Part 15 (1/2)

So the woman had to give the Jackal some of this food. And when her husband saw it, he said--

”What a small dinner you have brought me to-day!”

”A Jackal met me,” replied his wife, ”and threatened to bite me if I gave him none.”

”All right,” said the Farmer, ”to-morrow I'll settle with that Jackal.”

On the morrow, the Farmer's wife went after the plough, and the Farmer dressed up in her clothes and carried out the dinner. Again the Jackal appeared.

”Give me some of that,” said he, ”or I'll bite you.”

”Yes, yes, good Mr. Jackal,” said the man, ”you shall have some, only don't bite me.”

Then he set down the plate and the Jackal began to eat.

”Just scratch my back, you, woman,” said the Jackal, ”while I am eating my dinner.”

[Ill.u.s.tration]

”Yes, sir; yes, sir,” said the man. He began gently to tickle and scratch the back of the Jackal, and in the middle, suddenly out with his knife, and slis.h.!.+ cut off the Jackal's tail.

The Jackal jumped up and capered about. ”Yow-ow-ow!” he went, ”what has come to my tail? Oh dear! how shall I swish away the flies? Oh dear, how it hurts! Yow-ow-ow!” Away he scuttled, as fast as his legs could carry him.

When he got home, all the Jackals came round him, and asked what had become of his tail. The Jackal was ashamed to have lost his tail, which was a particularly long and fine tail; but he pretended to like it.

”Poor fellow!” said the Jackals, ”where is your tail?”

”I had it cut off,” said the Jackal, ”and good riddance. It was always in my way. Why, I never could sit down in comfort, and now look here!”

He sat down on the place where his tail used to be, and looked proudly round. ”Now, you try!” said he.

They all tried, and found that their tails got underneath them when they sat, and it hurt their tails rather.

”We never thought of that before,” said they; ”we must get rid of these things. Who cut off yours?”

”A kind Farmer's wife,” said the first Jackal. Then he told them where the Farmer's wife lived.

That evening, a knock came at the Farmer's door, as the Farmer and his wife were sitting at tea.

”Come in!” said the Farmer.

The door opened, and in trooped a number of Jackals. ”Please, Mr.

Farmer,” said they, ”we want you kindly to cut off our tails.”

”Willingly,” said the Farmer; whipt out his knife, and in a jiffy slis.h.!.+

slis.h.!.+ slis.h.!.+ off came the Jackals' tails.

”Yow-ow-ow!” went the Jackals, capering about, ”we didn't think it would hurt!” Away they went, and all the woods echoed that night with yowling and howling.