Page:Tales of old Lusitania.djvu/189

Rh not gnaw the queen's skirt, who will not scold the king for not punishing the magistrate, who will not bid the man remove his olive tree to make room for my pomegranate tree to grow."

The dog replied, "It is mean to change old friends for new."

Then the monkey went to the stick, and said, "Oh, stick, beat the dog, that will not worry the cat, that will not kill the rat, that will not gnaw the queen's skirt, who will not scold the king for not punishing the magistrate, who will not bid the man remove his olive tree to make room for my pomegranate tree to grow."

The stick replied, "You deserve a taste of me more than he does."

Then the monkey went to the fire, and said, "Oh, fire, burn the stick, that will not beat the dog, that will not worry the cat, that will not kill the rat, that will not gnaw the queen's skirt, who will not scold the king for not punishing the magistrate, who will not bid the man remove his olive tree to make room for my pomegranate tree to grow."

The fire replied, "It is a waste to burn a walking stick."

Then the monkey went to the water, and said,

"Oh, water, put out the fire, that will not burn the stick, that will not beat the dog, that will not worry the cat, that will not kill the rat, that will not gnaw