eopardess, leaving the burrow in charge of Monkey, commenced to collect
a large quantity of dry grass, and then proceeded to her house to
procure fire wherewith to light it, and suffocate Dog with the smoke.

Dog, soon after entering the burrow had turned himself round and faced
the hole, to be ready for all emergencies. He had heard Leopardess give
her orders to Monkey, had heard Monkey's plans for blockading him, as
well as the threat of Leopardess to smoke him out. There was not much
hope for him if he stayed longer.

After a little while he crept close to the rock that blocked his exit,
and whispered:

"Monkey, let me out, there's a good fellow."

"It may not be," replied Monkey.

"Ah, Monkey, why are you so cruel? I have not done any harm to you.
Why do you stand guard over me to prevent my escape?"

"I am simply obeying orders, Dog. Leopardess said, `Stay here and
watch, and see that Dog does not escape;' and I must do so or harm will
come to me, as you know."

Then said Dog, "Monkey, I see that you have a cruel heart, too, though I
thought none but the Leopard kind could boast of that. May you feel
some day the deep despair I feel in my heart. Let me say one word more
to you before I die. Put your head close to me that you may hear it."

Monkey, curious to know what the last word could be about, put his face
close between the rock and the earth and looked in, upon which Dog threw
so much dust and sand into his cunning eyes as almost to blind him.

Monkey staggered back from the entrance, and while knuckling his eyes to
nib the sand out, Dog put his fore-feet against the rock and soon rolled
it away. Then, after a hasty view around, Dog fled like the wind from
the dangerous spot.

Monkey, after clearing his eyes from the dirt thrown in them, and
reviewing his position, began to be concerned as to his own fate. It
was not long before his crafty mind conceived that it would be a good
idea to place some soft nuts within the burrow, and roll back the stone
into its place.

When Leopardess returned with the fire she was told that Dog was
securely imprisoned within, upon which she piled the grass over the
burrow and set fire to it.

Presently a crackling sound was heard within.

"What can that be?" demanded Leopardess.

"That must surely be one of Dog's ears that you heard exploding,"
replied Monkey.

After a short time another crackling sound was heard.

"And what is that?" asked Leopardess