e with the others, and they all waited for
the Elephant to speak.

"Ahem!" said the animal judge very loudly. "There is one more to be
heard. Proceed, Mr. Pick."

The Pick, who had at least two good points in his favor, stepped
forward, made a stiff little bow with his handle, and said:

"What my friends Rake and Shovel have told you, of course is true. They
are useful, each in his own way. But I do the really hard work of the
garden. When the earth is packed hard and dry, so that neither the
Shovel nor the Rake can be used, Jake always comes and gets me. I am
larger and stronger than either the Rake or the Shovel, though of course
the Rake has a longer handle. But it is a very thin handle, and if Jake
struck as hard a blow with the Rake as he strikes with me, the Rake's
handle would break. And no matter how hard he digs the Shovel into the
hard ground, no earth can be turned over until I first loosen it. So I
claim the prize."

The Pick stepped back in line with the other two, all three bowed
politely and waited.

"What am I to do now?" asked the Elephant.

"You must act as Judge and tell which of us is the most useful, to
decide who gets the prize," said the Rake.

"That is it," chimed in the Pick and the Shovel.

"This is very hard--very hard indeed," sighed the Elephant. "In fact I
never before knew how hard it was to decide between right and wrong. Let
me think a minute."

He passed his trunk over his head, which was beginning to ache with all
the talk he had listened to.

"Hum! Let me see now," the Elephant spoke slowly. "It is true, Mr.
Shovel, that you are very useful. Without you the ground could not be
turned."

"There! See! I told you I'd get the prize!" cried the Shovel.

"Wait a minute! Wait a minute!" trumpeted the Elephant. "I have not
finished. It is also true," he went on, "that the Rake is very useful.
Before the Shovel can be used the ground must be raked clean, and after
the Shovel has spaded the earth, it must be raked smooth."

"There! I knew it! Oh, what a fine Judge! He is going to say I am
entitled to the prize!" exclaimed the Rake, laughing.

"Not yet! Wait a minute!" cried the Elephant. "I have not finished! I
want to say that the Pick used very good arguments. He is right when he
says without him, in case the ground is hard, nothing can be done. And
he certainly is the strongest, so I think----"

"Oh, ho! What did I tell you! I get the prize!" cried the Pick.

"Wait a min