knees, and besides,
his horns were continually getting entangled in the creepers. What was
worse, when once he had tasted the bananas, he found them not at all to
his liking, so he threw them all down, green and yellow alike, and let
the puma take his choice. And what a dinner he made! When he had QUITE
done, they set forth once more.

The path lay through a field of maize, where several men were working.
As they came up to them, the puma whispered: 'Go on in front, friend
stag, and just say "Bad luck to all workers!"' The stag obeyed, but the
men were hot and tired, and did not think this a good joke. So they set
their dogs at him, and he was obliged to run away as fast as he could.

'I hope your industry will be rewarded as it deserves,' said the puma as
he passed along; and the men were pleased, and offered him some of their
maize to eat.

By-and-by the puma saw a small snake with a beautiful shining skin,
lying coiled up at the foot of a tree. 'What a lovely bracelet that
would make for your daughter, friend stag! said he. The stag stooped and
picked up the snake, which bit him, and he turned angrily to the puma.
'Why did you not tell me it would bite?' he asked.

'Is it my fault if you are an idiot?' replied the puma.

At last they reached their journey's end, but by this time it was late,
and the puma's comrade was ready for bed, so they slung their hammocks
in convenient places, and went to sleep. But in the middle of the night
the puma rose softly and stole out of the door to the sheep-fold, where
he killed and ate the fattest sheep he could find, and taking a bowl
full of its blood, he sprinkled the sleeping stag with it. This done, he
returned to bed.

In the morning the shepherd went as usual to let the sheep out of the
fold, and found one of them missing. He thought directly of the puma,
and ran to accuse him of having eaten the sheep. 'I, my good man? What
had put it into your head to think of such a thing? Have I got any blood
about me? If anyone has eaten a sheep it must be my friend the stag.'
Then the shepherd went to examine the sleeping stag, and of course he
saw the blood. 'Ah! I will teach you how to steal!' cried he, and he hit
the stag such a blow on his skull that he died in a moment. The noise
awakened the comrade above, and he came downstairs. The puma greeted him
with joy, and begged he might have some of the famous milk as soon as
possible, for he was very thirsty. A large bucket was se