Page:The jade story book; stories from the Orient (IA jadestorybooksto00cous).pdf/83



was one day walking along the bank of a river when he met a Crab. "Good morning, Mr. Crab," said he. "Don't you ever get tired of creeping over the ground?"

"No," replied the Crab, "because it is as natural for me to crawl as it is for you to run; and I can cover the ground very quickly, too, when it is necessary."

The Fox laughed at him, and said, sneeringly: "I think you are very slow and very stupid. I have only four legs, while you have twice as many, and yet I can run ten times as fast and as far as you can."

Then the Crab said: "But see how much bigger you are; if you were as small as I am, you would probably not travel any more quickly than I do. Perhaps I am very slow and very stupid, but if you will allow me to hang a weight on that fine tail of yours, to hold it down, I challenge you to as long a race as you care to run."