A Water-snail was coming up-stream from the lower reaches, when a
King-crow heard it. Said the King-crow to himself: "Who can it be
coming up-stream that exclaims so loudly at the rapids? One might say
it was a man, but that there is nothing to be seen." So the King-crow
settled on a tree to watch, but as he could see nothing from his perch
on the tree he flew down to the ground, and walked along by the
water-side. And when he thought to see some man exclaiming, he caught
sight of the Water-snail.
"Hullo, you there," said he, "where do you come from?" "I come from
the eddy below the rapids," said the Water-snail, "and I only want to
get as far as the head-waters of this river." Said the King-crow:
"Wait a bit. Suppose you go down to the river-mouth as quickly as you
can and we will have a wager on it." (Now rivers are the Water-snail's
domain, in which he has many comrades.)
"What is to be the stake?" asked the Water-snail. "If I am beaten I
will be your slave, and look after your aroids and wild caladiums on
which all Water-snails feed." Then the King-crow asked: "And what will
you stake?" The Water-snail replied, "If I am beaten, the river shall
be handed over to you and you shall be King of the River." But the
Water-snail begged for a delay of twice seven days, saying that he felt
knocked up after ascending the rapids, and the delay was granted
accordingly.
Meanwhile, however, the Water-snail hunted up a great number of his
friends and instructed them to conceal themselves in each of the higher
reaches of the river, and to reply immediately when the King-crow
challenged them.
The day arrived, and the King-crow flew off, and in each of the higher
reaches the Water-snail's friends replied to the challenge, while at
the river-mouth the Water-snail replied in person. So the King-crow
was defeated and has ever since remained the slave of the Water-snail.