to satisfy Its hunger."
Friend Ape said, "What was that Thing, Friend Tiger?" "I don't know,"
said the Tiger. "Ah," mused the Ape, "I wonder if it _could_ be Friend
Mouse-deer!" "Certainly not," said the Tiger; "why, how in the world
could Friend Mouse-deer swallow _Me_? To say nothing of his not being
used to meat food." "Come and let us go back again," said the Ape.

Then they went back again to find the Elephant, and first the Ape went
the faster, and then the Tiger went the faster, and then the Ape got in
front again. But Friend Mouse-deer sitting on Friend Elephant's back
saw them coming and shouted. "Hullo, Father Ape," said he, "this is a
dog's trick indeed; you promised to bring me two tigers and you only
bring me one. I refuse to accept it, Father Ape."

Now when Friend Tiger heard this, he ran off at first as fast as he
could, but presently he slackened his pace and said, "It is too bad of
you, Friend Ape, to try to cozen me in order to pay your own debts.
For shame, Father Ape! It was only through good luck that he refused
to accept me; if he had accepted, I should have been dead and done
with. So now, if you come down to the ground, you shall die the death
yourself, just for your trying to cheat me."

Thus the Tiger and the Ape were set at enmity, and to this day the
Tiger is very wroth with the Ape for trying to cheat him. And here the
story ends.

MOORISH FABLES

"While watching man in all his phases,
And seeing that, in many cases,
He acts just like the brute creation--
I've thought the lord of all these races
Of no less failings showed the traces
Than do his lieges in relation."

MOORISH FABLES

The Wagtail and the Jackal

At a time when the animals spoke, a Wagtail laid her eggs on the
ground. The little ones grew up. A Jackal and a Fox came to them.
The Jackal said to the Fox:

"Swear to me that the Wagtail owes me a pound of butter."

The Fox swore to it. The Bird began to weep. A Greyhound came to her
and asked her what was the matter. She answered him:

"The Fox has calumniated me."

"Well," said the Hound, "put me in this sack of skin."

She put him in the sack. "Tie up the top well," said the Hound. When
the Jackal returned she said to him,

"Come and measure out the butter."

The Jackal advanced and unfastened the sack. He saw the Hound, who
stretched out his paws and said to the Fox,

"I am ill; come and measure, Fox."

The Fox