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 460 at the Cat as he watched her struggle and splutter the water from her nose. "If you go to the bottom," he called out, "give my regards to the fishes!"

The Cat was so angry that she felt that she would rather have drowned than live to be laughed at like that. In her rage she managed to struggle ashore, and before the Rat could make his escape, she pounced upon him, and seized him by the head.

"Mercy, Mercy!" cried the Rat! "If you must eat me, begin at my tail," for he wanted to see the light of day as long as possible.

"Don't bother me," said the Cat, and she promptly ate him up.

And to this day it is a common saying in Madagascar. "Don't bother me, said the Cat."

(Madagascar Fable. From Collection de Contes et de Chansons Populaires, Vol. 38.)

THE FROG'S SADDLE HORSE

NCE upon a time the Elephant and the Frog went courting the same girl, and at last she promised to marry the Elephant. One day the Frog said to her,

"That Elephant is nothing but my saddle horse."

When the Elephant came to call that night the girl said to him: "You are nothing but the Frog's saddle horse!"

When he heard this the Elephant went off at once and found the Frog, and asked him:

"Did you tell the girl that I am nothing but your saddle horse?"

"Oh, no indeed," said the Frog, "I never told her that!"

Thereupon they both started back together to see the girl. On the way the Frog said:

"Grandpa Elephant, I am too tired to walk any further. Let me climb up on your back."