"Come," said the Mouse-deer to the Stump-tailed Heron, "come and sail
with me to Java." So they set sail, and Friend Mouse-deer held the
tiller and Friend Heron spread the sail, and the wind blew from the
north. Soon however Friend Mouse-deer got drowsy, and let the boat
fall out of the wind.
At this Friend Heron said: "Why does the boat fall off? How is your
helm, Friend Mouse-deer?" "I was only taking a few winks," said he.
"Bring her up to the wind again," said the Heron. And the Mouse-deer
replied: "All right, I'm 'on the spot.'" Presently, however, he dozed
again and the Heron exclaimed: "Oh, if that's to be it, you may die and
be done with. I'll peck a hole in this boat of ours and you'll go to
the bottom."
But the Mouse-deer said: "_Please_ don't, I'm _such_ a bad hand at
swimming." So they sailed on. And the Mouse-deer dozed a third time.
At this the Heron could contain himself no longer, and said, "Confound
you, Friend Mouse-deer, for sleeping at the helm." And losing his
temper he pecked a hole in the boat, and the boat let in the water and
Friend Heron flew away. But the Mouse-deer swam struggling with his
feet in the midst of the sea.
Presently there came up a young Shark who exclaimed, "I'll have a meal
off you this time at all events." But the Mouse-deer answered, "What,
Friend Shark, you'll make a meal off me? Why, in place of the little
flesh I've got, if you'll carry me ashore, I'll teach you some
excellent Magic which will save you from ever having to hunt for your
food again." To this the Shark replied, "Agreed. If you'll teach me
'your excellent Magic' I'll carry you ashore." So the Mouse-deer got
upon Friend Shark's back, and was carried straight ashore.
And on their arrival the Mouse-deer said: "Wait here a bit, while I go
and get the simples." And going a-land he hunted up a rattan creeper
and took it back with him and said: "Now I'll give you the simples I
spoke of," and bound it fast to Friend Shark's tail. And presently the
Shark said: "Why have you made the line fast to my tail?" But the
Mouse-deer replied: "'Keep quite quiet till I have tied you up
properly, and then I'll give you the simples." But presently he
dragged the Shark up on to the dry beach, and made butcher's meat of
him. Just then, however, a Tiger came up, exclaiming, "Here's really a
good meal for Me, for once in a way!" To this, however, the Mouse-deer
replied: "What is the use of eating me, when there's already plenty of
butcher's meat and to spare?" "Very well, I'll share it with you,"
said the Tiger. The Mouse-deer replied, "You may share it with me by
all means, if you will only go and get some water to do the cooking."
So the Tiger went off to get water and presently came back with it.
"Wash the meat before you roast it," said the Mouse-deer. The Tiger
took the meat and washed it in the water. "Go and fetch fire and roast
it," said the Mouse-deer. The Tiger fetched fire and came back to do
the cooking. And when the meat was done, "Now go and fetch some
drinking water," said the Mouse-deer, "and we'll have our meal
together." So the Tiger went off again to fetch the drinking water.
But the Mouse-deer in the meantime made off with the Shark's meat and
climbed up with it to the top of a She-oak Tree. And presently the
Tiger came back and found both Mouse-deer and meat missing. At this he
exclaimed: "For once in a way, Mr. Mouse-deer, you've fairly cheated
Me; if we don't meet again no matter, but if we do, I'll be the death
of you." And here the story ends.