第11章 THE BEGINNING OF THE ARMADILLOS(1)

THIS,O Best Beloved,is another story of the High and Far-Off Times.In the very middle of those times was a Stickly-Prickly Hedgehog,and he lived on the banks of the turbid Amazon,eating shelly snails and things.And he had a friend,a Slow-Solid Tortoise,who lived on the banks of the turbid Amazon,eating green lettuces and things.And so that was all right,Best Beloved.Do you see?

But also,and at the same time,in those High and Far-Off Times,there was a Painted Jaguar,and he lived on the banks of the turbid Amazon too;and he ate everything that he could catch.

When he could not catch deer or monkeys he would eat frogs and beetles;and when he could not catch frogs and beetles he went to his Mother Jaguar,and she told him how to eat hedgehogs and tortoises.

She said to him ever so many times,graciously waving her tail,'My son,when you find a Hedgehog you must drop him into the water and then he will uncoil,and when you catch a Tortoise you must scoop him out of his shell with your paw.'And so that was all right,Best Beloved.

One beautiful night on the banks of the turbid Amazon,Painted Jaguar found Stickly-Prickly Hedgehog and Slow-Solid Tortoise sitting under the trunk of a fallen tree.They could not run away,and so Stickly-Prickly curled himself up into a ball,because he was a Hedgehog,and Slow-Solid Tortoise drew in his head and feet into his shell as far as they would go,because he was a Tortoise;and so that was all right,Best Beloved.Do you see?

'Now attend to me,'said Painted Jaguar,'because this is very important.My mother said that when I meet a Hedgehog I am to drop him into the water and then he will uncoil,and when I meet a Tortoise I am to scoop him out of his shell with my paw.Now which of you is Hedgehog and which is Tortoise?because,to save my spots,I can't tell.'

'Are you sure of what your Mummy told you?'said Stickly-Prickly Hedgehog.'Are you quite sure?Perhaps she said that when you uncoil a Tortoise you must shell him out the water with a scoop,and when you paw a Hedgehog you must drop him on the shell.'

'Are you sure of what your Mummy told you?'said Slow-and-Solid Tortoise.'Are you quite sure?Perhaps she said that when you water a Hedgehog you must drop him into your paw,and when you meet a Tortoise you must shell him till he uncoils.'

'I don't think it was at all like that,'said Painted Jaguar,but he felt a little puzzled;'but,please,say it again more distinctly.'

'When you scoop water with your paw you uncoil it with a Hedgehog,'said Stickly-Prickly.'Remember that,because it's important.'

'But,'said the Tortoise,'when you paw your meat you drop it into a Tortoise with a scoop.Why can't you understand?'

'You are making my spots ache,'said Painted Jaguar;'and besides,I didn't want your advice at all.I only wanted to know which of you is Hedgehog and which is Tortoise.'

'I shan't tell you,'said Stickly-Prickly.'but you can scoop me out of my shell if you like.'

'Aha!'said Painted Jaguar.'Now I know you're Tortoise.You thought I wouldn't!Now I will.'Painted Jaguar darted out his paddy-paw just as Stickly-Prickly curled himself up,and of course Jaguar's paddy-paw was just filled with prickles.Worse than that,he knocked Stickly-Prickly away and away into the woods and the bushes,where it was too dark to find him.Then he put his paddy-paw into his mouth,and of course the prickles hurt him worse than ever.As soon as he could speak he said,'Now Iknow he isn't Tortoise at all.But'--and then he scratched his head with his un-prickly paw--'how do I know that this other is Tortoise?'

'But I am Tortoise,'said Slow-and-Solid.Your mother was quite right.She said that you were to scoop me out of my shell with your paw.Begin.'

'You didn't say she said that a minute ago,said Painted Jaguar,sucking the prickles out of his paddy-paw.'You said she said something quite different.'

'Well,suppose you say that I said that she said something quite different,I don't see that it makes any difference;because if she said what you said I said she said,it's just the same as if I said what she said she said.On the other hand,if you think she said that you were to uncoil me with a scoop,instead of pawing me into drops with a shell,I can't help that,can I?'

'But you said you wanted to be scooped out of your shell with my paw,'said Painted Jaguar.

'If you'll think again you'll find that I didn't say anything of the kind.I said that your mother said that you were to scoop me out of my shell,'said Slow-and-Solid.

'What will happen if I do?'said the Jaguar most sniffily and most cautious.

'I don't know,because I've never been scooped out of my shell before;but I tell you truly,if you want to see me swim away you've only got to drop me into the water.

'I don't believe it,'said Painted Jaguar.'You've mixed up all the things my mother told me to do with the things that you asked me whether I was sure that she didn't say,till I don't know whether I'm on my head or my painted tail;and now you come and tell me something I can understand,and it makes me more mixy than before.My mother told me that I was to drop one of you two into the water,and as you seem so anxious to be dropped I think you don't want to be dropped.So jump into the turbid Amazon and be quick about it.'

'I warn you that your Mummy won't be pleased.Don't tell her Ididn't tell you,'said Slow-Solid.

'If you say another word about what my mother said--'the Jaguar answered,but he had not finished the sentence before Slow-and-Solid quietly dived into the turbid Amazon,swam under water for a long way,and came out on the bank where Stickly-Prickly was waiting for him.

'That was a very narrow escape,'said Stickly-Prickly.'I don't rib Painted Jaguar.What did you tell him that you were?'

'I told him truthfully that I was a truthful Tortoise,but he wouldn't believe it,and he made me jump into the river to see if I was,and I was,and he is surprised.Now he's gone to tell his Mummy.Listen to him!'