he saw something moving
on the surface of the water. When he approached nearer, he saw that
it was a big frog swimming helplessly among the duck-weeds. "This
is a big piece of sweet food for us," thought Dalag, and without
hesitation he seized the frog. When he had assured himself that it
could not get away from him, he started to swim home. But, alas! he
never reached his companions; for a sharp hook was inside the frog,
and poor Dalag was caught fast. He tried hard to free himself, but
in rain. Soon a fisherman came, and, putting Dalag in his basket,
took him home and ate him.

In the mean time Dalag's three companions were anxiously waiting for
him. When they realized that he was lost, Dragon-Fly was sent out to
look for him. Before he went, Dragon-Fly spent a long time arranging
his neck-tie. Then he flew away, turning his head in all directions to
look for Dalag. At last he met Bolasi (a kind of fish whose lips always
move in and out on the surface of the water), and he became very angry
because he thought that Bolasi was laughing at his neck-tie. Dragon-Fly
thought that his tie must be too loose, so he tightened it. Still
Bolasi laughed every time he saw Dragon-Fly. Dragon-Fly kept drawing
his tie tighter and tighter, until at last he cut his own head off,
and that was the end of him.

Two days had now passed; still Dalag and Dragon-Fly were missing from
home. By this time Wasp and Snail were very hungry. But Snail had the
advantage over Wasp; for Snail could eat mud to pass away the time,
while Wasp could not eat mud, but could only draw in his belt a little
tighter. At last Wasp could no longer endure his hunger. His abdomen
by this time had become very slender: so he flew forth in search of
either Dalag or Dragon-Fly. While he was flying about, his hunger
oppressed him so much, that he tightened his belt again and again,
until he finally broke in two; and that was the end of Wasp.

Now only Snail was left. He set out from his home, and wandered
everywhere in search of his three companions, weeping as he went. His
food consisted mostly of mud. Whenever he could find a stalk of grass
or the stem of a water-plant, Snail would climb up to look around
and to see if any of his old friends were in sight. Even to-day the
snails still weep; and whenever they see a stalk of grass projecting
above the surface of the water, they climb up and look around, trying
to discover their old friends.

TALE 77

WHY THE C