"
"Very good, very good," trumpeted the
Elephant; "that suits me; we will do it."
Little Brother Rabbit snickered to
himself. "They won't rule me," he said. He
ran away and got a very long, very strong
rope, and he got his big drum, and hid the
drum a long way off in the bushes. Then
he went along the beach till he came to the
Whale.
"Oh, please, dear, strong Mr. Whale,"
he said, "will you have the great kindness
to do me a favor? My cow is stuck in the
mud, a quarter of a mile from here. And
I can't pull her out. But you are so strong
and so obliging, that I venture to trust you
will help me out."
The Whale was so pleased with the compliment
that he said, "Yes," at once.
"Then," said the Rabbit, "I will tie this
end of my long rope to you, and I will run
away and tie the other end round my cow,
and when I am ready I will beat my big
drum. When you hear that, pull very, very
hard, for the cow is stuck very deep in the
mud."
"Huh!" grunted the Whale, "I'll pull
her out, if she is stuck to the horns."
Little Brother Rabbit tied the rope-end
to the whale, and ran off, lippety, lippety,
till he came to the place where the Elephant was.
"Oh, please, mighty and kindly Elephant,"
he said, making a very low bow
"will you do me a favor?"
"What is it?" asked the Elephant.
"My cow is stuck in the mud, about a
quarter of a mile from here," said little
Brother Rabbit, "and I cannot pull her
out.
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