big friend, I will pay
you for it some time."

Not far off, however, Rabbit found a log, and after placing his pack on
it, he paddled himself over, and reached the other bank safely; but to
his grief he discovered that his bale had been wetted and damaged.

Rabbit wiped the water up as much as possible, and resumed the journey
with the Elephant, who had looked carelessly on the efforts of his
friend to cross the river.

Fortunately for Rabbit, the latter part of the journey did not present
such difficulties, and they arrived in due time among the Watusi
shepherds.

Now at a trade Elephant was not to be compared with Rabbit, for he could
not talk so pleasantly as Rabbit, and he was not at all sociable.
Rabbit went among the women, and laughed and joked with them, and said
so many funny things, that they were delighted with him, and when at
last the trade question was cautiously touched upon, a chief's wife was
so kind to him, that she gave a mighty fine cow in exchange for his
little bale of cloth. Elephant, on the other hand, went among the men,
and simply told them that he had come to buy cattle with cloth. The
Watusi shepherds, not liking his appearance or his manner, said they had
no cattle to sell, but if he cared to have it, they would give a
year-old heifer for his bale. Though Elephant's bale was a most weighty
one, and many times more valuable than Rabbit's, yet as he was so gruff
and ugly, he was at last obliged to be satisfied with the little heifer.

Just as they had left the Watusi to begin their return journey, Elephant
said to Rabbit, "Now mind, should we meet anyone on the road, and we are
asked whose cattle these are, I wish you to oblige me by saying that
they are mine, because I should not like people to believe that I am not
as good a trader us yourself. They will also be afraid to touch them if
they know they belong to me; whereas, if they hear that they belong to
you, every fellow will think he has as good a right to them as yourself,
and you dare not defend your property."

"Very well," replied Rabbit, "I quite understand."

In a little while, as Rabbit and Elephant drove their cattle along, they
met many people coming from market who stopped and admired them, and
said, "Ah, what a fine cow is that! to whom does it belong?"

"It belongs to me," answered the thin voice of Rabbit. "The little one
belongs to Elephant."

"Very fine indeed. A good cow that," replied the people, and pass