w how to get water. After a very long search, which had been
quite in vain, they found a tiny spring, which only wanted to be dug
deeper so as to yield plenty of water. So the beasts said to each other,
'Let us dig a well, and then we shall not fear to die of thirst;' and
they all consented except the jackal, who hated work of any kind, and
generally got somebody to do it for him.

When they had finished their well, they held a council as to who should
be made the guardian of the well, so that the jackal might not come near
it, for, they said, 'he would not work, therefore he shall not drink.'

After some talk it was decided that the rabbit should be left in charge;
then all the other beasts went back to their homes.

When they were out of sight the jackal arrived. 'Good morning! Good
morning, rabbit!' and the rabbit politely said, 'Good morning!' Then the
jackal unfastened the little bag that hung at his side, and pulled out
of it a piece of honeycomb which he began to eat, and turning to the
rabbit he remarked:

'As you see, rabbit, I am not thirsty in the least, and this is nicer
than any water.'

'Give me a bit,' asked the rabbit. So the jackal handed him a very
little morsel.

'Oh, how good it is!' cried the rabbit; 'give me a little more, dear
friend!'

But the jackal answered, 'If you really want me to give you some more,
you must have your paws tied behind you, and lie on your back, so that I
can pour it into your mouth.'

The rabbit did as he was bid, and when he was tied tight and popped on
his back, the jackal ran to the spring and drank as much as he wanted.
When he had quite finished he returned to his den.

In the evening the animals all came back, and when they saw the rabbit
lying with his paws tied, they said to him: 'Rabbit, how did you let
yourself be taken in like this?'

'It was all the fault of the jackal,' replied the rabbit; 'he tied me up
like this, and told me he would give me something nice to eat. It was
all a trick just to get at our water.'

'Rabbit, you are no better than an idiot to have let the jackal drink
our water when he would not help to find it. Who shall be our next
watchman? We must have somebody a little sharper than you!' and the
little hare called out, 'I will be the watchman.'

The following morning the animals all went their various ways, leaving
the little hare to guard the spring. When they were out of sight the
jackal came back. 'Good morning! good morning,