guar had gone hungry for a whole day.

While he thus sat, wondering where he should go to get something to
eat, he fell asleep, and had a dream. And this is what he dreamed.

He dreamed that he saw on the grass beneath the rock where he was
lying five fat young deer. Three of them were sisters, and the other
two were cousins. They were discussing the propriety of taking a nap
on the grass by the river-bank, and one of them had already stretched
herself out. "Now," thought the Jaguar in his dream, "shall I wait
until they all go to sleep, and then pounce down softly and kill them
all, or shall I spring on that one on the ground and make sure of a
good supper at any rate?" While he was thus deliberating in his mind
which it would be best for him to do, the oldest cousin cocked up her
ears as if she heard something, and just as the Jaguar was going to
make a big spring and get one out of the family before they took to
their heels, he woke up!

[Illustration]

What a dreadful disappointment! Not a deer, or a sign of one, to be
seen, and nothing living within a mile. But no! There is something
moving! It is--yes, it is a big Alligator, lying down there on the
rocks! After looking for a few minutes with disgust at the ugly
creature, the Jaguar said to himself, "He must have come on shore
while I was asleep. But what matters it! An Alligator! Very different
indeed from five fat young deer! Ah me! I wish he had not that great
horny skin, and I'd see if I could make a supper off of him. Let me
see! There is a soft place, as I've been told, about the alligator! If
I could but manage and get a grip of that, I think that I could settle
old Mr. Hardskin, in spite of his long teeth. I've a mind and a half
to try. Yes, I'll do it!"

[Illustration]

So saying, the Jaguar settled himself down as flat as he could and
crept a little nearer to the Alligator, and then, with a tremendous
spring, he threw himself upon him. The Alligator was asleep, but his
nap came to a very sudden close, you may be sure, and he opened his
eyes and his mouth both at the same time. But he soon found that he
would have to bestir himself in a very lively manner, for a strong
and hungry Jaguar had got hold of him. It had never before entered
into the Alligator's head that anybody would want to eat him, but he
did not stop to think about this, but immediately went to work to
defend himself with all his might. He lashed his great tail around, he
snapped his