he river and then a lake. But by this time she had drunk
so much that she could not rise from the ground.

In the evening, when it was time for the animals to have their drink
before going to bed, they found the lake quite dry, and they had to make
up their minds to be thirsty till the water flowed again and the streams
were full. Even then, for some time, the lake was very dirty, and the
lion, as king of the beasts, commanded that no one should drink till it
was quite clear again.

But the little hare, who was fond of having his own way, and was very
thirsty besides, stole quietly off when all the rest were asleep in
their dens, and crept down to the margin of the lake and drank his fill.
Then he smeared the dirty water all over the rabbit's face and paws, so
that it might look as if it were he who had been disobeying Big Lion's
orders.

The next day, as soon as it was light, Big Lion marched straight for
the lake, and all the other beasts followed him. He saw at once that the
water had been troubled again, and was very angry.

'Who has been drinking my water?' said he; and the little hare gave a
jump, and, pointing to the rabbit, he answered, 'Look there! it must be
he! Why, there is mud all over his face and paws!'

The rabbit, frightened out of his wits, tried to deny the fact,
exclaiming, 'Oh, no, indeed I never did;' but Big Lion would not listen,
and commanded them to cane him with a birch rod.

Now the little hare was very much pleased with his cleverness in causing
the rabbit to be beaten instead of himself, and went about boasting
of it. At last one of the other animals overheard him, and called out,
'Little hare, little hare! what is that you are saying?'

But the little hare hastily replied, 'I only asked you to pass me my
stick.'

An hour or two later, thinking that no one was near him, he said to
himself again, 'It was really I who drank up the water, but I made them
think it was the rabbit.'

But one of the beasts whose ears were longer than the rest caught the
words, and went to tell Big Lion about it. Do you hear what the little
hare is saying?'

So Big Lion sent for the little hare, and asked him what he meant by
talking like that.

The little hare saw that there was no use trying to hide it, so he
answered pertly, 'It was I who drank the water, but I made them think
it was the rabbit.' Then he turned and ran as fast as he could, with all
the other beasts pursuing him.

They were almost