out of his way,
so that he didn't get trampled upon.

"How would you like a little white ----" he screamed out,
but Poon-dah made a loud noise with his trunk and went on,
for he didn't converse with snakes.

Nevertheless, Hoodo was satisfied, for he said, "If Poon-dah
would trample on me in passing, so he would on a little
white baby if he were here;" and his wicked black beady eyes
were bright and he laughed maliciously.

[Illustration]

After this Hoodo went home to his hole under the tree in
Bab-ba's Father's garden, and watched and waited till Bab-ba
should be quite by himself; and one day when Wooff-Wooff had
gone off after a wild rabbit, and Mioux-Mioux was fast asleep
in the sun, the Ayah went into the house to fetch Bab-ba's
Noah's ark, and he was left alone on the verandah.

Then Hoodo came sliding out of his hole very quickly and
stood before the verandah, waving his head backwards and
forwards, and shooting out his little tongue, while the sun
showed all the colours of the rainbow on his smooth shiny
skin.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

"Oh, pretty Hoodo!" said Bab-ba, "but you're naughty. Go
away!"

"No," said Hoodo sweetly, "I'm not naughty, dear Bab-ba, and
I know where some such beautiful flowers grow. Come with me
and I'll show you!"

"No," said Bab-ba, shaking his head; but Hoodo continued to
look at him steadily, and presently Bab-ba slid down from
the verandah and came towards him.

Then Hoodo laughed and drew back quickly into the thick part
of the garden, with Bab-ba running after him.

When the Ayah returned to the verandah with Bab-ba's Noah's
Ark, and she saw his little empty chair and Mioux-Mioux asleep
in the sun, she grew alarmed and ran about calling Bab-ba's
name, and wringing her hands, and Bab-ba's Mother came out,
and his Father, and they and all the servants hunted about in
the garden for a very long while, but could not find any trace
of him, and Mioux-Mioux woke up and wondered what all the
commotion was about, and Wooff-Wooff came back without the
rabbit and wondered too.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

Wooff-Wooff went over to where Mioux-Mioux was sitting, and
talked the matter over with her. While they were talking,
some little birds overhead called out to them to attract
their attention.

"Bab-ba," they said, "Bab-ba has followed Hoodo, the Snake,
into the jungle, and he will be lost and eaten by the wild
beasts unless he is brought back. Quick! Qui