and let me get into my hole."

"Off with you," said the Stick; "I'm sleepy, because I have just beaten
a thief; I can't be worried about your ribs."

He went to the Furnace, and said, "Furnace, burn the Stick, and make it
beat the Snake, that he may bite the Queen and make her divorce the
King, who won't tell the Carpenter to pare down my ribs, and let me get
into my hole."

"Get along with you," said the Furnace; "I am cooking the King's dinner,
and I have no time now to see about your ribs."

He went to the Ocean, and said, "Ocean, put out the Fire, and make it
burn the Stick, so that it may beat the Snake, and the Snake may bite
the Queen, and she may divorce the King, who won't tell the Carpenter to
pare down my ribs, and let me get into my hole."

"Don't bother me," said the Ocean; "it's high tide, and all the fishes
are jumping about, and giving me no rest."

He went to the Elephant, and said, "O Elephant, drink up the Ocean, that
it may put out the Fire, and the Fire may burn the Stick, and the Stick
may beat the Snake, and the Snake may bite the Queen, and the Queen may
divorce the King, and make him tell the Carpenter to pare down my ribs,
and let me get into my hole."

"Go away, little Mouse," said the Elephant; "I have just drunk up a
whole lake, and I really can't drink any more."

He went to the Creeper, and said, "Dear Creeper, do please choke the
Elephant, that he may drink up the Ocean, and the Ocean may put out the
Fire, and the Fire may burn the Stick, and the Stick may beat the Snake,
and the Snake may bite the Queen, and the Queen may divorce the King,
and the King may tell the Carpenter to pare down my ribs, and let me get
into my hole."

"Not I," says the Creeper; "I am stuck fast here to this tree, and I
couldn't get away to please a fat little Mouse."

Then he went to the Scythe, and said, "Scythe, please cut loose the
Creeper, that it may choke the Elephant, and the Elephant may drink up
the Ocean, and the Ocean may put out the Fire, and the Fire may burn the
Stick, and the Stick may beat the Snake, and the Snake may bite the
Queen, and the Queen may divorce the King, and the King may tell the
Carpenter to pare down my ribs, and let me get into my hole."

"With pleasure," said the Scythe, who is always sharp.

So the Scythe cut the Creeper loose, and the Creeper
began to choke the Elephant, and the Elephant ran off
and began to drink up the Ocean, and