Page:Chinese Fables and Folk Stories.djvu/183

Rh be swallowed like the water. And to-morrow, I shall forget that I drank to-day.'

Boastful one,' said the mosquitoes, "we do not believe that you have the power to destroy all our people. If you wish battle, we shall see. We know your name is great and that all animals bow their heads before you; but our people can kill you.'

"The lion jumped high in his rage and said, 'No other creature in the wilderness has dared to say these things to me—the king. Have I come to the vile well of the silly mosquitoes for wisdom?' And he held his head high, and gave the mighty roar of battle, and made ready to kill all the mosquitoes.

"Then the mosquitoes, big and little, flew around him. Many went into his ears, and the smallest ones went into his nose, and the big old ones went into his mouth to sting. A thousand and a thousand hung in the air, just over his head and made a great noise, and the lion soon knew that he could not conquer.

"He roared and jumped, and two of his front feet went down into the well. The well was narrow and deep and he could not get out, for his two hind feet were in the air and his head hung downward. And as he died, he said to himself:

My pride and anger have brought me this fate. Had I used gentle words, the mosquitoes might have