06 THE CLEVER JACKAL

A little Jackal lived near a river.

One day he said, “ Dear me! I am so hungry! I must find some crabs for dinner. ”

So he went to the bank of the river and put his paw into the water, to catch a crab.

And snap! a big Alligator had the paw in his mouth.

“ Dear me! ” thought the Jackal. “ The big Alligator has my paw in his mouth. In a minute he will pull me down and eat me. What shall I do? What shall I do? ”

Then he said to the Alligator, “ Ho, ho! kind Mr. Alligator, clever Mr. Alligator, to take those reeds for my paw! I hope that they taste good. ”

“ What a foolish mistake! ” said Mr. Alligator.

So the Alligator opened his mouth and let the little Jackal go.

The little Jackal ran as fast as he could.

And as he ran, he called out, “ Thank you, Mr. Alligator, kind Mr. Alligator. ”

The Alligator lashed his tail and snapped his jaws. He was so very angry!

“ What a foolish mistake, ” said Mr. Alligator.

About a week later the little Jackal said again, “ Dear me! I am so hungry! I must find some crabs for dinner. ”

So he went to the bank of the river.

He looked around for the Alligator but did not see him.

So he began to talk to himself. “ When I do not see any crabs on the bank of the river, I often see them peep above the water, and then I put in my paw and catch them. ”

Mr. Alligator was hiding in the mud.

“ That is easy, ” said he to himself. “ I will put my nose above the water and pretend to be a little crab. ”

The little Jackal took one look, then ran as fast as he could.

“ Thank you, Mr. Alligator, kind Mr. Alligator, ” he called.

The Alligator lashed his tail and snapped his jaws. He was so very angry!

It was two weeks before the little Jackal went to the bank of the river again.

He looked all around for the Alligator but did not find him.

“ If I do not see any crabs on the bank of the river, ” said the Jackal, “ I often see them making bubbles which go puff, puff, puff. Then I put in my paw and catch them. ”

“ That is easy, ” thought Mr. Alligator. “ I will blow little crab bubbles, and the Jackal will put in his paw where I can get it. ”

So the Alligator blew and blew, and great bubbles came to the top of the water.

The little Jackal took one look, then ran as fast as he could.

And as he ran he called out, “ Thank you, Mr. Alligator, kind Mr. Alligator. ”

The Alligator lashed his tail, snapped his jaws and said, “ I will catch that Jackal yet. ”

So one day he crawled over the ground till he came to the Jackal's house.

Then he went inside and hid.

When the Jackal came home he saw that the door was broken.

He called out, “ Why don't you speak, little House?

You know that you always speak to me when I come home. ”

“ I will speak softly, ” said Mr. Alligator, “ and pretend to be the little House. ”

“ Hello, Jackal! ”

How frightened the Jackal was!

“ It is Mr. Alligator. What shall I do? ” he thought.

Then he said, “ Thank you, little House. I will be with you in a minute. I must get some wood and make a fire for dinner. ”

So the Jackal went and gathered wood, and more wood, and still more wood.

He piled it up against the door and all around the house.

Then he set fire to the wood.

It burned, and burned, and smoked, and smoked.

The Alligator could not get away.

He lashed his tail and snapped his jaws. He was so very angry!

But he could not get away.

Next morning the Jackal looked for the Alligator.

All that he found was the alligator's leather coat.