t was hanging close by; he stuck
them all close together into the honey, so that he looked like a walking
bush. This finished, he ran to the pool to see the result, and, quite
pleased with himself, set out in search of adventures.

Soon the report went through the forest that a new animal had appeared
from no one knew where, and that when somebody had asked his name, the
strange creature had answered that it was Jack-in-the-Green. Thanks to
this, the monkey was allowed to drink at the pool as often as he liked,
for neither beast nor bird had the faintest notion who he was. And if
they made any inquiries the only answer they got was that the water of
which he had drunk deeply had turned his hair into leaves, so that they
all knew what would happen in case they became too greedy.

By-and-by the great rains began again. The rivers and streams filled up,
and there was no need for him to go back to the pool, near the home of
his enemy, the puma, as there was a large number of places for him to
choose from. So one night, when everything was still and silent, and
even the chattering parrots were asleep on one leg, the monkey stole
down softly from his perch, and washed off the honey and the leaves, and
came out from his bath in his own proper skin. On his way to breakfast
he met a rabbit, and stopped for a little talk.

'I am feeling rather dull,' he remarked; 'I think it would do me good to
hunt a while. What do you say?'

'Oh, I am quite willing,' answered the rabbit, proud of being spoken to
by such a large creature. 'But the question is, what shall we hunt?'

'There is no credit in going after an elephant or a tiger,' replied the
monkey stroking his chin, 'they are so big they could not possibly get
out of your way. It shows much more skill to be able to catch a small
thing that can hide itself in a moment behind a leaf. I'll tell you
what! Suppose I hunt butterflies, and you, serpents.'

The rabbit, who was young and without experience, was delighted with
this idea, and they both set out on their various ways.

The monkey quietly climbed up the nearest tree, and ate fruit most of
the day, but the rabbit tired himself to death poking his nose into
every heap of dried leaves he saw, hoping to find a serpent among them.
Luckily for himself the serpents were all away for the afternoon, at a
meeting of their own, for there is nothing a serpent likes so well for
dinner as a nice plump rabbit. But, as it was, the dried lea