches and scatter my leaves and take my fruit. Men certainly are an\nungrateful race! So I say let the Tiger eat the Brahmin.\u201d\n\n\u201cNow, Brother Brahmin,\u201d growled the Tiger, \u201cI shall eat you.\u201d\n\n\u201cOne moment, Brother Tiger,\u201d begged the Brahmin. \u201cWe agreed to ask six\njudges, and we have had the opinion of only one. You must not eat me\nyet.\u201d\n\n\u201cVery well,\u201d said the Tiger, and they went on till they met a Camel.\n\n\u201cBrother Camel, Brother Camel,\u201d cried the Brahmin. \u201cHear and give\njudgment.\u201d The Brahmin then told how he had opened the cage door for the\nTiger and how the Tiger had broken his word. \u201cDo you call that just, or\nright, Brother Camel?\u201d asked the Brahmin.\n\n\u201cAs just and right as I am treated by man,\u201d snorted the Camel, gnashing\nhis teeth in rage. \u201cWhen I was young and strong and could carry a heavy\nload for my master, he took care of me and gave me food and shelter. Now\nI am old and have lost my strength in the service, and so he overloads\nme, starves me and beats me. Men are an unjust and cruel race. So I say\nlet the Tiger eat the Brahmin.\u201d\n\n\u201cNow, Brother Brahmin,\u201d growled the Tiger, \u201cI shall eat you.\u201d And he\nsprang towards the Brahmin.\n\n\u201cStop! Brother Tiger, stop!\u201d said the Brahmin. \u201cWe have heard only the\njudgment of two.\u201d\n\n\u201cVery well,\u201d answered the Tiger.\n\nAt a little distance they found a poor old Bullock, lying by the side of\nthe road.\n\n\u201cBrother Bullock, Brother Bullock,\u201d said the Brahmin. \u201cHear and give\njudgment.\u201d Then the Brahmin explained the whole story again and said,\n\u201cDo you call that fair or just?\u201d\n\n  [Illustration: \u201cBrother Camel, Brother Camel,\u201d cried the Brahmin....\n  \u201cHear and give judgment.\u201d]\n\n  [Illustration: \u201cBrother Camel, Brother Camel,\u201d cried the Brahmin....\n  \u201cHear and give judgment.\u201d]\n\n\u201cWhen I was able to work,\u201d answered the Bullock, \u201cmy master fed me and\ntreated me very carefully. Now I am old, he has forgotten all I ever did\nfor him and has left me by the roadside to die. Men show no mercy to the\nbeasts. So I say, let the Tiger eat the Brahmin.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou hear that, Brother Brahmin?\u201d growled the Tiger. \u201cNow I shall eat\nyou up.\u201d\n\n\u201cPray, Brother Tiger, have patience! We have met only half of our\njudges. I still have three more to ask.\u201d\n\n\u201cVery well,\u201d answered the Tiger, and they went on together.\n\nAfter a time they saw an Eagle flying through the air. \u201cBrother Eagle,\nBrother Eagle,\u201d shouted the Brahmin, \u201cfly down here and give judgment.\u201d\n\nThe Eagle came soaring slowly down and sat upon a rock. Then the Brahmin\ntold his whole story and said, \u201cDo you think that it is fair, or just of\nthe Tiger to eat me after I set him free?\u201d\n\n\u201cWell,\u201d answered the Eagle, \u201cmen are not fair nor just to me. Whenever\nmen see me, they try to shoot me and they climb the rocks to spoil my\nnest and steal my little ones. Men know no pity. They seek only to slay\nus. So I say let the Tiger eat the Brahmin.\u201d\n\n\u201cHear that, Brother Brahmin? Now I shall have to kill you,\u201d growled the\nTiger.\n\n\u201cHave patience, Brother Tiger,\u201d answered the Brahmin. \u201cWe have yet two\nmore judges to ask.\u201d\n\n\u201cVery well,\u201d said the Tiger, and they went on their way.\n\nPresently they came to a river and in the mud they saw an old Alligator.\nThe Brahmin told him the whole story hoping that the Alligator would\ngive him a favorable answer. But the Alligator in great anger snorted\nout:\n\n\u201cHumph! I hunt no man, but, whenever I put my nose out of the water, men\ntorment me and try to kill me. As long as men live, we shall have no\npeace. So I say let the Tiger eat the Brahmin.\u201d\n\nThen the Tiger, sprang toward the Brahmin. \u201cThis time I shall eat you\nup, for all are against you.\u201d\n\n\u201cOne moment!\u201d said the Brahmin. \u201cI still have one opinion of the sixth\njudge.\u201d\n\nSo the Tiger was obliged to wait, and by and by they met a little Jackal\nwho came gaily prancing down the road.\n\n\u201cOh, Brother Jackal! dear little Brother Jackal,\u201d called the Brahmin,\n\u201cplease do stop a minute and give judgment.\u201d\n\n\u201cOn what must I give judgment?\u201d barked the little Jackal.\n\nAgain the Brahmin told his story and asked, \u201cDo you think it just, or\nfair that the Tiger should eat me up after I set him free from that\ncruel cage?\u201d\n\n\u201cCage, cage, cage?\u201d asked the little Jackal in a perplexed tone. \u201cI\ndon\u2019t quite understand. What sort of cage was it?\u201d\n\n\u201cWhy, a big iron cage down in the village,\u201d answered the Brahmin. \u201cThe\nmen had caught the Tiger to punish him for his wickedness. When I came\ndown the road he begged for a drink of water and promised he would not\neat me, if I set him free. But when I opened the cage-door, he sprang\nupon me to kill me. Do you call that fair, or just?\u201d\n\n\u201cDear me, dear me!\u201d said the little Jackal. \u201cHow can I decide who is\nright or wrong until I see the cage and the exact position you were in\nwhen the quarrel began? Show me the place and I will try to judge.\u201d\n\nSo the Brahmin and the Tiger and the little Jackal went back to the\nplace where the empty cage stood.\n\n\u201cOh, is that the cage?\u201d asked the Jackal.\n\n\u201cYes, yes,\u201d answered the Brahmin.\n\n\u201cWell, Brahmin, show me exactly where you stood,\u201d said the Jackal.\n\n\u201cHere,\u201d said the Brahmin. \u201cI stood here in the road looking in the cage\nat the cruel Tiger.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhere were you, Tiger?\u201d asked the Little Jackal.\n\n\u201cWhy, I stood in the cage, so!\u201d answered the Tiger jumping into the\ncage, \u201cand my head was leaning against the iron bars, so!\u201d\n\n\u201cVery good, very good!\u201d said the little Jackal. \u201cBut I cannot give\njudgment until I understand a little more. Why did you not come out by\nyourself, Tiger? Was the cage-door open, or shut?\u201d\n\n\u201cWhy, the cage-door was shut and bolted!\u201d answered the Brahmin.\n\n\u201cThen shut and bolt it,\u201d said the Jackal, \u201cfor I must see how all this\nhappened.\u201d\n\nThe Brahmin shut and bolted the cage-door and, turning to the Jackal, he\nsaid, \u201cNow give us your judgment, Brother Jackal.\u201d\n\n\u201cHa-ha-ha!\u201d barked the little Jackal, joyously. \u201cLeave it locked! Leave\nit locked, Brother Brahmin! Oh, you wicked and ungrateful Tiger! After\nthe good Brahmin was kind enough to open the cage-door, was it fair, or\njust, for you to spring upon him to kill him? You may stay in that cage\nall the rest of your life. Goodbye, Brother Brahmin, goodbye,\u201d said the\nlittle Jackal. \u201cMy way leads this way and your way leads that. Goodbye!\u201d\n\nAnd away ran the little Jackal in one direction while Brother Brahmin\nwent on his way, rejoicing that he was safe. And shut up in the cage,\nthe old Tiger roared in a rage.\n\n  [Illustration: Birds and flowers.]\n\n\n\n\n                         THE BEAR\u2019S BAD BARGAIN\n\n\n  [Illustration: The woodman and his wife.]\n\nOnce upon a time there lived an old woodman and his wife in a tiny\nlittle hut near the edge of the forest. Now, a very rich man had his\norchard near their home\u2014so close, in fact, that the boughs of a big\npear-tree hung right over their yard. The rich man was a generous\nneighbor, and he agreed to give the poor man and his wife the fruit that\nfell into their garden. So the old woodman and his wife watched with\nhungry eyes as the pears ripened in the sunshine.\n\n\u201cHow I wish that a wind-storm would come and let those pears drop on our\nside of the fence,\u201d said the old woman.\n\n\u201cYes,\u201d agreed the old man; \u201cI wish that I dared to shake the tree a\nlittle and make some of the fruit fall this way, but our neighbor might\nsee it, and then he would be angry and not give us any of them.\u201d\n\nEvery day, the old woman grumbled more and more, because the pears did\nnot drop on their side of the fence.\n\n\u201cI declare, we shall be beggars,\u201d she groaned; and she insisted that her\nhusband work harder and harder each day, while she would give him\nnothing to eat but a dry crust of bread.\n\nThe poor man grew thinner and thinner while he waited for the pears to\nripen and fall into their yard; and every day he worked harder and\nharder, but he could not please his grumbling old wife. At last he\nturned around on her and, in great anger, said, \u201cWife, I will not do any\nmore work unless you make some khichri for my dinner.\u201d\n\n\u201cKhichri!\u201d shrieked the wife; \u201ckhichri! Indeed I will not. Do you not\nknow that khichri takes rice and pulse and butter and spices? Do you\nthink that I am going to use all we have in the house on one meal for\nyou?\u201d\n\n\u201cYes,\u201d said the old man, \u201cthat is why I demand khichri. You have starved\nme quite long enough and now I will have the best dish you can make me.\u201d\n\nThe cross old woman took the things out of the closet and began to cook\na savory khichri. It smelt so good that the old man could hardly wait\nfor it.\n\n\u201cLet me have a taste?\u201d he begged.\n\n\u201cNo, no,\u201d scolded his wife, \u201cyou cannot have even a taste of it until\nyou have brought me in another load of wood, and mind that it is a big\none. You will have to work for your khichri.\u201d\n\nThe old woodman took his axe and went out to the forest and began to hew\nand hack the trees with all his strength and soon he had a large load of\nwood.\n\nChop! chop! chop! At every blow of his axe he would think of the savory\nkhichri he would soon enjoy.\n\nSuddenly a big black bear came lumbering along through the forest with\nhis long black nose tilted in the air and his little keen eyes peering\nall about him, for bears are always curious.\n\n\u201cGrr-rr-Grr-rr! Good-day to you, my friend,\u201d growled the bear. \u201cAnd may\nI ask what you are doing with that large bundle of wood?\u201d\n\n\u201cI cut it for my wife,\u201d answered the woodman. \u201cYou see, she would not\ncook me any dinner unless I brought her the wood. Today she has made me\nkhichri for dinner and I know that when she sees this large load of\nwood, she will give me a generous portion. Oh, just smell that khichri;\nit is delicious!\u201d\n\nThis made the bear very hungry and so he growled, \u201cDo you think that\nyour wife would give me some khichri, if I brought her some wood?\u201d\n\n\u201cMaybe she might, if you brought her a very large load,\u201d answered the\nman.\n\nAfter a long discussion, the bear agreed to bring in half a cord of\nwood, if the man would save him some of the khichri.\n\n\u201cHalf a cord is a very large load of wood,\u201d grumbled the bear.\n\n\u201cBut there is saffron and rice and pulse and butter in the khichri. It\nis a very expensive dish,\u201d said the woodman.\n\nThe bear licked his chops at this and his bright little eyes gleamed\nwith greed.\n\n\u201cIt is a bargain,\u201d he cried. \u201cI will bring you half a cord of wood, so\ngo home and tell your wife to keep the khichri hot, for I shall be with\nyou soon.\u201d\n\nThe woodman went home and told his wife about his bargain with the bear.\n\u201cHalf a cord of wood is good pay for a share of our dinner,\u201d said the\nman.\n\nNow the wife knew that her husband had made a good bargain with the\nbear, but she always found fault and grumbled about everything, so she\nbegan to scold the old man.\n\n\u201cYou should have made a better bargain with the bear. Bears are always\ngreedy,\u201d she stormed. \u201cYou know that he will gobble up all the khichri,\nbefore we have had a mouthful.\u201d\n\n  [Illustration: \u201cDo you think your wife would give me some khichri, if\n  I brought her some wood?\u201d]\n\n  [Illustration: \u201cDo you think your wife would give me some khichri, if\n  I brought her some wood?\u201d]\n\nWhen the woodman heard this he grew quite pale. \u201cDon\u2019t you think that we\nhad better begin now and have a fair start before the bear comes?\u201d he\nasked.\n\nSo they squatted down upon the floor mat with the big brass pot of\nkhichri placed between and began to eat and eat as fast as they could.\n\n\u201cYum-mm, Yum-mm, YUMM, this khichri is good!\u201d mumbled the man as he\ncrammed his mouth full. \u201cBut we must remember to leave some for the\nbear, wife!\u201d\n\n\u201cYes, certainly, certainly!\u201d replied the woman, helping herself to more.\n\u201cWe must leave some for that poor hungry bear!\u201d\n\nBut they went right on eating and eating until there was not a single\nmouthful left in the pot.\n\n\u201cWhat shall we do now, when the bear comes?\u201d cried the woodman. \u201cIt is\nall your fault, wife, for suggesting that the bear would eat it all.\u201d\n\n\u201cMy fault! my fault, indeed!\u201d shrieked the wife. \u201cYou suggested that we\nbegin to eat before the bear came in, and you ate twice as much as I\ndid!\u201d\n\n\u201cNo, I did not!\u201d\n\n\u201cYes, you did so, and you know it!\u201d\n\n\u201cWell, there is no good in quarrelling about it now,\u201d said the woodman.\n\u201cThe bear will be here in a few moments and he will be furious when he\nfinds the khichri all gone. He is very large and very hungry and he may\neat us when he finds that we have gone back on our word.\u201d\n\n\u201cNonsense!\u201d said the woman. \u201cWhat a coward you are! All you think about\nis saving yourself! I do not care whether he is angry or not. I want to\nget that wood from him.\u201d\n\n\u201cHe will never give it to you, when he finds no dinner,\u201d said the man.\n\u201cOf course not, you stupid,\u201d scolded the woman, \u201cbut I have thought of a\nplan. We must lock up everything in the house and leave the khichri pot\nby the fire, to look as though we were keeping it hot for him and then\nwe must hide in the garret. When the bear comes and does not see us, he\nwill think that we have gone out and left his dinner for him; then he\nwill throw down his wood and come in. When he finds that the pot is\nempty, he will rampage about a little, but he cannot do very much\ndamage. He will never bother to carry all that wood away again, for\nbears are as lazy as they are greedy.\u201d\n\nNow all this time the bear had been working hard in the forest and it\ntook him much longer than he had expected to gather all that wood.\nHowever, at last he dragged half a cord of wood to the house of the old\nwoodman. Seeing the brass khichri pot standing by the fire, he threw\ndown his pile of wood and went at once for his dinner. And then when he\nsaw that there was not even a grain of rice left in the pot, Me-oh-my!\nwasn\u2019t he angry? He growled and he roared and he poked his head \u2019way\ndown into the pot and licked the sides of it. But not even a tiny bit of\npulse could he taste, though all the time he could smell how savory that\nkhichri had been.\n\nHe sat on the floor and cried in his rage and disappointment, \u201cGrr-rr!\nGrr! Grr-rr-rr! That is a fine way to keep a promise! Well, since you\nhave eaten all the khichri, I will find something else to eat!\u201d Then he\nupset everything in the house, but no food could he find.\n\n\u201cGrr! Grr-rr! Grr-rr!\u201d growled the bear. \u201cI will take all of this wood\nback to the forest again. They broke their bargain with me and they\nshall not have one of my sticks to burn.\u201d\n\nBut just as the old woman had expected he was much too lazy to carry the\nheavy load back to the forest, even for revenge.\n\n\u201cI will not go away empty-handed,\u201d he growled. \u201cIf they would not save\nme a taste, I can at least get the smell!\u201d And he carried the brass pot\naway with him.\n\nNow, as the bear left the cottage, he saw the beautiful golden pears\nhanging from the tree. These were the first pears of the season, and\nthey looked very good to him. So he climbed up into the tree and began\nto eat the biggest, ripest pear that he could find. My! but it was good!\nThe bear was so hungry, after his hard work in the forest, that he\nlicked his chops and smacked his lips as he munched the pear. And then\nhe thought of a plan.\n\n\u201cI shall take these pears home with me and sell them to the other bears\nin the forest and with the money I can buy all the khichri that I can\neat! Ha! Ha! Ha!\u201d laughed the bear. \u201cI shall have the best of the\nbargain after all! I will fool that old woodman and his wife, and they\nwill not have even so much as a taste of one.\u201d\n\nThen the bear began to gather the ripe pears as fast as he could and put\nthem into the big brass pot, but whenever he came to an unripe pear he\nwould shake his head and say, \u201cNo one will buy this green one, yet it is\na shame to waste it.\u201d So he would pop the green pear into his own mouth\nand gobble it up, though he made wry faces as he ate.\n\nNow all this time, the woodman and his wife had been hiding in the\ngarret and the woodman\u2019s wife was peeking through a little crevice\nwatching the bear. When she saw how furious he was, she held her breath\nfor fear he would discover them. When he climbed the tree and was eating\nthe pears, she was angry at losing their share of the fruit, but she was\ntoo terrified to call out. At last from the excitement and the dust in\nher hiding place, she could hold in no longer, and just when the bear\nhad filled the pot with ripe golden pears, out she came with a most\ntremendous sneeze: \u201cA-h Che-u! Che-uu-uu!\u201d\n\nThe bear was startled by this sound\u2014so much like the explosion of a\ngun\u2014and off he lumbered into the forest, dropping the khichri pot in the\nyard as he ran.\n\nNow, as the pot had dropped into their yard, the woodman and his wife\ngot all the pears, as well as the khichri they had eaten, and half a\ncord of wood, while the poor bear got nothing but a very bad stomachache\nfrom eating unripe fruit. So that was the end of the bear\u2019s bad bargain.\n\n  [Illustration: Elephant heads and flowers.]\n\n\n\n\n                        THE MAN WHO RODE A TIGER\n\n\n  [Illustration: Man riding tiger.]\n\nOnce upon a time, in a terrible thunderstorm, a big Tiger crept for\nshelter close to the wall of an old woman\u2019s hut. Now, this old woman was\nvery poor. Her hut was a tumbledown old place, and the rain leaked\nthrough the holes in her roof.\n\n\u201cDrip-drip-drip,\u201d fell the rain, and the poor old woman tried to drag\nher furniture away from the holes in the roof.\n\n\u201cOh, dear, oh, dear!\u201d she moaned. \u201cWhat an awful storm! I\u2019m sure I would\nnot be nearly as afraid of a big tiger, or an elephant, or a lion, as I\nam of this perpetual dripping\u2014dripping.\u201d And she dragged her bed across\nthe room to get it away from the dripping water.\n\nThe Tiger, crouching against the house, heard every word. \u201cThis\nperpetual dripping that frightens her more than a tiger, or an elephant,\nor a lion, must be very terrible,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat can this perpetual\ndripping be?\u201d\n\nAnd, then, as he heard her dragging the things about in the house, he\nsaid, \u201cMy, what a horrible noise! Surely that noise must be perpetual\ndripping.\u201d\n\nNow, at this moment, a Chattee-maker (potter) came down the road. The\nnight was very cold. His donkey had strayed away, and the poor old man\nwas so bewildered that he could not find the donkey. Suddenly there was\na flash of lightning and the man saw a large beast lying by the wall of\nthe old woman\u2019s hut.\n\nMistaking the beast for his donkey, the Chattee-maker rushed at the\nTiger, seized it by the ear and commenced beating and abusing it with\nall his might.\n\n\u201cYou wretched old donkey, you, to run away and leave me to look for you\nin this frightful storm! Get up and carry me home, or I\u2019ll break every\nbone in your lazy old body!\u201d He kicked the poor beast and pounded him.\n\nThe Tiger did not know what to make of it. He was very much frightened.\n\u201cThis must be \u2018Perpetual Dripping,\u2019\u201d he said to himself. \u201cNo wonder the\nold woman said she was more afraid of it than of a tiger, or an\nelephant, or a lion, for it gives so many hard blows.\u201d\n\nAs soon as the poor Tiger got up, the Chattee-maker climbed on his back\nand forced the Tiger to carry him home. All the way he kicked and beat\nthe Tiger, thinking it was his donkey. When he got home, the\nChattee-maker tied the Tiger securely to the hitching-post in front of\nthe house, and went in to bed.\n\nNext morning, when the Chattee-maker\u2019s wife got up and looked out of her\nwindow, she beheld a great Tiger tied up in front of the house. The\nTiger looked as frightened and as meek as a lamb.\n\n\u201cHusband! Husband!\u201d she called, loudly. \u201cWake up! Wake up! Do you know\nwhat animal you brought home, last night?\u201d\n\n  [Illustration: \u201cLook, look!\u201d they cried in terror.... \u201cHere comes a\n  man of gigantic stature, riding on a mighty horse.\u201d]\n\n  [Illustration: \u201cLook, look!\u201d they cried in terror.... \u201cHere comes a\n  man of gigantic stature, riding on a mighty horse.\u201d]\n\n\u201cWhy, yes\u2014my donkey, to be sure,\u201d he answered. \u201cThe donkey ran away from\nme, but I caught him just the same, and made him bring me home.\u201d\n\n\u201cCome and see for yourself,\u201d said his wife.\n\nHere was the great Tiger tied to the post.\n\n\u201cWhere is my donkey, then?\u201d asked the man. \u201cI rode him home, last night,\nand tied him to the post, myself.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo, you must have ridden on that Tiger,\u201d said his wife.\n\nSoon the news spread all over the village that the Chattee-maker had\ncaptured a great Tiger and had ridden home on his back, and that he had\ntied him to his hitching-post and trained him to be as meek as a lamb.\n\nThe report was even carried to the Rajah of the country, and he came,\nwith his lords and attendants, to see this astonishing sight.\n\nNow the Tiger was a very large one and had long been the terror of the\nwhole country, and the Rajah was so pleased to have this terrible Tiger\ncaptured that he conferred all possible honor on the valiant\nChattee-maker.\n\n\u201cYou are a very brave man, my friend,\u201d said the Rajah. \u201cI will give you\na new house and lands. You shall be a lord in my court and you shall be\ncommander of a thousand horsemen.\u201d\n\nSo the Chattee-maker gave up making pots and clay earthenware and he and\nhis wife lived in the beautiful house given him by the Rajah, and they\nwore gorgeous raiment. And the Chattee-maker did, indeed, look like a\nlord of the court.\n\nWherever he went, people pointed him out and said, \u201cThere is the brave\nman who captured a hungry tiger and rode on his back.\u201d\n\nNow, not long after this, a Rajah from a neighboring country sent word\nthat he was bringing a mighty army to wage war. When the people heard\nthis, they were terrified; all the generals came to the Rajah and said,\n\u201cWe are not prepared for war! Who will be the Chief Commander?\u201d\n\nThen some of the people said, \u201cYou have just given the Chattee-maker\ncommand over a thousand horsemen. He is a brave and fearless man. Why do\nyou not put him in command of your army?\u201d\n\n\u201cThat is a very good idea,\u201d answered the Rajah. \u201cI will make him\nCommander-in-Chief.\u201d\n\nSo he sent for the valiant Chattee-maker. Said he, \u201cMy generals are\nafraid to take command for they say we are not prepared for war, but I\nknow that you are brave and fearless, and into your hands I will place\nall the power in my kingdom. You must put our enemies to flight.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt shall be as you command,\u201d said the Chattee-maker. \u201cBut before I lead\nthe whole army, let me go out alone and find out something about the\nstrength of the enemy, and examine their position.\u201d\n\nThe Rajah consented to this and the Chattee-maker went home to his wife.\n\u201cOh, wife, wife, what shall I do?\u201d he asked, in fright. \u201cThey have made\nme their Commander-in-Chief! It is a very hard place for me to fill. I\nshall have to ride at the head of my troops, and you know that I was\nnever on a horse in my life. So I have asked the Rajah to let me go out\nalone first. We shall get a very quiet pony and I shall ride out before\nanyone sees me.\u201d\n\nBut, early the next day, before the Chattee-maker had time to start, the\nRajah sent to him a very spirited horse, all saddled and bridled, and\nrequested that the Chattee-maker ride that horse out to meet the enemy.\n\nThe poor Chattee-maker was terrified, for the horse was a powerful\nanimal that pranced about, champing his bit and rolling his eyes, and\nthe Chattee-maker was sure that, if he ever mounted upon that horse, he\nwould soon fall off. But he did not dare to refuse the horse sent by the\nRajah. So he bowed politely to the messengers and said, \u201cTell the Rajah\nI am deeply grateful for his gift.\u201d\n\nBut, when the messengers were gone, he said to his wife, \u201cOh, oh, what\nam I to do? How can I ever ride on this terrible horse?\u201d\n\n\u201cNow, do not be so frightened,\u201d said his wife. \u201cI will tie you on the\nback of the big horse and, if you start at night, no one will see that\nyou are tied on.\u201d\n\nThat night his wife held the horse while her husband jumped and jumped,\ntrying to get up into the saddle. At last, after many trials, he\nsucceeded in getting on. He was so frightened that he called loudly to\nhis wife, \u201cOh, wife, wife, hurry, hurry!\u201d\n\nSo she wound him all about with strong ropes and tied his feet firmly in\nthe stirrups, and she put one rope around his neck and shoulders and\naround his waist, and fastened them to the saddle.\n\n\u201cWife, wife,\u201d he screamed. \u201cYou forgot to tie my hands.\u201d\n\n\u201cOh, no,\u201d she said. \u201cIt is better for you to have your hands free. Hold\non by the mane!\u201d\n\nSo he caught the horse\u2019s mane as firmly as he could, and away and away\nwent the horse, carrying the poor frightened Chattee-maker. Faster and\nfaster, over hedges and rivers and ditches and plains, he galloped, and\ngalloped, until they came in sight of the enemy\u2019s camp.\n\nWhen the poor old Chattee-maker saw the horse carrying him towards the\nenemy, he was more frightened than ever.\n\nHe made one last effort to save himself and, as the horse darted under a\nyoung banyan tree, he stretched out his hand and seized the tree with\nall his might, hoping that his ropes would break and the tree would pull\nhim down from the horse. But the banyan tree was in very loose soil and\nthe horse was plunging at such terrific speed that, when the\nChattee-maker caught hold, up came the tree by the roots, and the\nChattee-maker rode on, waving the banyan tree over his head and\nshrieking and screaming in his fright.\n\nNow the soldiers of the enemy had heard that an army was coming out\nagainst them and when they saw the Chattee-maker they were sure he was\nthe leader of a vanguard.\n\n\u201cLook! Look!\u201d they cried in terror. \u201cHere comes a man of gigantic\nstature, riding on a mighty horse! He rides at full speed over rocks and\nditches and tears up the trees in his rage!\u201d\n\nAnd running to the Rajah, they cried out in fright, \u201cHere comes the\nwhole force of the enemy! Men of gigantic stature, mounted on mighty\nhorses. As they gallop along, they tear up trees in their rage and\nbrandish them about as war-clubs. We can fight men, but we cannot fight\nmonsters!\u201d\n\nNow, the Chattee-maker was coming nearer and nearer and shrieking louder\nand louder in his terror, as he waved the tree wildly about his head and\nthe horse plunged on.\n\nSo others rushed to the Rajah and said, \u201cIt is true! It is true! See,\nthey are coming! Look, look! Let us fly for our lives!\u201d\n\nThen the whole panic-stricken crowd fled from their camp, for no one\nwanted to meet such an enemy. But, first, they made the Rajah write a\nnote, begging for peace.\n\nSoon after the enemy had fled from the camp, the horse carrying the\nChattee-maker came galloping into it. As he reached the camp, the ropes\nbroke and the Chattee-maker tumbled to the ground and the horse, worn\nout from his long run, stood still.\n\nThe Chattee-maker looked all about and was greatly surprised to find the\nwhole camp deserted. In the tent of the Rajah he found the letter, and\ntook it back home with him. He was afraid to mount the horse again, so\nhe walked all the long journey back, leading his tired horse.\n\nHe did not get home until late that night, but his wife saw him coming,\nand ran out to meet him.\n\n\u201cWhy, what is the matter, my good man?\u201d she asked.\n\n\u201cOh, wife! wife!\u201d he groaned, \u201cI am so weary! Every bone in my body\naches. I have ridden all over the world since last night and I have had\nto walk all the way back today, and I am so tired and hungry. When I\ncame to the camp of the enemy, no one was there, but I found this\nletter.\u201d Then he told his wife the whole story of his wild ride.\n\n\u201cWe must send a messenger to the Rajah with this letter and tell him\nthat you will come in the morning and report for yourself,\u201d she said.\n\u201cWe must send the horse, also, for I know that you never want to ride\nhim again.\u201d\n\nSo his good wife sent the horse and the letter to the Rajah, with the\nmessage that her husband would surely come, in the early morning.\n\nAnd the next day, when the people saw the Chattee-maker walking to the\nroyal palace, they said, \u201cWhy, this man is as modest as he is brave. He\nwent out all alone, and put our enemy to flight, and now he walks simply\nto the door of the Rajah as though he had no pride.\u201d\n\nThe Rajah came to the palace door to greet the Chattee-maker and, when\nthe Chattee-maker bowed down before the Rajah, the Rajah lifted him to\nhis feet and gave him every honor.\n\n\u201cYou have saved our lives and shall be set over all the kingdom,\u201d said\nthe Rajah. \u201cYou shall be next to me in authority, for you are as modest\nand as humble as you are brave.\u201d\n\nSo the Chattee-maker was rewarded for all that he had done by having\ntwice as much rank and wealth given him.\n\nBut the Chattee-maker never would ride on a horse. He had his own\nbeautiful coach in which to ride and he was often carried about on a\nlitter so that no one ever knew that he was not a bold and brave rider.\nHad he not ridden on a tiger and had he not routed an army by rushing at\nthem and pulling up trees to frighten them away? Yes, indeed, the people\nwere all very proud of the valiant Chattee-maker, and he lived very\nhappily, all the rest of his life.\n\n  [Illustration: Scribe with scroll.]\n\n  [Illustration: Birds and flowers.]\n\n  [Illustration: Volland Fairy Stories]\n\n\n                        _Volland Fairy Stories_\n\n  _AMERICAN INDIAN FAIRY TALES_\n      _by W. J. Larned_\n      _illustrated by John Rae_\n  _DEENIE FOLKS and FRIENDS of THEIRS_\n      _by Jo McMahon_\n      _illustrated by John Gee_\n  _FAIRY TALES from FRANCE_\n      _by W. J. Larned_\n      _illustrated by John Rae_\n  _THE LADDER of RICKETY RUNGS_\n      _by J. C. O\u2019Donnell_\n      _illustrated by Janet Laura Scott_\n  _LITTLE PEACHLING_\n      _by Georgene Faulkner_\n      _illustrated by Frederick Richardson_\n  _REYNARD THE FOX and OTHER FABLES_\n      _by W. J. Larned_\n      _illustrated by John Rae_\n\n  [Illustration: End papers]\n\n  [Illustration: Back cover]\n\n\n\n\n                          Transcriber\u2019s Notes\n\n\n--Copyright notice provided as in the original\u2014this e-text is public\n  domain in the country of publication.\n\n--Silently corrected palpable typos; left non-standard spellings and\n  dialect unchanged.\n\n--In the text versions, delimited italics text in _underscores_ (the\n  HTML version reproduces the font form of the printed book.)","title":"The White Elephant, and Other Tales From India","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":17595}