"Come, we'll run on
a bit!"
And they ran, ran, ran very fast, and the
Lion did not catch them that time.
But at last a day came when the Lion
was nearer still and the little mother Jackal
was frightened about to death.
"Oh, Father Jackal, Father Jackal!"
she cried; "I'm sure our time has come!
The Lion's going to eat us this time!"
"Now, mother, don't you fret," said the
little father Jackal; "you do just as I tell
you, and it will be all right."
Then what did those cunning little Jackals
do but take hold of hands and run up
towards the Lion, as if they had meant
to come all the time. When he saw them
coming he stood up, and roared in a terrible
voice,--
"You miserable little wretches, come
here and be eaten, at once! Why didn't
you come before?"
The father Jackal bowed very low.
"Indeed, Father Lion," he said, "we
meant to come before; we knew we ought
to come before; and we wanted to come
before; but every time we started to come,
a dreadful great lion came out of the woods
and roared at us, and frightened us so that
we ran away."
"What do you mean?" roared the Lion.
"There's no other lion in this jungle, and
you know it!"
"Indeed, indeed, Father Lion," said the
little Jackal, "I know that is what everybody
thinks; but indeed and indeed there
is another lion! And he is as much bigger
than you as you are bigger than I! His face
is much more terrible, and his roar far, far
more dreadful.
Pages:
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57