harp ridges on it. They can knock you into
the water with their tail, and then they bite you. I didn't know there
were crocodiles at our spring, or I wouldn't have gone there in the
daytime for a drink. At night it's all right, for then they can't see
you so plainly."

[Illustration: Nero saw what he had thought was a log of wood open a big
mouth. _Page 18_]

"Well, this one saw me all right," said Nero. "My side is sore where he
knocked me into the spring."

"It's lucky your nose isn't sore where he might have bitten you,"
growled Switchie. "That was a mean crocodile! We had just as good right
to drink on that side of the spring-pool as he had!"

"Well, maybe we had," said Nero. "But he was stronger than I, and so he
knocked me in. Now I'm all wet!"

And so Nero learned one of the first lessons of the jungle, that it is
the strongest and fiercest animals that have the best of it.

The elephants of the jungle, which are the largest animals, crash their
way through, afraid of nothing except the men hunters. And the lions,
when the elephants are not near, are the real kings of the jungle. Few
animals stay to drink at the spring when the lion roars, to say he is
coming.

But this was in daylight and Switchie and Nero were only lion cubs, so,
I suppose, the crocodile was not afraid of them. And, being big and
strong, he just knocked Nero into the water, and claimed that as his
side of the pool, though he had no right to.

"Come on," said Switchie to Nero, after they had gone a little way
further through the jungle and back from the spring. "Come on; I know
how we can have some more fun."

"No, I've had enough for to-day," said Nero. "I'm going home and lie
down in the cave. My side hurts where the crocodile struck me with his
tail."

"Oh, come on! Play tag!" begged Switchie.

"No," said Nero. "I'm going home."

And home he went. As soon as his mother saw him, wet and muddy as he
still was, Mrs. Lion said:

"Well, Nero, what happened to you? Did you get into mischief?"

"I don't know, Ma," answered Nero. "But I got in the spring!"

"There! I told you to keep away from the water hole in the daytime!"
said Mrs. Lion. "I knew something would happen if you played with that
Switchie. That lion cub will get into trouble some day. He is too bold!"

"A crocodile knocked me into the water," explained Nero. "It wasn't
Switchie's fault."

"It was the fault of both you lion boys for going where you ought not
to,"