have had this evening."

The Hen was frightened almost to death, but she kept her presence of
mind and gasped frantically as she saw the great jaws opening to swallow
her:--

"O _Brother_, don't!"

Now the Crocodile was so surprised at hearing the Hen call him Brother
that he kept his jaws wide open and forgot to swallow his dinner. He
kept them open for some time, gaping foolishly, wondering what the Hen
could mean, and how he could possibly be her brother. And by the time he
had remembered how hungry he was, there was nothing for him to eat. For
the Hen had skipped away just as fast as her feet would take her.

"Pouf!" snorted the Crocodile. "Her brother, indeed! I am not her
brother, and she knows it very well. What a fool I was to be caught by
such a word! Just wait till I catch her again and we will see. I will
_brother_ her!" And he swam sulkily away to hide his mortification in
the Congo mud, with only the end of his long nose poking out as a
ventilator for his breathing.

Now, though the Hen had had so narrow an escape, it had not sufficiently
taught her a lesson. A few days afterwards once more she went down to
the river, for she could not resist the temptation of the bug-dinner
which she knew she should find there. But she kept her eyes open sharply
for any greeny log which might be floating on the water, saying to
herself, "Old Hungry-Mouth shall not catch me napping this time. I know
his wicked tricks!"

But this time the Crocodile was not floating on the water like a greeny
log. He was lying still as still, sunning himself on the river bank
behind some tall reeds. Mrs. Hen came trotting down to the water, a
plump and tempting sight, cocking her head knowingly on one side as she
spied a real log floating out beyond, which she took to be her enemy.
And as she scratched in the soft mud, chuckling to think how sly she
was, with a rush and a rustle down pounced the Crocodile upon her, and
once more, before she knew it, she found herself in the horrid gateway
of his jaws, threatened by the double rows of long, white teeth.

[Illustration: "_O Brother, don't!_"]

"Oho!" snapped the Crocodile. "You shall not escape me this time. I
am a log, am I? Look at me again, Mrs. Hen. Am I a log?" And he came at
her to swallow her at once.

But again the Hen squawked, "O _Brother_, don't!"

Again the Crocodile paused, thunderstruck by this extraordinary word.
"Oh, bother the Hen!" he cried, "what can she mean, rea