s this I hear of
your doing no work, with the world so new-and-all?'
'Humph!' said the Camel.
The Djinn sat down, with his chin in his hand, and began to think a
Great Magic, while the Camel looked at his own reflection in the pool of
water.
'You've given the Three extra work ever since Monday morning, all on
account of your 'scruciating idleness,' said the Djinn; and he went on
thinking Magics, with his chin in his hand.
'Humph!' said the Camel.
'I shouldn't say that again if I were you,' said the Djinn; you might
say it once too often. Bubbles, I want you to work.'
And the Camel said 'Humph!' again; but no sooner had he said it than he
saw his back, that he was so proud of, puffing up and puffing up into a
great big lolloping humph.
'Do you see that?' said the Djinn. 'That's your very own humph that
you've brought upon your very own self by not working. To-day is
Thursday, and you've done no work since Monday, when the work began. Now
you are going to work.'
'How can I,' said the Camel, 'with this humph on my back?'
'That's made a-purpose,' said the Djinn, 'all because you missed those
three days. You will be able to work now for three days without eating,
because you can live on your humph; and don't you ever say I never
did anything for you. Come out of the Desert and go to the Three, and
behave. Humph yourself!'
And the Camel humphed himself, humph and all, and went away to join the
Three. And from that day to this the Camel always wears a humph (we call
it 'hump' now, not to hurt his feelings); but he has never yet caught up
with the three days that he missed at the beginning of the world, and he
has never yet learned how to behave.
THE Camel's hump is an ugly lump
Which well you may see at the Zoo;
But uglier yet is the hump we get
From having too little to do.
Kiddies and grown-ups too-oo-oo,
If we haven't enough to do-oo-oo,
We get the hump--
Cameelious hump--
The hump that is black and blue!
We climb out of bed with a frouzly head
And a snarly-yarly voice.
We shiver and scowl and we grunt and we growl
At our bath and our boots and our toys;
And there ought to be a corner for me
(And I know there is one for you)
When we get the hump--
Cameelious hump--
The hump that is black and blue!
The cure for this ill is not to sit still,
Or frowst with a
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