azing apart from
the rest of the herd. He killed it instantly, and then gave a cry to the
jackal and hedgehog to come to the place where he was. They soon skinned
the dead beasts, and spread its skin out to dry, after which they had
a grand feast before they curled themselves up for the night, and slept
soundly.

Next morning the jackal got up early and set to work upon the shoes,
while the panther sat by and looked on with delight. At last they were
finished, and the jackal arose and stretched himself.

'Now go and lay them in the sun out there,' said he; 'in a couple of
hours they will be ready to put on; but do not attempt to wear them
before, or you will feel them most uncomfortable. But I see the sun is
high in the heavens, and we must be continuing our journey.'

The panther, who always believed what everybody told him, did exactly
as he was bid, and in two hours' time began to fasten on the shoes.
They certainly set off his paws wonderfully, and he stretched out his
forepaws and looked at them with pride. But when he tried to walk--ah!
that was another story! They were so stiff and hard that he nearly
shrieked every step he took, and at last he sank down where he was, and
actually began to cry.

After some time some little partridges who were hopping about heard the
poor panther's groans, and went up to see what was the matter. He had
never tried to make his dinner off them, and they had always been quite
friendly.

'You seem in pain,' said one of them, fluttering close to him, 'can we
help you?'

'Oh, it is the jackal! He made me these shoes; they are so hard and
tight that they hurt my feet, and I cannot manage to kick them off.'

'Lie still, and we will soften them,' answered the kind little
partridge. And calling to his brothers, they all flew to the nearest
spring, and carried water in their beaks, which they poured over the
shoes. This they did till the hard leather grew soft, and the panther
was able to slip his feet out of them.

'Oh, thank you, thank you,' he cried, skipping round with joy. 'I feel
a different creature. Now I will go after the jackal and pay him my
debts.' And he bounded away into the forest.

But the jackal had been very cunning, and had trotted backwards and
forwards and in and out, so that it was very difficult to know which
track he had really followed. At length, however, the panther caught
sight of his enemy, at the same moment that the jackal had caught sight
of him. T