SCENE III—_The River Bank

_Sanja._ I won’t stay here another day. The ogre is off hunting. Tee-hee-hee. He’ll never know how I got out of the castle and over the river. Tee-hee-hee. Tee-hee-hee. [_Hears call._] Who calls? The ogre. Oh, he sees me! I am afraid to go back.

_Ogre._ [_From other side of the river._] What are you doing there, you Laughing Dumpling? Go back to my kitchen, I say. Go back!

_Sanja._ Tee-hee-hee!

_Ogre._ How strange that she laughs at everything. She shall not laugh at me. [_Starts to go across river._]

_Sanja._ What shall I do to get away. The magic paddle! The magic paddle! I have it tucked in my belt. I’ll stir the water in the river with it. There! Tee-hee-hee! Tee-hee-hee! See the water flows and flows, higher and higher. The ogre must swim for his life. Tee-hee-hee! Tee-hee-hee!

THE TIGER AND THE BRAHMAN

CHARACTERS

_Tiger_ _Jackal_ _Brahman_ _Tree_ _Road_ _Buffalo_

_Tiger._ Let me out of the cage, Brahman!

_Brahman._ No, I will not. If I let you out of the cage, you will eat me.

_Tiger._ O Brahman, indeed I will not. I could not be so unkind as that. Only let me out to get a drink of water. Then I will come back. [_Brahman opens the cage._]

_Tiger._ [_Jumping out._] Now, I will eat you first and then I’ll drink the water.

_Brahman._ Alas! How foolish I was to let you out. Only do not kill me hastily. Let me ask the first three things I meet to tell me whether it is just and fair that you should put me to death. If all of them say it is just and fair for you to kill me I shall be willing to die.

_Tiger._ It shall be as you say. You may ask the opinion of three.

[_Brahman goes off._]

_Brahman._ O Tree, hear my story and tell me who is right. The tiger begged me to let him out of his cage, to drink a little water. He promised not to hurt me if I did so. But now that I have let him out he wishes to kill and eat me. Is this right?

_Tree._ I give shade to all who pass by, but when they are rested they cut my branches and break off my leaves. Why do you complain?

_Brahman._ Alas! Alas! [_Goes on._] O Buffalo, hear my story and tell me who is right. The tiger begged me to let him out of his cage to drink a little water. But now that I have let him out he wishes to kill and eat me. Is this right, O Buffalo?

_Buffalo._ Look at me! See how hard I work. When I was young I had the best of food. But now that I am old I am kept here in the field. I have only the coarsest food to eat. Why do you complain?

_Brahman._ Alas! Alas! [_Goes to Road._] O Road, hear my story and tell me who is right. The tiger begged me to let him out of his cage to drink a little water. But now that I have let him out he wishes to kill and eat me. Is this right, O Road?

_Road._ Poor Brahman! How can you hope for anything else? Think of me. Here I am useful to every one. Yet all, rich and poor, great and small, trample on me as they go past. Why do you complain?

_Brahman._ Alas! Alas! Alas! There is no help for me. [_Turns homeward._]

_Jackal._ What’s the matter, Mr. Brahman? You look very sad.

_Brahman._ I am sad. As I was walking along the road I came to the tiger in his cage. He begged me to let him out to drink a little water. He said he would not harm me if I did so.

_Jackal._ Did you let him out?

_Brahman._ I did. As soon as he was out he tried to eat me. I asked him to wait till I could get the opinion of the first three things I came to whether it was right for him to kill me. I asked the tree, the buffalo, and the road. Alas!

_Jackal._ What did they say?

_Brahman._ They all said it was right.

_Jackal._ Who said it was right?

_Brahman._ Why, the tree, and the road, and the buffalo.

_Jackal._ Oh, it’s very confusing. Let me see! Perhaps matters are not so bad as you think. But it’s very confusing. You say the tiger said the tree and the road and the buffalo were right?

_Brahman._ No, no, no. The road and the tree and the buffalo said the tiger should kill and eat me!

_Jackal._ It all goes in one ear and out the other. It’s very confusing. Take me to the place where it happened. Then I shall be able to understand.

[_Brahman and Jackal go to Tiger._]

_Tiger._ You have been away a long time. I want my dinner.

_Brahman._ Just wait until I make the jackal understand how it all happened. He is so slow in his wits! I must explain things to him.

_Jackal._ Show me where you stood.

_Brahman._ Here, by the cage.

_Jackal._ Right there?

_Brahman._ Right here.

_Jackal._ Where was the tiger then?

_Tiger._ I was in the cage!

_Jackal._ Yes, yes. Let me see, how did it all begin?

_Brahman._ Tiger was in the cage and I came walking by—

_Jackal._ Yes, yes, I see. You were in the cage and the tiger came walking by—

_Tiger._ [_Angrily._] Not at all! _I_ was in the cage.

_Jackal._ Yes, my lord. Dear, dear, it’s very confusing. It has all got mixed up in my mind. Let me see, the tiger was in the Brahman and the cage came walking by! No, no, that was not it, either! Well, don’t wait for me. I shall never understand.

_Tiger._ Yes, you _shall_ understand. Look here, I am the tiger.

_Jackal._ Yes, my lord.

_Tiger._ And that is the Brahman.

_Jackal._ Yes, my lord.

_Tiger._ And that is the cage.

_Jackal._ Yes, my lord.

_Tiger._ And _I_ was in the cage. Do you understand?

_Jackal._ Yes, my lord. But please, my lord, how did you get in?

_Tiger._ How did I get in? Why, the usual way, of course!

_Jackal._ Oh dear me! My head is beginning to whirl again. Please don’t get angry, my lord, but what

_is_ the usual way?

_Tiger._ This way. Now do you understand? [_Tiger jumps into cage._]

_Jackal._ Yes, I understand now. And I think we had better leave you just where you are. [_Locks cage door._]

THE LION AND THE STORY-TELLER

CHARACTERS—_Lion_, _Fox_, _Elephant_, _Tiger_, _and_ _Other Animals_

_Elephant._ Dear me—we must find one.

_Tiger._ One what?

_Elephant._ A story-teller for the lion. He wants one who will tell him stories one after another without stopping. It’s a task indeed.

_Camel._ Yes, yes, and he will put us to death if we fail to find some one who can do so.

_Tiger._ He’s king, and they say the king kills when he will. I do not know what we shall do.

_Fox._ Let me think. I have it—Tell the king you have found the story-teller that he wished for.

_At Court_

_Lion._ So, Mr Fox, you are to tell me stories without ceasing.

_Fox._ Yes, O King Lion.

_Lion._ Very well—begin.

_Fox._ There was once a fisherman who went to sea. He had a large net. He spread it out far and wide. One day a great many fish got into the net. Just as the fisherman was about to draw it up, the cords broke, and a small hole was made in the side of the net. Now, this hole was just large enough for one fish to slip through at a time. So, one fish got out—[_Fox stops._]

_Lion._ Yes?

_Fox._ Then two fishes got out. [_Fox stops._]

_Lion._ What then?

_Fox._ Then three escaped. [_Fox stops._]

_Lion._ [_Impatiently._] Yes, yes! but the story? I tell you, go on with the story. What then?

_Fox._ Then four fishes got out.

_Lion._ Come, come, sir, you are not telling me anything new.

_Fox._ O King! Each lot of fishes was different from the rest.—Then the hole grew a little larger and—

_Lion._ But, wherein is the wonder?

_Fox._ Why, your majesty, what can be more wonderful than for fish to escape in lots, each lot greater than the other by one?

_Lion._ [_Impatiently._] How long will it take all those fishes to get out?

_Fox._ O King Lion, it was a large net—there were thousands and thousands of fishes in it.—Then the hole grew a little larger and—

_Lion._ Stop, stop! I can not stand this. Leave my court at once—anything to stop those fishes.

[_Fox goes out._]

_Fox._ [_To animals._] Fear not, I have saved you all. The tyrant won’t try that plan again.

OVER THE HILL

_Child._ Traveler, what lies over the hill? Traveler, tell to me. I am only a child from the window sill, Over I can not see.

_Traveler._ Child, there’s a valley over there, Pretty and wooded and shy, And a little brook that says, “Take care,

Or I’ll drown you by and by.”

_Child._ And what comes next?

_Traveler._ A little town And a towering hill again; More hills and valleys up and down And a river now and then.

_Child._ And what comes next?

_Traveler._ A lonely moor Without a beaten way; And gray clouds sailing slow before A wind that will not stay.

_Child._ And then?

_Traveler._ Dark rocks and yellow sand, And a moaning sea beside.

_Child._ And then?

_Traveler._ More sea, more sea, more land, And rivers deep and wide.

_Child._ And then?

_Traveler._ Oh, rock and mountain and vale, Rivers and fields and men, And over and over repeat the tale, And round to your home again.

—GEORGE MACDONALD.

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES

1. Silently corrected typographical errors. 2. Retained anachronistic and non-standard spellings as printed. 3. Enclosed italics font in _underscores_.