of his tusks. But the Squirrel kept good watch. He saw the gleaming eyes
of the Wolf and knew that he came for no good. Quickly he jumped upon
the Elephant's trunk, and running down to the end of it tickled it with
his tail. This instantly awoke the Elephant. It was no use now for the
Wolf to spring upon him. He could only hope to get the mastery of him if
he caught him asleep and off his guard. So the Wolf slunk back into the
woods again.

In the morning the Elephant and Squirrel again took up their march. For
several days they walked toward the South, until they came one morning
to a river that was flowing quietly along. It was not a wide river; it
was hardly more than a brook, and one could scarcely hear a sound, it
flowed so smoothly. It ran through the forest, its edges skirted with
rows of flowers, and its banks cushioned with every variety of moss.
There was hardly a large stone in it for the water to eddy about. The
Squirrel ran up the Elephant's back, and he in two or three steps waded
across. It was not above his knee in any place. Once over on the other
side, the Squirrel ran down the Elephant's fore-leg to the ground. The
Elephant drank some of the cool water and then amused himself with
squirting it about in every direction. He aimed it chiefly at some rocks
that lay by the side of the river--rocks of all sizes and shapes. This
sport grew tiresome, however, and the Elephant began to look about for
some new fun. The rocks again met his eye.

"What fun it would be," said he to the Squirrel, "if I should pitch
these rocks into the river." Saying this he twisted his trunk round an
immense boulder and flung it into the bed of the stream.

"Oh!" screamed the Squirrel. "Don't do so! you will hurt the river."

"It deserves to be hurt," said the Elephant. "What business has it to
flow along without making any noise. I'll teach it to sing." He threw
rock after rock into the river, piling them high up in some places. The
Squirrel looked on mournfully, and could bear it at last no longer. He
ran to the Elephant and looked up into his face.

"Do you remember the first night we left home," said he, "how I
prevented the Wolf from killing you? For my sake, then, do not destroy
or hurt the river!" At this the Elephant grew very angry.

"Go to the Wolf with your nonsense!" said he, and lifting his heavy
foot, he cruelly stepped upon the little Squirrel and crushed him to
death. The Elephant was now perfectly fiendish. H