something was following him, and then he thought he heard whispery
noises on both sides of him as well as behind. He tried to run, but
he tripped over more roots, and the noises only came nearer. Once or
twice he thought he heard something laughing at him.

At last he came out into a clearing and ran right into the middle of
it so that he could see anything that might try to attack him. Was he
surprised when he looked and saw fourteen green eyes coming out of the
jungle all around the clearing, and when the green eyes turned into
seven tigers! The tigers walked around him in a big circle, looking
hungrier all the time, and then they sat down and began to talk.

"I suppose you thought we didn't know you were trespassing in our
jungle!"

[Illustration]

Then the next tiger spoke. "I suppose you're going to say you didn't
know it was our jungle!"

"Did you know that not one explorer has ever left this island alive?"
said the third tiger.

My father thought of the cat and knew this wasn't true. But of course
he had too much sense to say so. One doesn't contradict a hungry
tiger.

The tigers went on talking in turn. "You're our first little boy, you
know. I'm curious to know if you're especially tender."

[Illustration]

"Maybe you think we have regular meal-times, but we don't. We just eat
whenever we're feeling hungry," said the fifth tiger.

"And we're very hungry right now. In fact, I can hardly wait," said
the sixth.

"I _can't_ wait!" said the seventh tiger.

[Illustration]

And then all the tigers said together in a loud roar, "Let's begin
right now!" and they moved in closer.

My father looked at those seven hungry tigers, and then he had an
idea. He quickly opened his knapsack and took out the chewing gum. The
cat had told him that tigers were especially fond of chewing gum,
which was very scarce on the island. So he threw them each a piece but
they only growled, "As fond as we are of chewing gum, we're sure we'd
like you even better!" and they moved so close that he could feel them
breathing on his face.

"But this is very special chewing gum," said my father. "If you keep
on chewing it long enough it will turn green, and then if you plant
it, it will grow more chewing gum, and the sooner you start chewing
the sooner you'll have more."

The tigers said, "Why, you don't say! Isn't that fine!" And as each
one wanted to be the first to plant the chewing gum, they all
unwrapped their pieces and b