and wild caladiums on
which all Water-snails feed." Then the King-crow asked: "And what will
you stake?" The Water-snail replied, "If I am beaten, the river shall
be handed over to you and you shall be King of the River." But the
Water-snail begged for a delay of twice seven days, saying that he felt
knocked up after ascending the rapids, and the delay was granted
accordingly.

Meanwhile, however, the Water-snail hunted up a great number of his
friends and instructed them to conceal themselves in each of the higher
reaches of the river, and to reply immediately when the King-crow
challenged them.

The day arrived, and the King-crow flew off, and in each of the higher
reaches the Water-snail's friends replied to the challenge, while at
the river-mouth the Water-snail replied in person. So the King-crow
was defeated and has ever since remained the slave of the Water-snail.

The Elephant Has a Bet with the Tiger

In the beginning Gajah the Elephant and Rimau the Tiger were sworn
friends. But one day they came to a clearing and presently encountered
Lotong, the long-tailed Spectacle-monkey. And when he saw the Monkey,
the Elephant said, "Mr. Lotong yonder is far too noisy; let us try and
shake him off; if he falls to me I am to eat you; and if he falls to
you, you are to eat me--we will make a wager of it." The Tiger said,
"Agreed"; and the Elephant replied, "Agreed." "Very well!" said the
Tiger; "you shall try and menace him first." So the Elephant tried to
menace the Monkey. "AU! AU! AU!" he trumpeted, and each time he
trumpeted the Monkey was scared. But the Monkey went jumping head
foremost through the branches and never fell to the ground at all.

Presently, therefore, the Tiger asked the Elephant, "Well, Friend
Elephant, would you like to try your luck again?" But the Elephant
said, "No, thank you. It shall be your turn now; and if he falls to
you, you shall eat me--if you really can make him fall!" Then the
Tiger went and roared his longest and loudest, and shortened his body
as for a spring and growled and menaced the Monkey thrice. And the
Monkey leaped and fell at the Tiger's feet, for his feet and hands were
paralyzed and would not grip the branches any more. Then the Tiger
said: "Well, Friend Elephant, I suppose I may eat you now." But the
Elephant said: "You have, I admit, won the wager; but I beg you to
grant me just seven days' respite, to enable me to visit my wife and
children an