Part 16 (1/2)

A FOWLER was bird-catching in the jungle, and snared a wild goose. As he was carrying home his goose, he sat down by a pond. In this pond lived a Tortoise, and the Tortoise put up his nose out of the pond to sniff the air. He saw the Fowler and the Goose, and being a very innocent Tortoise, he feared no harm, but began to waddle towards them.

”Take care, friend!” said the Goose. ”This Fowler has caught me, and he will catch you!”

The Tortoise waddled into the water again. ”Many thanks, friend,” said he. ”One good turn deserves another.” So saying, he dived down into the pond, and brought up a ruby.

”Here, Mr. Fowler,” said he, ”take this ruby, and let my friend the Goose go.”

The Fowler took the ruby, but he was very greedy, so he said--

”If you will bring me a pair to this, I will let the Goose go.”

The Tortoise dived down, and brought up another ruby. Then the Fowler let go the Goose, and said to the Tortoise, ”Now hand over that ruby.”

The Tortoise said, ”Forgive me, I have made a mistake, and brought up the wrong ruby. Let me see the first, and if it does not match, I will try again.”

The Fowler gave back the first ruby. ”As I thought,” said the Tortoise.

Down he dived into the pond.

The Fowler waited a good long time, but nothing was seen of the Tortoise. As you have guessed, when the Tortoise found himself safe at the bottom of the pond, he stayed there. The Fowler tore his hair, and went home, wis.h.i.+ng he had not been so greedy.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

The King of the Mice

FAR away in the forest was the Kingdom of Mouseland. There was a great city, where every Mouse had his little house, with doors and windows, tables and chairs, books for the grown-up Mice, and toys for the children; there were little shops, where the Mice bought clothes and food, and everything they wanted; there was a little church where they went on Sunday, and a reverend little Mouse in a little lawn surplice to preach to them; there was a little palace, and in this palace lived the little Mouse King.

Now it happened that a caravan pa.s.sed through the Kingdom of the Mice.

Not that the men of the caravan knew what a wonderful kingdom they were in. They thought it was just like any other part of the forest, and if they did happen to pa.s.s a Mouse fortress, or farmyard, they thought them nothing but heaps of earth. Just so if you were to fly up in a balloon, and look down on your own house from the air, it would seem like a little doll's-house, not fit for a child to live in. This caravan, as I have said, was pa.s.sing through Mouseland, and encamped in part of it once to spend the night. One of the Camels was very sick, and as the owner of the Camel thought it was sure to die, he left it behind when the caravan went away.

But the Camel did not die; he very soon got as well as ever he was. And when he got well he also got hungry; so he strode all over Mouseland, eating up the crops of the Mice, and treading their houses down, until at last he came to the Mouse King's park. He ate a great many trees in the Mouse King's park, and the Keeper went in a hurry and flurry to tell the King.

”O King,” said he, ”a mountain several miles high has walked into your park, and is eating everything up.”

”We must make an example of this mountain,” said the King, ”or the whole earth may be moving next. Sandy,” said he to his Prime Minister, who was a Fox, ”go and fetch that mountain to me.”

So Sandy the Prime Minister went to seek the mountain that was eating the King's park. Next morning, back he came, leading the Camel by his nose-string.

When the Camel saw how little the King of the Mice seemed to be, he began to grunt and gurgle, and sniffed with his funny mouth. You know a Camel has a mouth which looks as though it had two slits in it, of the shape of a cross; and when he wants to show his contempt for anything he pokes out his mouth like a four-leaved clover, and makes you feel very small. ”Hullo,” said the Camel, ”is this your King? I thought it was the Lion who sent for me. I would never have come for a speck like this.”

Then he turned round, and walked out of court, and began to eat everything he came across.

The King was very angry, but what could he do? He had to swallow the insult, and make the best of it. However, he determined to watch his chance of revenge; and soon he got it. For after a few days, the Camel's nose-string became entangled in a creeper, and he could not get away, do what he would. Then Sandy the Fox came by, and saw him in this plight.

Imagine his joy to see his enemy at his mercy! Off he ran, and soon brought the King to that place. Then the King said--

”O Camel, you despised my words, and see the result. Your sin has found you out.”