ameh." It does not
appear to be known in the Occident in this form (it is lacking in the
"Kalilah and Dimnah").

Although the details of our story differ from those of the Indian
fable of "The Jackal and the Faithless Wife," the general outlines
of the two are near enough to justify us in supposing a rather close
connection between them. I know of no European analogues nearly so
close, and am inclined to consider "The Greedy Crow" a native Tagalog
tale. From the testimony of the narrator, it appears that the fable
is not a recent importation.

TALE 62

THE HUMMING-BIRD AND THE CARABAO.

Narrated by Eusebio Lopez, a Tagalog from the province of Cavite.

One hot April morning a carabao (water-buffalo) was resting under the
shade of a quinine-tree which grew near the mouth of a large river,
when a humming-bird alighted on one of the small branches above him.

"How do you do, Friend Carabao?" said the humming-bird.

"I'm very well, little Hum. Do you also feel the heat of this April
morning?" replied the carabao.

"Indeed, I do, Friend Carabao! and I am so thirsty, that I have come
down to drink."

"I wonder how much you can drink!" said the carabao jestingly. "You
are so small, that a drop ought to be more than enough to satisfy you."

"Yes, Friend Carabao?" answered little Hum as if surprised. "I bet
you that I can drink more than you can!"

"What, you drink more than I can, you little Hum!"

"Yes, let us try! You drink first, and we shall see."

So old carabao, ignorant of the trick that was being played on him,
walked to the bank of the river and began to drink. He drank and
drank and drank; but it so happened that the tide was rising, and,
no matter how much he swallowed, the water in the river kept getting
higher and higher. At last he could drink no more, and the humming-bird
began to tease him.

"Why, Friend Carabao, you have not drunk anything. It seems to me
that you have added more water to the river instead."

"You fool!" answered the carabao angrily, "can't you see that my
stomach is almost bursting?"

"Well, I don't know. I only know that you have added more water than
there was before. But it is now my turn to drink."

But the humming-bird only pretended to drink. He knew that the tide
would soon be going out, so he just put his bill in the water, and
waited until the tide did begin to ebb. The water of the river began to
fall also. The carabao noticed the change, but he could no