Page:Wonder Tales from Tibet.djvu/194

158 the island. In the very middle of the stream, a fish passed within a few feet of his nose, and he, foolish creature, made a dive for it. The ape lost his balance and cried out in fright, letting the blue talisman slip from his mouth into the water. Down it sank into the muddy depths, and the three friends, in dismay, watched it disappear.

"Alack-a-day!" wailed the little mouse. "We have spent all our time and labor for nothing, and our poor friend on the island will surely die of hunger and despair! What shall we do? Whatever shall we do?"

The bear turned and swam back to the mainland, and there the three sat down disconsolately on the shore.

"What a fool you were to jump at that fish!" said the ape to the bear crossly.

"What a fool you were not to keep your mouth shut, when you had such a treasure inside it!" growled the bear.

"Now don't waste time blaming each