er to tear it, but the more it was
stretched, the more severe were the shocks she received, and her left
eye was almost blinded.

"Well, I never," exclaimed Miss Crane. "She is too tough altogether."

"Try again," cried Terrapin. "Try again; little by little, it is said,
a fly eats a cow's tail. You will get a rare and tender bit in time."

Miss Crane thus pressed, did so, and seizing a piece lay back, and drew
on it so hard that when the rubber at last slipped, it bounded back with
such force, that she was sent sprawling to the ground.

"Why, what is the matter?" asked Terrapin, pretending to be astonished.
"She is tough, I admit; but loh! our family are famous for toughness.
However, the tougher it is, the longer it lasts on the stomach. Try
again, sister Crane; I warrant you will manage it next time."

"Oh, bother your old ma. Eat her yourself. I have had enough of that
kind of meat."

"You give it up, do you?" cried Terrapin. "Well, well, it is a pity to
throw good meat away. Maybe, if I keep it longer it will get tenderer
by and by."

They thus parted, Terrapin bearing his share of rubber away in one
direction, and Miss Crane sadly disgusted, striding grandly off in
another, but looking keenly about for something to satisfy her hunger.

When she had gone a great distance a parrot flew across her path, and
perching on a branch near her, cried out, "Oh, royal bird, say since
when has rubber become the food of the bird-king's family?"

"What do you mean, Parrot?" she asked.

"Well, I saw you tearing at a piece of rubber just now, and when you
marched off Terrapin carried it away, and I heard him say--because he
has a habit of speaking his thoughts aloud--Oh, how stupid my sister
Crane is! She thinks my ma is dead. Ho, ho, ho! what a stupid! And
all the way he chuckled and laughed as though he was filled with
plantain wine."

"Is his ma not dead then?" asked Miss Crane.

"Dead! Not a bit of it," replied Parrot. "I saw old Ma Terrapin but a
moment ago as I flew by her tree, waiting for her son, and the cord is
ready for his cry of `Tu-no-no-no. Ano-no-no. We-no-no-no!'"

"Ah, Parrot, your words are good. When we know what another is saying
behind our backs, we discover the workings of his heart. The words of
Terrapin are like the bush that covers the trap. Good-by, Parrot. When
we next meet, we shall have another story to tell."

On the next day, Terrapin observed Miss Crane approachin