her life; and then as soon as she got
safe back into the water again, she wanted to eat me. Do you think
that's right?"

"Hm," said the Jackal, "I don't quite understand. Where was the Fish?"

"Lying on the sand, you booby," said the Fish, getting angry.

"How?" asked the Jackal.

"Why," said the Fish, "what does that matter, I should like to know?"

"Can't understand," said the Jackal, looking stupidly all round and then
up at the sky.

"Well," said the Fish, angrier than ever, "all you are asked to do, is
to say whether or no I am to eat this Man. Can't you do that without all
this bother?"

"No," said the Jackal.

"Oh dear," said the Fish, "what a stupid you must be! All right then,
come along, and we'll show you." So she made the Man take her on his
shoulder again, and carry her to the place where she had been lying on
the sand.

"That's the place," said she.

The Jackal was not satisfied yet, but he must needs see how she lay. So
the Man put her down on the sand, and the Fish began flip-flap-flopping
again.

"Now then," said the Jackal to the Man, "up on the horse with you, and
be off! What does the Fish matter to you? Let her die, she deserves no
better."

The Man thought this a good idea, so he got up on his horse, and off,
and was more resolved than ever to keep clear of women.

But the Fish was very angry at being tricked so neatly. "You shall pay
for this!" she gasped to the Jackal; "I'll come and eat you in your
den."

"All right, you may try," said the Jackal, "but I fancy you will get
eaten yourself." And so saying, away he scampered.

The Fish flapped and flopped, until somehow or other she managed to flap
herself into the river.

After this the Fish used to sit by the roots of a fig-tree which went
down into the river, with her mouth gaping, in the hope that something
might fall in. The Jackal used to come down to this place to drink, and
one day, as he was drinking, the Fish caught him tight by the leg.

"Oh you silly Fish," said the Jackal, "why didn't you catch my leg? You
have got hold of the wrong thing," said he; "there's my leg, if you want
it," pointing to the root of the fig-tree. The foolish Fish believed she
had made a mistake, and let go the Jackal's leg, and took a good bite of
the root. The Jackal laughed, and scampered away, crying, "Oh what a
fool you are! You don't know wood from meat!"

"Never mind," said the Fish, "next time it will be my turn, and then we
shal