Chapter I: Part 1

_The
White Elephant
And Other Tales from Old India_

_Retold by
Georgene Faulkner
“The Story Lady”_

_Illustrated by
Frederick Richardson_

_Published by
The P. F. Volland Company
Joliet
New York Chicago Boston_

The White Elephant, Copyright, 1929
By THE P. F. VOLLAND COMPANY
All Rights Reserved :: Printed in U. S. A.

TO MY RADIO FAMILY
Who, unseen but appreciative,
always request more
Animal Tales

_Table of Contents_

The White Elephant 11
The Grain of Corn 17
The Timid Little Rabbit 22
Singh Rajah and the Cunning Little Jackals 29
The Kingdom of Mouseland 35
The Alligator and the Jackal 42
The Bold Blackbird 50
The Kid and the Tiger 59
The Brahmin and the Tiger 67
The Bear’s Bad Bargain 75
The Man Who Rode a Tiger 84

My Dear Children:

These old, old tales from India have been favorites for many, many years; some have come down to us from the early days of Buddha, and were taken from a book, called the “Jataka Tales,” telling of the Buddha’s previous existences. Some of these old tales have been translated from the Pali by Eugene Watson Burlinghame, and they have also been retold for us in attractive form by Ellen C. Babbitt.

These stories are somewhat similar to stories which we have all known in another form; for instance, our first story of “The White Elephant” is somewhat like the story of Androcles and the lion. While the story of “The Timid Little Rabbit” is like the old English tale of “Chicken Little.”

“The Story of the Grain of Corn” (which is repeated from “Tales of the Punjab” by Flora Annie Steel) compares with our well-known version of “The Old Woman and the Pig.” In this same book, we find the story of “The Bear’s Bad Bargain,” and we learn how a stupid and clumsy bear is outwitted by a grasping old woman and her greedy husband. Even if they have the best of the bargain, our sympathies are all with the poor old bear.

“The King of the Mice,” “The Bold Blackbird,” and “The Kid and the Tiger” (retold from “The Talking Thrush and Other Tales from India,” collected by W. Crooke and retold by W. H. D. Rouse) are all stories of the triumph of the weak and cunning over the brutish and strong. “The Bold Blackbird” may remind you of the old French tale of “Drakesbill and His Friends.”

In many of these old tales, the little Jackal is the hero, and, like Reynard the Fox of European folk lore, and our own Bre’r Rabbit in the “Uncle Remus” tales, we find the Jackal through his wit and strategy overcoming the larger, stronger animals.

For example, in the stories of “Singh Rajah and the Cunning Little Jackals,” “The Alligator and the Jackal,” and “The Brahmin and the Tiger,” the Jackal wins his victories by his cunning. These stories of the little Jackal have been retold from “Old Deccan Days” by M. Frere, a most interesting book of tales collected from oral tradition. “The Valiant Chattee-Maker” is also from the same book.

The pictures drawn by our artist, Frederick Richardson, will delight you. Mr. Richardson always makes each illustration true to life: his people dress in the costumes of the country, and his animals are real animals; you can almost hear the big beasts roaring with rage when the little jackal tricks them.

All these tales I have told to you many times over the radio; now I am glad to place them in your own hands to read and retell yourselves.

Your Story Lady.

THE WHITE ELEPHANT

Once upon a time there stood on the banks of a river, near a large forest, a village of Woodcutters. These Woodcutters would go in their boats to the forest and there they would chop down trees. Then they would roll the logs down to the river, and the river would carry the logs to the village, where they were cut into boards and used by the carpenters in building houses and temples.

One day, when the Woodcutters were all busily at work chopping down trees, they heard a great bellowing. A huge Elephant came limping along on three legs, and every little while he gave a great snort.

One of the Woodcutters went up to the Elephant and examined his sore foot. “Come here and help me pull out this big splinter in the Elephant’s foot!” he called to the other men. “No wonder the poor fellow is crying with pain.”

The Woodcutters all helped. They pulled the splinter out of the Elephant’s foot and they brought water from the river and washed the wound carefully. They brought mud from the river banks and spread a mud plaster upon it, and one man tore up his scarf and bound it about the sore foot. Then the men gave the Elephant some food, and he stretched out under the trees to rest.

While he was resting, he watched the Woodcutters at their work. “These men have done so much for me I should like to help them,” said the Elephant. So, a few days after that, when his foot was well, the Elephant came again to the place where the Woodcutters were working.

The Woodcutters were cutting down a tree, chop, chop, went their axes and a great tree fell to the ground. Then the Elephant took the log and rolled it over and over until he had pushed it into the river.

“Why, our friend, the Elephant, is helping us with our work!” exclaimed the Woodcutters.

Every day the great Elephant came back. Sometimes he would pull down the trees, and roll them to the water. Other times he would carry the tools for the Woodcutters; and every day the Woodcutters fed him, morning, noon and night, and give him fresh water to drink.

He saved them much hard work and the Woodcutters grew very fond of the big Elephant. He worked for them many years.

Now, this Elephant had a young baby Elephant, who was white all over; and he was very beautiful, indeed.

When the old Elephant saw that his Baby Elephant was strong enough to work, he said to himself: “I must take my son to the Woodcutters, for I am getting old and I am no longer strong. He can learn to do my work and be of service to them.”

So the old Elephant said to his son: “White Elephant, now that you have grown large and strong, I want you to help my friends, the Woodcutters. One day, many years ago, when I had a cruel splinter in my foot, they pulled it out for me and bound me up, and gave me food. I have tried to repay their kindness by serving them each day. And each day they give me food and water and are most kind to me. They are my friends and I wish now that you would be friendly with them, also.”

So the old Elephant took the White Elephant to the Woodcutters and soon the White Elephant learned to help them, just as his father had done, and they fed him and treated him kindly.

The White Elephant became very friendly with the Woodcutters and every night, when he had finished his work, he would go down on the banks of the river and take a bath and play in the water; and the children of the Woodcutters played with him. Sometimes he would pick the children up in his long trunk and swing them back and forth. Sometimes he would pick them up and put them on his back, and give them a fine ride. And sometimes he would lift them up into the branches of the tall trees.

When it was very warm, he would wade out into the water and take a bath, and often he would take a deep drink of water and then let it out upon the children like a shower bath.

The children loved to romp and play with the White Elephant, and he loved to play with them.

One day the Rajah of the country came down the river and when he saw the White Elephant working for the Woodcutters, he ordered his men to stop while he watched the Elephant. Then the Rajah said:

“I wish to own that Elephant, for I want to ride upon him, myself. He looks so very kind and gentle, and he is very beautiful.”

So the Woodcutters had to sell their friend the White Elephant to the Rajah. He paid them a very large price, and then the servants of the Rajah led the Elephant away.

But, as he left the forest, he gave one last look at his playmates, the children, as though he was sorry to say goodbye to them.

The Rajah was so very proud of his beautiful White Elephant he had made for him a robe of crimson velvet embroidered in gold. On his back, the White Elephant carried a throne of gold covered by a gorgeous canopy of cloth of gold.

When the Rajah rode out in great processions he always went upon the back of the beautiful White Elephant. All the days of his life the Rajah cared for the White Elephant, and always the White Elephant served his master, the Rajah, gladly and proudly.

THE GRAIN OF CORN

Once upon a time a farmer’s wife was cutting corn in a field when a crow came flying down, swooped off with a bit of the grain and carried it up to a tree to eat it.

The farmer’s wife was very angry and scolded loudly:

“You robber, you, to steal my corn!” Picking up a clod of earth, she threw it at the bird with such good aim that the crow fell to the ground, dropping the grain of corn which rolled into a crack in the tree.

The farmer’s wife ran up to the crow and, seizing him by the tail, she cried; “You, robber, you! give me back my grain of corn, or I will kill you.”

“Caw, caw, caw!” cried the crow. “If you will set me free, I promise to get it for you.”

But, lo and behold, when the crow came to search for the corn, it had rolled so far into the crack in the tree that he could not reach it with his beak nor with his claw.

So the poor crow flew off through the forest until he met a woodman and he said:

“Caw, caw! Man, Man! Cut tree,
I can’t get the grain of corn
To save my life from the farmer’s wife!”

But the woodman refused to cut the tree.

So the crow flew and flew until at last he reached the palace of the king. There were the king and the queen, walking in the courtyard. So the crow flew down to the king and said:

“Caw, caw! King, King! Kill man!
Man won’t cut tree;
I can’t get the grain of corn
To save my life from the farmer’s wife!”

But the king refused to kill the man.

So the crow pulled at the royal robes of the queen, and said:

“Caw, caw! Queen, Queen! Coax king,
King won’t kill man;
Man won’t cut tree;
I can’t get the grain of corn
To save my life from the farmer’s wife!”

“No, no,” said the queen. “I never coax the king to do anything against his will.”

So the crow was very angry and he flew and flew until he met a snake, and he said to the snake:

“Caw, caw! Snake, Snake! Bite queen;
Queen won’t coax king;
King won’t kill man;
Man won’t cut tree;
I can’t get the grain of corn
To save my life from the farmer’s wife!”

“Hiss-ss! Hiss-ss!” hissed the snake. “I will not bite the queen.”

So the crow flew to a stick and said:

“Caw, caw! Stick, Stick! Beat snake!
Snake won’t bite queen;
Queen won’t coax king;
King won’t kill man;
Man won’t cut tree;
I can’t get the grain of corn
To save my life from the farmer’s wife!”

But the stick refused to beat the snake.

So the crow flew on until he saw the fire, and said:

“Caw, caw! Fire, Fire! Burn stick;
Stick won’t beat snake;
Snake won’t bite queen;
Queen won’t coax king;
King won’t kill man;
Man won’t cut tree;
I can’t get the grain of corn
To save my life from the farmer’s wife!”

But the fire refused to burn the stick.

So the crow flew and flew until he saw some water, and he said:

“Caw, caw! Water, Water! Quench fire;
Fire won’t burn stick;
Stick won’t beat snake;
Snake won’t bite queen;
Queen won’t coax king;
King won’t kill man;
Man won’t cut tree;
I can’t get the grain of corn
To save my life from the farmer’s wife!”

But the water ran along as fast as possible and refused to quench the fire.

So the crow flew on until he met an ox, and said:

“Caw, caw! Ox, Ox! Drink water;
Water won’t quench fire;
Fire won’t burn stick;
Stick won’t beat snake;
Snake won’t bite queen;
Queen won’t coax king;
King won’t kill man;
Man won’t cut tree;
I can’t get the grain of corn
To save my life from the farmer’s wife!”

But the ox refused to drink the water.

So the crow flew and flew until he met a rope and said:

“Caw, caw! Rope, Rope! Bind ox;
Ox won’t drink water;
Water won’t quench fire;
Fire won’t burn stick;
Stick won’t beat snake;
Snake won’t bite queen;
Queen won’t coax king;
King won’t kill man;
Man won’t cut tree;
I can’t get the grain of corn
To save my life from the farmer’s wife!”

But the rope wouldn’t bind the ox.

So the crow flew on until he met a mouse, and said:

“Caw, caw! Mouse, Mouse! Gnaw rope;
Rope won’t bind ox;
Ox won’t drink water;
Water won’t quench fire;
Fire won’t burn stick;
Stick won’t beat snake;
Snake won’t bite queen;
Queen won’t coax king;
King won’t kill man;
Man won’t cut tree;
I can’t get the grain of corn
To save my life from the farmer’s wife!”

“Ee-EE-Ee-e-e-ee,” squeaked the mouse. “I won’t help you.”

So the crow flew and flew until he met a cat; and he said:

“Caw, caw! Cat, Cat! Catch mouse;
Mouse won’t gnaw rope;
Rope won’t bind ox;
Ox won’t drink water;
Water won’t quench fire;
Fire won’t burn stick;
Stick won’t beat snake;
Snake won’t bite queen;
Queen won’t coax king;
King won’t kill man;
Man won’t cut tree;
I can’t get the grain of corn
To save my life from the farmer’s wife!”

“Miaow! Miaow!” said the cat. “I will—I will.” And the moment she heard the word “mouse,” she was after it in a rush.

So—

“The Cat began to catch the Mouse;
The Mouse began to gnaw the Rope;
The Rope began to bind the Ox;
The Ox began to drink the Water;
The Water began to quench the Fire;
The Fire began to burn the Stick;
The Stick began to beat the Snake;
The Snake began to bite the Queen;
The Queen began to coax the King;
The King began to kill the Man;
The Man began to cut the Tree;
So the Crow got the grain of corn
And saved his life from the farmer’s wife!”

THE TIMID LITTLE RABBIT

Once upon a time there lived a very timid little Rabbit who was always trembling for fear that something terrible was going to happen to him.

One day he went to sleep under a big palm-tree and, when he awoke, he shivered and shook with fright, and said, “What if the earth should fall in? What would become of me, then?”

Just at that very moment, some monkeys up in the tree dropped a big cocoanut. It fell down with a bang upon the ground.

“Oh, dear me! oh, dear me! what a terrible noise!” gasped the little Rabbit. “Oh, dear me! the earth is falling in. Where shall I run and hide?” and the little Rabbit ran bouncing away through the jungle. He never looked behind him to see what had made the noise; he just ran on and on in a panic of fear.

Another little Rabbit saw him running and called out, “Why do you run so fast—and where are you running?”

“Oh, don’t ask me, for I cannot stop to tell you,” he shrieked, as he galloped along.

The second little Rabbit ran by his side saying, “Tell me! Tell me! What is the matter!”

“Run, run!” gasped the first little Rabbit. “The earth is falling in. The earth is falling in, and I am running away.”

So the second Rabbit ran as fast as he could go.

And soon they met another frightened Rabbit, and then they were joined by another and another, until there were hundreds of them, running as fast as they could go, and all shrieking out, “Run! Run! The earth is falling in! The earth is falling in!”

They passed a Deer and the Deer called out, “Where are you all running, and what is the matter?”

“Run! Run!” they cried in terror. “The earth is falling in! The earth is falling in!”

“Oh, oh, where shall we run?” cried the Deer, wildly, for deer are always very timid creatures. And the Deer bounced away after the rabbits.

Next they met a Fox and when he barked out, “What is the matter? Where are you running?” they called to him, “Run! Run! Brother Fox! The earth is falling in! The earth is falling in!”

So the Fox ran with them.

On and on they ran—faster and faster—until they met a Camel and the Fox called out, “Run! Run! Brother Camel! The earth is falling in! The earth is falling in!” So the Camel ran with them.

On and on, they ran, faster and faster, until presently they met a big Elephant. He snorted at them through his long trumpet. “Why do you all run so fast, and where are you going?”

“Run! Run! Brother Elephant! The earth is falling in! The earth is falling in!” called the Camel.

So the Elephant joined them and went madly rushing along through the jungle, blowing a blast through his trumpet and shouting, “Run! Run! The earth is falling in! The earth is falling in!”

Presently they met a big Lion and when he saw them all running in a wild panic, he roared in a loud voice three times, “Grr-rr! Grr-rr! Grr-rr! Stop at once, I command you, and tell me the meaning of this!”

Now this big Lion was the Rajah Lion and he ruled over all the animals in the jungle, so that, when he ordered them to stop, they all stopped at once, and stood still, quivering with fright.

“What is this that you are crying out, and why were you all running in such a panic?” roared the Lion.

“Oh, great and mighty Rajah,” they answered, “the earth is falling in and we are running away to save our lives!”

“But if the earth is falling in, how then can you run from it?” asked the Rajah Lion. “I see no signs to show that the earth is falling in. How do you know this, Brother Elephant?”

“Why, I did not know it myself, but Brother Camel told me,” answered the Elephant.

“Brother Camel, how did you hear that the earth was falling in?” asked the Lion.

“Why, I did not hear it myself, but Brother Fox told me,” answered the Camel.

“How do you know this, Brother Fox?” asked the Lion.

“Why, I did not hear it myself, but the Deer told me,” answered the Fox.

“How do you know this, Brother Deer?”

“Why, I did not hear it myself, but the Rabbits told me,” answered the Deer.

“Little Rabbits—little Rabbits,” said the Rajah Lion, “how do you know that the earth is falling in? Who told you this?”

Then each Rabbit pointed his paw at another Rabbit and said, “That Rabbit told me.”

Finally the Lion asked the little Rabbit who had first told the tale, “Is it true that you are the one who first cried out that the earth is falling in?”

“Yes, Mighty Rajah,” answered the little Rabbit, trembling with fear.

“Why, Brother Rabbit, what made you say that the earth is falling in? Is that the truth?” roared the Lion.

“Oh, yes, Mighty Rajah,” answered the little Rabbit. “I was asleep under a palm-tree and I awoke in fright and thought ‘What would become of me if the earth should fall in?’ Then, right behind me I heard a terrible bang! I was afraid to look around, for I knew that the earth was falling in. And so I ran away as fast as I could.”

“Well, little Rabbit,” said the Rajah Lion, “since you started all this running, you must come back with me to the place where you heard the sound, and we will see if the earth is falling in. All you other animals, wait here until we come back.”

So the big strong Rajah Lion took the timid little Rabbit upon his back, and away they went through the jungle. When they came to the very tree where the little Rabbit had slept, the Lion looked all about and there upon the ground he saw the large cocoanut which the monkeys had dropped from the tree.

“Oh, you foolish little Rabbit, it was the sound of this large cocoanut falling upon the ground that you heard. Now, you see that the earth is not falling in. We must go back and you must tell all the other animals the truth,” said the Lion.

When they came back to the place where the animals were waiting, the little Rabbit stood before all the animals and said, “The earth is not falling in; the noise that I heard was made by a big cocoanut falling to the ground. I was so startled that I did not look to see what had happened. I am sorry that I frightened you, for the earth is not falling in.”

The animals all began to repeat this, and they ran away through the jungle, saying to themselves:

“The earth is not falling in! The earth is not falling in!”

SINGH RAJAH AND THE CUNNING LITTLE JACKALS

Once upon a time there lived in a jungle a great lion. He was so strong a lion that he had made himself Rajah of all the jungle. Every day when this Rajah lion was hungry he would come out from his cave in the deep dark rocks, and roar in an angry voice:

“Grr-rr-rr! Grr-rr-rr! Grr-rr-rr! Come here, all you animals in this jungle! You are all my subjects, and I will eat you up! Grr-rr-rr, Grr-rr-rr!”

Then all of the frightened little animals would run here, there and everywhere, trying to hide from the angry lion. But Singh Rajah would always catch them and eat them for his dinner.

Now, this went on for a long, long time until at last he had left no living creatures in the jungle except two little jackals, a Rajah Jackal and a Ranee Jackal, who were husband and wife.

These two little jackals were so frightened that they ran here, there and everywhere, trying to get away from that Rajah Lion. But every day he came nearer and nearer.

“Oh dear! oh dear!” moaned the poor little Ranee Jackal; “I am frightened to death. Don’t you hear him roaring louder and louder? He is much nearer us today than he was yesterday. Where shall we hide?”

“Never fear, my dear,” answered her husband, the Rajah Jackal. “I will take care of you. Let us run another mile or two. Come now, run fast! Come, come!” And they would run on and on through the jungle as fast as they could.

They grew more tired and weary every day, and at last the little Ranee Jackal said, “Oh dear! oh dear! I must stop. I really cannot run another step. I am just worn out.”

“Never fear, my dear,” answered her husband, bravely. “I will take care of you! Never fear!”

“Oh dear! oh dear!” gasped she, “I hear him coming nearer and nearer. How loud his roaring sounds! He is in a terrible temper and he will surely catch us and eat us today. Oh dear! oh dear!”

“Never fear, my dear!” said the brave little Rajah Jackal. “Come with me and do just what I tell you, and we can save ourselves. Do not look so frightened. Cheer up! Now, come with me, and we will go right up to that lion.”

And what did those cunning little jackals do but take hold of paws and go prancing boldly right up to the lion.

When he saw them he began to shake his mane about and his eyes glowed with anger as he roared out, “Grr-rr-rr! Grr-rr-rr! You miserable little wretches! Come here and be eaten at once! I have had no dinner for three whole days, and I am very hungry. I am the Rajah of this jungle, and I have called and called you, but you did not come. And I have run and run to catch you while you have always run away, you miserable little jackals, leading me on and on over hill and dale. Come here and be eaten at once! Grr-rr-rr! Grr-rr-rr! Come here-re-re!” And the Rajah Lion gnashed his teeth and looked very terrible indeed. “Grr-rr-rr! Why didn’t you come before?”

“Oh, great Singh Rajah,” answered the brave little Jackal, “we do know that you are our master, and we would have obeyed your voice and come at your call long ago, but, indeed, Sire, there is a much bigger Rajah than you in this jungle. For many days he has tried to catch us and eat us, and we are so afraid of him that we have run and run, trying to find a place to hide.”

“What do you mean?” growled the great Singh Rajah. “I am the king of this jungle. There is no king here but me.”

“Ah, Sire,” answered the jackal, “in truth, one would think that you were the king, for you are most terrible. Your very voice is death. But, indeed, there lives a horrible lion in this jungle. His eyes glow like fire. His step is as thunder, and his power is supreme. We have seen him with our own eyes, and he is as much larger than you, as you are larger than we are. Oh, he is indeed most terrible! When he roars his voice is so loud that the leaves tremble upon the trees. He is far more fearful than you!”

“That is impossible!” roared the Lion. “But show me this Rajah who has so terrified you, and I will destroy him at once. I will show you how quickly I can overpower him, and, after I have eaten him, I will eat you!”

Then the little Jackals ran on and on through the jungle with the great lion following them until they reached a very deep well of water. They cowered down beside the well, looking very frightened, while the Rajah Jackal pointed down into the water with his paw, and whispered in an excited little voice, “See, Sire! Look down there!”

The great Singh Rajah came close to the well and, peering down into the water, he saw a great lion’s face peering up at him. He was very angry. He shook his great mane, and his eyes glowed like flaming fire, as he roared and roared.

Then the shadow lion shook his mane. His eyes were glowing and he opened his mouth to roar.

“Gr-rr-rr!” roared the Rajah Lion.

“Gr-rr-rr!” answered the echo of his voice from the well.

“Come out of your den and I will show you who is ruler here,” roared the lion, gnashing his teeth in rage. But the echo mocked him, and the lion in the well gnashed his teeth.

Now, Singh Rajah was so angry that he could not wait to fight that other lion. So, with a terrific roar, he jumped into the well to kill him.

The well was so deep and the sides were so steep that the great Singh Rajah could not climb out to punish the two little Jackals, who peeped down at him from the top of the well.

Now, when the little jackals knew that he was drowned, they danced round and round the well, singing, “Ao! Ao! Ao! the King of the Jungle is dead. We have killed the great Lion who would have killed us! Ao! Ao! Ao! Ring-a-ting, Ding-a-ting, Ding-a-ting, Ring-a-ting! Ao! Ao! Ao!”

THE KINGDOM OF MOUSELAND

Long, long ago and far, far away, there lived in a forest many, many little mice. They had a wonderful city of their own with their own little shops and churches and a beautiful large palace for their King. Each little mouse had his own little house, with his own little chairs and tables and beds and everything complete. And they all lived very happily in their Kingdom of Mouseland, until one day a terrible thing happened to them. A great caravan came through the kingdom, and none of the men in the caravan knew that their camels were trampling down the forts and big buildings of Mouseland. To them these buildings looked like mounds of sand and Mouseland seemed like any other part of the forest.

So these men, on the backs of the big camels, not knowing what great havoc they were working with the mice, encamped in Mouseland for the night.

One of the Camels became sick and, as the owner thought that it was going to die, he left it in the forest and went on with the caravan. But the Camel did not die. Very soon he got well and, when he was well, he became very hungry. So he strolled all about Mouseland, eating up the crops of the Mice, and treading down their houses until at last he came to the Mouse King’s park. He ate a great many trees and trampled down the grass and flowers; and the Keeper ran in a hurry to tell the King.

“Ee-ee-ee-ee!” squeaked the Keeper. “Oh, King, great King! there’s a large mountain several miles high out in our garden, eating everything up that is within sight. What shall we do?”

“We must make an example of this mountain,” said the King, “or the whole earth will be moving and we shall all be destroyed.”

Then the King called to his Prime Minister who was a Fox, named Sandy. “Go, and command that mountain to come to me at once!”

So Sandy, the Prime Minister, went to find the mountain. And the next day he came back, leading the Camel by his nose-string. But, when the Camel saw how very little the King of the Mice was, he began to grunt and to gurgle, to wrinkle up his nose and make scornful faces at the King.

“Hello, is this little thing your King? I thought that your King was a lion at least. I should never have come for such a tiny creature. Bah! you are no more than a speck.” Then he turned about and stamped out of the court, eating everything that came in his way.

What could the King do? He was very, very angry, but he had to swallow his wrath and make the best of it. However, he made up his mind that he would take revenge.

And one day, the Camel’s nose-string became caught in a creeper so that he could not get away.

Then Sandy, the Fox, came along and he laughed, “He-he-he! You are at our mercy now. He-he-he!” And away ran the Fox and told the King.

The King came with the Fox and when he found that the Camel was a prisoner he said, “Oh, Camel, boastful Camel, you despised my words and now see the result of your wickedness. You are punished for your sins.”

“Oh, mighty King,” said the Camel very humbly, for he knew now that he was caught, “I do indeed confess my fault and I pray you to forgive me. I will be your faithful servant from now on, if you will only save me.”

The Mouse King was not spiteful and, as soon as he heard the Camel beg for forgiveness, his heart grew very soft and he said, “Camel, oh, Camel, I will set you free but hereafter you shall be my servant.”

Then the little Mouse climbed up on the creeper and gnawed, and gnawed through the Camel’s nose-string and set the camel free.

The big Camel kept his word and he became the servant of the Mouse King. He was so big and strong that he could carry loads which would have needed thousands of Mice, and so he could do more work in one day than a whole army of Mice could do in a week.

The Mouse King commanded the Camel to build strong walls and forts around the city and to make everything so strong that he had no fear of his enemies.

For a long, long time, things went on very smoothly, but one day some Woodcutters came into the forest. These men lived in a strong village of their own and they used the forest wood to build houses. When anyone wanted a new house, the Woodcutters went into the forest and chopped down trees, sawed them into planks, and built a house.

Now, in the course of their wanderings, the Woodcutters found the stray Camel. They seized him and carried him away to serve them by drawing wood.

When Sandy told the King that their Camel was caught by the Woodcutters, the Mouse King sent the Fox with a bodyguard to bring the Woodcutters to him. Two of the Woodcutters came before the King, but when they saw the tiny Mouse King, they laughed in his face and mocked him.

“I demand that you return my Camel at once!” squeaked the Mouse King.

“Pooh! You silly little Mouse,” laughed the Woodcutters. “Come and get your Camel if you want him!”

“That is what I will do,” said the Mouse King. “You may tell your Chief that I will make war upon him unless he gives me back my Camel.”

Then the Mouse King called his subjects—millions and millions of them—and they all set out for the village of the Woodcutters.

The Woodcutters had just finished their work and they had been paid a good sum of money, so they were all feeling very happy.

Now the tiny Mice were not able to meet the big Woodcutters out in the field, and fight them, but they had their own way of waging warfare. Night and day, day and night, they burrowed and burrowed under the earth. First they gnawed under the treasury, where no danger was expected; and, one by one, they carried off every coin until it was all empty. Then they burrowed underneath all the houses in the village. Millions of Mice were busy all day and all night, carrying out little baskets of earth from under the foundations. They worked and worked and they gnawed and gnawed, until very soon the Woodcutters’ village was standing on a thin shell of earth, while underneath them was a big dark hole.

At last the Mouse King felt that the time had come to strike a blow. He knew that the crust of earth was so thin that the least shock would destroy it. So the Mouse King wrote a letter to the Woodcutter Chief asking once more for his Camel. And in this letter he hid a small package of snuff. He put the letter in the mail and then all of the Mice went away and waited.

When the postman brought the letter to the Woodcutter Chief, he read it through and laughed heartily.

“Ha-ha-ha! that’s a good joke. His majesty, the Mouse King, demands that I send back the Camel, or he will wage war against us. Well, let him come on. We will soon wipe the Mice from the face of the earth.”

He waved the letter in the air and said, “Let them come on at once!”

Now, as he waved the letter about, all the snuff fell out of it and flew up his nose.

“Kerchoo-Kerchoo-Kerchoo-oo!” sneezed the Chief. And “Kerchoo-Kerchoo-Kerchoo-oo!” sneezed all the men who were near him.

They sneezed so loud and so long that the house shook. The thin crust of earth under them trembled and gave way, and all the Woodcutters fell in, and all the houses in the village tumbled and sank down into the deep dark hole.

After this victory, the Mouse King led his Camel and his army back to Mouseland where they lived in peace the rest of their lives.

THE ALLIGATOR AND THE JACKAL

Once upon a time, a hungry little Jackal went down to the river-side to catch crabs for his dinner. Now, it chanced that in this river there lived an ugly old Alligator, who, being very hungry himself, would have been glad to catch and eat the Jackal. The Jackal ran up and down the bank, hunting for crabs.

He was so hungry that he did not look about cautiously. Had he done so, he might have seen that ugly old Alligator, lying half hidden under some tall bulrushes. So, when the hungry Jackal saw a crab sidling along, he poked his paw down into the water.

Snap! the old Alligator caught the paw of the Jackal.

“Oh, dear, oh, dear!” cried the little Jackal to himself. “What shall I do now? This ugly old Alligator has caught my paw, and soon he will drag me down under the water and eat me.”

But the Jackal sang out in a cheerful voice, “Clever Mr. Alligator! Clever Mr. Alligator! I hope you will find that hard old bulrush root tender and you will enjoy chewing on it for dinner.”

The Alligator was so buried in the mud under the bulrushes that he could hardly see. He thought that he had made a mistake and he said to himself, “Dear me, how very tiresome! I thought I had caught the Jackal’s paw when I had only seized a bulrush root. And there is that saucy little Jackal up on the bank mocking me.” So the Alligator opened his jaws and let the Jackal go.

“Oh, wise Mr. Alligator! Wise Mr. Alligator! Thank you for letting me go!” laughed the Jackal. “So you really believed my paw was a root? Thank you, Mr. Alligator!”

Now, when the Alligator found that he was tricked in this way, he was very angry, and he went swimming away, lashing the water to a foam with his tail, while the Jackal hurried up the bank.

The next day the Jackal returned to the river to catch crabs for his dinner. But this time he was very cautious. So he called out, “Whenever I go fishing for my dinner, I see the nice little crabs crawling up through the mud, then I reach down and catch them and eat them. Oh, how I wish that I could see a nice little crab!”

The old Alligator was buried in the mud at the bottom of the river and he heard every word, so he popped out the point of his snout, saying to himself, “That Jackal will take the tip of my nose for a crab and, when he puts his paw down to catch me, I will gobble him up.”

But, of course, when the Jackal saw the tip of the Alligator’s nose, he called out, in a saucy voice, “Ha, ha! my friend! So that is where you are hidden! I am glad to know where you are. Thank you, wise Mr. Alligator! I will not take my dinner with you today.”

And the little Jackal ran barking up the bank as fast as he could go, while the old Alligator lashed the water to a foam with his tail.

On the following day the old Alligator hid himself in the bulrushes close to the bank of the river. He was determined to catch that saucy Jackal.

When the Jackal was hungry for his dinner, he went again to the river to catch crabs. This time, he was very cautious; he went peering all around. He was really much afraid of that old Alligator. However, he called out in a loud and cheerful voice:

“Where have all the nice little crabs gone today? I do not see one, and I am so hungry! Even when they are down under the water I can see them blow bubbles. All the little bubbles go, ‘Pop! pop! pop!’”

When the Alligator heard this, he laughed to himself, “I will pretend to be a little crab and blow bubbles; but, when that Jackal puts in his paws, I will catch him and gobble him up!”

So the Alligator began to blow bubbles. “Puff, puff, puff! Bubble, bubble!” But, of course, the bubbles he blew were very large bubbles. They rushed to the top of the water and burst there—“POP! POP! POP!”

As soon as the Jackal saw those big bubbles, he ran away as fast as he could go, calling out, “Thank you, kindly, Mr. Alligator! Thank you! I am glad to see by the bubbles just where you are hidden in the mud. I would not have come here had I known that you were still around.”

The Alligator was so angry that he lashed the water to a foam with his tail. “I will not be tricked again by that saucy Jackal,” he said. “Next time, I will be as cunning as he is and catch him at his own game.”

The Alligator waited for the Jackal many, many days, but the Jackal did not return to the river.

“Who knows,” said the Jackal to himself, “but another time that greedy old Alligator will gobble me up. I will not go fishing for crabs any more. I will eat wild figs after this.”

So the Jackal stayed in the jungle and ate wild ripe figs for his dinner.

When the Alligator found out that the Jackal did not come down to the river for crabs, he was very angry. “I will follow that rascal up on the land and catch him next time,” he said.

And the Alligator crawled and crawled up on the land, dragging his long body through the jungle until he came to the largest fig tree. Here he collected a pile of wild figs and buried himself under them to wait for the Jackal.

After a while the Jackal came scampering into the jungle. But when the little rascal saw the huge pile of wild figs on the ground, he said, “Aha, that looks as though someone was buried under it. Maybe my friend, the Alligator, is under those figs.”

And so the Jackal called out cheerfully:

“The nice juicy wild figs I like to eat tumble about on the ground as the wind blows them. This great pile of figs is so still I am sure they are not good to eat. No! I will not eat those figs.”

“How suspicious the Jackal is, to be sure,” said the Alligator to himself. “But if he wants to see figs tumble about I can make them, and when he comes to eat them, I will catch him and gobble him up.” So the great beast shook himself and all the figs went, rolling right off his back, farther than any blustering wind could have blown them, and the Jackal could see the leathery back of the Alligator. So he scampered away, calling out mockingly:

“So kind of you, Mr. Alligator, to let me know just where you are buried under that great heap of figs. No! I don’t believe that I want to eat any figs today.”

The Alligator was so angry that he snapped his jaws and gnashed his teeth with rage. He ran after the Jackal as fast as he could go but, of course, a big Alligator cannot crawl very fast on his short legs, and the Jackal ran so much faster that the Alligator had to give up the chase. But he said to himself:

“I will not allow that tricky little wretch to mock me and run out of my reach in this way. I will show him that I can be just as cunning as he is.”

So, early the next morning, the old Alligator crawled as fast as he could to the Jackal’s den and crept into it and hid himself to wait for the little Jackal to come home.

When the Jackal came near to his den, he thought, “Dear me! dear me! The ground is all torn up about here as though some great heavy creature had been crawling over it, and the earth is knocked down at the side of my door as though some big animal had been pushing through it. I certainly will not go into my den until I am sure that everything is safe there.”

Then the little Jackal began to call out in a sweet voice, “Little house, my pretty little house! Why do you not answer me when I call? When all is safe and right you always call out to me and welcome me back home. Is anything wrong today, little house, that you will not speak to me?”

When the Alligator heard this, he said, “If that is true I’d better call out, so he will know that all is right in his house.” And, in a very gentle voice, the Alligator murmured, “Welcome home, sweet little Jackal! Welcome home!”

Upon hearing this the frightened Jackal thought, “Oh, oh! That dreadful old Alligator is in my house. Well, I will surely kill him this time, or he will catch and kill me.”

Then the Jackal answered, very sweetly, “Thank you, my dear little house! I like to hear your sweet voice! I’m coming right in. But first, I must collect some fire-wood to cook my dinner.” So the Jackal ran about as fast as he could and dragged all the branches and dry sticks close to the mouth of the den.

The old Alligator kept very still, and smiled as he said to himself, “Aha! At last I will catch that tiresome little Jackal! In a few minutes he will run in here and then won’t I snap him up?” And the old Alligator rolled his eyes and smacked his lips and ground his teeth.

Now when the Jackal had piled up all the sticks that he could find, he pushed them close up to the den and set them on fire. And the smoke and flames filled the den and smothered the wicked old Alligator and burned him to a cinder.

The little Jackal danced about the den singing:

“Ring-a-ting-a-ting! How do you like my house, friend Alligator? Is it nice and warm in my house, friend Alligator? The Alligator will trouble me no more! Ding-dong, ding-dong! So I dance and sing! Sing-song, sing-song! My enemy is gone! Ring-a-ting, ting-a-ting, ding, ding, dong!”

THE BOLD BLACKBIRD

Once upon a time a Blackbird and his mate lived happily in a tall tree. The Blackbird kept singing sweetly to his mate, pouring out his heart, as they built their nest together. And when the nest was finished and they settled in it, he sang more sweetly than ever.

Now, the King was riding that way and, when he heard this song of joy, he said to the Fowler: “Catch that Blackbird, so that I may hear his happy song every day.”

Not long after that the Fowler came with his nets and, by mistake, he caught Mrs. Blackbird. Now Mrs. Blackbird could sing hardly a note, but the Fowler could not tell her from Mr. Blackbird as both wore such black feathers.

The King was delighted to get the bird and he put her into a cage. But Mrs. Blackbird was so unhappy without her husband that she began to mourn and droop, and gave unhappy little chirps.

The King could not understand why he never heard the glad song of the forest; but he kept her a prisoner, hoping that some day she might sing.

Now, when Mr. Blackbird heard that his dear little wife had been stolen by the King, he was very angry indeed. He made up his mind that he would go to the palace and make war upon the King, demanding that his wife be set free. So, he got a long sharp thorn, and tied it at his waist for a sword. On his head he put half a walnut shell for a helmet. He took the skin of a dead frog and put it on for armor, and the other half of the walnut shell he used for a drum. And so he marched away beating upon his drum to make war upon the King.

As he walked along the road, beating upon his drum, he met a Cat.

“Miaow! Miaow!” said the Cat. “Where are you going, Mr. Blackbird?”

“I am going to fight against the King,” answered the bold Blackbird.

“I will go with you and help you,” said the Cat, “for the King drowned my kittens, and I should like to help punish him.”

“Jump into my ear, then,” said the bold Blackbird, “and I will take you with me.”

So the Cat climbed into the Blackbird’s ear, curled up and went to sleep; the Blackbird marched on beating upon his drum.

Further down the road he met some Ants.

“Where are you going, Mr. Blackbird?” asked the Ants.

“I am going to fight against the King,” answered the bold Blackbird, “for he has stolen my wife and shut her up in a cage.”

“We will join you,” said the Ants, “for the King poured hot water down our hole.”

“Jump into my ear,” said the Blackbird.

So they jumped in, and away went the Blackbird beating upon his drum.

Next the Blackbird met a Rope and a Club, and when they heard that he was going to fight against the King, they jumped into his ear, and away they all went together.

Not far from the palace of the King, the Blackbird had to cross over a river.

“Where are you going, Mr. Blackbird?” asked the River.

“To fight against the King, for he has taken my wife as prisoner.”

“I will join you,” said the River.

“Jump into my ear,” said the Blackbird. So the River went into his ear, and away they all went to the palace of the King.

When they reached the outer gate, the bold Blackbird knocked loudly: “Thump! Thump! Thump!”

“Who is there?” said the Porter.

“General Blackbird, who has come to make war upon the King and to get his wife back again,” said the Blackbird.

When the Porter saw General Blackbird in his frog-skin coat of armor, with his helmet and drum made from a walnut shell, and with a thorn for a sword, he laughed so hard that he could scarcely open the gate. And when the King saw the bold bird, he laughed so heartily he nearly fell from his throne. “Ha! Ha! Ha!” roared the King. “What do you wish with me, bold General Blackbird?”

“I want my wife at once,” said the Blackbird, beating upon his drum, rub-a-dub, rub-a-dub!

“You shall not have her! I have shut her up in a cage and I am waiting for her to sing to me,” said the King.

“Very well, then,” answered the Blackbird. “War is declared and you must take the consequences.” Rub-a-dub, rub-a-dub! went the drum.

“Seize that insolent bird,” said the King, “and shut him up in the hen-house. There will be nothing left of him in the morning.”

So the servants took the Blackbird and threw him out into the hen-house.

When all the world was sound asleep, Blackbird said:

“Come out, Pussy, from my ear!
There are many fowls for you here;
Scratch them—make their feathers fly,
Wring their necks until they die!”

“Miaow! Miaow,” said the big Pussy Cat. And in an instant all was wild confusion in the hen-house.

“Cluck-cluck-cluck!” said the Hens, as they went scurrying all over the place. “Bad luck-cluck-cluck!”

“Cock-a-doodle-do-oo! Get out of here, oh, do!” shrieked the Rooster.

“Quack, Quack!” said the Ducks. “Alack, Alack!”

“Hiss-ss! Hiss-ss! What’s amiss-ss?” hissed the Geese.

But the big Pussy Cat caught them all, scratched out their feathers, and soon made an end of them. Then she climbed back into the Blackbird’s ear, and they all went to sleep.

The next morning, the King said to his servants, “Go and find the body of that insolent bird and give all of my poultry an extra measure of corn.”

But when they entered the chicken-yard, there was General Blackbird strutting about among all the dead fowls.

The King was very angry when he heard about this, and he said, “Tonight, you must shut that insolent bird in the stable among my prancing steeds. They will soon kick the life out of him.”

So General Blackbird was shut in the stable.

At midnight, when all the world was asleep, Blackbird said:

“Come out, Rope, and come out, Stick!
Tie the horses lest they kick.
Beat the horses on the head!
Beat them till they fall down dead!”