e Shovel.

"Never before did I see any of you," the Elephant replied.

"Just the proper one for a Judge!" declared the Rake. "He will be
honest and fair."

"I'm willing to have him if you two are," said the Pick.

"What's it all about?" asked the Elephant. "I don't understand. What is
a Judge?"

"Some one who tells the right from the wrong," answered the Rake.
"Listen, Mr. Stuffed Elephant! Get up on that box, for a Judge must be
above every one else, and we will tell you what the trouble is."

The Elephant got up on a strong, empty onion crate, and stood there with
the Shovel, the Rake and the Pick standing in a row in front of him.

"You must say 'Ahem!' and bang on the box, like a real Judge," said the
Shovel.

"Ahem!" coughed the Elephant, as loudly as he could. Then he took up a
piece of wood in the end of his trunk, and banged on the side of the
onion crate.

"Now this is like a real court," said the Rake, "and we shall have our
quarrel settled."

"Oh, have you three been quarreling?" asked the Elephant Judge.

"Well, not exactly; and the quarrel is not an angry one," replied the
Shovel. "You see," he went on, "we three tools work in the garden. Or,
rather, Jake, the man, uses us when he works. Now I claim I am the most
useful of the three. Jake always takes me out when there is a bit of
ground to be spaded up, or turned over, when he wants to make the garden
in the spring. So I think, Mr. Judge Elephant, Your Honor, that I am
entitled to the prize."

"Hum! Let me see now," said the Elephant, trying to look very wise. "I
suppose I must listen to what the others have to say."

"Oh, yes, indeed!" exclaimed the Rake. "We must each state our case, as
in a real court, and then you shall decide who is right. Now, for
myself--Oh, by the way, had you quite finished?" he asked of the Shovel,
politely.

"Yes," was the answer, "I think I said enough to have the Elephant Judge
give me the prize. Go on, Mr. Rake."

"Well," said the Rake, smiling a little to show his teeth, "I claim to
be more useful than the Shovel. It is true Jake uses him to turn the
ground over. But before the ground can be turned Jake uses me to take
away the dead leaves and sticks that are not wanted. And even after the
Shovel is used to turn the ground over, no seeds can be planted, and the
garden can not really be made, until I am used again to smooth things
over. So I claim to be the most useful tool."

The Rake stepped back in lin