Oh, do not rile the Crocodile,
His teeth are sharp and grim:
He’s full of guile, the Crocodile—
Oh, do not anger him!
The Crocodile with horrid smile
Will eat up anything;
The Crocodile devours in style
A Rabbit or a King!
Upon the Nile the Crocodile
Is waiting day and night—
And all the while the Crocodile
Is waiting for a bite.
[Illustration: Black and white illustration of a lion with a stylized,
patterned mane confronting a hare standing on its hind legs outdoors
against a hilly background.]
THE HARE AND THE LIONS
A TIBETAN TALE _By VALERY CARRICK_
One day a lion met a hare, and was just going to eat him, when the hare
began to beg and implore, saying:
“Now what good would I do you, I’m so small and so frail! If you are
hungry, I’ll show you the way to a great big fat beast. Only, he has
such terrible strength, you might get the worst of it!”
At that the lion got very angry, and said:
“WHAT? ME get the worst of it? Is there ANY beast stronger than I? Show
me this beast at once!”
[Illustration: Black and white illustration of a lion with a stylized,
patterned mane looking down into a stone well while a hare sits nearby,
gesturing toward it.]
“Oh, I do BEG you to take care!” said the hare. “Don’t go and get
killed! You don’t know what a fearsome beast he is! And he lives in a
WELL!”
“Take me to him at once!” answered the lion.
So the hare led the lion to the well, and the lion began to look down
into the well, and his own face looked out at him from the water, and
the hare said:
“You see what a fearsome beast he is! You had really better stop where
you are. Don’t jump into the well, or he’ll tear you in pieces!”
[Illustration: Black and white illustration of a hare sitting near a
stone well, laughing or yawning with its mouth wide open, while the lion
jumps into the well.]
“WHAT?” said the lion. “Do you think I’m afraid of him? Then I just will
jump!”
“Oh no! Don’t! PLEASE!” begged the hare. And almost before he had done
speaking the lion had jumped down the well, and there he stopped.
And, meanwhile, at home the lioness was waiting and waiting in vain for
the return of her husband. Every now and then she would come out of her
cave and have a look round, but could see no sign of him.
[Illustration: Black and white illustration of a lioness emerging from a
rocky cave, roaring or baring its teeth at a hare that is hopping away.]
All at once the hare appeared in front of the cave, and said:
“How do you do! I’ve brought you a message of greeting from your
husband. He himself is ill and can’t get up. He and I had a bit of an
argument, and in the end it came to blows. To put the matter in two
words: I gave him a thorough good hiding.”
[Illustration: 'Black]
At that the lioness got very angry and said:
“You wretched, miserable little boaster!” and was just going to catch
hold of him, when off he ran.
Now the hare knew of a place in the rock where it was broad on the
outside and easy to get in, but narrow on the inside and very hard to
get out of, and he dashed straight off there, with the lioness at his
heels. And when they got to this cleft in the rock he jumped in.
[Illustration: Black and white illustration of a hare laughing joyfully
while sitting near a large tree trunk, as a lioness dives headfirst into
a hollow in the tree.]
The lioness, without further thought, jumped in after him, and got stuck
in the narrow place. And she could neither move forward nor backward,
and there
she
is
to
this
very
day.
[Illustration: Black and white illustration of a young boy sitting on a
grassy mound or slope, looking down and touching the grass with one
hand.]