OXFORD WORLD' S CLASSIC S

JUST SO STORIES

RUDYARD KIPLING (1865-1936) was born in Bombay in December

1865. H e returne d t o Indi a fro m Englan d i n th e autum n of 1882 ,
shortly before his seventeenth birthday , to work as a journalist first
on the Civil and Military Gazette in Lahore, then o n the Pioneer at
Allahabad. Th e poem s an d storie s h e wrot e ove r th e nex t seve n
years laid th e foundatio n o f his literar y reputation , an d soo n afte r
his retur n t o Londo n i n 188 9 h e foun d himsel f world-famous .
Throughout hi s life hi s works enjoyed grea t acclaim and popularity,
but h e cam e t o see m increasingl y controversia l becaus e o f hi s
political opinions , an d i t ha s been difficul t t o reac h literar y judge-
ments uncloude d by partisan feeling . Th e Oxfor d World's Classic s
series provide s th e opportunit y fo r reconsiderin g hi s remarkabl e
achievement.
LISA LEWI S i s a freelanc e write r an d researcher . Sh e i s currentl y
working on an anthology of Kipling's writing s on literature . She is
a forme r Chairman o f the Kiplin g Societ y an d ha s made a specia l
study of his manuscripts .
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OXFORD WORLD'S CLASSICS

RUDYARD KIPLING

Just So Stories
for Little Children
WITH ILLUSTRATION S B Y THE AUTHO R

Edited with an Introduction and Notes by

LISA LEWI S

OXJFORD
UNIVERSITY PRES S
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Introduction, Note on the Text, Explanatory Notes © Lisa Lewis, 1995
Preface, Bibliography, Chronology © Andrew Rutherford 198 7
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Data available
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Kipling, Rudyard, 1865-1936.
Just so stories, fo r little children / Rudyar d Kipling; with
illustrations by the author; edite d wit h an introduction by
Lisa Lewis .
p. cm.—(Oxfor d world' s classics )
Includes bibliographica l references .
1. Children's stories, English 2 . Animals—Juvenile fiction,
fl. Animals—Fiction . 2 . Short stories. ] I . Lewis, Lisa .
II. Title. III . Series.
PR4854.J83 199 5 823'.8—dc2 0 94-3132 6
ISBN 0-19-283436-3
35 7 9 1086 4
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 CONTENTS

General Preface vii

Acknowledgements xiii
Introduction XV

Note on the Text xliii

Select Bibliography xliv
A Chronology of Kipling's Life and Works xlviii
JUST SO STORIES liii
Appendices 189
Explanatory Notes 219
This page intentionally left blank
 GENERAL PREFAC E

RUDYARD K I P L I N G (1865-1936 ) was for th e las t decade

of th e nineteenth centur y an d at least the first two decade s
of th e twentiet h th e mos t popula r write r i n English , i n
both vers e an d prose , throughou t th e English-speakin g
world. Widely regarde d a s the greates t living English poe t
and story-teller , winne r o f the Nobel Prize fo r Literature ,
recipient of honorary degree s from th e Universities of Ox -
ford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Durham, McGill, Strasbourg,
and th e Sorbonne , h e als o enjoye d popula r acclai m tha t
extended fa r beyon d academi c and literar y circles .
He stood, it can be argued, in a special relation to the age
in whic h h e lived . H e wa s primaril y a n artist , wit h hi s
individual visio n an d techniques , bu t hi s wa s als o a pro -
foundly representativ e consciousness . H e seem s t o giv e
expression t o a whole phas e o f nationa l experience , sym -
bolizing i n appropriat e form s (a s Lascelle s Abercrombi e
said the epi c poet must do) the 'sense of the significanc e of
life h e [felt ] actin g a s th e unconsciou s metaphysi c o f th e
time'.1 He i s i n importan t way s a spokesma n fo r hi s age,
with its sense of imperial destiny, it s fascinated contempla -
tion o f the unfamiliar world o f soldiering, its confidence in
engineering an d technology , it s respec t fo r craftsmanship ,
and it s dedication t o Carlyle' s gospe l o f work. Tha t ag e is
one abou t whic h man y Britons—an d t o a lesse r exten t

1
Cite d i n E . M . W . Tillyard , The Epic Strain i n the English Novel
(London, 1958) , 15 .
Vlll GENERA L PREFAC E

Americans an d West Europeans—now fee l a n exaggerated

sense o f guilt ; an d insofa r as Kiplin g was it s spokesman ,
he ha s become our scapegoat . Hence, i n part a t least , th e
tendency i n recen t decades to dismis s him s o contemptu -
ously, s o unthinkingly , an d s o mistakenly . Whereas if we
approach hi m mor e historically, les s hysterically, w e shall
find in this very relation to hi s age a cultural phenomenon
of absorbin g interest .
Here, afte r all , we have the last English author to appeal
to reader s of all social classes and al l cultural groups, fro m
lowbrow t o highbrow ; an d th e las t poe t t o comman d a
mass audience. He was an author who could speak directly
to th e man in the street, o r for that matte r i n the barrack-
room or factory, more effectively tha n any left-wing writer
of th e 'thirtie s o r th e presen t day , bu t wh o spok e just as
directly and effectively t o literary men like Edmund Gosse
and Andrew Lang; to academics like David Masson, George
Saintsbury, and Charle s Elio t Norton ; to th e professional
and service classes (officers an d other ranks alike) who took
him to their hearts; and to creative writers of the stature of
Henry James , wh o ha d som e importan t reservation s t o
record, bu t wh o declare d i n 189 2 that 'Kiplin g strikes m e
personally as the mos t complete man o f genius (as distinct
from fin e intelligence ) that I hav e ever known', an d wh o
wrote a n enthusiastic introduction t o Mine Own People i n
which h e stresse d Kipling' s remarkabl e appea l t o th e so -
phisticated criti c a s well a s to th e commo n reader. 2
An innovator an d a virtuoso in the art of the short story,
Kipling does more than any of his predecessors to establish
2
Se e Kipling: The Critical Heritage, ed . Roger Lancelyn Green (Lon -
don, 1971) , 159-60 . Mine Own People, published in New Yor k in 1891 ,
was a collectio n o f storie s nearl y al l o f whic h wer e t o b e subsume d i n
Life's Handicap late r that year .
 GENERAL PREFAC E I X

it a s a majo r genre . Bu t withi n i t h e move s confidentl y

between the poles of sophisticated simplicity (in his earliest
tales) and the complex, closely organized, elliptical and sym-
bolic mod e o f his late r works whic h revea l him a s an un -
expected contributo r t o modernism .
He is a writer who extends the range of English literature
in bot h subject-matte r an d technique . H e plunge s readers
into new realm s of imaginative experience which the n be -
come par t o f ou r share d inheritance . Hi s anthropologica l
but warml y huma n interes t i n mankin d i n al l its varieties
produces, fo r example , sensitive, sympatheti c vignette s of
Indian lif e an d characte r which culminat e in Kim. Hi s so -
ciolinguistic experiment s wit h proletaria n speec h a s a n
artistic mediu m in Barrack-Room Ballads an d hi s render -
ing o f th e lif e o f privat e soldier s i n al l their unregenerate
humanity gave a new dimension to war literature. His por -
trayal o f Anglo-Indian lif e range s from cynica l triviality in
some of the Plain Tales from th e Hills to th e stoica l nobil -
ity o f th e bes t thing s i n Life's Handicap an d Th e Day's
Work. Indee d Mrs Hauksbee's Simla , Mulvaney's barrack-
rooms, Dravo t an d Carnehan' s searc h fo r a kingdo m i n
Kafiristan, Holden' s illicit , star-crosse d love , Stalky' s ap -
prenticeship, Kim' s Gran d Trun k Road , 'William ' 's fam-
ine relief expedition, and the Maltese Cat's game at Umballa,
establish th e vanishe d worl d o f Empir e fo r u s (a s the y
established th e unknow n worl d o f Empir e fo r a n earlie r
generation), in all its pettiness an d grandeur, its variety and
energy, it s miseries , its hardships , an d it s heroism .
In a completel y differen t vei n Kipling' s geniu s fo r th e
animal fable a s a means of inculcating human truths open s
up a whole new world o f joyous imagining in the two Jungle
Books. I n anothe r vei n agai n ar e th e storie s i n whic h h e
records his delighted discovery of the English countryside ,
X GENERA L PREFAC E

its people and traditions, after h e had settled a t Bateman' s

in Sussex: England, he told Ride r Haggard i n 1902 , 'is th e
most wonderfu l foreig n land I have ever been in'; 3 and he
made it peculiarly his own. Its past gripped his imagination
as strongly a s its present, and the tw o book s o f Puck stor-
ies sho w wha t Elio t describe s a s 'the developmen t o f th e
imperial... into the historical imagination'. 4 In another vein
again he figures a s the bar d of engineering and technology .
From the standpoint o f world history, two of Britain's most
important area s of activit y i n th e nineteent h century wer e
those o f industrialism an d imperialism , bot h of which ha d
been neglected by literature prior to Kipling's advent. There
is a substantial body o f work on the Condition of England
Question an d th e socio-economi c effect s o f th e Industria l
Revolution; bu t ther e i s comparativel y littl e imaginativ e
response i n literatur e (a s opposed t o painting ) to th e ex -
traordinary inventiv e energy, the dynami c creative power,
which manifest s itsel f i n (say ) the wor k o f engineer s like
Telford, Rennie , Brunei , and the brother s Stephenson —
men wh o revolutionize d communication s withi n Britai n
by thei r road , rai l an d harbour systems , producin g i n th e
process masterpieces of industrial art, and who went o n t o
revolutionize ocea n trave l a s well. Suc h achievement s are
acknowledged o n a sub-literary leve l b y Samue l Smile s in
his best-sellin g Lives o f th e Engineers (1861-2) . They ar e
acknowledged als o by Carlyle, who celebrate s the positive
as well as denouncing th e malig n aspects of th e transitio n
from th e feudal to the industrial world, insisting as he does
that the true moder n epi c must be technological, no t mili -
tary: To r w e are to bethin k u s that th e Epi c verily is not
3
Rudyard Kipling t o Rider Haggard, ed . Morton Cohen (London, 1965),
51-4
T . S . Eliot, O n Poetry an d Poets (London , 1957) , 247.
 GENERAL PREFAC E X I

Arms an d th e Man, bu t Tools an d th e Man,—an infinitely

wider kind of Epic/5 That epic has never been written i n its
entirety, but Kiplin g cam e nearest t o achievin g it s aims in
verses like 'McAndrew's Hymn' (The Seven Seas) and stor-
ies like The Shi p that Found Hersel f an d 'Bread upon th e
Waters' (The Day's Work) in which he shows imaginative
sympathy with the machines themselves as well as sympathy
with th e me n who serv e them . H e come s nearer , indeed ,
than any other autho r to fulfilling Wordsworth' s prophec y
that
If th e labour s o f men o f Scienc e should eve r creat e any materia l
revolution, direc t or indirect, in our condition, an d in the impres-
sions whic h w e habituall y receive , th e Poe t wil l slee p the n n o
more tha n a t present, bu t h e will b e ready t o follo w the step s of
the Man of Science, not onl y in those general indirect effects, bu t
he wil l b e a t hi s side , carryin g sensatio n int o th e mids t o f th e
objects o f th e Scienc e itself. 6
This is one aspect of Kipling's commitment to the world
of work , which , a s C . S . Lewis observes, 'imaginativ e lit -
erature in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries had [wit h
a few exceptions] quietly omitted, or at least thrust into the
background', though it occupies most o f the waking hours
of mos t men :
And thi s di d no t merel y mea n tha t certai n technica l aspects of
life wer e unrepresented . A whol e rang e o f stron g sentiment s
and emotions—fo r man y men , th e stronges t o f all—wen t wit h
them.... It wa s Kiplin g wh o firs t reclaime d fo r literatur e thi s
enormous territory. 7
5
Past an d Present (1843) , Book iv , ch. i . Cf . ibid. , Book iii , ch . 5.
6
Lyrical Ballads, ed. R. L. Brett and A. R. Jones (London, 1963) , 253-
4.
7
'Kipling' s World', Literature and Life: Addres ses t o the English Asso-
ciation (London., 1948) , 59-60 .
Xll G E N E R A L PREFAC E

He repudiate s th e unspoken assumptio n o f most novelist s

that th e reall y interestin g par t o f lif e take s plac e outsid e
working hours : men at work o r talkin g abou t thei r wor k
are amon g hi s favourit e subjects. The qualitie s me n sho w
in thei r work , an d th e achievement s tha t resul t fro m i t
(bridges built , ship s salvaged , picture s painted , famine s
relieved) are the very stuff o f much of Kipling's fiction. Yet
there als o runs throug h hi s ceuvre, like a figure in the car -
pet, a darker, more pessimistic vision of the impermanence,
the transience—bu t no t th e worthlessness—o f al l achieve-
ment. Thi s underlie s hi s delighte d engagemen t with con -
temporary realit y and gives a deeper resonance to his finest
work, i n whic h huma n endeavou r i s celebrate d non e th e
less because it must ultimately yield to death and mutability.

ANDREW RUTHERFOR D
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

WARMEST thanks t o Fion a Campbell , Pete r Lewis , and Donal d

Mackenzie fo r hel p wit h th e Introduction ; t o Terr y Barringer ,
Margaret Campbell , Dougla s Gray , Sar a Johnson, an d Rosalin d
Meyer fo r advic e o n research ; and , fo r informatio n o n specifi c
points, t o Margaret Bain, Tessa Chester (Bethna l Green Museum
of Childhood), Jeremy Coote (Pit t Rivers Museum), Fiona Easton
(the Hakluy t Society) , Rosalin d Kenned y (President , Melbourn e
Branch, th e Kiplin g Society) , Pegg y Le o (Brattlebor o Museu m
and Art Center) , John McGivering , and Laurence Smith, Thanks
also to the ever-friendly and helpful staf f o f the Bodleian Library .
This page intentionally left blank
 INTRODUCTION

SEVERAL storie s o f fantas y animal s publishe d nea r th e

beginning of the twentieth century have become well-loved
children's classics: Beatrix Potter's Th e Tale o f Peter Rab-
bit (1902) , Kennet h Grahame' s Th e Wind i n th e Willows
(1908), as well as Kipling's Th e Jungle Book (1894 ) and it s
sequel (1895) . These were followed i n 190 2 b y hi s Just S o
Stories for Little Children. All three writers invent for their
creatures imaginar y worlds o f grea t lyrical charm, as if t o
compensate fo r thei r ow n lonel y o r unhapp y childhoods .
Potter an d Graham e dreame d of escap e into th e country -
side, she to holidays in Scotland or the Lake District, he to
his grandmother' s hom e o n th e Thames. Kipling' s earthl y
paradise was both wilder and more varied: an Indian jungle,
the Arcti c seas , and i n Just S o Stories prehistoric caves , as
well a s deserts , rivers , an d uninhabite d island s scattere d
about th e world .
Kipling was a man withou t dee p root s i n an y country .
Born i n Indi a o f a Yorkshire father an d a mother o f Scot -
tish descent , he was sent back to Englan d to boar d wit h a
foster-family a t Southsea in Hampshire, near the naval base
of Portsmouth . Mos t o f hi s forma l education cam e fro m
four year s a t boarding-school i n Devonshire , afte r which ,
aged 16 , h e returned t o Indi a t o work . At th e tim e o f his
first succes s h e was living in London ; h e the n moved , o n
his marriage, to Vermont in New England . But by 190 2 he
was permanentl y settle d i n Sussex . Thoug h h e identifie d
strongly with , and use d i n his writing, aspects of all these
XVI INTRODUCTIO N

places—even the much-hated Southsea left hi m with a per-

manent interes t i n ship s an d th e sea—h e coul d neve r b e
said to belong to any of them in the sense that (say) Hardy
belonged t o Wessex .
Just S o Stories was begun during the America n years. It
is unique among Kipling's works , i f only becaus e it i s th e
one boo k tha t h e woul d illustrat e himself . All hi s novel s
and prose collection s includ e at least some verse, but her e
he uses four different modes : stories, poems, drawings, and
explanatory caption s t o th e full-pag e illustrations , givin g
suggested answer s (suc h a s th e name s o f th e animals ) t o
questions a child migh t ask.
Moreover the book is 'for little children', a younger grou p
than an y he had previously addressed . Though i t includes
material (lik e th e picture-ma p 'Y e Mani e Mouthe s o f y e
Amazons River' ) mor e likel y t o interes t a n olde r reader ,
the first three stories at least are designed for reading aloud
to th e pre-schoo l age-group . Just S o Stones wa s als o th e
first of Kipling's work s t o involve his own children, whos e
comments he actively sought: his daughter Elsie wrote that
the storie s wer e rea d to hersel f and he r brothe r 'fo r suc h
suggestions a s could b e expecte d fro m smal l children'. 1
Most o f these tales had a long oral lif e befor e the y wer e
written down. The series was at least eight and possibly ten
years in gestation, during a period tha t would prove event-
ful fo r th e writer and his American wife. They moved be -
tween countries, livin g first among her relations, then close
to his. Their thre e childre n were born an d one would die.
These were als o the year s when Kiplin g became rich, an d
his reputatio n gre w fro m critica l succes s t o internationa l

1
Fro m a memoir in C. E . Carrington, Rudyard Kipling: Hi s Life an d
Work (London : Macmillan, 1953) , 511 .
 I N T R O D U C T I O N XV1 1

celebrity. Then, a s the ne w centur y began , the intellectua l

climate changed and seemed to leave him behind—a writer
of fable s fo r children , who m adult s (i t wa s claimed ) n o
longer too k seriously. 2
What seems to be the first mention of a Just So story can
be foun d just befor e Kipling's eldes t chil d Josephine wa s
born. I n Novembe r 189 2 h e wa s toyin g wit h th e ide a of
some children' s storie s abou t animals , to b e rooted i n th e
legends of India that he had loved when he was a little bo y
in Bombay , an d i n th e folk-tale s o f man y land s tha t h e
continued t o collec t an d enjoy . In a letter t o th e edito r of
the children' s magazin e S t Nicholas, Mr s Mar y Mape s
Dodge,3 he listed some proposed titles : of these 'Toomai of
the Elephants', 'Tiger! Tiger!', and 'Mowgli's Brothers' went
into Th e Jungle Book, which dominate d hi s prose writin g
for th e nex t thre e years . Bu t h e als o mentione d a 'came l
tale', though n o such tale appeared in St Nicholas (or any -
where else ) until 'Ho w th e Came l go t his Hump'.
In the summer of 1893 , Kipling's father John Lockwoo d
Kipling visite d th e youn g famil y a t thei r ne w hom e
'Naulakha', nea r Brattleboro , wher e the y ha d settle d i n
order t o b e near Carri e Kipling' s mother . Lockwoo d ha d
just retire d afte r twenty-eigh t years ' servic e as art teache r
and museu m curator i n Bombay and Lahore , an d his wif e
Alice, Kipling' s mother , wa s busy house-huntin g i n Eng -
land. During this visit 'Rikki-Tikki-Tavi' was finished, the
story about an Indian mongoose which was the first of the
2
Se e T. S . Eliot, The Athenaeum (9 May 1919) , 297-8; E . M. Forster ,
Daily Herald ( 9 June 1920) ; Virgini a Woolf, 'M r Kipling' s Notebook' ,
The Athenaeum (16 July 1920) . See also Edward Shanks on comments by
his parents ' generatio n soo n afte r th e Boe r War , Kipling Journal (Dec .
1940,
3
7-
Thoma s Pinne y (ed.) , Th e Letters o f Rudyard Kipling (London :
Macmillan, 1990) , 71-2.
XV111 I N T R O D U C T I O N

Jungle Book series to be published in St Nicholas. Lockwood

himself had recently published his collection of essays Beast
and Ma n i n India. I n th e chapte r o n th e came l i s thi s
passage:
It wa s on hi s back tha t th e bod y o f Shah Ali Shah was laid afte r
death, an d he was sent int o th e wilderness til l the Ange l Gabrie l
met hi m and , takin g th e rope , le d hi m n o ma n kne w whither .
Before tha t ghostl y funera l the came l resembled a horse, but th e
Angel Gabriel gav e him a hump like the mountains int o which h e
disappeared.. .4
The followin g summer , father and so n me t agai n and dis -
cussed the animal series. Then, accordin g to Mr s Kipling's
diary, Th e Camel ' was begun.
Baby Josephine was still a little young for it, but anothe r
potential child listener was available at this earl y stage: her
3-year-old cousin Marjori e Balestier . Marjorie's fathe r wa s
Carrie Kipling's brothe r Beatty, a charming, generous ne'er-
do-weel with whom the Kiplings were at first intimate, but
with whom they quarrelled disastrously in 1896. The much-
publicized cour t cas e that followed , combine d wit h som e
Anglo-American ill-feelin g caused by a dispute ove r Ven-
ezuela, drov e th e famil y (b y the n includin g 6-month-ol d
Elsie) t o tak e permanent refug e i n England .
There they settle d at Rottingdean i n Sussex, where their
son Joh n wa s born . The y foun d a hous e nea r Kipling' s
uncle and maternal aunt, Sir Edward and Lady Burne-Jones;
various cousins and friends als o lived in or visited the neigh-
bourhood. A t thi s tim e a t leas t on e othe r chil d bega n t o
listen to th e stories. Angela Thirkell, daughte r of Kipling's
cousin Margare t Mackai l (nee Burne-Jones), remembered :
4
Joh n Lockwood Kipling, Beast and Man in India (London: Macmillan,
1892), 245 .
 INTRODUCTION XI X

During those lon g warm summer s Cousi n Ruddy use d t o try out
the Just S o Stories o n a nurser y audience . Sometime s Josephin e
and I would b e invited int o hi s study, a pleasant bow-windowe d
room, wher e Cousi n Rudd y sa t at his work-table...
The Just S o Stories are a poor thing i n print compared wit h the
fun o f hearin g the m tol d i n Cousi n Ruddy' s dee p unhesitatin g
voice. Ther e was a ritual abou t them , eac h phrase havin g its spe -
cial intonatio n whic h ha d t o b e exactl y th e sam e eac h tim e an d
without whic h th e storie s ar e dried husks . Ther e was an inimit -
able cadence , a kind o f intonin g her e an d ther e whic h mad e hi s
telling unforgettable. 5
Kipling describe s ho w thi s ritua l bega n i n a prefac e tha t
also explain s th e series ' title (se e p. i) : they wer e bedtim e
stories tha t ha d t o b e tol d 'jus t so' , withou t variation , if
they wer e t o lul l th e listener t o sleep . Thi s prefac e wa s
published wit h th e firs t stor y i n St Nicholas in Decembe r
1897, when Josephine was 5 years old. (It seem s a pity that
it was never reprinted: bu t it is to some extent traduced b y
the caption s t o th e book' s illustrations , whic h encourag e
not slumbe r but questions. ) Earlie r tha t yea r Kiplin g may
have ha d a n idea for anothe r tal e in th e series . I n January
1897 he wrote i n a letter t o hi s aunt Louis a Baldwin 6 tha t
Josephine wa s nearl y read y t o read , bu t tha t the y wer e
trying 't o kee p her back'. Her portrai t i n The Tab u Tale '
combines wit h som e contemporar y evidenc e to sugges t a
highly strung , over-activ e child ; the y ma y hav e worrie d
about stimulatin g he r further . I n an y case , it seem s likely
that the oral version of 'How the First Lette r was Written'
began no t lon g afte r thi s time .
To tha t stor y an d it s sequel , 'Ho w th e Alphabe t wa s
5
Angel a Thirkell, Three Houses (1931); quoted, Roger Lancelyn Green,
Kipling an d the Children (London : Ele k Books , 1965) , 170-1 .
6
Unpublishe d letter, 7 Jan. 189 7 (Kipling Papers, Sussex University).
XX INTRODUCTIO N

Made', Kipling would ad d the poem 'Merro w Down' , ex-

pressing his grief fo r his 'Best Beloved', the 'daughter who
was al l t o him' . Josephin e die d o f pneumoni a i n Marc h
1899, durin g th e family' s las t visi t t o Ne w York , thre e
months afte r he r sixt h birthday . Th e los s devastate d he r
father, who ha d himself been desperately il l with th e same
malady. His recover y was slow, and for about five months
he was unable to write . I n Augus t the y wer e lent a house
in Scotland by the millionaire Andrew Carnegie, and it was
there tha t h e bega n t o writ e again : th e firs t mentio n o f
creative activit y i n hi s wife' s diar y wa s 'Th e Elephant' s
Child', told t o hi s two younge r children , an d at least on e
other Jus t S o story. Accordin g t o Roge r Lancely n Gree n
(p. 176), 'The Beginning of the Armadilloes' an d 'The Sing-
Song of Old Ma n Kangaroo' were also drafted a t this time.
The famil y ha d spent a winter holida y in Africa th e previ -
ous year , durin g whic h Kiplin g ha d travelle d u p countr y
along th e rout e take n b y th e littl e elephant ; Gree n plaus -
ibly suggest s (p. 171 ) that th e elephan t an d leopard storie s
had ha d thei r ora l beginning s soon afterwards .
Besides this African visit , the two latter stories may have
been inspire d b y a small boy's letter . Kipling' s America n
publisher, F . N . Doubleday , ha d becom e a clos e friend ,
whose suppor t ha d bee n invaluabl e to the m durin g thei r
New Yor k ordeal . Doubleday' s so n Nelso n sai d i n a n
article i n th e Saturday Review o f Literature (1948 ) tha t
after reading 'How the Whale got his Throat' in St Nicholas,
he wrot e t o Kiplin g askin g fo r mor e storie s o f th e sam e
kind whic h hi s fathe r coul d publis h a s a book . Nelso n
claimed to have suggested as subjects, 'how the leopard go t
his spots, how the elephant got his trunk, about the croco-
dile an d s o on'. 7 H e als o sai d tha t h e ha d aske d for , an d
7
Quoted , Kipling Journal (Apr . 1949), 10 .
 INTRODUCTION XX I

received, a royalty fro m his father afte r the book came out,
of ' a penn y fo r ever y cop y sold' , les s five cents advanced
for th e stamp to England. While the details of this accoun t
may b e inaccurate after s o many years, ther e is something
convincing abou t tha t penn y royalty .
In Octobe r 1899 , whil e th e storie s begu n i n Scotlan d
were bein g revised , th e Sout h Africa n Wa r brok e out .
Kipling becam e muc h involve d i n welfar e wor k fo r th e
troops an d their dependants. He visited hospitals, travelled
on troo p trains , an d wrote article s to kee p up public sup -
port. Hi s poe m Th e Absent-Minde d Beggar ' launche d a
fund tha t raise d a quarter o f a million pounds, a s well as a
publicity campaig n tha t le d t o th e foundin g bot h o f th e
Soldiers' an d Sailors ' Familie s Association , an d o f th e
Absent-Minded Begga r (late r Treloar) Hospita l i n Hamp -
shire.8 B y specia l request of th e Commander-in-Chief , h e
also spent two weeks working on a newspaper for the troop s
at Bloemfontein . During thi s tim e he, who ha d written s o
much about the trials of a soldier's life , sa w his first battle-
field: a skirmish at Kar i Siding. This followe d the ambush
of Britis h troop s a t Sanna' s Post , som e o f whos e fleein g
survivors h e met. 9
The war was unpopular with many people, and Kipling's
patriotic writing s a t thi s tim e los t hi m muc h sympathy .
His over-exposur e wa s summed u p b y Jerome K . Jerome
in his column 'Idle Ideas': Tm getting just a little we e bit
tired o f Mr Kipling.... Since this war began he appears t o
have dominate d th e univers e to th e exclusio n of al l othe r
beliefs. Kiplin g day by day has grown int o a sort o f night -
mare . . .'10
If i t seeme d to th e publi c tha t h e was entirely take n u p
8
Kipling Journal (Mar . 1993) , 38-9 (lette r and references) .
9
See The Uses of Reading', A Book of Words (1928).
10
Th e Su n ( 7 May 1900 ; quoted, Kipling Journal (Jul y 1942) , 16) .
XX11 INTRODUCTIO

with war writings, both prose and verse, his private muse—
or Daemon as he liked to call it—was busy on other things .
It wa s during thi s tim e that h e finally finished Kim. This,
his greates t novel , wa s hi s las t an d mos t lovin g statement
on India. Its composition ha d stretched over many years—
indeed, Ki m an d Just S o Stones ar e mor e o r les s coeva l
(oddly enough , Potte r wrot e he r Peter Rabbit ove r thi s
same period) . Kiplin g no w publishe d a furthe r Jus t S o
series: th e Armadilloes , th e Elephant , th e Leopard , th e
Kangaroo, th e Firs t Letter , th e Cat , and th e Butterfl y all
appeared i n the America n Ladies 3 Home Journal i n 1900 -
2. Th e publi c mus e went o n t o wor k a t a ne w serie s of
soldier poems , an d som e militar y an d nava l stories , tha t
would b e collected respectivel y in Th e Five Nations (1903)
and Traffics an d Discoveries (1904). Man y o f thes e de -
nounced the unnecessary waste of lives and suggested ways
in whic h Kiplin g thought , o r hi s friend s tol d him , that
future imperia l war s migh t b e shortene d o r avoided—in -
cluding som e for m o f universa l military training . Cona n
Doyle i n Th e Great Boer War (1900, p. 529) , and Georg e
Bernard Sha w in th e pamphle t Fabianism and th e Empire
(1900, pp . 40-1) , ha d bot h supporte d suc h a measure .
Kipling's version can be found in 'The Army of a Dream';
in a letter t o hi s ol d frien d Edmoni a Hill, 11 h e calle d this
story ' a political pamphlet' which Traffics an d Discoveries
was 'intende d t o carry' . Thoug h th e boo k als o include s
two famou s storie s fro m th e privat e Daemon , '"They" '
and 'Mrs Bathurst', i t remains his final retrospective on the
war.
The Kiplin g famil y spent th e las t month s befor e peace
came a t the 'Woolsack' , a house buil t b y Ceci l Rhode s i n
11
8 Mar. 1905 (cop y in Kiplin g Papers).
 I N T R O D U C T I O N XX11 1

the grounds of Groote Schuur, his estate near Cape Town,

especially t o b e len t t o writer s an d artists . I t wa s mad e
available to the Kiplings for as long as they should want it.
They al l loved the place, which was set in beautiful gardens
on th e slope s belo w Tabl e Mountain , includin g a private
zoo wher e th e exac t coa t colour s o f giraffes , zebras , an d
elands could b e checked against the livin g animal. In Ma y
1902, as peace talks began, they returned t o England. Next
month Kiplin g wa s puttin g Just S o Stones i n orde r an d
writing th e poem s fo r it .

A numbe r o f source s hav e bee n suggeste d fo r th e series :

Aesop, Darwin, Joel Chandler Harris' s Uncle Remus, all of
which Kiplin g is known t o hav e read. The animal s in th e
leopard story learn to survive by protective coloration. Th e
tactics o f the pre y animal s in the armadill o story, begging
their enem y no t t o d o th e on e thin g tha t wil l sav e thei r
lives, hav e bee n use d i n man y fol k tales—bu t the y als o
recall Brer Rabbit's tactics with Brer Fox. Another possible
source i s mentioned i n the firs t chapte r o f Kipling' s auto -
biography, wher e he says that at school h e wrote parodie s
of Margare t Gatty's Parables from Nature (whic h imitate s
Aesop).
While th e illustration s mos t obviousl y recal l Aubre y
Beardsley an d Th e Yellow Book, th e influenc e o f Burne -
Jones an d th e Art s an d Craft s Movement—whic h di d s o
much to form Kipling's persona l taste—shoul d not b e for-
gotten. Beside s Italian ar t befor e Raphael , the member s of
that circl e greatl y admire d Albrech t Diire r an d Willia m
Blake (both mentioned approvingly in The Light that Failed,
Kipling's 189 1 novel with an artist-hero). Hokusai and other
Japanese artists wer e als o important t o the m (Kiplin g vis-
ited Japan in 188 9 and 1892) . Total book desig n was one of
XXIV INTRODUCTION

the Movement' s preoccupations i n the 18905 . Burne-Jones

was a principal illustrator for the luxury editions produce d
by William Morris's Kelmscot t Press; meanwhile artists such
as Walte r Cran e wer e working o n mor e commercia l ven-
tures that aimed at raising the general standard. In the study
at Bateman's, besides Ruskin's Elements of Drawing (1857;
1892 edition), there is a copy o f Crane's O f th e Decorative
Illustration of Books Old and New (1896). Another forma-
tive influence o n Kiplin g was his father's wide knowledg e
of th e art s and craft s o f India. All these sources, and folk -
art fro m man y lands, contributed t o th e style s of drawing
in Just S o Stones. Apparentl y Kiplin g was somewha t de -
fensive abou t thi s venture into an art beyon d hi s own: his
wife i s quoted a s saying that h e never minded criticism of
his writings, bu t 'di d no t tak e a t al l kindly t o thos e wh o
criticised hi s drawings'. 12
The individua l storie s hav e thei r origin s i n man y cul -
tures. I f th e firs t inspiratio n fo r th e came l was a Muslim
legend, another ingredient in the story comes from the Bible
and the Protestant wor k ethic : Kipling's camel is not given
his hum p a s a reward fo r piety , bu t a s a punishment be -
cause he will not work. O n th e brick surround t o the fire-
place i n th e stud y a t Naulakha , Lockwoo d Kiplin g ha d
carved durin g that firs t visi t the secon d (italicized ) part of
this vers e from th e Gospe l o f S t John:
I mus t wor k th e work s o f him tha t sen t me , while i t i s day: th e
night cometh, when no man can work.
The substitution o f a Djinn for the Angel Gabriel, together
with the style of the illustrations to this story, recal l E. W.
Lane's Arabian Nights. This boo k ha d acquired cult status

12
Cecil y Nicholson, Kipling Journal (Sept . 1981) , 37 .
 I N T R O D U C T I O N XX V

in Kipling' s family . Hi s Aun t Georgi e Burne-Jone s ha d

read it to hi m at an emotive moment i n his childhood. Hi s
young cousin ha s written tha t it was a long-running famil y
joke t o tal k i n a parody o f Lane' s exoti c style. 13 Som e of
the parody ha s crept into Just S o Stones: (O Best Beloved',
'O Enem y an d wif e o f m y Enemy' , * O Queen , b e lovel y
for ever' .
Not al l the stories' sources ar e so easy to trace, give n the
wide and random variet y of Kipling's reading . Some prob-
able or possibl e origin s are suggested in the notes . Bu t we
may b e reasonably certai n o f these three influences o n th e
camel tale, two o f which ar e connected t o Kipling' s father ,
and th e thir d a boo k tha t i s know n t o hav e ha d specia l
significance fo r him .
The mixin g of Christia n an d Asia n tradition s occur s i n
Kipling's autobiographica l stor y '"Ba a Baa Black Sheep"',
describing hi s unhapp y lif e i n Southse a whe n h e wa s 6
years old . Punch , lik e the young Kipling , i s born i n Bom-
bay, wher e h e love s t o hea r loca l folk-tale s tol d b y th e
Indian servants ; bu t i s the n sen t hom e wit h hi s younge r
sister t o liv e with stranger s in England. Introduce d b y his
foster-mother t o th e Bibl e (o f whic h h e ha s neve r previ -
ously heard) , Punc h

welded the story of the Creatio n on to wha t he could recollect of

his India n fair y tales , an d scandalize d Aunt y Ros a b y repeatin g
the resul t t o Judy . I t wa s a sin , a grievou s sin , an d Punc h wa s
talked to for a quarter of an hour. He could not understand where
the iniquit y cam e in , bu t wa s carefu l no t t o repea t th e offence ,
because Aunty Rosa told him that God ha d heard ever y word he
had sai d an d was very angr y ...

13
Lady Lorn a Howard, Kipling Journal (Sept. 1985) , 69.
XXVI INTRODUCTION

Mrs Sar a Holloway, origina l of 'Aunty Rosa', put Kipling

off fundamentalis t Christianit y for life . But by making him
(as punishment for various 'sins') learn chapters of the Bible
by heart , sh e gav e hi m a lastin g passion fo r it s language.
She di d no t manag e t o kil l hi s lov e o f folk-storie s an d
fables fro m othe r lands , or hi s fondness for working them
into his fiction. In his poem 'Jobson's Amen' (A Diversity
of Creatures) h e engage s in a dialogue with someon e very
like her:
'Blessed b e th e Englis h an d al l their way s an d works .
Cursed b e the Infidels , Hereticks , and Turks!'
'Amen,' quo ' Jobson, 'but wher e I used t o lie
Was neither Candle , Bel l nor Boo k t o curs e m y brethre n
by...'

Jobson goe s on t o describ e exotic scenes he ha s loved:

'But a well-wheel slowl y creaking , goin g round , goin g round,
By a water-channel leakin g over drowned , war m ground —
Parrots ver y bus y i n th e trellise d pepper-vine —
And a high su n ove r Asi a shouting : "Ris e an d shine!"...'

The incurious scorn of the English for other folks and their
ways was always offensiv e t o Kipling .
Like th e Elephant' s Child , h e himsel f ha d a n insatiable
curiosity which led him to cross-examine everyone he met
A French write r calle d Joseph-Renaud me t Kipling in old
age an d commented :
this littl e dar k ma n wit h th e blindin g gol d spectacle s an d th e
enormous eyebrows , cam e up an d sho t a rapid fir e o f question s
at me ... 'Ar e the duels in Dumas correct i n detail? Are there any
such Breton s a s thos e describe d b y Pierr e Loti ? I s i t tru e tha t
Madame Bovar y wa s a rea l person ? Tel l m e abou t thi s Colett e
whose anima l stories ar e so much bette r tha n mine! ' And s o o n
 INTRODUCTION XXV1 1

and s o on.... When h e had draine d m e dry h e turned abruptl y

away with a quick 'good-night'. I had neve r met s o tenacious an
interviewer.14
And whereve r h e went h e collected folk-tales , ballads, and
proverbial sayings . The lis t of books i n hi s stud y include s
such materia l fro m French , Indian , Persian , Arab , ancien t
Greek, ol d Norse, Chinese , African , an d native America n
sources, a s wel l a s English , Irish , an d Scots . Hi s uniqu e
skill lies in selecting from what he saw, heard, and read, so
as to blen d from incongruou s materia l a new an d differen t
experience fo r th e reader .
One suc h unexpected sourc e i s Freemasonry. I t is a little
startling t o fin d Masoni c sign s and symbol s i n a children's
book, yet the initial lette r to 'Th e Butterfly that Stamped '
shows Solomo n wearin g Masoni c insigni a (se e note t o
p. 169) . I n 1886 , a s a young journalis t i n Lahore , Kiplin g
joined a lodge that include d (a s he would write ) 'Muslims ,
Hindus, Sikhs, members of the Araya and Brahmo Samaj' 15
as well a s a Parsee, a Jew, and a Roman Catholi c of mixe d
European and Asian descent. If he exaggerates the numbers
of thes e (i t was mor e lik e on e o f each) , this wa s neverthe -
less a valuable opportunity fo r him . Few othe r venue s al -
lowed a young Englishma n to meet such a variety of castes
and creeds . H e write s o f thei r evening s i n 'Th e Mother -
Lodge':
For monthly , afte r Labour ,
We'd al l sit dow n an d smok e
(We dursn't giv e n o banquet s
Lest a Brother's cast e b e broke )

14
Quoted , Philip Mason , Kipling: Th e Glass, the Shadow and th e Fire
(London: Cape , 1973) , 229-30 .
15
Hind u refor m movements .
XXV111 INTRODUCTIO N

An* man o n ma n go t talkin '

Religion an * the rest ,
An* every ma n comparin '
Of th e Go d ' e kne w th e best .
So man o n ma n go t talkin '
An' no t a Brother stirre d
Till mornin ' wake d th e parrot s
An' tha t dam ' brain-feve r bird ;
We'd sa y 'twas 'ighl y curious ,
An' we'd al l ride 'ome to bed ,
With Mo'ammed , God , an ' Shiva
Changin' picket s i n our 'ead.. .

In thi s friendl y atmospher e h e collecte d ora l tales , a s h e

collected written ones through his father's Museum library.
Fables hav e alway s bee n easil y exported . Th e Arabi c
Sindibad collectio n (som e of which ca n b e foun d i n Ara-
bian Nights) include d a stor y adapte d fro m th e Hind u
Panchatantra, "Th e Faithfu l Mongoose'—which probabl y
also fathere d Kipling' s 'Rikki-Tikki-Tavi ' (The Jungle
Book). A Brahmi n goe s out , leavin g a pe t mongoos e t o
look afte r hi s baby . A snak e come s an d i s kille d b y th e
mongoose. Whe n the Brahmin returns i t runs to meet him,
and he, seeing blood o n its muzzle, believes it has attacked
his son an d kill s it i n hi s rage. Too lat e he find s th e bab y
asleep an d th e dea d snak e lying b y th e cradle . Th e mon -
goose became first a weasel, then a dog a s the tal e worked
its way through th e Arabic an d Hebrew. Only aristocrat s
kept dogs , s o th e child' s fathe r wa s n o longe r a Brahmin
but a Sheikh . Th e Sheik h becam e a knigh t a s th e stor y
travelled acros s Europe . I n fourteenth-centur y Wale s th e
child's attacke r wa s still a snake, bu t thi s wa s see n as im-
probable and tradition made it a wolf. Meanwhile the knight
who kille d th e faithfu l guardia n became Prince Llewellyn .
 INTRODUCTION XXIX

In 180 0 thi s versio n wa s repeate d t o th e visitin g Englis h

poet W . R . Spencer , whos e balla d o n th e subjec t 'Bet h
Gelert' i s still to be found in anthologies.16 But it is not thi s
darker, masculine-heroic part of the story, but the opening
situation i n which a pet anima l saves a boy fro m a preda-
tor, tha t Kiplin g uses in 'Rikki-Tikki-Tavi'. Similarly, i t is
not th e heroic theme of a dead Muslim saint but th e detail
of a humpless and horselik e came l that h e use s in Just S o
Stories. Nevertheless, suc h multicultural roots hel p to giv e
the tale s universality. Som e of hi s plot-elements ar e com -
mon t o folk - an d fairy-tale s al l ove r th e world : fo r in -
stance, the Elephant's Child's tri p to see the Crocodile i s a
version o f th e classi c visit t o a n ogr e o r a monster's den .
Some othe r example s of thi s ar e Odysseu s i n th e cav e of
Polyphemus (of which there is a version in Arabian Nights),
the giant's home in Jack an d the Beanstalk, and Peter Rabbit
in M r McGregor' s garden .
Reviewing Just S o Stories fo r Th e Bookman i n 1902 ,
G. K. Chesterton notice d this aspect of the book. He called
the storie s
a great chronicle o f primal fables , which migh t hav e been told b y
Adam t o Cain . ..
For th e characte r o f th e Just S o Stories is reall y unique . The y
are not fairy-stories , the y ar e legends. A fairy tal e is a tale told i n
a morbid ag e to the only remaining sane person, a child. A legend
is a fairy tal e tol d t o me n when me n were sane.. .
Chesterton wen t o n t o add :
the peculiar splendour , as I say, of these new Kipling stories i s the
fact tha t the y d o no t rea d lik e fairy tales told t o childre n b y th e
16
The Panchatantra, trans, fro m th e Sanskri t b y Frankli n Egerto n
(London: Allen & Unwin, 1965), 16-19, I 47~5°- William Robert Spencer,
Poems (London : Cadell, 1811) .
XXX INTRODUCTION

modern fireside , s o muc h a s lik e fair y tale s tol d t o me n i n th e

morning o f the world. They see animals, for instance , as primeval
men saw them; no t i n types an d numbers in an elaborate biologi -
cal schem e o f knowledge , bu t a s walking portent s . . ,17
H. W . Boynton i n Atlantic Monthly sa w Just S o Stones as
'the onl y recen t origina l book for children'. 18
The Times Literary Supplement's reviewe r also liked the
book, bu t suggeste d that old-fashione d reader s migh t b e
offended b y it, because the stories were written for 'a know-
ing and travelled child', a 'modern tyrant', sceptical of old
beliefs.19 'Modern' children were expected to be less dumbly
respectful tha n thei r predecessor s because, over the previ-
ous thirt y years , legislation had give n them rights of their
own.20 Also , th e sprea d o f contraceptio n mean t smalle r
families, placin g a higher value on th e individua l child.
A. C. Deane's lampoon in Punch^ ' A Very-Nearly Story
(Not a t al l b y M r Rudyar d Kipling)', 21 suggeste d tha t
Kipling's hypothetica l reade r was not moder n enough :
Once upon a time—not very long ago—an Eminent Writer met
a Moder n Child .
'Approach, Best-Beloved / sai d th e Eminen t Writer , 'com e
hither, oh 'scruciating idle and pachydermatous phenomenon , an d
I wil l tel l yo u a 'trancing tale! '
The Moder n Chil d regarde d hi m with mil d curiosity .
'Feeling a bit chippy?' he asked, 'slight break in the brain-box?
Or why do you talk like that?—No, can't sto p now, I' m sorr y t o
say.'...

17
Quoted , Roge r Lancelyn Green (ed.), Kipling: The Critical Heritage
(London, Routledg e & Kega n Paul , 1971) , 273-5 -
18
Atlantic Monthly (Ma y 1903) , 699 . 1 9
TL S ( 3 Oct. 1902) .
20
Pete r Keating , Th e Haunted Study (London : Seeke r & Warburg,
1989),
21
153-4 -
Punch ( 8 Oct. 1902) , 248.
 I N T R O D U C T I O N XXX I

It develop s tha t th e tal e the autho r i s to tel l i s 'How th e

RUDDIKIP got His Grea t Bi g Side!'. The chil d listens reluc-
tantly, whil e smokin g a cigarette, bu t eventuall y 'rose and
fled'.
More recently, Angu s Wilson sa w the first seven stories
as 'the cream of th e collection... . They mus t hav e been a
joy to him and he communicates his joy.' Wilson's analysis
of thes e firs t seve n stories 22 i s well wort h reading . Bu t o f
the other s h e wrote : 'Whe n th e storie s o f privat e man' s
advancement begin , w e ar e i n th e lan d o f Teguma i an d
Taffy, o f Kiplin g an d hi s ow n children , an d sentimenta l
whimsicality takes over; while the last stories are again too
marred b y humans , cos y (th e Ca t tha t Walke d B y Him -
self), o r mock-orienta l (th e Butterfl y that Stamped). ' I t i s
true tha t Taffy , an d th e 'girl-daughter ' i n th e Cra b story ,
seem t o b e portrait s o f Josephine an d Elsie , whil e C . E .
Carrington (wh o had read Mrs Kipling's diaries before they
were destroyed) thought th e Cat tale described the couple' s
early marriage (see note to p. 149). But Wilson's fine literary
judgement i s here obscure d b y hi s ow n feelings . Idealized
versions of fatherhood and heterosexual marriage were with-
out interes t fo r a ma n i n whos e lif e thes e thing s ha d n o
place. Fo r a carin g father , o r a woman reade r (o r a littl e
girl), th e cas e is different .
From the time of Kipling's first success, some critics have
suggested that this was a writer who wrote for men; that he
was not intereste d i n women, an d 'despised' or eve n hated
them.23 Virginia Woolf i n A Room o f One's Ow n claime d
22
Angu s Wilson, The Strange Ride ofRudyard Kipling (London : Seeker
& Warburg , 1977) , 229.
23
e.g . Andrew Lang, Daily News (2 Nov. 1889) ; Gilbert Frankau, Kipling
Journal (Apr . 1931) , 5-11 ; Bori s Ford , Scrutiny, XI/ i (1942) ; Martin
Seymour-Smith, Rudyard Kipling (London : Macdonald, 1989), passim.
XXX1 INTRODUCTION

that th e emotion s i n his works wer e 'to a woman incom -

prehensible'.24 Man y wome n reader s hav e non e th e les s
found the m rewarding . Fo r instance , May a Angelo u list s
him amon g writers sh e 'enjoyed an d respected ' a t school ,
and hi s 'If— ' a s a favourit e poem; later , whe n sh e wa s a
lone blac k teenag e mother i n Sa n Francisco, sh e use d t o
recite i t t o he r baby. 25
Few, if any, discussions of gender in Kipling's work have
mentioned Just S o Stories, yet i n this boo k h e places more
emphasis o n girl s an d wome n tha n i n an y o f hi s earlie r
children's tales : The Jungle Book an d it s sequel, like Cap-
tains Courageous an d Stalky & Co. , ar e almos t entirel y
male. S o are the firs t si x Just S o Stories, but i n th e secon d
six femal e character s ar e variousl y centred . Hi s attitude s
may b e foun d epitomize d i n Mothe r Jaguar , th e Cave -
woman, Taff y an d the Neolithic Ladies , the girl-daughter ,
and super-wife Quee n Balkis . Kipling was anti-suffragette,
but h e neve r treat s wome n a s stupid o r inferior . H e wa s
the type o f Victorian for whom motherhood wa s supreme.
Even the nameless and colourless girl-daughter i n 'Crab' is
a sharp-eyed observer with magical gifts of her own. Mother
Jaguar i s a n exampl e of hi s Ba d Mothers ; i n encouragin g
her cub to attac k th e two heroes , she is a fabulous versio n
of Aunt y Ros a i n '"Ba a Ba a Black Sheep"', who allowe d
her son Harry to bully little Punch . Teshumai Tewindro w
and the Cave-Woman ar e two of the many Good Mother s
in Kipling' s fiction . Her e it ma y be enough t o recal l that
other magica l cave-dweller, Mothe r Wolf , empowere d b y
24
A Room of One's Own (London : Hogarth Press, 1929; Panther, 1977),
97-25
May a Angelou, I Know Wh y th e Caged Bird Sings (1969; London:
Virago, 1984) , 14 , 154 ; Gather Together i n m y Name (1974 ; London :
Virago, 1985) , 48.
 I N T R O D U C T I O N XXX11 1

maternal lov e t o repe l a tiger . Indeed , i t i s interestin g t o

contrast th e nightmarish , child-eatin g felin e o f 'Mowgli' s
Brothers' wit h the friendly one who plays with a baby. Are
they both aspects of Kipling's imagination—as Shere Khan
uncontrolled an d terrifying—a s th e Ca t tha t Walke d b y
Himself creativel y helpful , bu t stil l no t wholl y domesti -
cated; each shown i n tensio n wit h a strong femal e charac -
ter? I n th e fina l story , Balki s an d he r co-wive s coul d b e
read a s differen t aspect s o f suc h a character , whos e lov e
for he r ma n overcome s th e male-threatenin g side s o f he r
personality.
Gender in Kipling is less often discussed than imperialism,
his reputation fo r whic h ha s deterred man y readers , espe -
cially those from once-colonize d area s of the world. I n th e
growing numbe r o f studie s o f colonia l an d post-colonia l
literature tha t hav e followed Edwar d Said' s semina l wor k
Orientalism (1979) , som e critic s (includin g Sai d himself)
have treated Kiplin g as a key witnes s fo r hi s locus an d hi s
time: on e who, whil e identifyin g with th e imperia l rulers ,
is sufficiently sensitive to India n lives and feelings t o make
his writings o n th e subjec t more ambiguou s than h e him -
self ma y hav e known. A s Said puts it , h e was 'blinded b y
his ow n insights'. 26 Man y o f th e location s h e use s i n Just
So Stories are colonized , bu t thei r peoples ' tradition s ar e
neither devalue d no r despised .
One write r fro m Lahore introduced he r recen t stud y of
Kipling's Indian writings with this prefatory note: 'It wasn't
till the 1970 8 when I began to read the Just So Stories to my
sons Taimu r an d Kamra n tha t I firs t discovere d th e ric h
and ambiguou s deligh t o f tale s tha t prepare d m e fo r th e

26
Edwar d Said, Culture and Imperialism (London : Chatto & Windus,
1993),196.
XXXIV INTRODUCTIO N

turns an d counterturn s o f Kipling' s adul t tales/ 27 Thi s

ambiguity ca n often b e found, no t jus t within a particular
story, bu t als o b y comparin g an d contrastin g apparentl y
unrelated tale s within a volume, o r b y looking a t the rela -
tionship betwee n th e storie s an d the verse. Kipling collec-
tions ar e not , a s was onc e thought , rando m assemblie s of
any availabl e texts. While each piece is separate of itself, t o
read the m togethe r wil l ofte n revea l ongoin g theme s tha t
link them in a loose, bu t clearl y connected chain . And thi s
is als o tru e o f Just S o Stories.
The Times Literary Supplement's 190 2 reviewer suggested
that the stories' influence , while failing to promote 'correc t
and prett y speech' , 'wil l b e al l in th e directio n o f . . . re-
source, independence , and a desir e for knowledg e abou t
this wonderful world'. Travel i s a continuing theme in th e
book. Mappin g an d se a routes ca n b e foun d i n severa l of
the poems , an d i n th e drawin g 'Y e Manie Mouthes o f y e
Amazons River' . Drawing s an d poem s o f thi s typ e lin k
together storie s se t in differen t land s and connec t the m t o
English life. Bu t th e boo k begin s at sea, in mid-Atlantic —
'Fifty Nort h an d Forty West'.
Other storie s ar e se t i n countrie s tha t Kiplin g ha d vis -
ited, o r dreame d o f visiting. Ther e i s local colour , bu t n o
attempt a t realism ; n o explanatio n fo r a rhinocero s o n a
rocky island in the Red Sea, or suggestion what (apart fro m
cake) it found to eat there. These are not geography lesson s
but journey s i n th e mind .
Kipling love d travelling . H e bega n involuntaril y a t th e
age of 2, taken from hi s natal-shore i n Bombay in a paddle-
steamer, acros s th e Sue z isthmu s b y train , an d the n agai n

27
Zohre h T . Sullivan , Narratives o f Empire (Cambridg e Universit y
Press, 1993) . Quoted b y kin d permissio n o f the author .
 INTRODUCTION XXX V

by paddle-steame r t o England . As lat e as 188 9 he crosse d

the Pacifi c i n a steame r tha t als o carrie d sail s an d use d
them. Al l throug h hi s lifetim e suc h journey s woul d be -
come faste r an d easier , bu t woul d neve r quit e los e thei r
thrill for him. As a young man he several times broke down
from overwork , whe n hi s favourite remedy was to ge t on
a ship and go off to see k adventures. In on e such mood h e
wrote hi s poem 'Th e Lon g Trail':
The day s ar e sic k an d cold , an d th e skie s ar e gre y an d old ,
And th e twice-breathe d air s blo w damp ;
And F d sel l m y tire d sou l fo r th e buckin g beam-se a rol l
Of a black Bilba o tram p ...
He travelled all round the world, and longed to do so again:
Fly forward , O m y heart , fro m th e Forelan d t o th e Start —
We're steamin g al l too slow ,
And it' s twent y thousan d mil e t o ou r littl e lazy isl e
Where the trumpet-orchid s blow !
You hav e hear d th e cal l o f th e off-shor e win d
And th e voic e o f th e deep-se a rain ;
You hav e hear d th e song—ho w long?—ho w long?
Pull ou t o n th e trai l again !
The geograph y i s doubtfu l (Kiplin g was no t a numerat e
man), but the excitement is irresistible. For many years, the
great liner s o f th e perio d woul d tak e hi m an d hi s famil y
yearly t o fin d th e sun .
Maps an d globe s wer e centra l t o hi s imagination . I n a
speech t o th e Roya l Geographica l Societ y i n earl y 191 4
(A Book o f Words), h e spok e o f hi s ow n an d othe r men' s
'mental atlas', and the different way s in which journeys are
perceived in the mind. He foretold how the aeroplane would
change ou r vie w o f th e world . H e woul d stil l b e writin g
about globe s an d ai r route s i n th e las t sentenc e o f hi s
XXXVI I N T R O D U C T I O N

posthumous autobiography . Somethin g o f hi s joy i n suc h

things, i n th e variet y o f th e world , th e discover y o f ne w
places and new cultures, is communicated in Just So Stones.
Perhaps th e most important linkin g theme in the book is
another o f hi s privat e joys , th e us e an d deliberat e misuse
of language . A reviewer in the Athenaeum, though findin g
too muc h 'cleve r stuf f i n th e firs t thre e tales , praise d
Kipling's understandin g o f 'young folk' , callin g th e Taff y
stories, th e elephant , and th e ca t 'perfect, tol d onc e for all
so that othe r teller s need no t hop e t o compete' . Kipling' s
word-games wer e single d ou t fo r particula r mention : 'th e
main invention an d delightfully eas y exposition, with feat s
of duplicate d onomatopoei c adjective s an d th e od d littl e
details whic h childre n lov e aptl y interfused , carry on e o n
triumphantly.. ,'.28
Throughout th e book , Kiplin g invite s u s t o shar e hi s
pleasure i n word-play. Baby-talk ha d been fashionable fo r
a time in Victorian child-novels : example s include Helen's
Babies (1876) by John Habberton , whic h Kipling is known
to have read, and Lewis Carroll's Sylvie and Bruno (1889-
93). Kipling himself had used it in 'Wee Willie Winkie' an d
'His Majesty the King' (Wee Willie Winkie and other Stor-
ies). In Just So Stones he combines this by-then-outmoded
fashion wit h th e mor e adul t wordpla y o f Carroll' s Alic e
books. Th e thre e earlies t stories sugges t different way s i n
which spoke n languag e can b e use d a s verbal games . The
Mariner's antic s i n the Whale's 'insid e cupboards' ar e de-
scribed i n a lon g chai n o f rhymin g monosyllabi c verbs .
(They also recall a lively child kicking in its mother's womb :
at which poin t on e migh t remembe r that th e balee n fro m
whales' throat s wa s a n essentia l par t o f th e corset s tha t
28
Athenaeum ( 4 Oct. 1902).
 I N T R O D U C T I O N XXXV1 1

enclosed a Victorian woman's waist.) The Rhinoceros wh o

'had no manners then, and he has no manners now, and he
never will have any manners' demonstrates the past, present,
and futur e tense s i n memorabl e fashion.
There ar e graphi c coinages : th e pre y animal s ar e sur-
prised b y the leopard 'ou t of their jumpsom e lives'. I n th e
Camel an d Leopar d storie s there ar e puns o n 'hump ' and
'spots', while the use of 'play' in the Crab story admit s that
playing i s a serious matter. There i s irony, whe n a crow d
excited t o lynching-poin t i s described a s 'the whol e dear ,
kind, nice , clean , quiet Tribe'. An d ther e ar e hidden edu-
cational messages : the Elephant' s Chil d discover s tha t a
grown-up who talks pompously (the Bi-Coloured-Python-
Rock-Snake) may be a truer frien d tha n one who pretend s
to yiel d t o a child' s wishe s (th e Crocodile). Indeed , th e
Crocodile prove s t o b e just th e sor t o f strange r to who m
you mus t particularl y neve r speak.
There is rhythm and metre, contrasted in 'The Sing-Song
of Ol d Ma n Kangaroo'. The stor y itsel f i s written (thoug h
not printed ) in fre e verse ; back in 1885 , Kiplin g had writ -
ten a parody o f Walt Whitman for his employers, the Civil
and Military Gazette o f Lahore, 29 wit h th e sam e long ir -
regular line s an d th e sam e repeate d endings . Thi s mode ,
with the mention of a 'Sing-Song' in the story's title, recalls
the fac t tha t Aborigin e legends, like the tw o tha t inspire d
the story (see its headnote), were traditionally tol d in chants.
The concludin g poe m tell s th e tal e agai n i n anothe r typ e
of verse , also unrhymed, bu t wit h a metre based on thre e
regular stresses, as Anglo-Saxon verse was classically based
on four . Thi s wa s a styl e tha t Kiplin g woul d us e again ,

29
Thoma s Pinne y (ed.) , Kipling's India (London : Macmillan , 1986) ,
64-5.
XXXV111 INTRODUCTIO N

notably in Puck of Pook's Hill (1906), which includes his

most successful imitations of Anglo-Saxon verse: 'The Runes
on Weland's Sword ' and 'Harp Song of the Dane Women'.
Here it s us e suggest s a different , Australian-settle r fol k
tradition. I n th e Armadillo stor y tha t follow s 'Kangaroo' ,
a formal, rhymed quatrai n serve s a practical purpose. Th e
young Jaguar , confuse d b y hi s prey' s deliberat e mixin g
of noun s an d verb s ('whe n yo u wate r a Hedgeho g yo u
must dro p hi m int o you r paw') , take s refug e i n a verse
mnemonic.
Various signs address different kind s o f reader. The sev-
eral ways o f writin g 'Baviaan ' i n th e drawing , usin g alien
scripts to make what looks like a word i n our own familia r
alphabet, can be seen by a sharp-eyed child . An intereste d
adult can try to decipher the other inscriptions i n the draw-
ings. Epithet s lik e 'th e grea t grey-green , greas y Limpop o
River' recall to the classically minded Homer's rosy-fingered
dawn an d wine-dar k sea .
Further layer s of meanin g can be foun d i n othe r games
that ar e played wit h words , recallin g Alice's conversatio n
with Humpty-Dumpt y i n Carroll' s Through th e Looking
Glass. When Kiplin g ask s his words t o d o extr a work h e
(like Humpty) alway s pays the m extra . Misspellings carry
further implications: ' 'satiable curtiosity' ha s a hint of con-
versation wit h a toddler , wh o wil l g o o n curtl y sayin g
'Why?' until satisfied . Malapropisms als o serve a dual pur-
pose. The cake that 'smelt most sentimental' not only sound s
poetically right with its alliteration an d trochaic rhythm, i t
raises nostalgi c echoes , suggestin g a scent tha t please s th e
mind as well as the nose. (It was one of Kipling's recurrin g
themes tha t 'Scent s ar e sure r tha n sound s o r sight s I To
make you r heart-string s crack ' ('Lichtenberg'). )
In these games grown-ups have few privileges; sometimes
 I N T R O D U C T I O N XXXI X

their warnings or advic e save a child fro m it s imprudence,

but ofte n i t is the chil d who lead s the way. Taffy, no t he r
father, first suggests the idea of writing. The little elephant' s
maddening questio n 'Wha t doe s th e Crocodil e hav e fo r
dinner?' seems pointless to th e grown-up mind , and likely
to cause trouble. All his family greet it in 'loud and dretfu l
tones' and spank him soundly t o discourag e its repetition .
His expeditio n t o th e Limpop o i s bot h dangerou s an d
naughty—Kipling makes it clear that he is lucky to escape
with his life. But he and his ' 'satiable curtiosity' win a prize
(his new trunk) that will be imitated by all elephants every-
where. Sometime s Kiplin g is seducing the chil d int o sleep
or literacy , but a t other moment s a window i s opened o n
controlling reader and dependent listener: for example , the
power shif t a t the en d of 'The Elephant's Child' , when he
spanks al l the relative s who onc e spanked him, carrie s the
promise tha t on e da y th e chil d wil l b e the stronger . An d
this i s just one way i n which grown-up s don' t necessarily
win i n Just S o Stories. The ric h an d powerfu l King Solo -
mon i s as guilty of pride as the childish Kangaroo—though
he ough t t o know better—an d bot h ar e made to repent .
In on e o r tw o o f the captions , however , Kiplin g show s
the faul t o f which J. R . R. Tolkien accuse d Andrew Lang:
having 'an eye on th e face s o f other cleve r people over th e
heads o f th e child-audience'. 30 Fo r example , the reade r is
urged to decipher the runes in the 'First Letter' illustration,
but t o d o s o take s specialis t knowledge . Suc h lapse s ar e
comparatively few . Mos t allusion s ar e kep t o n th e leve l
that Tolkien himsel f used in his works, where runes, maps,
and literar y echoe s ca n als o b e found . Th e Lord o f th e

30
J . R. R. Tolkien, 'On Fairy-Tales', Tree and Leaf (London: Alle n &
Unwin, 1964) , 4 1 (expande d from a talk given in 1938) .
xl I N T R O D U C T I O N

Rings cycle can be read without noticin g tha t Gandal f and

other names in it come from th e Icelandic Edda; readers of
Just S o Stones nee d no t recal l the Boo k o f Jonah i n orde r
to enjo y th e Whale .
Some childre n tak e t o Kipling' s boo k fro m th e begin-
ning; there are families i n which it is as much loved a s The
Jungle Book. But, as Kipling himself said, 'little people are
not alike' . Som e wil l b e offende d (thoug h other s wil l b e
intrigued) b y runi c message s they se e but canno t under -
stand. Som e fee l exclude d b y ' O Bes t Beloved' , wit h it s
private reference t o Kipling' s own daughter. Others objec t
to th e repetition s intende d t o lul l the m t o sleep , allowin g
the readin g adul t t o escape . A min d tha t i s not ye t con -
fident i n it s us e o f languag e ma y b e unsettle d b y th e
misapplication an d distortio n o f words , reactin g a s doe s
Alice to Humpty-Dumpty: 'of al l the unsatisfactory people
I ever met...'. An unsympathetic adult reader, or one with
half a mind elsewhere, may fail t o interact with the listener
and s o los e mos t o f th e stories ' magic . Of thos e childre n
who dislik e them , man y ma y chang e their mind s a s the y
grow older , acceptin g th e invitatio n t o joi n i n Kipling' s
word-games; whil e o f thos e wh o enjoye d the m fro m th e
start, man y will com e to perceiv e new subtleties .
They ma y notice (fo r instance) that "satiable curtiosity'
is a mispronounced an d elide d versio n o f 'insatiabl e curi -
osity'; but tha t b y leavin g ou t th e negativ e prefix Kiplin g
also suggests that th e elephant' s curiosit y will b e satisfied,
although in an unexpected and threatening way. And since,
when rea d aloud , th e apostroph e i s no t heard , wa s hi s
curiosity reall y 'satiable ' al l along? O r the y ma y fee l ho w
the shiftin g emphasi s on th e repeate d phrase '(an d h e was
a Tewara) ' subtl y change s it s meaning : 'and h e wa s a
Tewara' (a s well as a stranger); 'and he was a Tewara' (no t
 I N T R O D U C T I O N xl l

a member of Taffy's ow n tribe); while putting the stress on

V make s mischievous fun o f what Kiplin g is demonstrat-
ing. B y suc h method s th e relationship s betwee n thought ,
speech, and the written word are called into question. This
enabling way with words, treatin g them not a s fixed enti-
ties bu t a s 'serving-men' of multiple and ofte n unexpected
skills, further develop s the game s that Carrol l ha d played,
and at which Joyce would become champion of the English-
speaking world .
Traces oijust S o Stones have been noticed i n Finnegans
Wake, i n th e tal e o f Th e Mooks e an d th e Gripes . Her e
Joyce combines Aesop, classic fairy-tales, and legends, stir-
ring in Kipling in a fashion which, thoug h obviously criti -
cal, nevertheless pays—by placing him in such company—a
kind o f backhanded compliment. The Mooks e encounter s
'the mos t unconsciousl y boggy-lookin g strea m h e eve r
locked his eyes with. I t looked littl e and it smelt of brow n
and i t though t i n narrow s an d i t talke d showshallow... '
Anna Livia Plurabelle, who personifies both the river Liffe y
and Joyce' s wife , her e ha s characteristic s o f th e Parsee' s
cake an d th e tortois e Slow-Solid . Th e Jus t S o allusio n i s
confirmed a few lines later when the Mookse meets a crea-
ture sitting on a rock: 'Hie sor a stone, singularly illud, and
on hoc stone Seter sate which it filled quite preposterously
and b y acclimitatio n t o it s fulles t justototoryum... ' A
further phras e suggests that Joyce ha d bee n caught by th e
word-play i n 'th e Precessio n ha d precede d accordin g t o
precedent': he echoes this a s 'with preprocession an d with
proprecession'. I t seem s that th e elephant , th e grea t grey-
green, greasy Limpopo river, and the Bi-Coloured-Python-
Rock-Snake have been absorbed (python-style) int o Joyce's
own famil y lif e an d subjecte d to hi s prejudices.
Joyce, a s a socialis t an d a n Irishman , wa s unlikel y t o
xlii INTRODUCTIO N

agree wit h Kipling' s politics , bu t i t seem s h e enjoye d a t

least som e o f th e writing . Whil e completin g Dubliners h e
read Kipling' s firs t story-collectio n Plain Tales from th e
Hills, remarking: 'If I knew Irelan d a s well a s R. K . seems
to kno w India , I fanc y I coul d writ e somethin g good.' 31
Later he is said to have joined Kipling with Yeats and Emily
Bronte a s writers wh o ha d 'pur e imagination' . I n anothe r
conversation, Joyc e apparentl y commented :
Plain Tales from th e Hills show s mor e promise , I believe , tha n
any othe r contemporar y writer' s youthfu l work . Bu t h e di d
not fulfi l tha t promise . I believ e tha t th e thre e writer s o f th e
nineteenth centur y wh o ha d th e greates t natura l talent s wer e
D'Annunzio, Kipling and Tolstoy—it's strange tha t al l three ha d
semi-fanatic idea s abou t religio n o r abou t patriotism. 32
Joyce, o f course, could himsel f be semi-fanatic in rejecting
both religio n an d patriotism . Bu t fo r hi m t o parod y th e
Just S o word-play s o effectively suggest s that thi s elemen t
at leas t fro m Kipling' s late r wor k ha d mad e a lastin g
impression.
It is widely accepted that in his short story 'Mrs Bathurst'
(1904) Kiplin g foreshadowe d th e narrativ e experiment s of
High Modernism . Hi s influenc e o n T . S . Eliot' s poetr y
has bee n acknowledged. 33 I t coul d als o b e argue d tha t a
generation raised on Just S o Stones was at least partly pre -
pared fo r th e verba l complexities o f Joyce .
31
Richar d Ellman (ed.), Selected Letters of James Joyce (London : Faber
& Faber , 1975) , 142 .
32
Thi s and 'pure imagination* are from Ellman, James Joyce (Ne w York:
Oxford Universit y Press), 673 n.
33
Cf . Lisa Lewis, 'T. S. Eliot and Kipling', Kipling Journal (Mar. 1993).
 NOTE O N TH E TEX T

THE text and illustrations are taken from th e first edition o f 1902.
Additional materia l i s attributed i n th e notes . There to o ca n be
found detail s o f origina l magazin e publications, wit h importan t
variants i n th e wording .
Not include d i s 'M y Persona l Experienc e wit h a Lion', pub -
lished with th e series in the Ladies' Home Journal, January 1902 ,
since this was not fiction but autobiography (summarize d in Some-
thing of Myself, pp . 171-3 ; reprinted Kipling Journal, March 1989) .
Part o f 'Th e Enemie s t o eac h Other' (Debits an d Credits, 1926 )
may originally , o n th e evidenc e of its manuscript (Durha m Uni -
versity Library) , hav e belonge d wit h th e series .
The first edition, printe d b y R. & R. Clark o f Edinburgh, was
a sturd y quart o volum e with a decorated cover , reproducin g th e
elephant-and-crocodile drawin g i n blac k an d whit e o n red . It s
very larg e print wa s widel y space d o n gloss y pape r (unsuitable ,
despite Kipling' s invitation , fo r a child t o pain t on) . I t cam e out
in Septembe r an d wa s reprinte d twic e befor e Christmas . Ther e
were spin-offs:Just S o Song Book with musical settings by Edward
German came out i n 1903 , while in 192 2 both Britis h and Ameri-
can publishers produced Th e Just So Painting Books for Children.
Of innumerable subsequent editions, many have included illus-
trations b y other hands . None of these can have the same intricate
relationship wit h th e tex t a s th e author's , withou t whic h th e
stories woul d be incomplete.
 SELECT B I B L I O G R A P H Y

THE standard bibliography is J. McG. Stewart's Rudyard Kipling:

A Bibliographical Catalogue, ed . A . Yeat s (1959) . Referenc e
may als o b e mad e t o tw o earlie r works : Flor a V .
Livingston's Bibliography o f th e Works o f Rudyard Kipling
(1927) with its Supplement (1938), and Lloyd H. Chandler's
Summary of the Work of Rudyard Kipling y Including Items
ascribed t o Him (1930) . We still await a bibliography which will
take account o f the findings of modern scholarshi p ove r th e las t
quarter-century.
The official biography , authorized by Kipling's daughter Elsie,
is Charle s Carrington' s Rudyard Kipling: Hi s Life an d Work
(1955; 3r d edn. , revise d 1978) . Othe r full-scal e biographie s ar e
Lord Birkenhead' s Rudyard Kipling (1978 ) an d Angu s Wilson' s
The Strange Ride o f Rudyard Kipling (1977) . Briefer, copiousl y
illustrated surveys are provided by Martin Fido's Rudyard Kipling
(1974) an d Kingsle y Amis' s Rudyard Kipling an d hi s World
(1975), whic h combin e biograph y an d criticism , a s d o th e
contributions t o Rudyard Kipling: th e man, hi s work an d hi s
world (als o illustrated) , ed. John Gros s (1972) . Information o n
particular periods o f his life is also to be found in such works as A.
W. Baldwin , Th e Macdonald Sisters (1960) ; Alic e Macdonal d
Fleming (nee Kipling) , 'Some Childhoo d Memorie s o f Rudyar d
Kipling' an d 'Mor e Childhoo d Memorie s o f Rudyar d Kipling' ,
Chambers Journal, 8t h series , vol . 8 (1939); L . C. Dunsterville,
Stalky3s Reminiscences (1928) ; G . C . Beresford , Schooldays
with Kipling (1936) ; E . Ka y Robinson , 'Kiplin g i n India' ,
McClure's Magazine, vol . 7 (1896); Edmonia Hill , 'Th e Youn g
Kipling', Atlantic Monthly, vol . 15 7 (1936); Kipling's Japan, ed .
Hugh Cortazz i an d Georg e Web b (1988) ; H. C . Rice , Rudyard
Kipling i n New England (1936) ; Frederic Van de Water, Rudyard
Kipling's Vermont Feud (1937) ; Julia n Ralph , War's Brighter
 SELECT BIBLIOGRAPH Y xl v
Side (1901) ; Angel a Thirkell , Three Houses (1931) ; Rudyard
Kipling t o Rider Haggard: Th e Record of a Friendship, ed . Morto n
Cohen (1965); and 'O Beloved Kids': Rudyard Kipling's
Letters t o hi s Children, ed . Elliot t L . Gilber t (1983) . Usefu l
background o n th e Indi a h e kne w i s provide d b y 'Phili p
Woodruff (Philip Mason) in The Men Who Ruled India (1954),
and b y Pa t Bar r an d Ra y Desmon d i n thei r illustrate d Simla:
A Hill Station in British India (1978). Kipling's own
autobiography, Something o f Myself (1937), i s idiosyncratic bu t
indispensable.
The early reception of Kipling's work is usefully documented in
Kipling: Th e Critical Heritage, ed. Roger Lancelyn Green (1971).
Richard Le Gallienne's Rudyard Kipling: A Criticism (1900), Cyril
Falls's Rudyard Kipling: A Critical Study (1915) , Andr e
Chevrillon's Three Studies i n English Literature (1923 ) an d
Rudyard Kipling (1936) , Edwar d Shanks' s Rudyard Kipling: A
Study i n Literature and Political Ideas (1940), and Hilton Brown' s
Rudyard Kipling: A New Appreciation (1945) were all serious
attempts a t reassessment ; whil e An n M . Weygandt' s stud y o f
Kipling's Reading an d It s Influence o n His Poetry (1939) , and (in
more old-fashione d vein ) Ralp h Durand' s Handbook t o th e
Poetry o f Rudyard Kipling (1914 ) remai n usefu l piece s o f
scholarship.
T. S. Eliot's introductio n t o A Choice o f Kipling's Verse (1941 ;
see O n Poetry an d Poets, 1957 ) bega n a perio d o f mor e
sophisticated reappraisal . There are influential essays by Edmun d
Wilson (1941; see The Wound and the Bow), Georg e Orwell (1942;
see his Critical Essays, 1946), Lionel Trilling (1943; see The Liberal
Imagination, 1951) , W. H. Aude n (1943 ; see New Republic, vol .
109), an d C . S . Lewis (1948 ; see They Asked for a Paper, 1962) .
These were followed by a series of important book-lengt h studies
which includ e J . M . S . Tompkins, Th e Ar t o f Rudyard Kipling
(1959); C. A. Bodelsen, Aspects of Kipling's Art (1964); Roger
Lancelyn Green , Kipling an d th e Children (1965) ; Loui s L .
Cornell, Kipling i n India (1966); and Bonam y Dobree , Rudyard
Kipling: Realist an d Fabulist (1967) , whic h follow s o n fro m hi s
earlier studie s i n Th e Lamp an d th e Lute (1929 ) an d Rudyard
Kipling (1951) . There were als o tw o majo r collection s o f critical
essays: Kipling's Mind an d Art, ed . Andre w Rutherfor d (1964) ;
and Kipling an d the Critics, ed. Elliot L . Gilbert (1965) . Nirad C.
xlvi SELEC T BIBLIOGRAPH Y
Chaudhuri's essa y o n Ki m a s 'Th e Fines t Stor y abou t India —
in English ' (1957 ) i s reprinte d i n Joh n Gross' s collectio n (se e
above). The Readers' Guide to Rudyard Kipling's Work, ed. R. E.
Harbord ( 8 vols. , privatel y printed , 1961-72 ) i s a n eccentri c
compilation, packe d wit h usefu l informatio n bu t b y n o mean s
infallible.
Other studie s devote d i n whole o r i n part t o Kiplin g include
Richard Faber , Th e Vision an d th e Need: Late Victorian
Imperialist Aims (1966) ; T . R . Henn , Kipling (1967) ; Ala n
Sandison, Th e Wheel o f Empire (1967) ; Herber t L . Sussman ,
Victorians and the Machine: The Literary Response to Technology
(1968); P . J. Keating , Th e Working Classes i n Victorian Fiction
(1971); Elliot L . Gilbert, Th e Good Kipling: Studies in th e Short
Story (1972) ; Jeffrey Meyers , Fiction and th e Colonial Experience
(1972); Shamsul Islam , Kipling's 'Law' (1975) ; J. S . Bratton, Th e
Victorian Popular Ballad (1975) ; Phili p Mason , Kipling: Th e
Glass, The Shadow and The Fire (1975); John Bayley, The Uses of
Division (1976); M. Van Wyk Smith, Drummer Hodge: Th e Poetry
of the Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902 (1978); Stephen Prickett,
Victorian Fantasy (1979) ; Marti n Green , Dreams of Adventure,
Deeds o f Empire (1980) ; J . A . McClure , Kipling an d Conrad
(1981); R. F. Moss, Rudyard Kipling and the Fiction of Adolescence
(1982); S. S. Azfar Husain, The Indianness o f Rudyard Kipling: A
Study i n Stylistics (1983) ; an d Norma n Page , A Kipling
Companion (1984); B. J. Moore-Gilbert, Kipling and
'Orientalism* (1986) ; Sandr a Kemp , Kipling's Hidden Narratives
(1988); Nor a Crook , Kipling's Myths o f Love and Death (1989) ;
and An n Parry , Th e Poetry o f Rudyard Kipling (1992) ; whil e
further collections of essays include Rudyard Kipling, ed. Harold
Bloom (1987) ; Kipling Considered, ed . Phillip Mallet (1989); and
Critical Essays o n Rudyard Kipling, ed . Harol d Ore l (1989) .
Among th e mos t importan t recen t studie s ar e Edwar d Said ,
Culture and Imperialism (1991); Sara Suleri, The Rhetoric of
English India (1992) ; Zohrah T . Sullivan, Narratives o f Empire:
The Fictions of Rudyard Kipling (1993); and Peter Keating, Kipling
the Poet (1994).
Two importan t addition s t o th e availabl e corpu s o f Kipling' s
writings ar e Kipling's India: Uncollected Sketches, ed . Thoma s
Pinney (1986) ; an d Early Verse b y Rudyard Kipling 1879-89:
Unpublished, Uncollected and Rarely Collected Poems, ed.
 SELECT BIBL IOGRAPHY xlvii
Andrew Rutherfor d (1986). Indispensabl e i s Pinney's edition of
The Letters o f Rudyard Kipling, o f whic h Vols . I an d I I appeare d
in 1990 , Vol. Ill i n 1995 , and Vol. IV in 1998 .
 A CHRONOLOG Y O F KIPLING' S
LIFE AN D WORK S

THE date s given here fo r Kipling' s work s ar e thos e o f firs t au -

thorized publicatio n i n volume form, whether thi s wa s in India ,
America, o r England . (The date s o f subsequen t edition s ar e no t
listed.) I t shoul d b e noted tha t individual poems an d stories col -
lected i n thes e volume s ha d i n man y case s appeare d i n news -
papers o r magazine s o f earlie r dates . Fo r ful l detail s se e James
McG. Stewart, Rudyard Kipling: A Bibliographical Catalogue, ed.
A. W. Yeats, Toronto, 1959 ; but se e also the editors' note s in this
World's Classic s series.

1865 Rudyard Kiplin g bor n a t Bomba y o n 3 0 December ,

son of John Lockwood Kipling and Alice Kipling (nee
Macdonald).
1871 In Decembe r Rudyar d an d his sister Alic e Macdonald
Kipling ('Trix') , who wa s born i n 1868 , are left i n th e
charge of Captain an d Mrs Holloway at Lome Lodge ,
Southsea ('The House o f Desolation'), while their par-
ents retur n t o India .
1877 Alice Kiplin g returns fro m Indi a i n March / April an d
removes th e childre n fro m Lom e Lodge , though Tri x
returns ther e subsequently .
1878 Kipling i s admitted i n January t o th e Unite d Service s
College at Westward Ho! in Devon. First visit to France
with hi s fathe r tha t summer . (Man y visits late r i n hi s
life.)
1880 Meets and falls in love with Florence Garrard, a fellow-
boarder o f Trix's at Southsea and prototype o f Maisie
in The Light that Failed.
 C H R O N O L O G Y xll X

i88i Appointed edito r of the United Services College Chron-

icle. Schoolboy Lyrics privately printed b y his parents i n
Lahore, fo r limite d circulation .
1882 Leaves schoo l a t en d o f summe r term . Sail s for Indi a
on 20 September; arrives Bombay on 1 8 October. Takes
up pos t a s assistant-edito r o f th e Civil an d Military
Gazette i n Lahor e i n th e Punjab , wher e hi s fathe r i s
now Principal of the Mayo College of Art an d Curato r
of th e Lahor e Museum . Annua l leave s from 188 3 t o
1888 are spent at Simla, except in 188 4 when the famil y
goes t o Dalhousie .
1884 Echoes (b y Rudyar d an d Trix , wh o ha s no w rejoined
the famil y i n Lahore) .
1885 Quartette ( a Christmas Annual by Rudyard, Trix, an d
their parents) .
1886 Departmental Ditties.
1887 Transferred i n th e autum n to th e staf f o f th e Pioneer,
the Civil an d Military Gazette's sister-paper , i n
Allahabad in the North- West Provinces. As special cor -
respondent i n Rajputan a h e write s th e article s late r
collected a s 'Letter s o f Marque ' i n From Se a t o Sea.
Becomes friendl y wit h Professo r an d Mr s Hill , an d
shares thei r bungalow .
1888 Plain Tales from th e Hills. Takes o n th e additiona l re -
sponsibility of writing for the Week's News, a new pub-
lication sponsore d b y th e Pioneer.
1888-9 Soldiers Three, The Story of the Gadsbys', In Black and
White-, Under the Deodars', The Phantom Rickshaw,
Wee Willie Winkie.
1889 Leaves India on 9 March; travels to San Francisco with
Professor an d Mrs Hill via Rangoon, Singapore, Hon g
Kong, and Japan. Crosses the United State s on his own,
writing th e article s later collecte d i n From Sea t o Sea.
Falls i n lov e wit h Mr s Hill' s siste r Carolin e Taylor .
Reaches Liverpool i n October, and makes his debut in
the Londo n literar y world.
1 CHRONOLOGY

1890 Enjoys literar y success , but suffer s breakdown . Visit s

Italy. The Light that Failed.
1891 Visits Sout h Africa , Australia, New Zealand , an d (for
the las t time) India. Returns t o Englan d on hearing of
the deat h o f hi s America n frien d Wolcot t Bale s tier.
Life's Handicap.
1892 Marries Wolcott' s siste r Carolin e Star r Balestie r
('Carrie') in January. (The bride is given away by Henry
James.) Their world tou r is cut short b y the loss of his
savings i n th e collaps e of the Orienta l Bankin g Com-
pany. They establis h their home at Brattleboro in Ver-
mont, on the Balestier family estate. Daughter Josephin e
born i n December. Th e Naulahka (writte n i n collabo-
ration with Wolcott Balestier) . Barrack-Room Ballads.
1 893 Many Inventions.
1894 The J tingle Book.
1895 The Second Jungle Book.
1896 Second daughter Elsie born in February. Quarre l wit h
brother-in-law Beatt y Balestie r an d subsequen t cour t
case en d thei r sta y i n Brattleboro . Retur n t o England
(Torquay). Th e Seven Seas.
1897 Settles a t Rottingdea n i n Sussex . So n Joh n bor n i n
August. Captains Courageous.
1898 The firs t o f man y winter s a t Cap e Town . Meet s Si r
Alfred Milne r and Ceci l Rhode s wh o become s a close
friend. Visit s Rhodesia . Th e Day's Work.
1899 Disastrous visi t t o th e Unite d States . Nearl y die s of
pneumonia i n Ne w York . Deat h o f Josephine. Neve r
returns t o USA . Stalky an d Co. ; From Sea to Sea.
1900 Helps for a time with army newspaper The Friend in
South Africa durin g Boer War. Observes mino r action
at Kar i Siding.
1901 Kim.
1902 Settles a t 'Bateman V a t Burwas h i n Sussex . Just S o
Stories.
 CHRONOLOGY l l

1903 The Five Nations.

1904 Traffics and Discoveries.
1906 Puck of Pook's Hill.
1907 Nobel Priz e fo r Literature . Visi t t o Canada . Collected
Verse.
1909 Actions and Reactions, Abaft the Funnel.
1910 Rewards an d Fairies. Deat h o f Kipling' s mother .
1911 Death o f Kipling' s father .
1913 Visit t o Egypt . Songs from Books.
1914-18 Visits to the Front and to the Fleet. Th e New Army in
Training, France a t War, Sea Warfare, an d othe r wa r
pamphlets.
1915 John Kiplin g reported missing on his first day in action
with th e Iris h Guard s i n the Battl e of Loos o n 27 Sep-
tember. Hi s grav e was no t identifie d unti l 1993 .
1917 A Diversity o f Creatures. Kiplin g become s a membe r
of th e Imperia l Wa r Grave s Commission .
1919 The Years Between-, Rudyard Kipling's Verse: Inclusive
Edition.
1920 Letters of Travel.
1923 The Irish Guards in the Great War\ Land and Sea Tales
for Scouts and Guides.
1924 Daughter Elsi e marrie s Captai n Georg e Bambridge ,
MC.
1926 Debits and Credits.
1927 Voyage t o Brazil .
1928 A Book of Words.
1930 Thy Servant a Dog. Visi t t o th e Wes t Indies .
1932 Limits and Renewals.
1933 Souvenirs of France.
1936 Kipling's death , 1 8 January .
1937 Something of Myself For My Friends Known and
Unknown.
Hi C H R O N O L O G Y

1937-9 The Complete Works o f Rudyard Kipling, Susse x Edi-

tion. Prepare d b y Kiplin g in th e las t years o f hi s life ,
this edition contains some previously uncollected items;
but i n spite of its title it does not includ e all his works.
1939 Death o f Mr s Kipling .
1940 The Definitive Edition of Rudy ard Kipling's Verse. This
is th e las t o f th e serie s o f 'Inclusiv e Editions ' o f hi s
verse published in 1919 , 1921 , 1927 , and 1933 . In spit e
of it s title the editio n i s far from definitiv e i n terms of
its inclusivenes s o r textua l authority .
1948 Death o f Kipling' s siste r Trix (Mr s John Fleming) .
1976 Death o f Kipling' s daughte r Elsi e (Mr s Georg e
Bambridge).
Just So Stories
This page intentionally left blank
 CONTENTS

Author's Prefac e (uncollected ) I

How th e Whal e go t his Throat 3
How th e Came l got his Hum p 13
How th e Rhinocero s go t his Skin 23
How th e Leopar d go t his Spots 33
The Elephant' s Chil d 47
The Sing-Son g of Ol d Ma n Kangaroo 63
The Beginnin g of th e Armadilloes 75
How th e Firs t Lette r was Written 9i
How th e Alphabe t wa s Made 109
The Cra b tha t Playe d wit h th e Sea 129
The Ca t tha t Walke d by Himself 149
The Butterfl y tha t Stamped 169
A P P E N D I X A The Tab u Tal e 189
APPENDIX B Ham an d th e Porcupin e ^13
This page intentionally left blank
 AUTHOR'S PREFAC E
(UNCOLLECTED)

SOME storie s are meant to be read quietly and some stories

are mean t t o b e told aloud . Som e storie s ar e only prope r
for rainy mornings, and some for long, hot afternoons when
one i s lyin g i n th e open , an d som e storie s ar e bedtim e
stories. All the Blue Skalallatoot stories * are morning tales
(I d o no t kno w why , bu t tha t i s what Effi e says) . Al l th e
stories abou t Orvin Sylvester Woodsey, the left-over New
England fair y wh o di d no t thin k i t well-see n t o fly , and
who use d paten t labour-savin g device s instead o f charms ,
are afternoo n storie s becaus e they wer e generall y tol d i n
the shad e of the woods. You coul d alte r and chang e these
tales as much as you pleased ; but i n the evenin g there were
stories mean t t o pu t Effi e t o sleep , an d yo u wer e no t al -
lowed t o alter those by one single little word. They had to
be tol d jus t so; or Effi e woul d wak e up an d put bac k th e
missing sentence. So at last they came to b e like charms, all
three o f them,—the whale tale, the came l tale, and the rhi -
noceros tale . O f cours e littl e peopl e ar e no t alike , bu t I
think i f you catc h some Effie rathe r tire d an d rather sleep y
at th e en d o f the day , an d i f you begi n in a low voic e an d
tell th e tale s precisely a s I hav e written the m down , yo u
will fin d tha t tha t Effi e wil l presentl y cur l u p an d g o t o
sleep.
Now, thi s is the first tale, and it tells how the whale got
his tin y throat: —
This page intentionally left blank
 HOW TH E WHAL E GO T
HIS THROAT

N th e sea , onc e upo n a time , O m y

Best Beloved, there was a Whale, and
he ate fishes. He ate the starfis h and
the garfish, and the crab and the dab,
and th e plaic e and the dace , and th e
skate and his mate, and the mackereel
and the pickereel, and the really truly
twirly-whirly eel . Al l th e fishe s h e
could fin d i n al l the se a he at e wit h
his mouth—so! Till a t last there was
only on e small fish left i n all the sea,
and h e wa s a small 'Suit e Fish , an d
he swa m a little behin d th e Whale' s
right ear , s o a s to b e ou t o f harm' s
way. The n th e Whal e stoo d u p o n
his tai l an d said , T m hungry / An d
the smal l 'Suite Fis h sai d i n a small
'stute voice , 'Nobl e an d generou s Cetacean , hav e
you eve r tasted Man? '
'No,' sai d th e Whale . 'Wha t i s it like? '
'Nice,' sai d th e smal l 'Suit e Fish . 'Nic e bu t
nubbly.'
4 Jus t S o Storie s
'Then fetc h m e some / sai d th e Whale , an d h e
made th e se a froth u p wit h hi s tail .
'One at a time is enough/ said the 'Stute Fish. 'If
you swi m t o latitud e Fifty North, longitude Forty
West"" (tha t i s Magic) , yo u wil l find , sittin g o n a
raft, i n th e middl e o f the sea , with nothin g o n bu t
a pair of blue canvas breeches, a pair of suspenders""
(you must not forget the suspenders, Best Beloved),
and a jack-knife, one ship-wrecke d Mariner , who ,
it i s onl y fai r t o tel l you , i s a ma n o f infinite -
resource-and-sagacity/*
So th e Whal e swa m an d swa m t o latitud e Fift y
North, longitud e Fort y West , a s fas t a s h e coul d
swim, and on a raft, in the middl e of the sea , with
nothing t o wea r excep t a pai r o f blu e canva s
breeches, a pai r o f suspender s (yo u mus t particu -
larly remember the suspenders , Best Beloved), and
a jack-knife , h e foun d on e single , solitar y ship -
wrecked Mariner, trailing his toes in the water. (H e
had his Mummy's leave to paddle, or else he would
never have done it, because he was a man of infinite-
resource-and-sagacity.)
Then the Whale opened his mouth back and back
and back till it nearly touched hi s tail, and he swal-
lowed th e shipwrecke d Mariner , an d th e raf t h e
was sittin g on , an d hi s blu e canva s breeches, an d
the suspender s (whic h yo u must no t forget) , and
the jack-knife—H e swallowe d the m al l down int o
his warm , dark , insid e cupboards , an d the n h e
 How th e Whal e go t hi s Throa t 5
smacked his lips—so, and turned roun d thre e times
on hi s tail .
But a s soo n a s th e Mariner , wh o wa s a ma n o f
infinite-resource-and-sagacity, foun d himsel f trul y
inside th e Whale' s warm , dark , insid e cupboards ,
he stumped and he jumped and he thumped an d he
bumped, an d h e prance d an d h e danced , an d h e
banged an d h e clanged , and h e hi t an d h e bit , an d
he leape d an d h e creeped , an d h e prowle d an d h e
howled, an d h e hoppe d an d h e dropped , an d h e
cried and he sighed, and he crawled and he bawled,
and h e steppe d an d h e lepped, * an d h e dance d
hornpipes wher e h e shouldn't , an d th e Whal e fel t
most unhapp y indeed . (Have yo u forgotte n th e
suspenders?)
So h e sai d t o th e 'Stut e Fish , 'Thi s ma n i s very
nubbly, and besides he is making me hiccough. What
shall I do? '
'Tell him to com e out, ' sai d th e 'Stut e Fish.
So the Whale calle d down hi s own throa t t o th e
shipwrecked Mariner, 'Come out and behave your-
self. I'v e go t th e hiccoughs. '
'Nay, nay! ' sai d th e Mariner . 'No t so , bu t fa r
otherwise. Tak e m e t o m y natal-shore" " an d th e
white-cliffs-of-Albion, an d I'll thin k abou t it.' And
he bega n to danc e more tha n ever .
'You ha d bette r tak e hi m home, ' sai d the 'Stut e
Fish t o th e Whale . ' I ough t t o hav e warne d yo u
that h e i s a man o f infinite-resource-and-sagacity. '
THIS is the picture of the Whale" " swallowing the Mariner
with his infinite-resource-and-sagacity, and the raft an d the
jack-knife an d his suspenders, which yo u mus t not forget.
The buttony-things ar e the Mariner's suspenders, an d you
can se e the knif e close b y them . H e i s sitting o n th e raft ,
but i t ha s tilted u p sideways , s o you don' t se e much o f it.
The whit y thin g b y th e Mariner' s lef t han d i s a piece of
wood tha t h e wa s tryin g t o ro w th e raf t wit h whe n th e
Whale came along. The piece of wood i s called the jaws-of-
a-gaff.* Th e Marine r lef t i t outsid e whe n h e wen t in . Th e
Whale's nam e was Smiler, an d th e Marine r wa s called M r
Henry Alber t Biwens, A.B. The little 'Stute Fish is hiding
under the Whale's tummy, or else I would have drawn him.
The reason that th e sea looks s o ooshy-skooshy i s because
the Whal e is sucking it al l into hi s mouth s o as to suc k in
Mr Henr y Alber t Biwen s an d th e raf t an d th e jack-knife
and the suspenders. You must never forget th e suspenders .
8 Jus t S o Stories
So th e Whal e swa m an d swa m an d swam , wit h
both flipper s an d hi s tail , a s hard a s he coul d fo r
the hiccoughs; and at last he saw the Mariner's natal-
shore and the white-cliffs-of-Albion, an d he rushed
half-way up the beach,"" and opened his mouth wide
and wid e an d wide , an d said , 'Chang e her e fo r
Winchester, Ashuelot , Nashua, Keene , and stations
on the Fitchburg Road';* and just as he said Titch'
the Mariner walked out of his mouth. But while the
Whale had bee n swimming , the Mariner , who was
indeed a perso n o f infinite-resource-and-sagacity ,
had take n hi s jack-knife and cu t u p th e raf t int o a
little squar e grating all running criss-cross , an d h e
had tied it firm with his suspenders (now you kno w
why you wer e no t t o forge t th e suspenders!) , and
he dragge d tha t gratin g goo d an d tigh t int o th e
Whale's throat , and there it stuck!* Then h e recited
the following Sloka/ c which , as you hav e not hear d
it, I will no w proceed t o relate —
By mean s of a grating
I hav e stopped you r ating .

For th e Marine r h e wa s als o a n Hi-ber-ni-an .

And he stepped ou t on the shingle, and went hom e
to his Mother, wh o ha d given him leave to trail his
toes in the water; an d he married an d lived happil y
ever afterward . S o di d th e Whale . Bu t fro m tha t
day on , th e gratin g i n hi s throat , whic h h e coul d
neither cough up nor swallow down, prevented him
 How th e Whal e go t hi s Throat 9
eating anythin g excep t very , ver y smal l fish ; an d
that i s the reaso n wh y whale s nowadays neve r eat
men o r boy s o r littl e girls .
The small 'Stute Fish went and hid himself in the
mud unde r th e Door-sill s o f the Equator . H e wa s
afraid tha t th e Whal e migh t b e angr y with him .
The Sailo r too k th e jack-knif e home . H e wa s
wearing th e blu e canvas breeches when h e walked
out o n th e shingle . Th e suspender s wer e lef t be -
hind, you see, to tie the grating with; and that is the
end o f that tale .
HERE i s the Whal e looking for th e littl e 'Stute Fish, wh o
is hidin g unde r th e Door-sill s o f th e Equator . Th e littl e
'Stute Fish's name was Pingle. He is hiding among the roots
of th e bi g seaweed that grows in front of the Door s of th e
Equator. I have drawn the Doors of the Equator. They are
shut. The y ar e alway s kep t shut , becaus e a doo r ough t
always t o b e kept shut. The ropy-thin g righ t across is the
Equator itself ; an d th e thing s that loo k lik e rocks ar e th e
two giant s Moar and Koar, that keep the Equator in order.
They drew the shadow-pictures* o n the Doors of the Equa-
tor, and they carved all those twisty fishes under the Doors.
The beaky-fis h ar e called beaked Dolphins, an d th e othe r
fish with the queer heads are called Hammer-headed Sharks.
The Whale never found th e little 'Stute Fish till he got over
his temper , an d the n the y becam e good friend s again .
WHEN th e cabi n port-holes ar e dark an d gree n
Because o f th e sea s outside ;
When th e shi p goe s wo p (wit h a wiggle between)
And th e stewar d fall s int o th e soup-tureen ,
And th e trunk s begi n t o slide ;
When Nurse y lie s on th e floo r i n a heap,
And Mumm y tell s yo u t o le t her sleep ,
And yo u aren' t wake d o r washe d o r dressed ,
Why, the n yo u wil l kno w (i f you haven' t guessed)
You're Tift y Nort h an d Forty West! '
 HOW TH E CAME L GO T
HIS HUM P

OW this i s the nex t tale ,

and i t tell s ho w th e
Camel go t hi s bi g
hump.
In th e beginnin g o f
years, whe n th e worl d
was s o new-and-all ,
and th e Animal s wer e
just beginning to wor k
for Man , ther e wa s a
Camel, an d h e live d in
the middl e o f a Howl-
ing Deser t becaus e h e did no t wan t t o work ; and
besides, he was a Howler himself."" So he ate sticks
and thorns an d tamarisks and milkweed an d prick -
les, most 'scruciatin g idle; and when anybod y spok e
to hi m h e sai d 'Humph! 3 Jus t 'Humph! ' an d n o
more.
Presently th e Hors e cam e t o hi m o n Monda y
morning, wit h a saddle on his back and a bit in his
mouth, an d said, 'Camel , O Camel , com e ou t and
trot lik e th e res t o f us/
14 Jus t S o Storie s
'Humph!' sai d th e Camel ; an d th e Hors e wen t
away an d tol d th e Man .
Presently th e Do g cam e to him , wit h a stick i n
his mouth , an d said , 'Camel , O Camel , com e and
fetch an d carr y lik e the res t o f us/
'Humph!' said the Camel; and the Dog went away
and tol d th e Man .
Presently th e Ox came to him, with th e yoke on
his neck , an d said , 'Camel , O Camel , com e an d
plough lik e th e res t o f us/
'Humph!' said the Camel; and the Ox went away
and tol d th e Man .
At th e en d of the da y th e Ma n called the Hors e
and the Dog and the Ox together, and said, 'Three,
0 Three, Fm very sorry for you (with the world so
new-and-all); but tha t Humph-thin g i n the Deser t
can't work, o r he would hav e been here by now, so
1 am going to leav e him alone, and you mus t wor k
double-time t o mak e up fo r it/
That mad e the Three very angry (with the worl d
so new-and-all) , an d the y hel d a palaver , an d a n
indaba, and a pnnchayet^ an d a pow-wow o n th e
edge o f th e Desert ; an d th e Came l cam e chewin g
milkweed most 'scruciatin g idle , an d laughe d a t
them. Then he said 'Humph!' and went away again.
Presently ther e cam e along th e Djin n i n charge
of Al l Deserts , rollin g i n a clou d o f dus t (Djinn s
always travel that way becaus e it is Magic), and h e
stopped t o palave r and pow-wow wit h th e Three .
'Djinn o f All Deserts,' said the Horse, 'is it right
 How th e Came l go t hi s Hum p 1 5
for an y one to be idle, with the world s o new-and-
all?'
'Certainly not / sai d the Djinn .
'Well,' sai d th e Horse , 'there' s a thin g i n th e
middle of your Howling Deser t (an d he's a Howle r
himself) wit h a lon g nec k an d lon g legs , an d h e
hasn't don e a stroke of work sinc e Monday morn -
ing. H e won't trot. '
'Whew!' sai d th e Djinn , whistling , 'that' s m y
Camel, for all the gold in Arabia! What does he say
about it? '
'He says "Humph!"' said the Dog; 'and he won't
fetch an d carry. '
'Does h e sa y anythin g else? '
'Only "Humph!"; and he won't plough,' said the
Ox.
'Very good, ' sai d th e Djinn . 'I'll hump h hi m if
you wil l kindl y wai t a minute.'
The Djin n rolle d himsel f u p i n hi s dust-cloak ,
and took a bearing across the desert, and found the
Camel most 'scruciatingl y idle, looking a t his ow n
reflection i n a pool o f water .
'My lon g an d bubbling friend,' * sai d the Djinn ,
'what's this I hear of your doin g no work, with the
world s o new-and-all?'
'Humph!' sai d th e Camel .
The Djin n sa t down , wit h hi s chi n i n hi s hand ,
and began to think a Great Magic, while the Camel
looked a t hi s ow n reflectio n i n th e poo l o f water .
'You've give n th e Thre e extr a wor k eve r sinc e
THIS is the picture of the Djinn * making the beginnings of
the Magic that brought the Humph t o th e Camel. First h e
drew a line in th e ai r with hi s finger , an d i t becam e solid;
and then h e made a cloud, and then h e made a n egg—you
can see them a t the botto m o f the picture—and the n ther e
was a magic pumpkin tha t turne d int o a big white flame.
Then th e Djin n too k hi s magi c fan an d fanne d tha t flame
till th e flam e turne d int o a Magic by itself . I t wa s a goo d
Magic an d a very kind Magi c really, though i t had t o give
the Camel a Humph because the Camel was lazy. The Djinn
in charge of All Deserts was one of the nicest of the Djinns ,
so h e would neve r do anythin g really unkind.
18 Jus t S o Storie s
Monday morning , al l o n accoun t o f you r
'scruciating idleness / sai d th e Djinn ; an d h e wen t
on thinkin g Magics , with hi s chi n i n hi s hand .
'Humph!' sai d th e Camel .
'I shouldn't say that again if I were you/ said the
Djinn; 'yo u migh t sa y it onc e to o often . Bubbles ,
I wan t yo u to work/
And th e Came l sai d 'Humph! ' again ; bu t n o
sooner ha d h e said it than he saw his back, that he
was so proud of , puffing u p an d puffin g u p int o a
great bi g lolloping humph .
'Do yo u se e that?' sai d th e Djinn . 'That' s you r
very ow n hump h tha t you'v e brough t upo n you r
very own self by not working. To-day i s Thursday,
and you've done no work sinc e Monday, when the
work began . Now yo u ar e going to work. '
'How ca n I/ sai d th e Camel , 'wit h thi s hump h
on m y back? '
'That's mad e a-purpose/ sai d the Djinn , 'al l be-
cause you missed those three days. You will be able
to work now for three days without eating , because
you ca n live on you r humph ; an d don' t yo u eve r
say I never did anything for you. Com e ou t o f the
Desert an d g o t o th e Three , an d behave . Hump h
yourself!'
And the Came l humphe d himself , hump h and
all, an d wen t awa y t o joi n th e Three . An d fro m
that da y t o thi s th e Came l alway s wears a humph
(we cal l i t 'hump ' now , no t t o hur t hi s feelings) ;
 How th e Came l go t hi s Hum p 1 9
but h e has never yet caught up with th e three day s
that h e misse d a t th e beginnin g o f th e world , an d
he ha s never ye t learne d ho w t o behave .
H E R E is the picture o f the Djin n in charge of All Desert s
guiding the Magi c with his magi c fan. The Came l is eating
a twi g o f acacia , and h e ha s jus t finished sayin g 'humph'
once too ofte n (th e Djinn tol d hi m h e would), an d s o th e
Humph i s coming. The lon g towelly-thing growing out of
the thin g lik e a n onion i s the Magic , and yo u ca n see the
Humph o n its shoulder. The Humph fits on the flat part of
the Camel' s back . Th e Came l i s to o bus y lookin g a t hi s
own beautifu l sel f i n th e poo l o f wate r t o kno w wha t i s
going t o happe n t o him .
Underneath th e trul y pictur e i s a picture o f the World -
so-new-and-all. There are two smoky volcanoes in it, some
other mountain s an d som e stone s an d a lake an d a black
island an d a twisty rive r and a lot o f othe r things , as well
as a Noah's Ark. * I couldn' t dra w al l the desert s that th e
Djinn was in charge of, so I only drew one, but i t is a most
deserty desert .
THE Camel' s hum p i s an ugly lum p
Which wel l yo u ma y se e at th e Zoo ;
But uglie r ye t i s the hum p w e get
From havin g too littl e to do .
Kiddies an d grown-up s too-oo-oo ,
If w e haven' t enoug h t o do-oo-oo ,
We ge t the hump —
Cameelious hump —
The hum p tha t i s black an d blue!

We clim b out o f be d wit h a frouzly hea d

And a snarly-yarly voice .
We shive r an d scow l an d w e grun t an d w e grow l
At ou r bat h an d ou r boot s an d ou r toys ;
And ther e ough t t o b e a corner fo r m e
(And I kno w ther e i s one fo r you )
When w e ge t the hump —
Cameelious hump —
The hum p tha t i s black an d blue !

The cur e fo r thi s il l is not t o si t still ,

Or frows t wit h a book b y th e fire;
But t o tak e a large hoe an d a shovel also ,
And di g till yo u gentl y perspire ;
And the n yo u wil l fin d tha t th e su n an d th e wind ,
And th e Djin n o f th e Garde n too ,
Have lifte d th e hump —
The horribl e hump —
The hum p tha t i s black an d blue !
I ge t i t a s well a s you-oo-oo—
If I haven' t enoug h t o do-oo-oo !
We al l ge t hump —
Cameelious hump —
Kiddies an d grown-up s too !
 HOW TH E RHINOCERO S
GOT HI S SKI N

NCE upo n a time, on an un-

inhabited islan d o n th e
shores o f th e Re d Sea ,
there live d a Parsee *
from whos e hat the rays
of the sun were reflected
in more-than-orienta l
splendour. An d th e
Parsee live d b y th e Re d
Sea wit h nothin g bu t
his hat an d his knife an d
a cooking-stov e o f th e
kind tha t yo u mus t particularl y neve r touch . An d
one da y he took flou r an d water an d currant s and
plums an d sugar and things, an d made himself on e
cake which was two fee t across and three feet thick .
It was indeed a Superior Comestible (that's Magic),
and h e put i t o n th e stov e because he was allowe d
to cook on that stove, and he baked it and he baked
it til l i t wa s al l done brow n an d smel t most senti -
mental. But just as he was going to eat it there came
down to the beach from the Altogether Uninhabited
24 Jus t S o Storie s
Interior on e Rhinocero s wit h a horn o n hi s nose ,
two piggy eyes, and few manners. In those days the
Rhinoceros's ski n fitted him quite tight. There were
no wrinkles in it anywhere. He looke d exactl y like
a Noah's Ark Rhinoceros , bu t o f course much big-
ger. All the same , he had n o manner s then, an d he
has n o manner s now , an d h e neve r wil l hav e an y
manners. H e said , c How!' an d th e Parse e lef t tha t
cake an d climbe d t o th e to p o f a palm-tre e wit h
nothing o n bu t hi s hat, fro m whic h the rays of the
sun wer e alway s reflecte d i n more-than-orienta l
splendour. An d the Rhinoceros upse t the oil-stov e
with hi s nose, and the cake rolled o n the sand, and
he spiked that cake on the horn o f his nose, and he
ate it , an d h e wen t away , wavin g hi s tail , t o th e
desolate and Exclusively Uninhabited Interior whic h
abuts o n th e island s of Mazanderan, Socotra,* and
the Promontories o f the Large r Equinox. The n the
Parsee cam e down fro m hi s palm-tree an d put th e
stove o n it s leg s an d recite d th e following Sloka,
which, a s you hav e not heard , I will no w procee d
to relate: —
Them tha t take s cakes
Which th e Parsee-ma n bakes
Makes dreadfu l mistakes .

And ther e wa s a great dea l mor e i n that tha n yo u

would think .
Because, five weeks later , ther e wa s a heat-wave
 How th e Rhinocero s go t hi s Ski n 2 5
in th e Re d Sea , an d everybod y too k of f al l th e
clothes the y had . Th e Parse e too k of f his hat; bu t
the Rhinoceros too k off his skin and carried it over
his shoulder as he came down to the beach to bathe.
In thos e day s i t buttone d underneat h wit h thre e
buttons an d looke d lik e a waterproof . H e sai d
nothing whateve r abou t th e Parsee' s cake , because
he had eate n it all ; and h e never ha d an y manners ,
then, since , o r henceforward . H e waddle d straigh t
into the water an d blew bubble s through hi s nose ,
leaving hi s ski n o n th e beach .
Presently the Parsee came by and found the skin,
and h e smiled on e smil e that ra n al l round hi s fac e
two times . Then h e dance d thre e time s roun d th e
skin an d rubbe d hi s hands . The n h e wen t t o hi s
camp an d fille d hi s ha t wit h cake-crumbs , fo r th e
Parsee never ate anything but cake, and never swept
out his camp. He took that skin, and he shook tha t
skin, and he scrubbed tha t skin, and he rubbed tha t
skin just as full of old, dry, stale, tickly cake-crumbs
and som e burned currant s a s ever it coul d possibly
hold. The n h e climbed t o th e to p o f his palm-tre e
and waite d fo r th e Rhinocero s t o com e ou t o f th e
water an d put i t on .
And the Rhinoceros did . He buttoned i t up wit h
the three buttons, an d it tickled like cake-crumbs in
bed. The n h e wante d t o scratch , bu t tha t mad e i t
worse; and then he lay down o n the sands and rolled
and rolle d an d rolled, an d every time he rolled th e
T H I S is the picture of the Parsee beginning to ea t his cake
on th e Uninhabite d Islan d i n th e Re d Se a on a ver y ho t
day; an d o f th e Rhinocero s comin g down fro m th e Alto -
gether Uninhabite d Interior , which, a s you ca n truthfull y
see, is all rocky. The Rhinoceros's ski n is quite smooth, and
the three button s tha t butto n i t up are underneath, s o you
can't se e them. The squiggly things on th e Parsee's hat are
the ray s o f th e su n reflecte d in more-than-orienta l splen -
dour, becaus e i f I ha d draw n rea l ray s the y woul d hav e
filled u p all the picture. The cake has currants in it; and the
wheel-thing lying on th e san d in front belonge d t o on e of
Pharaoh's chariots" " whe n h e trie d t o cros s th e Re d Sea .
The Parsee found it, and kept it to play with. The Parsee' s
name wa s Pestonje e Bomonjee,* an d th e Rhinocero s wa s
called Strorks , because he breathed throug h hi s mouth in -
stead o f his nose. I wouldn't ask anything about the cook -
ing-stove i f / wer e you .
THIS is the Parsee Pestonjee Bomonjee sitting in his palm-
tree an d watching th e Rhinoceros Strork s bathin g near th e
beach o f th e Altogethe r Uninhabite d Islan d afte r Strork s
had take n of f hi s skin . Th e Parse e ha s rubbe d th e cake -
crumbs int o the skin , an d he is smiling to thin k ho w the y
will tickl e Strorks whe n Strork s put s i t o n again . The ski n
is just under th e rock s belo w th e palm-tree in a cool place;
that i s why yo u can' t se e it. Th e Parse e i s wearing a ne w
more-than-oriental-splendour ha t o f th e sor t tha t Parsee s
wear; an d h e ha s a knif e i n hi s han d t o cu t hi s nam e o n
palm-trees. The blac k thing s o n th e island s ou t a t se a are
bits of ships tha t go t wrecked goin g down th e Red Sea; but
all th e passenger s wer e save d an d wen t home .
The blac k thing i n th e wate r clos e to th e shor e i s not a
wreck a t all . I t i s Strorks th e Rhinocero s bathin g withou t
his skin. He was just as black underneath hi s skin as he was
outside. I wouldn't ask anything about the cooking-stove if
/ wer e you .
30 Jus t S o Stories
cake-crumbs tickle d hi m wors e an d wors e an d
worse. The n h e ra n t o th e palm-tre e an d rubbe d
and rubbed and rubbed himself against it. He rubbed
so much an d s o hard tha t h e rubbe d hi s ski n int o
a grea t fol d ove r hi s shoulders , an d anothe r fol d
underneath, wher e th e button s use d t o b e (bu t h e
rubbed the buttons off) , and he rubbed som e more
folds ove r hi s legs . And i t spoile d hi s temper , bu t
it didn' t mak e th e leas t differenc e t o th e cake -
crumbs. They were inside his skin and they tickled .
So he went home , ver y angr y indee d an d horribl y
scratchy; an d fro m tha t da y t o thi s ever y rhino -
ceros ha s grea t fold s i n hi s ski n an d a ver y ba d
temper, al l on accoun t o f th e cake-crumb s inside .
But th e Parse e cam e dow n fro m hi s palm-tree ,
wearing hi s hat , fro m whic h th e ray s o f th e su n
were reflecte d i n more-than-orienta l splendour ,
packed up his cooking-stove, an d went awa y in the
direction of Orotavo, Amygdala, the Upland Mead-
ows o f Anantarivo , an d th e Marshe s o f Sonaput. *
THIS Uninhabited Islan d
Is of f Cap e Gardafui, *
By th e Beache s of Socotr a
And th e Pin k Arabia n Sea:
But it' s hot—to o ho t fro m Sue z
For th e like s o f you an d m e
Ever t o g o
In a P. an d O. *
And cal l o n th e Cake-Parsee !
This page intentionally left blank
 HOW TH E LEOPAR D
GOT HI S SPOT S

N the days when everybody started fair ,

Best Beloved , the Leopar d live d i n a
place calle d th e Hig h Veldt/" " 'Mem -
ber i t wasn' t th e Lo w Veldt , o r th e
Bush Veldt, or the Sour Veldt, but the
'sclusively bare, hot, shiny High Veldt,
where ther e wa s san d an d sandy -
coloured roc k an d 'sclusivel y tuft s o f
sandy-yellowish grass. The Giraffe an d
the Zebr a an d th e Elan d an d th e
Koodoo an d th e Hartebees t live d
there; and they were 'sclusively sandy-
yellow-brownish al l over ; bu t th e
Leopard, h e wa s th e 'sclusives t
sandiest-yellowest-brownest o f the m
all—a greyish-yellowis h catty-shape d
kind o f beast , an d h e matche d th e
'sclusively yellowish-greyish-brownish colou r of the
High Veld t to on e hair. This wa s very ba d for th e
Giraffe an d th e Zebr a an d th e res t o f them; for h e
would li e down b y a 'sclusively yellowish-greyish -
brownish ston e o r clum p o f grass , an d whe n th e
34 Jus t S o Storie s
Giraffe o r the Zebra or the Eland or the Koodoo o r
the Bush-Buc k o r th e Bonte-Buc k cam e b y h e
would surpris e the m ou t o f thei r jumpsom e lives .
He woul d indeed ! And , also , ther e wa s an Ethio -
pian wit h bow s an d arrow s ( a 'sclusively greyish -
brownish-yellowish ma n h e wa s then) , wh o live d
on th e Hig h Veldt with th e Leopard ; an d the tw o
used to hunt together—the Ethiopian with his bows
and arrows , an d th e Leopar d 'sclusivel y wit h hi s
teeth and claws—till the Giraff e an d the Elan d and
the Koodo o an d th e Quagg a an d al l th e res t o f
them didn' t kno w whic h wa y t o jump , Bes t Be -
loved. The y didn' t indeed !
After a long time—thing s live d for eve r so lon g
in those days—the y learned to avoi d anything tha t
looked lik e a Leopard o r a n Ethiopian; an d bi t b y
bit—the Giraff e bega n it, because his legs were th e
longest-—they went away from the High Veldt. They
scuttled fo r day s an d day s an d day s till they cam e
to a great forest, 'sclusively full o f trees and bushes
and stripy , speckly , patchy-blatch y shadows , an d
there the y hid : an d afte r anothe r lon g time , wha t
with standin g hal f i n th e shad e an d hal f ou t o f it ,
and wha t wit h th e slippery-slid y shadow s o f th e
trees falling on them, the Giraff e gre w blotchy, and
the Zebr a gre w stripy , an d th e Elan d an d th e
Koodoo gre w darker, with little wavy grey lines on
their backs like bark on a tree trunk; and so, though
you coul d hea r the m an d smel l them , yo u coul d
 How th e Leopar d go t hi s Spot s 3 5
very seldo m se e them , an d the n onl y whe n yo u
knew precisely where to look. They had a beautiful
time i n th e 'sclusivel y speckly-spickly shadow s of
the forest, while the Leopard and the Ethiopian ran
about over the 'sclusively greyish-yellowish-reddis h
High Veld t outside , wonderin g wher e al l thei r
breakfasts an d their dinners and their teas had gone.
At las t they were so hungry tha t the y at e rats and
beetles and rock-rabbits, the Leopard and the Ethio-
pian, and then they had the Big Tummy-ache, both
together; an d the n the y me t Baviaan*—th e dog -
headed, barkin g Baboon, who i s Quite th e Wisest
Animal i n Al l Sout h Africa .
Said Leopar d t o Baviaa n (an d i t wa s a very ho t
day), 'Wher e ha s al l the gam e gone?'
And Baviaa n winked. He knew .
Said th e Ethiopia n t o Baviaan , cCan you tel l me
the presen t habitat of the aborigina l Fauna?' (Tha t
meant jus t th e sam e thing , bu t th e Ethiopia n al -
ways use d lon g words. H e wa s a grown-up.)*
And Baviaa n winked . H e knew .
Then said Baviaan, £The game has gone into other
spots; and my advice to you, Leopard, is to go into
other spot s a s soon a s you can. '
And th e Ethiopian said, 'That is all very fine, but
I wis h t o kno w whithe r th e aborigina l Fauna has
migrated.'
Then sai d Baviaan , 'Th e aborigina l Faun a ha s
joined the aboriginal Flora because it was high time
THIS is Wise Baviaan, the dog-headed Baboon, who is Quite
the Wises t Anima l in All Sout h Africa . I hav e drawn hi m
from a statue* that I made up ou t o f my ow n head , and I
have written hi s name on hi s belt an d o n his shoulder an d
on the thing he is sitting on. I have written it in what is not
called Copti c an d Hieroglyphi c an d Cuneiformi c an d
Bengalic and Burmic and Hebric,* all because he is so wise.
He i s not beautiful , bu t h e i s very wise; an d I shoul d lik e
to paint him with paint-box colours, bu t I am not allowed .
The umbrella-ish thing abou t his head is his Conventiona l
Mane.
38 Jus t S o Storie s
for a change; and my advice to you, Ethiopian, i s to
change a s soon a s you can /
That puzzled th e Leopard an d the Ethiopian, bu t
they se t of f t o loo k fo r th e aborigina l Flora , an d
presently, after eve r so many days, they saw a great,
high, tal l fores t ful l o f tre e trunk s al l 'sclusivel y
speckled an d sprottle d an d spottled , dotte d an d
splashed and slashed and hatched and cross-hatched
with shadows . (Sa y tha t quickl y aloud , an d yo u
will se e ho w very shadow y th e fores t mus t hav e
been.)*
'What i s this / sai d th e Leopard , 'tha t i s s o
'sclusively dark , an d ye t s o ful l o f littl e piece s o f
light?>
'I don't know,' said the Ethiopian, 'bu t it ough t
to b e the aborigina l Flora . I can smell Giraffe , an d
I ca n hear Giraffe , bu t I can' t se e Giraffe. '
'That's curious,' said the Leopard. 'I suppose it is
because we hav e just come in ou t o f the sunshine .
I can smell Zebra, and I can hear Zebra, but I can' t
see Zebra.'
'Wait a bit,' said the Ethiopian. 'It' s a long time
since we'v e hunte d 'em . Perhap s we'v e forgotte n
what the y wer e like. '
'Fiddle!' said the Leopard. 'I remember them per -
fectly o n th e Hig h Veldt , especiall y their marrow -
bones. Giraff e i s abou t seventee n fee t high , o f a
'sclusively fulvous golden-yello w fro m head to heel;
and Zebr a i s abou t fou r an d a hal f fee t high , o f a
'sclusively grey-faw n colour fro m hea d t o heel. '
 How th e Leopar d go t hi s Spot s 3 9
'Umm,' sai d th e Ethiopian , lookin g int o th e
speckly-spickly shadow s o f th e aborigina l Flora -
forest. 'The n the y ough t t o sho w u p i n thi s dar k
place lik e ripe banana s in a smoke-house/
But the y didn't . The Leopard an d the Ethiopia n
hunted al l day; an d though the y coul d smel l them
and hea r them , the y neve r sa w one o f them .
Tor goodness ' sake, ' sai d th e Leopar d a t tea -
time, c let u s wai t til l i t get s dark . Thi s dayligh t
hunting i s a perfect scandal. '
So the y waite d til l dark , an d the n th e Leopar d
heard somethin g breathin g sniffil y i n th e starligh t
that fel l al l strip y throug h th e branches , an d h e
jumped a t the noise , and it smelt like Zebra, and it
felt lik e Zebra , an d whe n h e knocke d i t dow n i t
kicked like Zebra, but he couldn't see it. So he said,
'Be quiet , O yo u perso n withou t an y form."" I am
going to sit on your head till morning, because there
is somethin g abou t yo u tha t I don't understand. '
Presently h e hear d a grun t an d a cras h an d a
scramble, and the Ethiopian calle d out, Tve caught
a thing that I can't see . It smells like Giraffe, an d it
kicks lik e Giraffe , bu t i t hasn' t an y form. '
'Don't you trust it, ' said the Leopard. 'Si t on its
head til l th e morning—sam e a s me. They haven' t
any form—an y o f 'em. '

So the y sa t dow n o n the m har d til l brigh t

morning-time, an d the n Leopar d said , 'What have
you a t your en d o f the table , Brother?'
40 Jus t S o Storie s
The Ethiopia n scratche d hi s hea d an d said , 'I t
ought to be 'sclusively a rich fulvous orange-tawn y
from hea d t o heel , an d i t ough t t o b e Giraffe ; bu t
it i s covered al l over with chestnu t blotches . What
have you a t your en d o f th e table , Brother? '
And the Leopard scratched his head and said, 'It
ought to b e delusively a delicate greyish-fawn, and
it ought to b e Zebra; but i t is covered all over with
black an d purpl e stripes . What i n th e worl d hav e
you been doing to yourself, Zebra? Don't you know
that if you wer e on the High Veldt I could se e you
ten mile s off ? Yo u haven' t an y form. '
'Yes,' sai d th e Zebra , 'bu t thi s isn' t th e Hig h
Veldt. Can' t yo u see? '
'I can now,' said the Leopard. 'But I couldn't all
yesterday. Ho w i s it done? '
'Let u s up, ' sai d th e Zebra , 'an d w e wil l sho w
you.'
They le t th e Zebr a an d th e Giraff e ge t up; an d
Zebra move d awa y t o som e littl e thorn-bushe s
where the sunlight fell all stripy, and Giraffe moved
off t o som e tallish trees where the shadow s fel l al l
blotchy.
'Now watch,' said the Zebra and the Giraffe. 'This
is the way it's done. One—two—three! And where's
your breakfast? '
Leopard stared, and Ethiopian stared, but all they
could se e were stripy shadow s an d blotched shad -
ows i n th e forest , bu t neve r a sig n o f Zebr a an d
 How th e Leopar d go t hi s Spot s 4 1
Giraffe. The y had just walked off and hidden them-
selves i n th e shadow y forest .
c
Hi! Hi!' said the Ethiopian. 'That's a trick worth
learning. Tak e a lesson b y it , Leopard . Yo u sho w
up i n thi s dar k plac e lik e a bar o f soa p i n a coal -
scuttle.'
'Ho! Ho!' sai d th e Leopard . 'Woul d i t surpris e
you ver y muc h t o kno w tha t yo u sho w u p i n this
dark place like a mustard-plaster on a sack of coals?'
'Well, calling names won't catch dinner/ sai d the
Ethiopian. 'Th e lon g an d th e littl e o f i t i s that w e
don't matc h ou r backgrounds . I' m goin g t o tak e
Baviaan's advice . H e tol d m e I ough t t o change ;
and a s I've nothin g t o chang e except m y ski n I' m
going t o chang e that.'
'What to? ' sai d th e Leopard , tremendousl y
excited.
'To a nic e workin g blackish-brownis h colour ,
with a little purple i n it, an d touches o f slaty-blue .
It wil l be the very thin g fo r hidin g in hollows an d
behind trees.'
So h e change d hi s ski n the n an d there , an d th e
Leopard wa s more excite d tha n ever ; he had neve r
seen a man chang e his ski n before .
'But wha t abou t me? ' h e said , whe n th e Ethio -
pian ha d worke d hi s las t littl e finge r int o hi s fine
new blac k skin .
'You tak e Baviaan' s advic e too. H e tol d yo u t o
go int o spots. '
42 Jus t S o Stories
'So I did / sai d th e Leopard . ' I wen t int o othe r
spots a s fast a s I could . I went int o thi s spo t wit h
you, an d a lot o f goo d i t ha s done me /
'Oh/ sai d th e Ethiopian , 'Baviaa n didn' t mea n
spots in South Africa. He meant spots on your skin/
'What's th e us e o f that?' sai d th e Leopard .
'Think of Giraffe/ sai d the Ethiopian. 'Or if you
prefer stripes , think of Zebra. They find their spots
and stripe s giv e them per-fect satisfaction /
'Umm/ sai d the Leopard . 'I wouldn' t loo k lik e
Zebra—not fo r eve r so/
'Well, mak e up you r mind / sai d the Ethiopian ,
'because I'd hat e to g o hunting without you , bu t I
must i f yo u insis t o n lookin g lik e a sun-flowe r
against a tarred fence /
Til take spots, then/ said the Leopard; 'but don't
make 'e m to o vulgar-big . I wouldn' t loo k lik e
Giraffe—not fo r eve r so/
Til mak e 'em wit h th e tip s o f my fingers / sai d
the Ethiopian . 'There' s plenty o f black lef t o n m y
skin still . Stan d over! '
Then th e Ethiopian put hi s five fingers close to-
gether (ther e wa s plent y o f blac k lef t o n hi s ne w
skin still ) an d presse d the m al l over th e Leopard ,
and wherever the five fingers touched they lef t five
little blac k marks , al l clos e together . Yo u ca n see
them on any Leopard's ski n you like, Best Beloved.
Sometimes the fingers slipped an d the mark s got a
little blurred; but if you look closely at any Leopard
 How th e Leopar d go t hi s Spot s 4 3
now yo u wil l see that there are always five spots—
off fiv e fa t blac k finger-tips .
"Now you are a beauty!' said the Ethiopian. 'Yo u
can lie out o n the bare ground an d look lik e a heap
of pebbles. You can lie out o n the naked rocks an d
look lik e a piece of pudding-stone. Yo u ca n lie ou t
on a leaf y branc h an d loo k lik e sunshin e siftin g
through th e leaves; and you ca n lie right acros s the
centre of a path and look lik e nothing i n particular.
Think o f tha t an d purr!'
'But if Fm all this/ said the Leopard, Vhy didn' t
you g o spotty too? '
c
Oh, plai n black' s bes t fo r a nigger,'" " sai d th e
Ethiopian. c Now com e alon g an d we'l l se e i f w e
can't ge t even wit h M r One-Two-Three-Where's -
your-Breakfast!'

So they wen t awa y and live d happily eve r after -

ward, Bes t Beloved. Tha t i s all.
Oh, no w and then you wil l hear grown-ups say ,
'Can the Ethiopian chang e his skin or the Leopar d
his spots?'" " I don' t thin k eve n grown-up s woul d
keep on saying such a silly thing if the Leopard an d
the Ethiopia n hadn' t don e i t once—d o you ? Bu t
they wil l never d o i t again, Best Beloved. They ar e
quite contente d a s they are .
THIS is the picture of the Leopar d an d the Ethiopian afte r
they had taken Wise Baviaan's advice and the Leopar d had
gone int o othe r spot s an d th e Ethiopia n ha d change d his
skin. Th e Ethiopia n wa s reall y a negro, an d s o hi s nam e
was Sambo. * Th e Leopar d wa s calle d Spots , an d h e ha s
been calle d Spot s eve r since . They ar e ou t huntin g i n th e
spickly-speckly forest , an d the y ar e looking fo r M r One -
Two-Three-Where's-your-Breakfast. If you look a little you
will se e Mr One-Two-Thre e no t fa r away. The Ethiopia n
has hidden behind a splotchy-blotchy tre e because it matches
his skin, an d the Leopar d i s lying beside a spickly-speckl y
bank of stones because it matches his spots. Mr One-Two-
Three-Where's-your-Breakfast i s standing up eatin g leaves
from a tall tree. This i s really a puzzle-picture lik e *Find -
the-Cat.'*
I A M the Mos t Wis e Baviaan , saying i n mos t wis e tones,
'Let u s melt int o th e landscape—jus t u s two b y ou r lones. '
People hav e come—in a carriage—calling. But Mumm y is
there....
Yes, I ca n go if you tak e me—Nurse say s she don't care .
Let's g o up t o th e pig-stie s an d si t on th e farmyar d rails !
Let's sa y things t o th e bunnies , an d watch 'e m skitte r thei r
tails!
Let's—oh, anything, daddy , s o lon g as it's yo u an d me,
And goin g trul y exploring , an d no t bein g in till tea !
Here's your boot s (I'v e brough t 'em) , an d here's you r cap
and stick ,
And here' s you r pip e an d tobacco . Oh , com e along out of
it—quick!
 THE ELEPHANT' S CHIL D

N the High and Far-Of f

Times the Elephant, O
Best Beloved , ha d n o
trunk. H e ha d onl y a
blackish, bulg y nose ,
as bi g a s a boot , tha t
he could wriggle about
from sid e to side ; bu t
he couldn' t pic k u p
things wit h it . Bu t
there wa s on e Ele -
phant—a new Elephant—an Elephant's Child—who
was ful l o f 'satiabl e curtiosity , an d tha t mean s h e
asked eve r s o man y questions . An d h e live d i n
Africa, an d h e fille d al l Afric a wit h hi s 'satiabl e
curtiosities. He asked his tall aunt, the Ostrich, wh y
her tail-feather s gre w just so , and his tall aun t th e
Ostrich spanked hi m with he r hard, hard claw. He
asked his tall uncle, the Giraffe, wha t made his skin
spotty, and his tall uncle, th e Giraffe , spanke d him
with hi s hard , har d hoof . An d stil l h e wa s ful l o f
'satiable curtiosity ! H e aske d hi s broa d aunt , th e
Hippopotamus, wh y he r eye s wer e red , an d hi s
48 Jus t S o Storie s
broad aunt , th e Hippopotamus, spanked hi m wit h
her broad, broad hoof; and he asked his hairy uncle,
the Baboon, why melons tasted just so, and his hairy
uncle, the Baboon, spanked him with his hairy, hairy
paw. And still he was full of 'satiable curtiosity! H e
asked question s abou t everythin g tha t h e saw , o r
heard, or felt, or smelt, or touched, and all his uncles
and his aunts spanked him. And stil l he was full of
'satiable curtiosity !
One fin e mornin g i n th e middl e o f th e Preces -
sion of the Equinoxes this 'satiable Elephant's Chil d
asked a new fine question tha t h e had neve r asked
before. H e asked , 'Wha t doe s th e Crocodil e hav e
for dinner? ' Then everybody said, cHush!' in a loud
and dretfu l tone , an d the y spanke d hi m immedi -
ately and directly, without stopping , for a long time.
By and by, when that was finished, he came upon
Kolokolo Bird" " sitting in the middle of a wait-a-bit
thorn-bush, an d h e said , 'M y fathe r ha s spanke d
me, and m y mothe r ha s spanke d me ; all my aunt s
and uncle s hav e spanke d m e fo r m y 'satiabl e
curtiosity; and still I want to know what the Croco-
dile ha s for dinner! '
Then Kolokol o Bir d said , with a mournful cry ,
'Go t o th e bank s o f th e grea t grey-green , greas y
Limpopo River, all set about with fever-trees,"" and
find out.'
That very next morning, when there was nothing
left o f th e Equinoxes , becaus e th e Precessio n ha d
preceded accordin g t o precedent , thi s 'satiabl e
 The Elephant' s Chil d 4 9
Elephant's Chil d too k a hundre d pound s o f
bananas (the little shor t re d kind),* and a hundred
pounds o f sugar-can e (th e lon g purpl e kind) , an d
seventeen melons (the greeny-crackly kind), and said
to al l his dea r families , c Good-bye. I a m goin g t o
the grea t grey-green, greasy Limpopo River , all set
about with fever-trees, to find out what the Croco-
dile has for dinner.' And they all spanked him once
more for luck, though h e asked them most politel y
to stop .
Then h e went away , a little warm, but no t a t all
astonished, eatin g melons, an d throwin g th e rin d
about, becaus e he coul d no t pic k i t up .
He wen t fro m Graham' s Tow n t o Kimberley,
and fro m Kimberle y t o Khama' s Country, * an d
from Khama' s Country h e went east by north, eat -
ing melon s al l the time , til l a t las t h e cam e to th e
banks o f th e grea t grey-green , greas y Limpop o
River, al l se t abou t wit h fever-trees , precisel y a s
Kolokolo Bir d ha d said .
Now yo u mus t kno w an d understand , O Bes t
Beloved, that till that very week, and day, and hour,
and minute, this 'satiable Elephant's Chil d had never
seen a Crocodile, and did not kno w wha t on e was
like. I t wa s al l his 'satiabl e curtiosity .
The first thing that he found was a Bi-Coloured-
Python-Rock-Snake curle d roun d a rock .
"Scuse me, ' sai d th e Elephant' s Chil d mos t
politely, 'but have you seen such a thing as a Croco-
dile in thes e promiscuous parts? '
50 Jus t S o Stories
'Have I seen a Crocodile?' said the Bi-Coloured-
Python-Rock-Snake, i n a voic e o f dretfu l scorn .
'What wil l yo u as k me next? *
"Scuse me/ said the Elephant's Child, 'but could
you kindl y tel l m e what h e ha s for dinner? '
Then th e Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snak e
uncoiled himsel f very quickl y fro m th e rock , an d
spanked th e Elephant' s Chil d wit h hi s scalesome,
flailsome tail.
'That is odd,' said the Elephant's Child , 'becaus e
my fathe r an d m y mother , an d m y uncl e an d m y
aunt, no t t o mentio n m y othe r aunt , th e Hippo -
potamus, and my other uncle, the Baboon, have all
spanked me for my 'satiable curtiosity—and I sup-
pose thi s i s the sam e thing.'
So h e sai d good-by e ver y politel y t o th e Bi -
Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake, an d helpe d t o coi l
him u p o n th e roc k again , an d wen t on , a littl e
warm, but no t a t all astonished, eating melons, and
throwing the rind about, because he could not pick
it up, til l he trod o n what h e thought wa s a log of
wood at the very edge of the great grey-green, greasy
Limpopo River , al l set abou t wit h fever-trees .
But it was really the Crocodile, O Bes t Beloved,
and th e Crocodil e winke d on e eye—lik e this !
"Scuse me, ' sai d the Elephant' s Chil d mos t po -
litely, 'but do you happen to have seen a Crocodil e
in thes e promiscuous parts? '
Then th e Crocodil e winke d th e othe r eye , an d
 The Elephant' s Chil d 5 1
lifted hal f his tail out of the mud; and the Elephant's
Child steppe d bac k mos t politely , becaus e he di d
not wis h t o b e spanked again.
'Come hither , Littl e One / sai d th e Crocodile .
'Why d o yo u as k such things? '
°Scuse me / sai d the Elephant' s Chil d mos t po -
litely, 'bu t m y fathe r ha s spanked me , my mothe r
has spanke d me , not t o mentio n m y tal l aunt, th e
Ostrich, an d m y tal l uncle , th e Giraffe , wh o ca n
kick eve r s o hard , a s well a s m y broa d aunt , th e
Hippopotamus, an d m y hair y uncle , th e Baboon ,
and including the Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake,
with the scalesome, flailsome tail , just up the bank,
who spank s harder than any o f them; and so, if it's
quite all the same to you, I don't want to be spanked
any more. '
'Come hither , Littl e One / sai d th e Crocodile ,
'for I a m th e Crocodile / an d h e wep t crocodile -
tears t o sho w i t wa s quite true .
Then th e Elephant' s Chil d gre w al l breathless,
and panted , an d kneele d dow n o n th e ban k an d
said, 'You are the very person I have been looking
for al l these long days. Will you please tell me what
you hav e for dinner? '
'Come hither , Littl e One / sai d th e Crocodile ,
'and I'l l whisper. '
Then th e Elephant' s Chil d pu t hi s hea d dow n
close to th e Crocodile's musky , tusky mouth , and
the Crocodil e caugh t him by hi s little nose, which
52 Jus t S o Storie s
up t o tha t ver y week, day , hour , an d minute , had
been n o bigge r tha n a boot , thoug h muc h mor e
useful.
'I think / sai d the Crocodile—an d h e sai d it be -
tween hi s teeth , lik e this— CI thin k to-da y I wil l
begin wit h Elephant' s Child! '
At this , O Bes t Beloved , th e Elephant' s Chil d
was much annoyed, and h e said, speaking through
his nose , lik e this, Te d go ! You ar e hurtig be! '
Then th e Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snak e
scuffled dow n fro m th e ban k and said, c My young
friend, if you do not now , immediatel y and in-
stantly, pull as hard as ever you can , it is my opin -
ion tha t you r acquaintanc e in th e large-patter n
leather ulster' (and by this he meant the Crocodile)
'will jerk you into yonder limpid stream before you
can sa y Jack Robinson.'
This i s th e wa y Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock -
Snakes alway s talk.
Then th e Elephant' s Chil d sa t back on hi s little
haunches, an d pulled , an d pulled , an d pulled , an d
his nos e bega n t o stretch . An d th e Crocodil e
floundered into the water, making it all creamy with
great sweep s of hi s tail, an d h e pulled, an d pulled ,
and pulled .
And the Elephant's Child's nose kept on stretch-
ing; an d th e Elephant' s Chil d sprea d al l hi s littl e
four leg s an d pulled , an d pulled , an d pulled , an d
his nos e kep t o n stretching ; an d th e Crocodil e
 The Elephant' s Chil d 5 3
threshed hi s tai l lik e a n oar , an d h e pulled , an d
pulled, an d pulled, and a t each pull the Elephant' s
Child's nos e gre w longer an d longer—an d i t hur t
him hijjus! *
Then th e Elephant' s Chil d fel t hi s legs slipping,
and he said through his nose, which was now nearly
five fee t long , 'This i s too butc h for be! '
Then the Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake came
down fro m th e bank , an d knotte d himsel f i n a
double-clove-hitch roun d th e Elephant' s Child' s
hind-legs, and said, 'Rash and inexperienced travel-
ler, w e wil l no w seriousl y devot e ourselve s to a
little hig h tension, becaus e i f w e d o not , i t i s m y
impression that yonder self-propelling man-of-war
with th e armour-plate d upper deck ' (an d b y this ,
O Bes t Beloved, he meant the Crocodile) 'will per-
manently vitiat e your futur e career. '
That i s th e wa y al l Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-
Snakes alway s talk.
So h e pulled , an d th e Elephant' s Chil d pulled ,
and the Crocodile pulled; but th e Elephant's Child
and th e Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snak e pulle d
hardest; and at last the Crocodil e le t go of the Ele-
phant's Child' s nos e wit h a plo p tha t yo u coul d
hear al l up an d dow n th e Limpopo .
Then th e Elephant' s Chil d sa t down mos t hard
and sudden ; bu t firs t h e was careful t o sa y 'Thank
you' to th e Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake; an d
next h e wa s kin d t o hi s poo r pulle d nose , an d
54 Jus t S o Stories
wrapped i t al l up i n coo l banan a leaves, and hung
it in the great grey-green, greasy Limpopo to cool .
'What ar e yo u doin g tha t for? ' sai d th e Bi -
Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake.
°Scuse me / sai d th e Elephant' s Child , 'bu t m y
nose is badly out o f shape, and I am waiting for i t
to shrink /
'Then you will have to wait a long time/ said the
Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake. 'Some people do
not kno w what i s good fo r them /
The Elephant' s Chil d sa t ther e fo r thre e day s
waiting fo r hi s nos e t o shrink . Bu t i t neve r grew
any shorter , and, besides, it made him squint. For ,
O Bes t Beloved , you wil l se e and understand tha t
the Crocodil e ha d pulled i t ou t int o a really trul y
trunk sam e a s all Elephants hav e to-day .
At the en d of the third day a fly came and stung
him o n th e shoulder , an d before he knew what he
was doin g h e lifte d u p hi s trun k an d hi t tha t fl y
dead wit h th e en d o f it .
"Vantage numbe r one! ' sai d th e Bi-Coloured -
Python-Rock-Snake. 'You couldn't have done that
with a mere-smear nose. Tr y an d eat a little now/
Before h e though t wha t h e wa s doin g th e Ele -
phant's Child put out his trunk and plucked a large
bundle o f grass , duste d i t clea n agains t hi s fore -
legs, an d stuffe d i t int o hi s own mouth .
"Vantage numbe r two! ' sai d th e Bi-Coloured -
Python-Rock-Snake. 'Yo u couldn't have done that
 The Elephant' s Chil d 5 5
with a mere-smear nose. Don' t yo u thin k th e sun
is very ho t here? '
'It is / sai d th e Elephant' s Child , an d befor e he
thought wha t h e wa s doing h e schloope d u p a
schloop o f mud fro m th e bank s of the grea t grey-
green, greasy Limpopo, and slapped it on his head,
where it mad e a cool schloopy-slosh y mud-ca p all
trickly behin d his ears.
"Vantage numbe r three!' sai d th e Bi-Coloured -
Python-Rock-Snake. 'You couldn't hav e done that
with a mere-smea r nose . No w ho w d o yo u fee l
about bein g spanked again? '
°Scuse me, ' sai d th e Elephant' s Child , "bu t I
should no t lik e it a t all. '
'How would you like to span k somebody?' said
the Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake .
"I should like it very much indeed,' said the Ele-
phant's Child .
'Well,' said the Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake ,
'you will find that new nose of yours very useful t o
spank people with.'
'Thank you, ' sai d the Elephant' s Child , Ti l re-
member that ; an d now I think I'l l g o home t o all
my dea r families an d try.'
So the Elephant's Child went home across Africa
frisking an d whiskin g hi s trunk. Whe n h e wanted
fruit t o eat he pulled fruit dow n from a tree, instead
of waitin g for i t t o fal l a s he used t o do . Whe n he
wanted grass he plucked grass up from th e ground ,
THIS i s th e Elephant' s Child * havin g his nos e pulle d b y
the Crocodile . H e i s muc h surprise d an d astonishe d an d
hurt, an d h e i s talking throug h hi s nos e an d saying , 'Led
go! You ar e hurtig be!' He i s pulling very hard , an d s o is
the Crocodile; but the Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake i s
hurrying throug h th e wate r to hel p the Elephant's Child .
All tha t blac k stuf f i s th e bank s o f th e grea t grey-green,
greasy Limpopo River (but I am not allowed to paint these
pictures), and the bottly-tree with the twisty roots an d the
eight leave s i s one o f th e feve r tree s tha t gro w there .
Underneath the truly picture are shadows of African ani-
mals walking into an African ark . There ar e two lions , two
ostriches, two oxen, two camels, two sheep, and two othe r
things that look like rats, but I think they are rock-rabbits.
They don't mean anything. I put them in because I thought
they looke d pretty . The y woul d loo k ver y fin e i f I wer e
allowed t o pain t them .
58 Jus t S o Stories
instead o f goin g o n hi s knee s a s h e use d t o do .
When th e flie s bi t hi m h e brok e of f the branc h of
a tree and used it as a fly-whisk; and he made him-
self a new, cool, slushy-sqush y mud-ca p wheneve r
the su n wa s hot . Whe n h e fel t lonel y walkin g
through Afric a h e sang to himsel f down hi s trunk ,
and th e nois e wa s loude r tha n severa l bras s
bands. He wen t especiall y out o f his way to find a
broad Hippopotamu s (sh e was no relatio n o f his),
and h e spanke d he r ver y hard , t o mak e sur e tha t
the Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snak e ha d spoke n
the truth abou t his new trunk. The rest of the time
he picked up th e melon rinds tha t h e had droppe d
on hi s wa y t o th e Limpopo—fo r h e wa s a Tid y
Pachyderm.
One dar k evenin g h e cam e back t o al l his dea r
families, and he coiled up his trunk an d said, 'How
do yo u do? ' They wer e very gla d t o se e him, and
immediately said , 'Com e her e an d b e spanke d fo r
your 'satiabl e curtiosity. '
'Pooh,' said the Elephant's Child . ' I don't thin k
you peoples kno w anythin g about spanking ; but /
do, and I'll sho w you. '
Then h e uncurled his trunk an d knocked tw o of
his dea r brother s hea d ove r heels .
'O Bananas!' said they, 'where did you learn that
trick, an d what hav e you don e t o you r nose? '
'I got a new one from the Crocodile on the banks
of the great grey-green, greasy Limpopo River,' said
 The Elephant' s Chil d 5 9
the Elephant's Child. 'I asked him what he had for
dinner, an d h e gav e m e this t o keep /
'It look s ver y ugly / sai d hi s hair y uncle , th e
Baboon.
c
lt does/ said the Elephant's Child. 'But it's ver y
useful/ an d h e picked u p hi s hair y uncle , th e Ba -
boon, b y on e hair y leg , and hov e hi m int o a hor -
net's nest .
Then tha t ba d Elephant' s Chil d spanke d al l his
dear familie s fo r a lon g time , til l the y wer e ver y
warm and greatly astonished. He pulled out his tall
Ostrich aunt' s tail-feathers ; and h e caugh t hi s tall
uncle, the Giraffe, b y the hind-leg, and dragged him
through a thorn-bush; an d he shouted a t his broad
aunt, the Hippopotamus, and blew bubbles into her
ear when she was sleeping in the water afte r meals;
but h e neve r let an y on e touc h Kolokol o Bird .
At last things grew so exciting that his dear fami-
lies went of f one by on e in a hurry t o th e bank s of
the grea t grey-green, greasy Limpopo River , all set
about wit h fever-trees , to borro w ne w noses fro m
the Crocodile . Whe n the y cam e bac k nobod y
spanked anybod y an y more;'" " an d eve r sinc e tha t
day, O Bes t Beloved , al l th e Elephant s yo u wil l
ever see , beside s al l thos e tha t yo u won't , hav e
trunks precisely like the trun k o f the 'satiabl e Ele-
phant's Child .
THIS is just a picture of the Elephant's Child going to pull
bananas off a banana-tree after h e had got his fine new long
trunk. I don't think it is a very nice picture; but I couldn' t
make it any better, because elephants and bananas are hard
to draw . Th e streak y thing s behin d th e Elephant' s Chil d
mean squogg y marsh y countr y somewher e i n Africa . The
Elephant's Chil d mad e most o f hi s mud-cake s out o f th e
mud that he found there . I think it would look better if you
painted the banana-tree green and the Elephant's Child red.
I KEE P si x honest serving-men *
(They taugh t m e all I knew) ;
Their name s ar e What an d Why an d Whe n
And Ho w an d Where an d Who .
I sen d the m ove r lan d an d sea ,
I sen d the m eas t an d west ;
But afte r the y hav e worked fo r me ,
7 give them al l a rest.
/ le t them res t fro m nin e til l five,
For I a m busy then ,
As wel l a s breakfast, lunch, an d tea ,
For the y ar e hungry men :
But differen t fol k hav e differen t views ;
I kno w a person small —
She keeps te n millio n serving-men ,
Who ge t no res t a t all !
She sends 'e m abroa d o n he r ow n affairs ,
From th e secon d sh e opens he r eyes —
One millio n Hows, two millio n Wheres,
And seve n million Whys !
 THE SING-SON G O F
OLD MA N KANGARO O

OT alway s wa s th e Kanga -
roo a s no w w e d o be -
hold him, but a Different
Animal wit h fou r shor t
legs. H e wa s gre y an d
he wa s woolly , an d hi s
pride was inordinate: he
danced on an outcrop i n
the middl e of Australia,
and he went to the Little
God Nqa. *
He wen t t o Nq a a t six before breakfast, saying,
"Make m e differen t fro m al l other animal s by fiv e
this afternoon /
Up jumpe d Nq a fro m hi s sea t o n th e sand-flat
and shouted , 'G o away! '
He wa s gre y an d h e wa s woolly , an d hi s prid e
was inordinate : h e dance d o n a rock-ledg e i n th e
middle o f Australia , an d h e wen t t o th e Middl e
God Nquing .
He wen t t o Nquin g a t eigh t afte r breakfast ,
saying, 'Mak e m e differen t fro m al l other animals ;
64 Jus t S o Storie s
make me , also , wonderfull y popula r b y fiv e thi s
afternoon/
Up jumpe d Nquin g fro m hi s burro w i n th e
spinifex an d shouted , 'G o away. f>
He wa s gre y an d h e was woolly, an d hi s prid e
was inordinate : h e dance d o n a sandban k i n th e
middle o f Australia , an d h e wen t t o th e Bi g Go d
Nqong.
He wen t t o Nqon g a t te n befor e dinner-time ,
saying, 'Mak e m e differen t fro m al l other animals;
make me popular an d wonderfully run afte r b y five
this afternoon /
Up jumpe d Nqong fro m hi s bath in the salt-pan
and shouted , 'Yes , I will!'
Nqong calle d Dingo—Yellow-Do g Dingo —
always hungry, dust y i n the sunshine , and showed
him Kangaroo . Nqon g said , 'Dingo ! Wak e up ,
Dingo! D o yo u se e that gentlema n dancing on a n
ashpit? He wants to be popular an d very truly ru n
after. Dingo , mak e him so P
Up jumpe d Dingo—Yellow-Do g Dingo—an d
said, 'What , that cat-rabbit? '
Off ra n Dingo—Yellow-Do g Dingo—alway s
hungry, grinnin g lik e a coal-scuttle,—ra n afte r
Kangaroo.
Off wen t th e prou d Kangaro o o n hi s four littl e
legs lik e a bunny .
This, O Belove d o f mine , end s th e firs t par t of
the tale !
 Old Ma n Kangaro o 6 5
He ra n throug h th e desert ; h e ra n throug h th e
mountains; h e ra n throug h th e salt-pans ; h e ra n
through th e reed-beds ; h e ra n throug h th e blu e
gums; h e ra n throug h th e spinifex ; he ra n til l hi s
front leg s ached .
He ha d to!
Still ra n Dingo—Yellow-Do g Dingo—alway s
hungry, grinning like a rat-trap, never getting nearer,
never gettin g farther,—ran afte r Kangaroo .
He ha d to!
Still ran Kangaroo—Old Man Kangaroo. He ran
through the ti-trees;* he ran through the mulga; he
ran through the long grass; he ran through the short
grass; he ran through the Tropics o f Capricorn an d
Cancer;* he ra n til l hi s hin d leg s ached.
He ha d to!
Still ra n Dingo—Yellow-Do g Dingo—hungrie r
and hungrier , grinnin g lik e a horse-collar , neve r
getting nearer, never getting farther; and they came
to th e Wollgon g River/" "
Now, ther e wasn't an y bridge, and there wasn' t
any ferry-boat, and Kangaroo didn't know how to
get over ; s o h e stoo d o n hi s leg s and hopped .
He ha d to!
He hoppe d throug h th e Flinders;'" " h e hoppe d
through the Cinders; he hopped through the deserts
in th e middl e o f Australia . H e hoppe d lik e a
Kangaroo.
First h e hopped on e yard; then h e hopped thre e
THIS is a picture o f Old Ma n Kangaroo* when h e was the
Different Anima l with fou r shor t legs . I hav e draw n hi m
grey an d woolly , an d yo u ca n se e that h e i s ver y prou d
because he has a wreath of flowers in his hair. H e i s danc-
ing on an outcrop (that mean s a ledge of rock) in the mid -
dle of Australia at six o'clock before breakfast. You ca n see
that it is six o'clock, becaus e the sun is just getting up. Th e
thing with the ears and the open mouth i s Little God Nqa .
Nqa i s very muc h surprised , becaus e he ha s neve r see n a
Kangaroo danc e lik e tha t before . Littl e Go d Nq a i s jus t
saying, 'G o away, ' bu t th e Kangaro o i s s o bus y dancin g
that h e has not hear d hi m yet .
The Kangaro o hasn't an y real name except Boomer. H e
lost i t becaus e he was so proud.
68 Jus t S o Stories
yards; then he hopped five yards; his legs growing
stronger; hi s leg s growin g longer . H e hadn' t an y
time fo r res t o r refreshment , and h e wanted the m
very much .
Still ran Dingo—Yellow-Dog Dingo—very much
bewildered, very much hungry, and wondering what
in the world o r ou t o f it made Old Ma n Kangaroo
hop.
For he hopped like a cricket; like a pea in a sauce-
pan; o r a new rubbe r bal l o n a nursery floor .
He ha d to!
He tucke d u p hi s fron t legs ; he hoppe d o n hi s
hind legs; he stuck out hi s tail for a balance-weight
behind him ; an d h e hoppe d throug h th e Darlin g
Downs.""
He ha d to !
Still ran Dingo—Tired-Dog Dingo—hungrier and
hungrier, ver y muc h bewildered , an d wonderin g
when i n th e worl d o r ou t o f i t woul d Ol d Ma n
Kangaroo stop .
Then came Nqong fro m hi s bath in the salt-pans,
and said , 'It's five o'clock/
Down sa t Dingo—Poor-Do g Dingo—alway s
hungry, dusty in the sunshine; hung out his tongue
and howled .
Down sat Kangaroo—Old Man Kangaroo—stuck
out hi s tai l lik e a milking-stoo l behin d him , an d
said, 'Than k goodnes s that's finished! '
 Old Ma n Kangaro o 6 9
Then sai d Nqong , wh o i s alway s a gentleman ,
'Why aren' t yo u gratefu l t o Yellow-Do g Dingo ?
Why don' t yo u than k hi m for al l he has done fo r
you?'
Then sai d Kangaroo—Tire d Ol d Kangaroo —
'He's chase d m e ou t o f th e home s o f m y child -
hood; he's chased me out of my regular meal-times;
he's altere d my shap e so I'll neve r get it back; and
he's playe d Ol d Scratch" " with m y legs.'
Then sai d Nqong , Terhap s I' m mistaken , bu t
didn't yo u as k me to mak e you differen t fro m al l
other animals , as well a s t o mak e you ver y trul y
sought after ? An d no w i t i s five o'clock.'
'Yes,' sai d Kangaroo . ' I wis h tha t I hadn't . I
thought yo u woul d d o i t b y charm s an d incanta -
tions, bu t thi s i s a practical joke.'
'Joke!' sai d Nqong , fro m hi s bat h i n th e blu e
gums. 'Say that again and I'll whistle up Dingo and
run you r hin d leg s off. '
'No,' said the Kangaroo. 'I must apologise. Legs
are legs , and yo u needn' t alte r 'e m s o fa r a s I a m
concerned. I only mean t to explai n to You r Lord -
liness tha t I'v e ha d nothin g t o ea t sinc e morning ,
and I' m ver y empt y indeed. '
'Yes,' sai d Dingo—Yellow-Do g Dingo,—' I a m
just i n th e sam e situation. I'v e mad e him differen t
from all other animals; but what may I have for my
tea?'
THIS i s th e pictur e o f Ol d Ma n Kangaro o at five in th e
afternoon, whe n h e had go t hi s beautiful hind leg s just as
Big God Nqon g ha d promised . Yo u ca n see that it i s five
o'clock, because Big God Nqong' s pet tame clock says so.
That i s Nqong, in his bath, stickin g his feet out . Ol d Man
Kangaroo is being rude to Yellow-Dog Dingo. Yellow-Dog
Dingo ha s been trying t o catc h Kangaroo all across Aus-
tralia. You ca n se e the mark s of Kangaroo' s bi g ne w fee t
running eve r s o fa r bac k ove r th e bar e hills. Yellow-Dog
Dingo i s drawn black , becaus e I am not allowe d t o pain t
these pictures wit h rea l colours ou t o f the paint-box ; and
besides, Yellow-Dog Dingo got dreadfully blac k and dusty
after runnin g throug h th e Flinder s an d the Cinders .
I don' t kno w th e name s of the flower s growin g round
Nqong's bath. The two little squatty things out in the desert
are the othe r tw o god s tha t Ol d Ma n Kangaroo spoke t o
early in th e morning . Tha t thin g with th e letter s on it * is
Old Ma n Kangaroo's pouch . He ha d to have a pouch just
as he ha d t o hav e legs.
72 Jus t S o Storie s
Then sai d Nqong fro m hi s bath in the salt-pan ,
'Come an d as k m e abou t i t to-morrow , becaus e
Fm goin g t o wash/
So they were left i n the middle of Australia, Ol d
Man Kangaro o an d Yellow-Do g Dingo , an d eac h
said, 'That' s your fault /
TH!S i s the mouth-fillin g song
Of th e rac e that wa s run b y a Boomer ,
Run i n a single burst—only even t o f it s kind —
Started b y Bi g God Nqon g fro m Warrigaborrigarooma, *
Old Ma n Kangaro o first: Yellow-Dog Ding o behind .
Kangaroo bounde d away ,
His back-leg s working lik e pistons—
Bounded fro m mornin g til l dark ,
Twenty-five fee t t o a bound .
Yellow-Dog Ding o la y
Like a yellow clou d i n th e distance—
Much to o bus y t o bark .
My! but the y covere d th e ground !
Nobody know s wher e the y went ,
Or followe d th e trac k tha t the y fle w in ,
For tha t Continen t
Hadn't bee n give n a name.
They ra n thirt y degrees ,
From Torre s Strait s t o th e Leeuwi n
(Look a t th e Atlas , please),
And the y ra n bac k a s they came .
S'posing yo u coul d tro t
From Adelaid e to th e Pacific,
For a n afternoon' s run —
Half wha t thes e gentleme n did —
You woul d fee l rathe r hot ,
But you r leg s would develo p terrific —
Yes, my importunat e son ,
You'd b e a Marvellous Kid !
This page intentionally left blank
 THE BEGINNIN G O F TH E
ARMADILLOES

HIS, O Bes t Beloved , i s

another stor y o f th e
High an d Far-Of f
Times. I n th e ver y
middle o f thos e time s
was a Stickly-Prickl y
Hedgehog, and he lived
on th e bank s o f th e
turbid Amazon , eatin g
shelly snails and things.
And h e ha d a friend, a
Slow-Solid Tortoise , who lived on the banks of th e
turbid Amazon , eatin g gree n lettuce s an d things .
And so that was all right, Best Beloved. Do you see ?
But also, and at the same time, in those High and
Far-Off Times , ther e was a Painted Jaguar, and he
lived o n th e bank s of the turbi d Amazo n too ; an d
he ate everything that he could catch. When he could
not catc h deer or monkey s h e would ea t frogs an d
beetles; an d whe n h e coul d no t catc h frog s an d
beetles he went t o hi s Mother Jaguar, and she told
him ho w t o ea t hedgehogs an d tortoises .
76 Jus t S o Storie s
She sai d t o hi m eve r s o man y times , graciousl y
waving her tail, 'My son, when you fin d a Hedge -
hog you must drop hi m into the water and then he
will uncoil , an d whe n yo u catc h a Tortois e yo u
must scoo p hi m ou t o f hi s shel l wit h you r paw /
And s o tha t wa s al l right, Bes t Beloved .
One beautifu l nigh t o n th e bank s o f th e turbi d
Amazon, Painte d Jagua r foun d Stickly-Prickl y
Hedgehog an d Slow-Soli d Tortois e sittin g unde r
the trunk of a fallen tree. They could not run away ,
and so Stickly-Prickly curle d himself up into a ball,
because h e wa s a Hedgehog, an d Slow-Soli d Tor -
toise drew i n hi s head and fee t int o hi s shel l as far
as the y woul d go , becaus e he wa s a Tortoise; an d
so that wa s al l right, Bes t Beloved. Do yo u see ?
c
Now attend to me/ said Painted Jaguar, 'because
this is very important. My mother said that when I
meet a Hedgehog I am to dro p him into the water
and then he will uncoil, and when I meet a Tortoise
I a m to scoo p hi m ou t o f hi s shel l wit h m y paw .
Now whic h o f yo u i s Hedgeho g an d whic h i s
Tortoise? because , to sav e m y spots , I can' t tell /
'Are you sur e of what you r Mumm y told you? '
said Stickly-Prickly Hedgehog . 'Are you quite sure?
Perhaps sh e sai d tha t whe n yo u uncoi l a Tortois e
you mus t shel l him out o f the water with a scoop ,
and whe n yo u pa w a Hedgeho g yo u mus t dro p
him o n th e shell /
'Are you sur e of what your Mumm y told you? '
 The Beginnin g o f th e Armadilloe s 7 7
said Slow-and-Solid Tortoise. 'Ar e you quit e sure?
Perhaps she said that when you wate r a Hedgehog
you mus t drop hi m into you r paw , and when yo u
meet a Tortoise yo u mus t shell him till he uncoils/
'I don' t think i t was at all like that/ said Painted
Jaguar, but h e felt a little puzzled; c but, please, say
it agai n more distinctly /
'When yo u scoo p wate r wit h you r pa w yo u
uncoil i t wit h a Hedgehog / sai d Stickly-Prickly .
'Remember that , becaus e it's important /
'But,' sai d the Tortoise, 'whe n you paw your meat
you drop it into a Tortoise with a scoop. Why can' t
you understand? '
'You ar e makin g m y spot s ache / sai d Painte d
Jaguar; 'an d besides , I didn' t wan t you r advic e at
all. I only wanted to know which of you i s Hedge-
hog an d whic h i s Tortoise/
'I shan' t tel l you/ sai d Stickly-Prickly. 'Bu t you
can scoo p m e ou t o f m y shel l if you like /
'Aha!' said Painted Jaguar. 'Now I know you'r e
Tortoise. Yo u though t I wouldn't ! No w I will /
Painted Jagua r darte d ou t hi s paddy-pa w jus t a s
Stickly-Prickly curle d himsel f up , an d o f cours e
Jaguar's paddy-pa w wa s jus t fille d wit h prickles .
Worse tha n that, h e knocked Stickly-Prickl y away
and awa y into th e woods an d the bushes , where it
was too dar k to find him. Then h e put hi s paddy-
paw into his mouth, and of course the prickles hurt
him worse than ever. As soon a s he could speak he
THIS i s a n incitin g ma p o f th e Turbi d Amazo n don e i n
Red and Black . It hasn' t anythin g to do wit h the stor y
except that there are two Armadilloes in it—up by the top .
The incitin g part ar e the adventure s tha t happene d t o th e
men who wen t alon g the road marke d i n red.* I mean t t o
draw Armadilloe s whe n I bega n the map , an d I mean t t o
draw manatee s an d spider-taile d monkey s an d bi g snake s
and lots o f Jaguars, but i t was more inciting to d o th e map
and th e venturesom e adventure s i n red . Yo u begi n a t th e
bottom left-han d corne r an d follo w th e littl e arrow s al l
about, and then you com e quite roun d agai n to wher e the
adventuresome peopl e wen t hom e i n a shi p calle d th e
Royal Tiger. This is a most adventuresom e picture , an d all
the adventure s ar e tol d abou t i n writing,' " s o yo u ca n b e
quite sur e whic h i s a n adventur e and whic h i s a tree o r a
boat.
8o Jus t S o Stories
said, 'Now I kno w h e isn't Tortois e a t all . But'—
and then he scratched his head with his un-prickly
paw—"how do I know tha t this other i s Tortoise?'
'But I am Tortoise, ' sai d Slow-and-Solid. 'You r
mother wa s quite right . Sh e said tha t yo u wer e t o
scoop m e ou t o f m y shel l with you r paw . Begin. '
'You didn' t sa y she said that a minute ago,' said
Painted Jaguar , suckin g th e prickle s ou t o f hi s
paddy-paw. 'Yo u sai d sh e sai d somethin g quit e
different.'
'Well, suppos e yo u sa y that I sai d tha t sh e said
something quit e different , I don't see that i t makes
any difference ; becaus e if she sai d what yo u sai d I
said she said, it's just the sam e as if I said what she
said sh e said . O n th e othe r hand , i f yo u thin k
she said that yo u wer e to uncoi l m e with a scoop ,
instead o f pawin g m e int o drop s wit h a shell , I
can't hel p that , ca n I?'
'But you sai d yo u wante d t o b e scooped ou t of
your shel l with m y paw,' sai d Painted Jaguar.
'If you'l l think again you'll find that I didn't say
anything o f the kind . I sai d that you r mothe r sai d
that yo u wer e t o scoo p m e out o f m y shell, ' sai d
Slow-and-Solid.
'What will happen if I do?' said the Jaguar most
sniffily an d mos t cautious .
'I don't know , becaus e I've neve r been scoope d
out o f my shel l before ; but I tell you truly , i f you
want to see me swim away you've onl y got to dro p
me into th e water.'
 The Beginnin g o f th e Armadilloe s 8 1
'I don' t believ e it,' sai d Painted Jaguar. 'You've
mixed u p al l the thing s m y mothe r tol d m e to d o
with th e thing s tha t yo u aske d m e whether I was
sure that sh e didn't say , till I don't kno w whethe r
I'm o n m y hea d o r m y painted tail ; an d now yo u
come and tell me something I can understand, an d
it make s m e mor e mix y tha n before . M y mothe r
told m e that I was to drop on e of you tw o into the
water, and as you see m so anxious to b e dropped I
think you don't want to be dropped. S o jump into
the turbi d Amazo n an d be quick abou t it. '
C
I warn you that your Mummy won't be pleased.
Don't tel l her I didn' t tel l you,' sai d Slow-Solid .
'If yo u say another word abou t what my mother
said—' th e Jagua r answered , bu t h e ha d no t fin -
ished th e sentenc e befor e Slow-and-Soli d quietl y
dived int o th e turbi d Amazon , swa m under wate r
for a long way , an d cam e out o n th e ban k where
Stickly-Prickly was waiting for him .
'That wa s a ver y narro w escape, ' sai d Stickly -
Prickly. 'I don't like Painted Jaguar. What did you
tell hi m tha t yo u were? '
'I tol d hi m truthfully tha t I was a truthful Tor -
toise, bu t h e wouldn't believ e it, an d h e mad e me
jump int o th e rive r to se e if I was , and I was, and
he is surprised. Now he' s gon e to tell his Mummy.
Listen t o him! '
They coul d hea r Painte d Jagua r roarin g u p an d
down amon g the tree s an d th e bushe s by th e sid e
of th e turbi d Amazon , til l hi s Mumm y came.
82 Jus t S o Storie s
'Son, son! ' sai d his mothe r eve r so man y times ,
graciously wavin g he r tail , 'wha t hav e yo u bee n
doing tha t yo u shouldn' t hav e done?'
'I tried to scoop somethin g that said it wanted t o
be scoope d ou t o f it s shel l with m y paw , an d m y
paw i s ful l o f per-ickles, ' sai d Painte d Jaguar.
c
Son, son!' sai d hi s mothe r eve r s o man y times ,
graciously waving her tail, c by the prickles i n you r
paddy-paw I see that that must have been a Hedge-
hog. You should have dropped hi m into the water.'
'I did that t o the other thing ; and he said he was
a Tortoise , an d I didn' t believ e him , an d i t wa s
quite true, and he has dived under the turbid Ama-
zon, an d h e won' t com e u p again , an d I haven' t
anything at all to eat, and I think we had better find
lodgings somewher e else . The y ar e to o cleve r o n
the turbi d Amazo n fo r poor me! '
c
Son, son! ' sai d his mothe r eve r so man y times ,
graciously wavin g her tail , 'no w atten d t o m e and
remember wha t I say . A Hedgeho g curl s himself
up into a ball and his prickles stick out ever y which
way at once. By this you may know the Hedgehog.'
'I don' t lik e thi s ol d lad y on e littl e bit, ' sai d
Stickly-Prickly, unde r the shadow of a large leaf. 'I
wonder wha t els e she knows?'
'A Tortoise can' t cur l himself up,' Mother Jaguar
went on , eve r s o man y times , graciousl y wavin g
her tail . 'He only draw s hi s head an d legs into his
shell. B y this yo u ma y know th e Tortoise.'
 The Beginnin g o f th e Armadilloe s 8 3
'I don't like this old lady at all—at all/ said Slow-
and-Solid Tortoise. 'Even Painted Jaguar can't for-
get those directions . It' s a great pity tha t you can' t
swim, Stickly-Prickly. '
'Don't talk to me,' said Stickly-Prickly. 'Jus t think
how muc h better i t would b e if you coul d curl up .
This i s a mess! Liste n t o Painte d Jaguar. '
Painted Jagua r wa s sittin g o n th e bank s o f th e
turbid Amazo n suckin g prickle s ou t o f hi s paw s
and sayin g to himself —
'Can't curl , bu t ca n swim—
Slow-Solid, that' s him !
Curls up , bu t can' t swim —
Stickly-Prickly, that' s him! '
'He'll neve r forge t tha t thi s mont h o f Sundays,'
said Stickly-Prickly . 'Hol d up m y chin, Slow-and-
Solid. I'm goin g to try t o learn to swim . It ma y be
useful.'
'Excellent!' sai d Slow-and-Solid; and he held u p
Stickly-Prickly's chin , while Stickly-Prickly kicked
in th e water s o f th e turbi d Amazon .
'You'll make a fine swimmer yet,' said Slow-and-
Solid. 'Now , i f yo u ca n unlac e m y back-plate s a
little, I'l l se e what I ca n do toward s curlin g up . I t
may b e useful. '
Stickly-Prickly helpe d to unlace Tortoise's back-
plates, s o that b y twistin g an d straining Slow-and -
Solid actuall y manage d to cur l u p a tiddy we e bit .
'Excellent!' said Stickly-Prickly; 'bu t I shouldn't
84 Jus t S o Storie s
do any more just now. It's making you black in the
face. Kindl y lead me into th e water once again and
Pll practis e tha t side-strok e whic h yo u sa y i s s o
easy/ An d s o Stickly-Prickly practised , an d Slow -
Solid swa m alongside.
'Excellent!' sai d Slow-and-Solid . 'A littl e mor e
practice will make you a regular whale.* Now, if I
may trouble you to unlace my back and front plates
two hole s more , I'l l tr y tha t fascinatin g bend tha t
you sa y i s s o easy . Won' t Painte d Jagua r b e
surprised!'
'Excellent!' said Stickly-Prickly, all wet from th e
turbid Amazon . ' I declare , I shouldn' t kno w yo u
from on e o f m y ow n family . Tw o holes , I think ,
you said ? A little more expression, please, and don't
grunt quit e s o much , o r Painte d Jaguar ma y hea r
us. When you'v e finished, I wan t t o tr y tha t lon g
dive which yo u sa y is so easy. Won't Painte d Jag-
uar b e surprised! '
And so Stickly-Prickly dived, and Slow-and-Solid
dived alongside .
'Excellent!' sai d Slow-and-Solid . ' A leetl e mor e
attention t o holdin g you r breat h an d yo u wil l b e
able t o kee p hous e a t th e botto m o f th e turbi d
Amazon. No w I'l l tr y tha t exercis e o f wrappin g
my hin d leg s roun d m y ear s which yo u sa y i s s o
peculiarly comfortable . Won' t Painte d Jagua r b e
surprised!'
'Excellent!' said Stickly-Prickly. 'But it's straining
 The Beginnin g o f th e Armadilloe s 8 5
your back-plate s a little . The y ar e al l overlappin g
now, instea d o f lyin g sid e by side /
'Oh, that's the result o f exercise/ said Slow-and-
Solid. Tv e notice d tha t you r prickle s see m t o b e
melting into on e another, an d that you're growin g
to loo k rathe r mor e lik e a pine-cone, an d les s like
a chestnut-burr , tha n yo u use d to /
'Am I? ' sai d Stickly-Prickly . 'Tha t come s fro m
my soaking in the water. Oh, won't Painted Jaguar
be surprised! '
They wen t o n wit h thei r exercises , each helpin g
the other, till morning came; and when the sun was
high the y reste d an d drie d themselves . Then the y
saw tha t the y wer e bot h o f the m quit e differen t
from wha t the y ha d been .
'Stickly-Prickly,' sai d Tortois e afte r breakfast ,
'I a m not wha t I wa s yesterday; bu t I thin k tha t
I ma y ye t amus e Painted Jaguar /
'That was the very thing I was thinking just now,'
said Stickly-Prickly . ' I thin k scale s ar e a tremen -
dous improvemen t o n prickles—t o sa y nothing of
being abl e t o swim . Oh , won't Painte d Jagua r b e
surprised! Let' s g o and fin d him/
By and by they found Painted Jaguar, still nursing
his paddy-paw that had been hurt th e night before .
He wa s so astonished that he fell thre e times back-
ward ove r hi s ow n painte d tai l without stopping .
'Good morning!' said Stickly-Prickly. 'An d how
is you r dea r graciou s Mumm y thi s morning? '
86 Jus t S o Storie s
'She i s quite well , than k you / sai d Painte d Jag-
uar; 'bu t yo u mus t forgiv e me i f I d o no t a t thi s
precise momen t recal l your name /
"That's unkind of you/ said Stickly-Prickly, 'see -
ing that thi s time yesterday you trie d t o scoo p m e
out o f my shel l with you r paw /
'But yo u hadn' t an y shell . I t wa s al l prickles/
said Painted Jaguar. 'I know it was. Just look at my
paw!'
'You tol d m e to dro p int o th e turbi d Amazo n
and be drowned/ said Slow-Solid. 'Wh y are you so
rude an d forgetfu l to-day? '
'Don't yo u remembe r wha t you r mothe r tol d
you?' sai d Stickly-Prickly, —

'Can't curl , bu t ca n swim—

Stickly-Prickly, that' s him !
Curls up , bu t can' t swim —
Slow-Solid, that' s him! '

Then the y bot h curle d themselves up an d rolled

round and round Painted Jaguar till his eyes turned
truly cart-wheel s i n hi s head.
Then h e went t o fetc h hi s mother .
'Mother/ h e said, 'there are two ne w animals in
the woods to-day, and the one that you said couldn't
swim, swims , an d th e on e tha t yo u sai d couldn' t
curl up, curls; and they've gone shares in their prick-
les, I think, becaus e both o f them are scaly all over,
instead o f on e bein g smoot h an d th e othe r ver y
 The Beginnin g of th e Armadilloe s 8 7
prickly; and , beside s that , the y ar e rollin g roun d
and roun d i n circles , an d I don't fee l comfy /
'Son, son!' said Mother Jaguar ever so many times,
graciously waving her tail, 'a Hedgehog is a Hedge-
hog, an d can't b e anything bu t a Hedgehog; an d a
Tortoise i s a Tortoise, an d ca n neve r b e anythin g
else.'
'But i t isn't a Hedgehog, an d i t isn't a Tortoise.
It's a little bit of both, an d I don't know it s proper
name.'
'Nonsense!' said Mother Jaguar. 'Everything has
its proper name . I shoul d cal l i t "Armadillo " til l I
found ou t the real one. And I should leave it alone.'
So Painte d Jaguar did a s he wa s told , especiall y
about leavin g them alone ; bu t th e curiou s thin g is
that fro m tha t day to this, O Bes t Beloved, no one
on th e bank s of the turbi d Amazo n has ever called
Stickly-Prickly an d Slow-Soli d anythin g excep t
Armadillo. Ther e ar e Hedgehog s an d Tortoise s i n
other places , of cours e (ther e ar e some in m y gar -
den);* bu t th e rea l old an d cleve r kind , wit h thei r
scales lying lippety-lappety on e over the other, lik e
pine-cone scales , tha t live d o n th e bank s o f th e
turbid Amazo n in the High and Far-Off Days , are
always calle d Armadillos , becaus e the y wer e s o
clever.
So that's al l right, Bes t Beloved. Do yo u see ?
THIS is a picture o f the whol e stor y o f the Jaguar and th e
Hedgehog and the Tortoise and the Armadillo all in a heap.
It looks rather the same any way you turn it.* The Tortois e
is in the middle , learning how t o bend, and that is why th e
shelly plates on his back are so spread apart. H e is standing
on th e Hedgehog , wh o i s waiting t o lear n ho w t o swim .
The Hedgehog i s a Japanesy Hedgehog, becaus e I couldn't
find ou r ow n Hedgehog s i n the garde n when I wanted t o
draw them . (I t wa s daytime , an d the y ha d gon e t o be d
under the dahlias.) Speckly Jaguar is looking ove r the edge,
with hi s paddy-pa w carefull y tie d u p b y hi s mother , be -
cause h e pricke d himsel f scoopin g th e Hedgehog . H e i s
much surprise d t o se e what th e Tortois e i s doing, an d hi s
paw is hurtin g him . The snout y thin g wit h the littl e eye
that Speckly Jaguar is trying to climb over is the Armadillo
that th e Tortoise and the Hedgehog ar e going to turn int o
when the y hav e finished bending and swimming . It i s all a
magic picture, an d that is one of the reasons why I haven't
drawn th e Jaguar's whiskers. The othe r reaso n was that he
was s o youn g tha t hi s whiskers ha d no t grown . Th e Jag-
uar's pet nam e with hi s Mummy wa s Doffles .
FVE neve r saile d the Amazon ,
I've neve r reache d Brazil ;
But th e Do n an d Magdalena,*
They ca n go there whe n the y will !
Yes, weekl y fro m Southampton ,
Great steamers , white an d gold ,
Go rollin g dow n t o Rio
(Roll down—rol l dow n t o Rio! )
And F d lik e t o rol l to Ri o
Some da y befor e F m old !

Fve neve r see n a Jaguar,

Nor ye t a n Armadill—
O dilloin g i n his armour,
And I s'pos e I neve r will ,
Unless I g o to Ri o
These wonder s t o behold —
Roll down—rol l dow n t o Rio —
Roll reall y dow n t o Rio !
Oh, F d lov e to rol l t o Rio
Some da y befor e F m old !
 HOW TH E FIRS T LETTE R
WAS WRITTE N

NCE upo n a most earl y

time wa s a Neolithi c
man. He was not a Jute
or a n Angle, o r eve n a
Dravidian, whic h h e
might wel l hav e been ,
Best Beloved, but never
mind why . H e wa s a
Primitive, an d h e lived
cavily in a Cave, and he
wore very few clothes, an d he couldn't read and he
couldn't writ e an d h e didn' t wan t to , an d excep t
when he was hungry he was quite happy. His name
was Tegumai Bopsulai, and that means, 'Man-who-
does-not-put-his-foot-forward-in-a-hurry'; bu t we,
O Bes t Beloved, will cal l him Tegumai , fo r short .
And hi s wife' s nam e wa s Teshuma i Tewindrow ,
and tha t means , c Lady-who-asks-a-very-many-
questions'; bu t we , O Bes t Beloved , wil l cal l he r
Teshumai, fo r short . An d hi s littl e girl-daughter' s
name wa s Taffima i Metallumai , an d tha t means ,
c
Small-person-without-any-manners-who-ought-to-
92 Jus t S o Storie s
be-spanked'; bu t I' m goin g t o cal l he r Taffy . An d
she was Tegumai Bopsulai' s Bes t Beloved an d he r
own Mummy' s Bes t Beloved , an d sh e wa s no t
spanked half as much as was good fo r her; and they
were al l three ver y happy . A s soon a s Taffy coul d
run abou t sh e wen t everywher e wit h he r Dadd y
Tegumai, and sometimes they would not come home
to th e Cav e til l the y wer e hungry , an d the n
Teshumai Tewindro w woul d say , 'Wher e i n th e
world hav e yo u tw o bee n to , t o ge t s o shockin g
dirty? Really , m y Tegumai , you'r e n o bette r tha n
my Taffy. '
Now atten d an d listen !
One da y Tegumai Bopsulai went dow n throug h
the beaver-swamp to the Wagai river to spear carp -
fish for dinner , and Taffy wen t too. Tegumai's spear
was mad e o f woo d wit h shark' s teet h a t th e end ,
and before he had caught any fish at all he acciden-
tally brok e i t clea n acros s b y jabbin g i t dow n to o
hard o n th e botto m o f th e river . The y wer e miles
and miles from home (of course they had their lunch
with them in a little bag), and Tegumai had forgot-
ten t o brin g an y extr a spears .
'Here's a pretty kettl e o f fish!' said Tegumai. 'It
will tak e m e half th e da y t o men d this. '
'There's your big black spear at home,' said Taffy .
'Let m e run bac k to th e Cav e an d ask Mummy t o
give i t me. '
'It's too far for your littl e fat legs,' said Tegumai.
 How th e Firs t Lette r wa s Written 9 3
'Besides, you migh t fall into the beaver-swamp and
be drowned. W e must make the bes t of a bad job/
He sa t down an d too k ou t a little leathe r mendy-
bag, ful l o f reindeer-sinew s an d strip s o f leather ,
and lump s o f bee's-wa x an d resin , an d bega n t o
mend th e spear . Taffy sa t down too , wit h he r toe s
in the water and her chin in her hand, and though t
very hard . Then sh e said —
c
l say , Daddy , it' s a n awfu l nuisanc e tha t yo u
and I don't know how to write,"" isn't it? If we did
we coul d sen d a message for th e ne w spear /
'Taffy,' sai d Tegumai, 'how often have I told yo u
not t o us e slang ? "Awful " isn' t a prett y word, —
but it would be a convenience, now you mention it,
if w e coul d writ e home /
Just the n a Stranger-ma n cam e alon g th e river ,
but h e belonged to a far tribe, the Tewaras, and he
did not understand one word of Tegumai's language.
He stoo d o n the bank and smiled at Taffy, becaus e
he ha d a littl e girl-daughte r o f hi s ow n a t home .
Tegumai dre w a han k o f deer-sinew s fro m hi s
mendy-bag an d bega n to men d hi s spear.
'Come here, ' sai d Taffy . 'D o yo u kno w wher e
my Mumm y lives? ' An d th e Stranger-ma n sai d
'Um!'—being, a s you know , a Tewara.
'Silly!' sai d Taffy , an d sh e stampe d he r foot ,
because she saw a shoal o f very bi g carp goin g u p
the rive r jus t whe n he r Dadd y couldn' t us e hi s
spear.
94 Jus t S o Stories
'Don't bother grown-ups/ said Tegumai, so busy
with his spear-mending that he did not turn round.""
"I aren't/ said Taffy. ' I only want him to do what
I wan t hi m to do , an d he won't understand. '
Then don' t bothe r me / sai d Tegumai , an d h e
went o n pullin g an d strainin g a t th e deer-sinew s
with hi s mout h ful l o f loos e ends . Th e Stranger -
man—a genuin e Tewara h e was—sat dow n o n th e
grass, and Taff y showe d hi m what he r Dadd y wa s
doing. Th e Stranger-ma n thought, 'Thi s i s a very
wonderful child . She stamps her foot at me and she
makes faces. Sh e must be the daughter of that noble
Chief who i s so great that he won't take any notice
of me. ' S o he smile d mor e politel y tha n ever .
'Now/ sai d Taffy , C I wan t yo u t o g o t o m y
Mummy, becaus e your leg s ar e longer tha n mine ,
and you won' t fall into th e beaver-swamp, and ask
for Daddy' s othe r spear—th e on e wit h th e blac k
handle tha t hang s over ou r fireplace. '
The Stranger-man (and he was a Tewara) thought,
'This is a very, very wonderful child. She waves her
arms and she shouts a t me, but I don't understand
a word o f what she says. But if I don't do what she
wants, I greatly fear tha t tha t haught y Chief , Man-
who-turns-his-back-on-callers, wil l b e angry. ' H e
got u p an d twiste d a bi g fla t piec e o f bar k of f a
birch-tree an d gav e i t t o Taffy . H e di d this , Bes t
Beloved, to sho w tha t his heart was as white as the
birch-bark an d tha t h e mean t n o harm ; bu t Taff y
didn't quit e understand .
 How th e Firs t Lette r wa s Writte n 9 5
'Oh!' said she. 'Now I see! You want my Mum-
my's livin g address? Of cours e I can't write , bu t I
can draw pictures if I've anythin g sharp to scratc h
with. Pleas e len d m e th e shark' s toot h of f you r
necklace.'
The Stranger-ma n (and he was a Tewara) didn' t
say anything , s o Taff y pu t u p he r littl e han d an d
pulled a t th e beautifu l bea d an d see d an d shark -
tooth necklac e round hi s neck.
The Stranger-man (and he was a Tewara) thought,
'This i s a very , very , ver y wonderfu l child . Th e
shark's toot h o n m y necklac e i s a magi c shark' s
tooth, and I was always told that if anybody touched
it without m y leav e they woul d immediatel y swell
up or burst. But this child doesn't swell up or burst,
and tha t importan t Chief , Man-who-attends -
strictly-to-his-business, who has not yet taken any
notice o f m e a t all , doesn't see m to b e afrai d tha t
she wil l swel l u p o r burst . I ha d bette r b e mor e
polite.'
So he gav e Taff y th e shark' s tooth , an d sh e la y
down fla t o n he r tumm y wit h he r leg s in th e air ,
like some people on the drawing-room floo r whe n
they wan t t o dra w pictures," " an d sh e said, 'No w
I'll draw you some beautiful pictures! You can look
over my shoulder, bu t you mustn't joggle . First I'l l
draw Dadd y fishing. It isn' t ver y lik e him ; but
Mummy wil l know , becaus e I'v e draw n hi s spea r
all broken. Well, now I'll dra w the other spea r that
he wants, th e black-handle d spear . I t look s a s if it
96 Jus t S o Storie s
was stickin g i n Daddy' s back , bu t that' s becaus e
the shark's tooth slippe d and this piece of bark isn't
big enough. That's the spear I want you to fetch; so
I'll dra w a picture o f me myself 'splaining t o you .
My hai r doesn' t stan d u p lik e I've drawn , bu t it' s
easier to draw that way. Now I'll draw you. / thin k
you're very nice really, but I can't mak e you pretty
in the picture, s o you mustn' t b e 'fended. Ar e you
'fended?'
The Stranger-man (and he was a Tewara) smiled.
He thought, 'There must be a big battle going to be
fought somewhere , an d thi s extraordinar y child ,
who take s m y magi c shark's toot h bu t wh o doe s
not swel l u p o r burst , i s tellin g me t o cal l al l th e
great Chief's tribe to help him. He i s a great Chief,
or h e would hav e noticed me. '
'Look,' said Taffy, drawin g very hard and rather
scratchily, c now I'v e draw n you , an d I'v e pu t th e
spear tha t Dadd y want s int o you r hand , jus t t o
remind you tha t you're to brin g it. Now I'l l sho w
you how to find my Mummy's living-address . You
go along till you come to two trees (those are trees),
and then you g o over a hill (that's a hill), and the n
you com e into a beaver-swamp al l full o f beavers.
I haven't put in all the beavers, because I can't dra w
beavers, bu t I'v e draw n thei r heads , an d that' s al l
you'll see of them when you cross the swamp. Mind
you don't fall in! Then ou r Cave is just beyond th e
beaver-swamp. I t isn' t a s hig h a s th e hill s really ,
 How th e Firs t Lette r wa s Written 9 7
but I can' t dra w thing s ver y small . That' s m y
Mummy outside . Sh e is beautiful . She is th e mos t
beautifullest Mumm y there ever was, but she won't
be 'fende d whe n sh e sees I've draw n he r s o plain.
She'll b e pleased o f me because I ca n draw. Now ,
in case you forget, I've drawn the spear that Dadd y
wants outside ou r Cave . It' s inside really , bu t yo u
show th e pictur e t o m y Mumm y an d she'l l giv e it
you. I'v e mad e her holdin g u p he r hands , because
I kno w she'l l b e s o please d t o se e you. Isn' t i t a
beautiful picture ? An d d o yo u quit e understand ,
or shal l I 'splai n again? '
The Stranger-ma n (and he was a Tewara) looke d
at th e pictur e an d nodde d ver y hard . H e sai d t o
himself, 'I f I do not fetc h thi s grea t Chief's trib e t o
help him , h e wil l b e slai n by hi s enemie s who ar e
coming up o n all sides with spears . Now I see why
the grea t Chie f pretende d no t t o notic e me ! H e
feared tha t hi s enemie s were hidin g i n th e bushe s
and would se e him deliver a message to me . There-
fore h e turned hi s back, and let the wise and won -
derful chil d dra w th e terribl e pictur e showin g m e
his difficulties . I wil l awa y an d ge t hel p fo r hi m
from hi s tribe.' He di d not eve n ask Taffy th e road,
but race d of f int o th e bushe s lik e th e wind , wit h
the birch-bark in his hand, and Taffy sa t down most
pleased.
Now thi s is the picture that Taffy ha d drawn for
him!--
98 Just S o Stories

'What have you been doing, Taffy?' sai d Tegumai.

He had mended his spear and was carefully waving
it t o an d fro.
'It's a little berangement of my own, Daddy dear,'
said Taffy . 'I f yo u won' t as k me questions, you'l l
know al l abou t i t i n a littl e time , an d you'l l b e
surprised. Yo u don' t kno w ho w surprise d you'l l
be, Daddy! Promis e you'l l b e surprised.'
'Very well,' sai d Tegumai, an d went o n fishing.
The Stranger-man—di d yo u kno w h e wa s a
Tewara?—hurried awa y wit h th e pictur e an d ra n
for som e miles , til l quit e b y acciden t h e foun d
Teshumai Tewindro w a t th e doo r o f he r Cave ,
talking t o som e othe r Neolithi c ladie s wh o ha d
 How th e Firs t Lette r wa s Written 9 9
come i n t o a Primitive lunch . Taff y wa s ver y lik e
Teshumai, specially about the upper part of the fac e
and th e eyes , s o th e Stranger-man—alway s a pure
Tewara—smiled politely an d handed Teshumai the
birch-bark. H e ha d ru n hard, s o tha t h e panted ,
and hi s legs were scratche d with brambles , but h e
still trie d t o b e polite .
As soon as Teshumai saw the picture she screamed
like anythin g an d fle w a t th e Stranger-man . Th e
other Neolithi c ladie s at onc e knocke d hi m dow n
and sat on him in a long line of six, while Teshumai
pulled hi s hair . 'It' s a s plai n a s th e nos e o n thi s
Stranger-man's face, ' sh e said . 'H e ha s stuc k m y
Tegumai all full o f spears, and frightened poor Taff y
so that he r hai r stands all on end ; an d not conten t
with that , he brings me a horrid pictur e o f how i t
was done. Look!' She showed the picture to al l the
Neolithic ladie s sittin g patientl y o n th e Stranger -
man. c Here i s m y Teguma i wit h hi s ar m broken ;
here is a spear sticking into hi s back; here is a man
with a spear read y t o throw ; her e i s anothe r ma n
throwing a spear from a Cave, and here are a whole
pack o f people ' (the y wer e Taffy' s beaver s really ,
but the y di d loo k rathe r lik e people ) 'comin g u p
behind Tegumai . Isn' t i t shocking! '
'Most shocking! ' sai d th e Neolithi c ladies , an d
they fille d th e Stranger-man' s hai r wit h mu d (a t
which h e wa s surprised) , an d the y bea t upo n th e
Reverberating Tribal Drums, and called together all
ioo Jus t S o Stories
the chief s o f th e Trib e o f Tegumai , wit h thei r
Hetmans an d Dolmans , al l Neguses, Woons , an d
Akhoonds o f th e organisation , i n additio n t o th e
Warlocks, Angekoks , Juju-men , Bonzes," " an d
the rest, who decided that befor e they choppe d th e
Stranger-man's hea d of f h e shoul d instantl y lea d
them dow n t o th e rive r an d sho w the m wher e h e
had hidde n poor Taffy .
By thi s tim e the Stranger-ma n (in spite of being
a Tewara) was really annoyed. The y ha d filled his
hair quit e soli d wit h mud ; the y ha d rolled hi m up
and dow n o n knobb y pebbles ; the y ha d sa t upon
him i n a lon g lin e o f six ; the y ha d thumpe d hi m
and bumpe d hi m til l h e coul d hardl y breathe ; and
though h e di d no t understan d thei r language , he
was almost sure that the names the Neolithic ladie s
called hi m wer e no t ladylike." " However , h e sai d
nothing til l al l the Trib e o f Teguma i were assem -
bled, and then he led them back to the bank of the
Wagai river , an d ther e the y foun d Taff y makin g
daisy-chains, and Tegumai carefully spearin g small
carp wit h hi s mende d spear.
'Well, you have been quick!' said Taffy. cBut why
did you brin g so many people? Daddy dear , this is
my surprise . Are yo u surprised , Daddy? '
'Very,' sai d Tegumai ; 'bu t i t ha s ruine d al l m y
fishing for the day. Why, the whole dear, kind, nice,
clean, quie t Trib e i s here, Taffy. '
And s o they were . First o f al l walked Teshuma i
Tewindrow and the Neolithic ladies, tightly holdin g
 How th e Firs t Lette r wa s Written 10 1
on to the Stranger-man, whose hair was full o f mud
(although he was a Tewara). Behind them came the
Head Chief , th e Vice-Chief , th e Deput y an d As -
sistant Chief s (al l arme d t o th e uppe r teeth) , th e
Hetmans an d Head s o f Hundreds , Platoff s wit h
their Platoons , an d Dolman s wit h thei r Detach -
ments; Woons, Neguses, an d Akhoonds ranking in
the rear (still armed to the teeth). Behind them was
the Tribe in hierarchical order, fro m owner s o f four
caves"" (one for eac h season), a private reindeer-run ,
and tw o salmon-leaps , t o feuda l an d prognathou s
Villeins, semi-entitle d t o hal f a bearskin o f winte r
nights, seven yards from th e fire, and adscript serfs ,
holding th e reversio n o f a scrape d marrow-bon e
under herio t (Aren' t thos e beautifu l words , Bes t
Beloved?). They were all there, prancing and shout -
ing, and they frightened ever y fish for twenty miles,
and Teguma i thanke d the m i n a flui d Neolithi c
oration.
Then Teshumai Tewindrow ra n down an d kissed
and hugged Taffy ver y much indeed; but th e Hea d
Chief o f th e Trib e o f Teguma i too k Teguma i b y
the top-kno t feather s an d shoo k hi m severely .
'Explain! Explain! Explain!' cried all the Tribe of
Tegumai.
'Goodness' sake s alive! ' sai d Tegumai . 'Le t g o
of m y top-knot. Can't a man break hi s carp-spea r
without th e whole countryside descendin g on him?
You're a very interferin g people.'
'I don' t believ e you'v e brough t m y Daddy' s
IO2 Jus t S o Storie s
black-handled spear after all/ said Taffy. 'An d what
are yo u doin g t o m y nic e Stranger-man?'
They were thumping him by twos and threes and
tens till his eyes turned round and round. He could
only gas p and poin t a t Taffy." "
'Where are the bad people who speare d you, my
darling?' sai d Teshumai Tewindrow .
'There weren't any/ said Tegumai. 'My only visi-
tor thi s mornin g was the poor fello w tha t you ar e
trying t o choke . Aren' t yo u well , o r ar e yo u ill ,
O Trib e o f Tegumai?'
'He came with a horrible picture/ sai d the Head
Chief,—'a pictur e tha t showe d yo u wer e ful l o f
spears.'
'Er—um—P'raps I'd better 'splain that I gave him
that picture/ sai d Taffy, bu t sh e did no t fee l quit e
comfy.
'You!' sai d th e Trib e o f Teguma i al l together .
'Small-person-with-no-manners-who-ought-to-be-
spanked! You?'
'Taffy dear , I' m afrai d we'r e i n for a little trou -
ble/ sai d he r Daddy , an d pu t hi s ar m roun d her ,
so sh e didn't care .
'Explain! Explain! Explain!' said the Head Chie f
of th e Trib e o f Tegumai , an d h e hoppe d o n on e
foot.
'I wante d th e Stranger-ma n t o fetc h Daddy' s
spear, s o I drawde d it / sai d Taffy . 'Ther e wasn' t
lots of spears. There was only one spear. I drawded
 How th e Firs t Lette r wa s Written 10 3
it three times to make sure. I couldn't hel p it look -
ing a s if it stuc k into Daddy' s head—ther e wasn' t
room o n th e birch-bark ; an d thos e thing s tha t
Mummy calle d ba d peopl e ar e m y beavers . I
drawded the m t o sho w hi m th e wa y throug h th e
swamp; an d I drawde d Mumm y a t th e mout h o f
the Cav e lookin g please d becaus e h e i s a nic e
Stranger-man, and / thin k you are just the stupidest
people in the world,' said Taffy. 'H e is a very nice
man. Wh y have you filled his hair with mud? Wash
him!'
Nobody sai d anything at al l for a long time, till
the Hea d Chie f laughed ; the n th e Stranger-ma n
(who was at least a Tewara) laughed; then Tegumai
laughed til l he fel l dow n fla t o n th e bank ; then all
the Tribe laughed more and worse and louder. The
only peopl e wh o di d no t laug h wer e Teshuma i
Tewindrow an d all the Neolithic ladies . They were
very polit e t o al l their husbands , an d sai d 'idiot! '
ever s o often .
Then th e Hea d Chie f o f th e Trib e o f Tegumai
cried an d sai d and sang , CO Small-person-without-
any-manners-who-ought-to-be-spanked, you've hit
upon a great invention!'
'I didn't intend to; I only wanted Daddy's black-
handled spear, ' sai d Taffy .
'Never mind . I t i s a grea t invention , an d som e
day me n wil l cal l it writing . A t presen t i t i s onl y
pictures, and, a s we hav e seen to-day, picture s are
THIS i s the stor y o f Taffimai Metalluma i carved on a n ol d
tusk a very lon g tim e ago b y th e Ancien t Peoples . I f yo u
read m y story , o r hav e it rea d t o you , yo u ca n see how i t
is all told ou t on the tusk. The tusk was part of an old tribal
trumpet tha t belonge d t o th e Trib e o f Tegumai . Th e pic -
tures wer e scratche d o n i t wit h a nai l o r something , an d
then the scratches were filled up with black wax, but all the
dividing lines and the five little rounds a t the botto m wer e
filled with re d wax . When i t wa s ne w ther e wa s a sort o f
network o f beads and shells and precious stones a t one end
of it; but now that has been broken an d lost—all except the
little bit that you see. The letters round the tusk are magic—
Runic magic,*—and if you ca n read them you wil l fin d ou t
something rathe r new . Th e tus k i s o f ivory—ver y yello w
and scratched . I t i s two fee t lon g an d tw o fee t round , an d
weighs eleve n pounds nin e ounces .
106 Jus t S o Storie s
not alway s properl y understood . Bu t a tim e wil l
come, O Bab e o f Tegumai , whe n w e shal l mak e
letters—all twenty-six o f 'em,—an d when w e shall
be able to read as well as to write, and then we shall
always say exactly what we mean without any mis-
takes. Let the Neolithic ladie s wash the mud ou t of
the stranger' s hair! '
'I shall be glad of that,' said Taffy, 'because , afte r
all, though you've brough t ever y single other spea r
in the Tribe of Tegumai, you've forgotten my Dad -
dy's black-handle d spear. '
Then th e Hea d Chie f crie d an d sai d an d sang ,
"Taffy dear , th e nex t tim e yo u writ e a picture-let -
ter, you'd bette r send a man who ca n talk our lan -
guage wit h it , t o explai n wha t i t means . I don' t
mind it myself, because I am a Head Chief , but it' s
very bad for th e rest of the Tribe o f Tegumai, and ,
as yo u ca n see , it surprise s th e stranger.' *
Then the y adopte d th e Stranger-ma n ( a genuine
Tewara o f Tewar ) int o th e Trib e o f Tegumai , be -
cause he wa s a gentleman and di d no t mak e a fus s
about th e mu d tha t th e Neolithi c ladie s ha d pu t
into hi s hair. But from tha t da y to this (an d I sup -
pose it is all Taffy's fault) , very few little girls have
ever like d learnin g to rea d o r write . Mos t o f them
prefer t o dra w picture s an d play abou t wit h thei r
Daddies—just lik e Taffy .
THERE runs a road b y Merro w Down— *
A grass y track to-da y i t is —
An hou r ou t o f Guildfor d town ,
Above th e rive r We y i t is.
Here, when the y hear d th e horse-bell s ring ,
The ancien t Briton s dressed an d rod e
To watc h th e dar k Phoenicians bring
Their good s alon g the Wester n Road .
And here , o r hereabouts , the y me t
To hol d thei r racia l talk s an d such —
To barte r bead s for Whitb y jet,
And ti n fo r ga y shell torques an d such.
But lon g an d lon g befor e tha t tim e
(When biso n use d t o roa m o n it )
Did Taff y an d he r Dadd y clim b
That down , an d had thei r hom e o n it .
Then beaver s built i n Broadstonebroo k
And mad e a swamp where Bramle y stands;
And bear s from Sher e would com e and loo k
For Taffima i wher e Shamle y stands.
The Wey , tha t Taff y calle d Wagai,
Was mor e tha n si x times bigge r then;
And al l the Trib e o f Tegumai
They cu t a noble figure then!
This page intentionally left blank
 HOW TH E ALPHABE T
WAS MADE

HE wee k afte r Taffima i

Metallumai (w e wil l
still call her Taffy , Best
Beloved) made that lit -
tle mistak e abou t he r
Daddy's spea r an d th e
Stranger-man an d th e
picture-letter an d all ,
she wen t carp-fishin g
again wit h he r Daddy .
Her Mumm y wante d
her to stay at home and
help han g up hide s t o dr y o n the big drying-pole s
outside their Neolithic Cave , but Taffy slippe d away
down t o he r Dadd y quit e early , an d the y fished .
Presently sh e began to giggle , and her Dadd y said ,
'Don't b e silly, child. '
'But wasn' t i t inciting! ' sai d Taffy . 'Don' t yo u
remember ho w th e Hea d Chie f puffe d ou t hi s
cheeks, an d ho w funn y th e nic e Stranger-ma n
looked wit h th e mu d i n hi s hair?'
'Well d o I, ' sai d Tegumai . C I ha d t o pa y tw o
noJus t S o Stories
deerskins—soft one s with fringes—to th e Stranger-
man fo r th e thing s w e did t o him /
'We didn' t d o anything / sai d Taffy . 'I t wa s
Mummy an d th e othe r Neolithi c ladies—an d th e
mud/
'We won't talk about that/ said her Daddy. 'Let's
have lunch/
Taffy too k a marrow-bone an d sa t mousy-quie t
for te n whole minutes , while her Daddy scratche d
on pieces of birch-bark with a shark's tooth. Then
she said, "Daddy , I've thinke d o f a secret surprise .
You mak e a noise—any sor t o f noise/
'Ah!' said Tegumai. 'Will that do to begin with?'
'Yes/ sai d Taffy. 'Yo u loo k jus t like a carp-fis h
with it s mout h open . Sa y it again , please/
'Ah! ah! ah!' said her Daddy. 'Don't be rude, my
daughter/
'I'm no t meanin g rude , reall y an d truly / sai d
Taffy. 'It' s part of my secret-surprise-think. D o say
ah, Daddy, an d keep your mout h ope n a t the end,
and len d me that tooth. I'm goin g to dra w a carp-
fish's mouth wide-open /
'What for? ' sai d he r Daddy .
'Don't you see? ' sai d Taffy, scratchin g away o n
the bark. 'That will be our little secret s'prise. When
I draw a carp-fish with his mouth open in the smoke
at the back of our Cave—if Mummy doesn't mind —
it wil l remin d yo u o f tha t ah-noise . The n w e ca n
play tha t i t wa s m e jumpe d ou t o f th e dar k an d
 How th e Alphabe t was Mad e 11 1
s'prised yo u wit h tha t noise—sam e a s I di d i n th e
beaver-swamp las t winter/
"Really?5 said her Daddy, in the voice that grown -
ups use when they are truly attending. 'Go on, Taffy /
'Oh bother!' she said. 'I can' t dra w all of a carp-
fish, bu t I ca n dra w somethin g tha t
means a carp-fish's mouth. Don't you f u )
know how they stand on their heads x-\ I
rooting in the mud? Well, here's a pre
tence carp-fis h (w e ca n pla y tha t th e 1

rest o f hi m i s drawn) . Here' s jus t hi s mouth , an d

that mean s ah.9 An d sh e drew this , (i. )
'That's not bad, ' said Tegumai, and scratched on
his own piece of bark for himself ; 'but you've for -
gotten th e feele r tha t hang s across hi s mouth/
'But I can' t draw , Daddy /
'You needn' t dra w anythin g o f hi m excep t just
xthe openin g of his mouth and th e feele r
across. The n we'l l kno w he' s a carp -
fish, 'caus e th e perche s an d trout s
haven't go t feelers . Loo k here , Taffy /
2 An d h e dre w this . (2.)
'Now I'l l cop y it, ' sai d Taffy . 'Wil l you under -
stand this whe n yo u se e it?' An d sh e
drew this. (3.)
'Perfectly,' sai d her Daddy. 'An d I'll
be quit e a s s'prised when I see it any -
where, a s if you ha d jumpe d out fro m 3
behind a tree an d sai d "Ah!"'
in Jus t S o Stories
'Now, mak e anothe r noise / sai d Taffy , ver y
proud.
'Yah!' sai d he r Daddy , ver y loud .
'H'm,' said Taffy. 'That' s a mixy noise. The end
part i s <2/?-carp-fish-mouth ; bu t wha t ca n w e d o
about th e fron t part ? Yer-yer-yer an d ah ! Ya/ y
'It's ver y lik e th e carp-fish-mout h noise . Let' s
draw another bit of the carp-fish and join 'em,' said
her Daddy . H e wa s quite incite d too .
'No. I f they're joined , I'l l forget . Draw i t sepa -
rate. Draw hi s tail. If he's standin g on hi s head the
tail will com e first. 'Sides, I thin k I ca n draw tails
easiest,' sai d Taffy .
'A goo d notion, ' sai d Tegumai . 'Here' s a carp -
fish tail for the jer-noise.' And he drew
this. (4.)
Til try now,' said Taffy. "Membe r I
can't dra w like you, Daddy . Wil l it do
if I jus t draw th e spli t par t o f th e tail , 4
and a sticky-dow n lin e fo r wher e i t
joins?' An d sh e drew this . (5.)
Her Dadd y nodded , an d hi s eye s
were shin y brigh t wit h 'citement .
5 'That' s beautiful, ' sh e said . 'Now ,
make anothe r noise , Daddy. '
'Oh!' sai d her Daddy , ver y loud .
'That's quit e easy, ' sai d Taffy . 'Yo u mak e you r
mouth al l round lik e a n eg g or a stone. S o an egg
or a stone wil l d o fo r that. '
 How th e Alphabe t wa s Mad e 11 3
'You can't always find eggs or stones. We'll have
to scratch a round somethin g like one/
And h e dre w this . (6.)
'My gracious!' said Taffy, 'wha t a lot
of noise-picture s we'v e made,—carp -
6 mouth, carp-tail , and egg ! Now, mak e
another noise , Daddy. '
'Ssh!' sai d he r Daddy , an d frowne d t o himself,
but Taff y wa s too incite d t o notice .
'That's quit e easy, ' sh e said , scratchin g o n th e
bark.
'Eh, what?' said her Daddy. 'I meant I was think-
ing, an d didn't wan t t o b e disturbed.'
'It's a noise, just the same. It's th e noise a snake
makes, Daddy, when it is thinking and doesn't wan t
to b e disturbed. Let's mak e the ssh-noise
a snake. Will this do?' And she drew this.
(/.)
'There,' she said. 'That's another s'prise -
secret. When yo u dra w a hissy-snake b y 7
the doo r o f your littl e back-cave where you men d
the spears , I'll kno w you'r e thinkin g hard; and I'l l
come in most mousy-quiet . An d i f you dra w it o n
a tre e b y th e rive r when you'r e fishing, I'll kno w
you want me to walk most most mousy-quiet, s o as
not t o shak e the banks. '
'Perfectly true,' said Tegumai. 'And there's more
in thi s gam e tha n yo u think . Taffy , dear , I'v e a
notion tha t you r Daddy' s daughte r ha s hi t upo n
ii4 Jus t S o Stories
the fines t thin g tha t ther e eve r was since the Trib e
of Teguma i too k t o usin g shark' s teet h instea d of
flints fo r thei r spear-heads . I believ e we've foun d
out th e bi g secre t o f th e world. '
'Why?' sai d Taffy , an d he r eye s shon e to o wit h
incitement.
Til show,' said her Daddy. 'What' s water i n the
Tegumai language? '
c
Ya, of course, and it means river too—like Wagai-
ya—the Waga i river.'
"What i s ba d wate r tha t give s yo u feve r i f yo u
drink it—blac k water—swamp-water? '
'Yo, o f course. '
'Now look, ' sai d he r Daddy . 'S'pos e yo u sa w
this scratched b y th e sid e of a pool
in the beaver-swamp?' And he drew
this. (8.)
'Carp-tail an d roun d egg . Tw o
noises mixed ! Yo, ba d water, ' sai d 8
Taffy. "Cours e I wouldn't drink that water because
I'd kno w yo u sai d i t wa s bad.'
'But I needn't b e near the water at all. I might be
miles away , hunting , an d still '
'And still i t woul d b e jus t th e sam e a s i f yo u
stood ther e an d said , "G'way , Taffy , o r you'l l get
fever." Al l that i n a carp-fish-tail and a round egg !
O Daddy , w e must tell Mummy, quick!' and Taff y
danced al l round him .
'Not yet, ' sai d Tegumai ; 'no t til l we'v e gon e a
 How th e Alphabe t wa s Mad e 11 5
little further . Let' s see . Y o i s ba d water , bu t s o i s
food cooke d o n the fire, isn't it?' And
he dre w this . (9. )
'Yes. Snake and egg,' said Taffy. 'So
that mean s dinner's ready. I f you sa w
9 that scratched on a tree you'd know it
was tim e t o com e t o th e Cave . So' d I. '
c
My Winkie!' sai d Tegumai. 'That's true too. But
wait a minute . I se e a difficulty . S o mean s "com e
and hav e dinner," bu t sho mean s th e drying-pole s
where w e hang ou r hides. '
'Horrid ol d drying-poles! ' sai d Taf fy.C I hat e
helping to hang heavy, hot, hair y hides on them. If
you drew the snake and egg, and I thought i t meant
dinner, an d I cam e i n fro m th e woo d an d foun d
that it meant I was to help Mummy hang the hides
on th e drying-poles , wha t would I do? '
'You'd b e cross. So'd Mummy . We must make a
new picture for sho. We must draw a spotty snak e
that hisses sh-sh, and we'll play that the plain snake
only hisse s ssss.'
'I couldn't b e sure how to put i n the spots,' said
Taffy. 'An d p'raps i f you were in a hurry you migh t
leave them out, an d I'd thin k i t was so when i t was
s/?o, an d the n Mumm y woul d
catch m e jus t th e same . No! I
think we' d bette r dra w a pic -
ture o f th e horri d hig h drying -
poles their very selves, and make IO
n6 Jus t S o Stories
quite sure. I'll pu t 'e m in just after th e hissy-snake.
Look!' An d sh e drew this . (10. )
T'raps that' s safest . It' s ver y lik e ou r drying -
poles, anyhow, ' sai d he r Daddy , laughing . 'Now
I'll mak e a new noise with a snake and drying-pole
sound i n it . I'l l sa y sbi. That's Teguma i for spear ,
Taffy.' An d h e laughed .
'Don't make fun of me,' said Taffy, a s she thought
of he r picture-lette r an d th e mu d i n th e Stranger-
man's hair . 'You dra w it, Daddy.'
'We won' t hav e beavers or hill s thi s time , eh? '
said he r Daddy . Ti l jus t dra w a
straight lin e fo r m y spear. ' An d h e
drew this , (n.)
'Even Mumm y couldn' t mistak e
ii that fo r m e being killed.'
'Please don't , Daddy. It make s me uncomfy. Do
some mor e noises . We're gettin g on beautifully. '
'Er-hm!' sai d Tegumai , lookin g up . 'We'l l sa y
shu. That mean s sky.'
Taffy dre w the snake and the drying-pole. Then
she stopped. 'W e must make a new picture for that
end sound , mustn' t we? '
'Shu-shu-u-u-u!' sai d her Daddy. 'Why , it's just
like the round-egg-soun d mad e thin.'
'Then s'pose w e draw a thin round egg , and pre-
tend it's a frog that hasn't eate n anything for years.'
'N-no,' sai d he r Daddy . 'I f w e dre w tha t i n a
hurry w e might mistake it for th e round eg g itself.
Sku-shu-shu! I'll tell you what we'll do. We'll open
 How th e Alphabe t wa s Made 11 7
a little hol e at the en d o f the roun d eg g to
show ho w th e O-nois e run s ou t al l thin ,
ooo-oo-oo. Lik e this. ' An d h e dre w this .
(12.)
'Oh, that' s lovely ! Muc h bette r tha n a 12

thin frog. Go on,' said Taffy, usin g her shark's tooth.

Her Daddy went on drawing, and his hand shoo k
with incitement. He went
on til l he had drawn this .
(13-)'Don't look up , Taffy, '
he said . 'Tr y i f yo u ca n 13
make out what that means in the Tegumai language.
If yo u can , we've foun d th e Secret. '
'Snake—pole—broken-egg—carp-tail an d carp -
mouth,' sai d Taffy. 'Shu-ya. Sky-wate r (rain).'Jus t
then a drop fell on her hand, for the day had clouded
over. 'Why, Daddy, it's raining . Was that what you
meant t o tel l me? '
'Of course, ' sai d her Daddy . 'An d I tol d i t yo u
without sayin g a word, didn' t I? '
'Well, I think I would have known i t in a minute,
but tha t raindro p mad e m e quit e sure . I'l l alway s
remember now. Shu-ya mean s rain, o r "i t i s going
to rain. " Why , Daddy! ' Sh e go t u p an d dance d
round him . 'S'pos e yo u wen t ou t befor e I wa s
awake, and drawed shu-ya in the smoke on the wall,
I'd kno w i t wa s goin g t o rai n an d I' d tak e m y
beaver-skin hood. Wouldn't Mumm y be surprised!'
Tegumai got up and danced. (Daddies didn't mind
n8 Jus t So Stories
doing those thing s in those days. ) 'More than that !
More tha n that! ' h e said . 'S'pos e I wante d t o tel l
you i t wasn' t goin g t o rai n muc h an d yo u mus t
come down t o the river, what would w e draw? Say
the words i n Tegumai-talk first. '
'Shu-ya-las, y a maru. (Sky-wate r ending . Rive r
come to. ) What a lot o f ne w sounds ! / don' t see
how w e can draw them. '
'But I do—bu t I do!' sai d Tegumai. 'Jus t atten d
a minute, Taffy, an d we won't do any more to-day .
We've go t shu-ya al l right, haven' t we ? but thi s las
is a teaser. La-la-la!y an d he waved his shark-tooth .
'There's the hissy-snake at the end and the carp -
mouth befor e th e snake— as-as-as. W e onl y wan t
la-la,3 sai d Taffy .
'I know it , but we have to make la-la. And we'r e
the first people in all the world who'v e eve r tried t o
do it , Taffimai! '
'Well,' sai d Taffy , yawning , fo r sh e wa s rathe r
tired. 'Las mean s breakin g o r finishin g a s wel l a s
ending, doesn' t it? '
'So i t does, ' sai d Tegumai . 'Yo-las mean s tha t
there's n o wate r i n th e tan k fo r Mumm y t o coo k
with—just whe n I'm goin g hunting , too. '
'And shi-las means that you r spea r i s broken. I f
I'd onl y though t o f that instea d o f drawin g sill y
beaver-pictures fo r th e Stranger! '
€
La! La ! La!' sai d Tegumai, wavin g his stick an d
frowning. 'O h bother! '
 How th e Alphabe t wa s Mad e 11 9
C
I could hav e drawn shi quite easily/ Taff y wen t
on. 'The n F d hav e drawn you r spea r all broken —
this way! ' An d sh e drew. (14. )
c
The very thing/ said Tegumai. 'That's la all over.

i6
14 1 5
It isn't like any of the other marks , either/ An d he
drew this . (15. )
'Now for ya. Oh, we've don e tha t before . No w
for maru. Mum-mum-mum. Mu m shut s one' s
mouth up, doesn't it ? We'll draw a shut mouth like
this.' An d h e drew . (16. )
"Then the carp-mouth open. That makes Ma-ma-
ma! Bu t what abou t thi s mrr-thing , Taffy? '
'It sound s al l rough an d edgy , lik e you r shark -
tooth saw when you're cutting ou t a plank fo r th e
canoe,' sai d Taffy .
'You mea n al l shar p a t th e
edges, lik e this? ' sai d Tegumai .
17 And h e drew . (17. )
"Xactly,' said Taffy. 'Bu t we don't want all those
teeth: onl y pu t two. '
'I'll only put i n one,' said Tegumai. 'If thi s gam e
of ours is going to be what I think it will, the easier
we mak e ou r sound-picture s th e bette r fo r every -
body.' An d h e drew . (18. )
noJus t S o Storie s
'Now we'v e got it/ said Tegumai, stand-
ing on one leg. Til draw 'em all in a string
like fish. '
'Hadn't we better put a little bit of stick 18
or somethin g betwee n eac h word, so' s the y won' t
rub u p agains t each other and jostle, same as if they
were carps? '
c
Oh, I'l l leav e a space for that/ sai d her Daddy .
And very incitedly he drew them all without stop -
ping, o n a big ne w bi t o f birch-bark . (19. )
'Shu-ya-las ya-maru,' sai d Taffy , readin g i t ou t
sound b y sound .
'That's enoug h fo r to-day / sai d Tegumai . 'Be -
sides, you're gettin g tired, Taffy. Neve r mind , dear.

19
We'll finish it all to-morrow, and then we'll be re-
membered for years and years after the biggest tree s
you ca n se e are al l chopped u p fo r firewood. '
So they went home, and all that evening Tegumai
sat o n on e sid e o f the fir e an d Taff y o n th e other ,
drawing ya's and yo 's and shu's and sbfs in the
smoke o n th e wal l an d gigglin g togethe r til l he r
Mummy said, 'Really, Tegumai, you're worse than
my Taffy. '
'Please don' t mind, ' sai d Taffy . 'It' s onl y ou r
 How th e Alphabet wa s Mad e 12 1
secret-s'prise, Mumm y dear , an d we'l l tel l yo u al l
about it the very minute it's done ; bu t please don't
ask m e what i t i s now, o r els e I'll hav e to tell. '
So her Mummy most carefully didn't ; and bright
and early next morning Tegumai went down t o the
river to think about new sound-pictures, an d when
Taffy go t u p sh e sa w Ya-las (wate r i s endin g o r
running out ) chalke d o n th e sid e o f th e bi g ston e
water-tank, outsid e th e Cave .
'Urn,' said Taffy. 'Thes e picture-sounds are rather
a bother ! Daddy' s jus t as good a s come here him -
self an d told m e to ge t more water for Mummy t o
cook with. ' Sh e went t o th e sprin g a t th e bac k of
the hous e an d fille d th e tan k fro m a bar k bucket ,
and the n sh e ran dow n t o th e rive r and pulled he r
Daddy's lef t ear—th e on e tha t belonge d to he r t o
pull whe n sh e was good .
c
Now come along and we'll draw all the left-over
sound-pictures,' sai d he r Daddy , an d the y ha d a
most inciting day of it, and a beautiful lunc h in th e
middle, and two game s of romps. When they came
to T, Taffy sai d that as her name, and her Daddy's,
and he r Mummy' s al l began with tha t sound , the y
should dra w a sort o f famil y grou p o f themselves
holding hands. That wa s all very well to draw once
or twice ; bu t whe n i t cam e t o drawin g i t si x o r
seven times , Taff y an d Teguma i dre w i t scratchie r
and scratchier , til l a t las t th e T-soun d wa s onl y a
thin lon g Tegumai with hi s arms out t o hold Taff y
122 Jus t S o Storie s
and Teshumai . Yo u ca n se e from thes e thre e pic -
tures partl y ho w i t happened . (20 , 21, 22.)
Many of the other pictures were much too beau-
tiful t o begi n with, especiall y before lunch ; but a s
they wer e draw n ove r an d ove r agai n o n birch -

20 2 12 22 3

bark, they became plainer and easier, till at last even

Tegumai sai d h e coul d fin d n o faul t wit h them .
They turne d th e hissy-snak e the othe r wa y roun d
for th e Z-sound, t o sho w it was hissing backwards
in a soft an d gentl e way (23) ; and they just made a

24 25 26 27
twiddle for E , because it cam e into the pictures so
often (24) ; and the y dre w picture s o f th e sacre d
Beaver of the Tegumais for th e B-sound (25, 26, 27,
28); an d becaus e it wa s a nasty , nos y noise , the y
just dre w nose s for the N-sound , til l the y wer e
tired (29) ; and they dre w a picture of the bi g lake-
pike's mout h fo r th e greed y Ga-soun d (30) ; and
they dre w th e pike' s mout h agai n wit h a spea r
 How th e Alphabet wa s Mad e 12 3

28 29 30

behind i t fo r th e scratchy , hurt y Ka-soun d (31) ;

and they drew pictures of a little bit of the winding
Wagai rive r fo r th e nic e windy-wind y Wa-soun d
(32, 33) ; and s o o n an d s o fort h an d s o following
till they had done and drawn all the sound-pictures

3i 3 23 3
that the y wanted , an d ther e wa s th e Alphabet , all
complete.
And afte r thousand s an d thousand s an d thou -
sands o f years , an d afte r Hieroglyphics , an d
Demotics, an d Nilotics, an d Cryptics , an d Cufics ,
and Runics, and Dorics, an d Ionics, and all sorts of
other rick s and tricks (because the Woons, and the
Neguses, an d the Akhoonds , an d the Repositorie s
of Traditio n woul d neve r leave a good thin g alone
when the y sa w it), th e fin e ol d easy , understand -
able Alphabet —A, B, C, D, E, and the rest of 'em —
got bac k int o it s prope r shap e agai n fo r al l Best
Beloveds t o lear n whe n the y ar e old enough .
 ust
124 J S o Storie s
But / remembe r Tegumai Bopsulai, and Taffimai
Metallumai an d Teshuma i Tewindrow , he r dea r
Mummy, and all the days gone by. And it was so—
just so— a lon g tim e ago—on th e bank s o f the bi g
Wagai!
ONE o f the first things that Tegumai Bopsulai did after Taff y an d
he ha d mad e the Alphabe t wa s to mak e a magic Alphabet-neck -
lace o f al l th e letters , s o tha t i t coul d b e pu t i n th e Templ e o f
Tegumai an d kep t fo r eve r an d ever." " Al l th e Trib e o f Teguma i
brought thei r most precious beads and beautiful things , and Taff y
and Tegumai spent five whole years getting the necklace in order .
This i s a picture o f th e magi c Alphabet-necklace. The strin g was
made o f th e fines t an d stronges t reindeer-sinew , boun d roun d
with thi n coppe r wire .
Beginning a t th e top , th e firs t bea d i s a n ol d silve r on e tha t
belonged t o th e Hea d Pries t o f the Tribe o f Tegumai; then com e
three black mussel-pearls; next is a clay bead (blue and grey); next
a nubbl y gol d bea d sen t a s a present b y a tribe wh o go t i t fro m
Africa (bu t i t mus t hav e bee n India n really) ; th e nex t i s a lon g
flat-sided glas s bead from Afric a (th e Tribe o f Tegumai took it in
a fight) ; the n com e tw o cla y bead s (white an d green) , with dot s
on one , an d dot s an d band s o n th e other ; nex t ar e thre e rathe r
chipped ambe r beads; then thre e clay beads (re d and white), tw o
with dots , an d th e bi g one in the middl e with a toothed pattern .
Then th e letter s begin , and betwee n eac h letter i s a little whitis h
clay bea d wit h th e lette r repeate d small . Here ar e the letters: —
A i s scratched o n a tooth—an elk-tush , I think .
B i s th e Sacre d Beave r o f Teguma i o n a bi t o f ol d ivory .
C i s a pearly oyster-shell—insid e front .
D mus t b e a sort o f mussel-shell—outsid e front .
E i s a twist o f silve r wire .
F i s broken, bu t wha t remain s o f i t i s a bit o f stag' s horn .
G i s painted blac k on a piece o f wood. (The bea d afte r G i s a
small shell, and not a clay bead. I don't know why the y did
that.)
H i s a kind o f bi g brow n cowrie-shell .
I i s the insid e par t o f a long shel l groun d dow n b y hand . (I t
took Teguma i thre e month s t o grin d i t down. )
J i s a fish-hoo k i n mother-of-pearl .
L i s the broken spea r in silver. (K ought t o follow J, of course ;
but th e necklac e wa s broke n onc e an d the y mende d i t
wrong.)
K i s a thin slic e o f bon e scratche d an d rubbe d i n black .
M i s on a pale gre y shell .
 N i s a piece of what i s called porphyry wit h a nose scratched
on it . (Teguma i spen t five months polishin g thi s stone. )
0 i s a piece o f oyster-shell wit h a hole i n the middle .
P an d Q ar e missing. The y wer e lost , a long tim e ago , i n a
great war, and the tribe mended the necklace with the dried
rattles of a rattlesnake, but no one ever found P and Q. Tha t
is ho w th e sayin g began , 'Yo u mus t min d you r P' s an d
QV*
R is , of course , jus t a shark's tooth.
S i s a little silve r snake .
T i s the en d o f a small bone, polishe d brow n an d shiny .
U i s another piec e o f oyster-shell .
W i s a twisty piec e of mother-of-pearl tha t the y foun d inside
a big mother-of-pearl shell , and sawed off with a wire dipped
in san d an d water . I t too k Taff y a mont h an d a hal f t o
polish i t an d dril l the holes .
X i s silver wire joined in the middle with a raw garnet . (Taff y
found th e garnet. )
Y i s the carp' s tai l in ivory .
Z i s a bell-shaped piece of agate marked with Z-shaped stripes .
They mad e the Z-snake out of one of the stripes by picking
out th e sof t ston e an d rubbin g in re d san d an d bee's-wax .
Just in the mouth of the bell you se e the clay bead repeating
the Z-letter.
These ar e all the letters .
The next bead is a small round green y lump of copper ore ; th e
next is a lump of rough turquoise; the next is a rough gold nugget
(what they cal l water-gold); th e next is a melon-shaped cla y bead
(white with gree n spots). The n com e four fla t ivor y pieces , with
dots o n them rather like dominoes; then com e three stone beads,
very badly worn; the n two sof t iro n bead s with rust-hole s a t the
edges (they mus t hav e been magic , because they loo k very com -
mon); an d las t i s a very very ol d Africa n bead , lik e glass—blue ,
red, white , black , and yellow. The n come s th e loo p t o sli p ove r
the bi g silver button a t th e othe r end , an d tha t i s all.
1 have copied th e necklace very carefully. It weighs one poun d
seven and a half ounces . The black squiggle behind is only put i n
to mak e the bead s an d things loo k better .
OF al l the Trib e of Tegumai
Who cu t tha t figure , non e remain, —
On Merro w Dow n th e cuckoo s cry —
The silenc e and th e su n remain .
But a s the faithfu l year s retur n
And heart s unwounde d sin g again,
Comes Taff y dancin g through th e fer n
To lea d th e Surre y sprin g again.
Her brow s ar e bound wit h bracken-fronds ,
And golde n elf-lock s fl y above ;
Her eye s ar e bright a s diamonds
And blue r tha n th e skie s above .
In mocassin s an d deer-ski n cloak ,
Unfearing, fre e an d fai r sh e flits ,
And light s he r littl e damp-woo d smok e
To sho w he r Dadd y wher e sh e flits.
For far—oh , ver y fa r behind ,
So far sh e canno t cal l t o him ,
Comes Tegumai alon e t o find
The daughte r tha t wa s all to him .
 THE CRA B THA T PLAYE D
WITH TH E SE A

EFORE th e Hig h an d
Far-Off Times , O m y
Best Beloved, came the
Time o f th e Ver y Be -
ginnings; an d tha t wa s
in th e day s whe n th e
Eldest Magicia n wa s
getting Thing s ready .
First h e go t th e Eart h
ready; the n h e go t th e
Sea ready; and the n h e
told al l th e Animal s
that the y coul d com e
out an d play . An d th e Animal s said , ' O Eldes t
Magician, wha t shal l w e pla y at? ' an d h e said , ' I
will sho w you. ' H e too k th e Elephant—All-the -
Elephant-there-was—and said, Tlay at being an Ele-
phant/ and All-the-Elephant-there-was played. He
took th e Beaver—All-the-Beaver-there-was—an d
said, Tlay a t being a Beaver/ an d All-the-Beaver -
there-was played. He took the Cow—All-the-Cow-
there-was—and said , Tla y a t bein g a Cow / an d
130 Jus t S o Storie s
All-the-Cow-there-was played . H e too k th e Tur -
tle—All-the-Turtle-there-was—and said , Tla y a t
being a Turtle/ and All-the-Turtle-there-was played .
One b y on e h e too k al l the beast s an d bird s an d
fishes and tol d the m wha t t o pla y at .
But toward s evening , whe n peopl e an d thing s
grow restless and tired, there came up the Man (With
his ow n littl e girl-daughter?)—Yes , wit h hi s ow n
best-beloved littl e girl-daughte r sittin g upo n hi s
shoulder, an d h e said , 'Wha t i s thi s play , Eldes t
Magician?" And th e Eldest Magician said, c Ho, Son
of Adam , thi s i s th e pla y o f th e Ver y Beginning;
but yo u ar e too wis e for thi s play / An d th e Man
saluted an d said , c Yes, I a m too wis e for thi s play;
but se e that yo u mak e all the Animal s obedient t o
me/
Now, whil e th e tw o wer e talkin g together, Pa u
Amma the Crab , wh o wa s next i n the game , scut -
tled of f sideway s an d steppe d int o th e sea , saying
to himself , C I wil l pla y m y pla y alon e i n th e dee p
waters, an d I will never be obedient t o thi s so n of
Adam/ Nobod y saw him g o away except the little
girl-daughter where she leaned on the Man's shoul -
der. An d th e play went o n till there were no mor e
Animals lef t withou t orders ; an d th e Eldes t Magi-
cian wipe d th e fin e dus t of f hi s hand s an d walke d
about th e worl d t o se e ho w th e Animal s wer e
playing.
He went North, Best Beloved, and he found All-
 The Cra b tha t Playe d wit h th e Se a 13 1
the-Elephant-there-was digging with hi s tusks and
stamping with hi s fee t i n th e nic e new clea n eart h
that ha d bee n mad e ready fo r him .
'Kun?' sai d All-the-Elephant-there-was, meaning ,
'Is thi s right? '
'Payah kun* sai d the Eldes t Magician, meaning,
'That is quite right'; and he breathed upon the great
rocks an d lump s o f eart h tha t All-the-Elephant -
there-was had thrown up, and they became the great
Himalayan Mountains, and you ca n look them ou t
on th e map .
He went East, and he found All-the-Cow-there-
was feedin g i n th e fiel d that ha d bee n made ready
for her , an d sh e licked he r tongu e roun d a whol e
forest a t a time, an d swallowe d i t an d sa t down t o
chew he r cud .
(
Kun?y sai d All-the-Cow-there-was.
'Payah kun, sai d th e Eldes t Magician ; an d h e
breathed upon th e bare patch where she had eaten,
and upo n th e plac e where sh e ha d sa t down , an d
one became the grea t Indian Desert , an d the othe r
became the Desert of Sahara, and you can look them
out o n th e map .
He wen t West , an d h e foun d All-the-Beaver -
there-was making a beaver-dam across the mouth s
of broa d river s that ha d bee n go t read y fo r him .
'Kun?' sai d All-the-Beaver-there-was.
'Payah kunj sai d th e Eldes t Magician ; an d h e
breathed upo n th e falle n tree s an d th e stil l water ,
THIS i s a pictur e o f Pa u Amm a th e Cra b runnin g awa y
while th e Eldes t Magicia n was talking t o th e Man an d his
Little Gir l Daughter . The Eldes t Magician is sitting on his
magic throne, wrapped u p i n hi s Magic Cloud. The thre e
flowers i n fron t o f hi m ar e th e thre e Magic Flowers."" O n
the top o f the hil l you ca n see All-the-Elephant-there-was,
and All-the-Cow-there-was , an d All-the-Turtle-there-wa s
going of f t o pla y a s th e Eldes t Magicia n told them . Th e
Cow ha s a hump, becaus e she was All-the-Cow-there-was;
so she had t o hav e all there was for al l the cow s that were
made afterwards . Unde r th e hil l ther e ar e Animal s wh o
have been taught the gam e they were to play . You ca n see
All-the-Tiger-there-was smilin g a t All-the-Bones-there -
were, an d you ca n see All-the-Elk-there-was, and All-the-
Parrot-there-was, an d All-thc-Bunnics-there-wcr c o n th e
hill. The othe r Animal s are on the othe r sid e of the hill, so
I haven' t draw n them . The littl e hous e u p th e hil l i s All-
the-House-there-was. Th e Eldest Magician made it to show
the Ma n ho w t o mak e house s whe n h e wante d to . Th e
Snake round tha t spiky hill is All-the-Snake-there-was, and
he is talking t o All-the-Monkey-there-was , an d the Mon -
key is being rude to th e Snake , and the Snake is being rude
to the Monkey. The Man is very busy talking to the Eldest
Magician. The Little Girl Daughter is looking at Pau Amma
as he runs away . That hump y thin g in the water in front i s
Pau Amma. He wasn' t a common Cra b i n those days . H e
was a King Crab. That i s why h e looks different. Th e thing
that looks like bricks that the Man is standing in, is the Big
Miz-Maze. When the Man has done talking with the Eldest
Magician he will walk in the Big Miz-Maze, because he has
to. The mark on the stone unde r the Man's foot i s a magic
mark;"" and down underneath I have drawn the three Magic
Flowers al l mixed u p wit h th e Magi c Cloud. All this pic -
ture i s Big Medicine an d Stron g Magic.
 ust
134 J So Stories
and they became the Everglades in Florida, and you
may loo k the m ou t o n th e map .
Then h e wen t Sout h an d foun d All-the-Turtle -
there-was scratchin g with hi s flipper s i n th e san d
that ha d bee n got ready for him , an d the san d and
the rock s whirle d throug h th e ai r an d fel l fa r of f
into th e sea .
'Kun?y sai d All-the-Turtle-there-was.
'Payah k un, sai d th e Eldes t Magician ; an d h e
breathed upo n th e san d an d the rocks , where the y
had falle n i n th e sea , an d the y becam e th e mos t
beautiful island s of Borneo, Celebes, Sumatra, Java,
and the rest of the Malay Archipelago, and you ca n
look them ou t o n th e map !
By an d b y th e Eldes t Magicia n met the Ma n o n
the banks of the Perak River, and said, cHo! Son of
Adam, ar e all the Animal s obedient t o you? '
'Yes,' sai d th e Man .
'Is al l the Eart h obedien t t o you? '
'Yes,' sai d th e Man .
c
ls al l the Se a obedient t o you? '
'No,' said the Man. 'Once a day and once a night
the Sea runs up the Perak River and drives the sweet-
water back into the forest, so that my house is made
wet; onc e a day and once a night i t runs dow n th e
river an d draw s al l the wate r afte r it , s o that ther e
is nothing left bu t mud , an d m y cano e i s upset. I s
that th e play yo u tol d i t t o play? '
'No,' sai d th e Eldes t Magician . 'Tha t i s a ne w
and a bad play. '
 The Cra b tha t Playe d wit h th e Se a 13 5
Took!' said the Man , and as he spoke th e great
Sea came up th e mout h o f the Perak River, driving
the rive r backward s til l i t overflowe d al l the dar k
forests fo r mile s and miles , and floode d th e Man' s
house.
'This i s wrong. Launc h your cano e an d we will
find out who is playing with the Sea,' said the Eld -
est Magician. They steppe d into the canoe; the little
girl-daughter cam e with them ; an d th e Ma n too k
his kris —a curving , wavy dagge r with a blade like
a flame,—and they pushed ou t o n the Perak River .
Then th e Se a began to ru n bac k and back, and th e
canoe wa s sucke d ou t o f th e mout h o f th e Pera k
River, past Selangor , past Malacca , past Singapore,
out an d ou t t o th e Islan d o f Bintang, as though i t
had bee n pulle d b y a string .
Then th e Eldest Magician stood u p and shouted ,
'Ho! beasts, birds, an d fishes, that I took between
my hand s a t th e Ver y Beginnin g an d taugh t th e
play tha t yo u shoul d play , whic h on e o f yo u i s
playing with th e Sea? '
Then all the beasts, birds, and fishes said together,
'Eldest Magician, we play the plays that you taught
us to play—we and our children's children . But not
one o f us play s wit h th e Sea. '
Then th e Moon ros e big and full ove r the water,
and the Eldest Magician said to the hunchbacked old
man who sits in the Moon spinning a fishing-line with
which h e hopes on e day to catc h th e world, 'Ho!
Fisher of the Moon, are you playing with the Sea?'
136 Jus t S o Storie s
'No/ sai d th e Fisherman , C I a m spinnin g a line
with which I shall some day catch the world; but I
do not play with the Sea/ And he went on spinning
his line .
Now ther e i s als o a Ra t u p i n th e Moo n wh o
always bites the ol d Fisherman' s line as fast a s it is
made, an d th e Eldes t Magicia n sai d t o him , c Ho!
Rat of the Moon , are yon playin g with the Sea? '
And th e Ra t said , C I a m too bus y biting through
the lin e tha t thi s ol d Fisherma n i s spinning . I d o
not pla y with th e Sea / An d h e went o n bitin g the
line.
Then the little girl-daughter put u p her little sof t
brown arm s with the beautiful whit e shell bracelets
and said, C O Eldest Magician! when my father her e
talked t o yo u a t the Ver y Beginning , and I leaned
upon his shoulder while the beasts were being taught
their plays, one beast went away naughtily into the
Sea before yo u ha d taugh t hi m hi s play/
And th e Eldes t Magicia n said , c How wis e ar e
little children who se e and are silent! What was that
beast like? '
And th e little girl-daughte r said , c He was roun d
and he was flat; and his eyes grew upon stalks ; and
he walke d sideway s lik e this ; an d h e wa s covere d
with stron g armou r upo n hi s back/
And the Eldest Magician said, 'How wise are little
children who speak truth! Now I know where Pau
Amma went . Giv e m e the paddle! '
 The Cra b tha t Playe d wit h th e Se a 13 7
So he took the paddle; but ther e was no nee d t o
paddle, fo r th e wate r flowe d steadil y pas t al l th e
islands til l the y cam e t o th e plac e calle d Pusa t
Tasek—the Heart of the Sea—wher e the grea t hol -
low i s tha t lead s dow n t o th e hear t o f th e world ,
and in that hollow grow s the Wonderful Tree, Pauh
Janggi, tha t bear s th e magi c twin-nuts . The n th e
Eldest Magicia n sli d hi s ar m u p t o th e shoulde r
through th e deep warm water, an d under th e root s
of th e Wonderfu l Tree h e touche d th e broa d back
of Pa u Amm a th e Crab . An d Pa u Amm a settle d
down a t the touch , an d all the Se a rose up a s water
rises i n a basin when yo u pu t you r han d int o it .
'Ah!' said the Eldest Magician. cNow I know who
has bee n playing wit h th e Sea' ; an d h e calle d out ,
'What ar e you doing , Pa u Amma? '
And Pa u Amma , dee p dow n below , answered ,
'Once a day an d onc e a night I g o out t o loo k fo r
my food . Onc e a da y an d onc e a nigh t I return .
Leave m e alone. '
Then the Eldest Magician said, 'Listen, Pau Amma.
When yo u g o ou t fro m you r cav e th e water s
of th e Se a pour dow n int o Pusa t Tasek , an d al l
the beache s of al l the islands are lef t bare , and th e
little fish die, and Raj a Moyan g Kaban, the Kin g of
the Elephants, his legs are made muddy. When yo u
come back and sit in Pusat Tasek, th e waters of the
Sea rise, and half the little islands are drowned, and
the Man' s hous e i s flooded , an d Raj a Abdullah," "
138 Jus t S o Storie s
the King of the Crocodiles, hi s mouth i s filled with
the sal t water /
Then Pa u Amma, deep down below , laughed and
said, 'I di d not kno w I wa s so important. Hence -
forward I wil l g o ou t seve n time s a day , an d th e
waters shal l neve r b e still/
And th e Eldes t Magicia n said , * I canno t mak e
you pla y th e pla y yo u wer e mean t t o play , Pa u
Amma, because you escape d me at the Very Begin-
ning; but if you ar e not afraid , com e up and we will
talk abou t it /
'I am not afraid / sai d Pau Amma, and he rose to
the to p o f th e se a i n th e moonlight . Ther e wa s
nobody i n the world s o big as Pau Amma—for h e
was th e Kin g Cra b o f al l Crabs . No t a commo n
Crab, bu t a King Crab. On e sid e of his great shell
touched th e beac h a t Sarawak ; th e othe r touche d
the beac h a t Pahang ; an d h e wa s talle r tha n th e
smoke o f thre e volcanoes ! A s he ros e u p throug h
the branches of the Wonderful Tree he tore off one
of the great twin-fruits—the magic double-kernelled
nuts tha t mak e people young,—an d th e littl e girl -
daughter sa w i t bobbin g alongsid e th e canoe , an d
pulled i t i n an d bega n to pic k ou t th e sof t eye s of
it wit h he r littl e golde n scissors .
'Now,5 sai d th e Magician , "mak e a Magic , Pa u
Amma, to sho w tha t yo u ar e really important /
Pau Amm a rolle d hi s eye s an d wave d hi s legs ,
but h e could onl y sti r u p th e Sea , because, thoug h
 The Cra b tha t Playe d wit h th e Se a 13 9
he wa s a Kin g Crab, h e wa s nothin g mor e tha n a
Crab, an d th e Eldes t Magicia n laughed.
'You ar e not s o important afte r all , Pau Amma,'
he said . c Now, le t m e try, ' an d h e mad e a Magic
with hi s lef t hand—wit h just the littl e finger of his
left hand—and—l o an d behold , Bes t Beloved, Pau
Amma's hard, blue-green-black shell fell of f him as
a hus k fall s of f a cocoa-nut , an d Pa u Amm a wa s
left al l soft—soft a s the littl e crabs that yo u some -
times fin d o n th e beach , Best Beloved.
'Indeed, you ar e very important/ sai d the Eldest
Magician. 'Shall I ask the Man here to cut you wit h
his &ns ? Shal l I sen d fo r Raj a Moyan g Kaban , th e
King of the Elephants, to pierce you with his tusks?
or shall I call Raja Abdullah, the King of the Croco-
diles, t o bit e you? '
And Pa u Amm a said , C I a m ashamed ! Giv e m e
back m y har d shel l an d le t m e g o bac k t o Pusa t
Tasek, an d I will only sti r ou t onc e a day and once
a nigh t t o ge t my food /
And th e Eldes t Magician said, 'No, Pau Amma,
I wil l no t giv e you bac k you r shell , fo r yo u wil l
grow bigger and prouder an d stronger, an d perhaps
you wil l forge t you r promise , an d yo u wil l pla y
with th e Se a once more /
Then Pa u Amma said, 'What shall I do? I am so
big that I can only hid e in Pusat Tasek, an d if I go
anywhere else , all soft a s I am now, th e shark s and
the dogfis h will eat me. And i f I go to Pusa t Tasek ,
THIS is the pictur e o f Pau Amma * the Cra b risin g out o f
the se a a s tal l a s th e smok e o f thre e volcanoes . I haven' t
drawn the three volcanoes, becaus e Pau Amma was so big.
Pau Amma is trying to mak e a Magic, but h e is only a silly
old King Crab, and so he can't do anything. You can see he
is all legs and claw s an d empt y hollo w shell . The cano e is
the canoe that the Man and the Girl Daughter and the Eldest
Magician sailed from the Perak River in. The Sea is all black
and bobbly , becaus e Pa u Amm a ha s jus t rise n u p ou t o f
Pusat Tasek. Pusat Tasek is underneath, s o I haven't draw n
it. Th e Ma n i s waving hi s curv y &rw-knif e a t Pa u Amma .
The Littl e Gir l Daughte r i s sitting quietly i n the middl e of
the canoe. She knows she is quite safe with her Daddy. Th e
Eldest Magician is standing up at the other end of the canoe
beginning to make a Magic. He ha s left hi s magic throne o n
the beach , and he has taken of f his clothes s o as not t o ge t
wet, an d he has left th e Magic Cloud behin d too, s o as not
to tip the boat over. The thing that looks lik e another little
canoe outsid e th e rea l canoe i s calle d a n outrigger . I t i s a
piece of wood tie d to sticks, and it prevents the canoe fro m
being tippe d over . Th e cano e i s mad e out o f on e piec e of
wood, and ther e i s a paddle a t on e en d o f it .
142 Jus t S o Stories
all sof t a s I a m now , thoug h I ma y b e safe , I ca n
never sti r ou t t o ge t my food , an d s o I shal l die/
Then h e wave d hi s leg s and lamented .
'Listen, Pau Amma,' said the Eldest Magician. 'I
cannot mak e you play the play you were mean t t o
play, becaus e you escape d m e a t th e Ver y Begin -
ning; but if you choose, I can make every stone and
every hole an d ever y bunch o f weed in all the sea s
a saf e Pusa t Tase k fo r yo u an d you r childre n fo r
always/
Then Pau Amma said, That is good, but I do not
choose yet. Look ! ther e is that Man who talke d to
you a t the Very Beginning. If he had no t take n up
your attentio n I shoul d no t hav e grow n tire d o f
waiting and run away, and all this would never have
happened. Wha t wil l h e d o fo r me? '
And th e Ma n said, c lf yo u choose , I will make a
Magic, s o tha t bot h th e dee p wate r an d th e dr y
ground will be a home for you and your children—
so that yo u shal l be able to hid e both o n th e lan d
and i n the sea /
And Pau Amma said, 'I do not choose yet. Look!
there i s that gir l who sa w me running awa y at th e
Very Beginning. If she had spoken then, th e Eldes t
Magician woul d hav e calle d m e back , an d al l thi s
would neve r have happened. What wil l she do fo r
me?'
And th e littl e girl-daughte r said , 'This is a good
nut tha t I a m eating. If you choose , I will mak e a
 The Cra b tha t Playe d with th e Se a 14 3
Magic and I will give you thi s pair of scissors, very
sharp an d strong , s o tha t yo u an d you r childre n
can ea t cocoa-nuts lik e this al l day lon g when yo u
come up fro m th e Se a to th e land ; o r yo u ca n dig
a Pusa t Tase k fo r yoursel f wit h th e scissor s tha t
belong to yo u whe n ther e is no ston e o r hole nea r
by; and when th e eart h i s too hard , b y th e hel p of
these sam e scissor s you ca n run u p a tree/
And Pa u Amm a said, C I d o no t choos e yet , for ,
all soft a s I am, these gifts would no t hel p me. Give
me bac k m y shell , O Eldes t Magician , and the n I
will pla y you r play. '
And the Eldest Magician said, 'I will give it back,
Pau Amma , for eleve n months o f the year ; bu t o n
the twelft h month o f ever y year i t shal l gro w sof t
again, t o remin d yo u an d al l your childre n tha t I
can mak e magics , an d t o kee p yo u humble , Pa u
Amma; for I see that if you ca n run bot h under th e
water an d o n land , you wil l gro w to o bold ; an d if
you ca n clim b tree s an d crac k nut s an d di g hole s
with you r scissors , you wil l gro w to o greedy , Pau
Amma.'
Then Pau Amma thought a little and said, C I have
made m y choice . I wil l tak e al l the gifts. '
Then the Eldest Magician made a Magic with the
right hand , wit h al l fiv e finger s o f hi s righ t hand ,
and lo and behold, Bes t Beloved, Pau Amma gre w
smaller an d smalle r an d smaller , til l a t las t ther e
was only a little green crab swimming in the water
 ust
144 J So Stories
alongside th e canoe , cryin g i n a very smal l voice ,
"Give m e the scissors! '
And the girl-daughter picked him up on the palm
of her little brown hand , and sat him in the botto m
of the canoe and gave him her scissors, an d he waved
them i n his little arms , an d opene d the m an d shu t
them and snapped them , an d said, C I can eat nuts. I
can crac k shells. I ca n dig holes. I ca n climb trees .
I ca n breath e i n th e dr y air , an d I ca n fin d a saf e
Pusat Tase k unde r ever y stone . I di d no t kno w I
was s o important . Kun? y (I s this right?)
'Payah kunS sai d th e Eldes t Magician , an d h e
laughed an d gav e hi m hi s blessing ; an d littl e Pa u
Amma scuttle d ove r th e sid e of the cano e into th e
water; and he was so tiny that he could have hidden
under the shadow of a dry lea f o n land or o f a dead
shell a t th e botto m o f th e sea .
'Was tha t wel l done? ' sai d th e Eldes t Magician.
'Yes,' sai d th e Man . c But now w e must g o back
to Perak , an d that i s a weary wa y t o paddle. I f we
had waite d til l Pa u Amm a ha d gon e ou t o f Pusa t
Tasek an d com e home , th e wate r woul d hav e
carried u s ther e b y itself. '
'You are lazy,' said the Eldest Magician. 'So your
children shal l b e lazy . The y shal l b e th e lazies t
people i n th e world . The y shal l b e calle d th e
Malazy—the lazy people'; and he held up his finger
to th e Moo n an d said , ' O Fisherman , her e i s thi s
Man to o laz y t o ro w home . Pul l hi s cano e hom e
with you r line , Fisherman. '
 The Cra b tha t Playe d wit h th e Se a 14 5
'No/ sai d th e Man . 'I f I a m t o b e laz y al l my
days, le t the Se a work for m e twice a day fo r ever .
That wil l sav e paddling.'
And the Eldest Magician laughed and said, 'Payah
kuny (Tha t i s right) .
And the Rat of the Moon stoppe d bitin g the line;
and th e Fisherma n le t his line down till it touche d
the Sea , an d h e pulle d th e whol e dee p Se a along,
past th e Islan d o f Bintang , pas t Singapore , pas t
Malacca, past Selangor , til l th e cano e whirle d int o
the mout h o f th e Pera k Rive r again .
'Kun? sai d th e Fisherma n o f th e Moon .
f
Payah kun, said the Eldest Magician. 'See now
that yo u pul l th e Se a twice a day an d twice a night
for ever , so that the Malazy fishermen may be saved
paddling. But be careful no t t o d o it too hard , o r I
shall make a Magic on you a s I did to Pa u Amma/
Then the y al l went u p the Perak Rive r and went
to bed , Bes t Beloved .
Now liste n an d attend !
From that day to this the Moon has always pulled
the Se a up an d dow n an d mad e wha t w e cal l th e
tides. Sometime s the Fishe r o f th e Se a pulls a little
too hard , an d the n w e get spring-tides; an d some -
times h e pull s a littl e to o softly , an d the n w e ge t
what ar e called neap-tides ; bu t nearl y alway s h e is
careful, becaus e of th e Eldes t Magician .
And Pa u Amma ? You ca n se e when yo u g o t o
the beach , ho w al l Pau Amma' s babie s mak e littl e
Pusat Taseks for themselve s under ever y stone an d
146 Jus t S o Storie s
bunch o f wee d o n th e sands ; yo u ca n se e the m
waving their little scissors; and in some parts of the
world the y trul y liv e o n th e dr y lan d an d ru n u p
the palm-tree s an d ea t cocoa-nuts , exactl y a s th e
girl-daughter promised . Bu t onc e a yea r al l Pa u
Ammas mus t shak e of f thei r har d armou r an d b e
soft—to remin d the m o f what th e Eldes t Magician
could do . An d s o i t isn' t fai r t o kil l o r hun t Pa u
Amma's babie s jus t becaus e ol d Pa u Amm a wa s
stupidly rud e a very lon g tim e ago.
Oh yes! And Pau Amma's babies hate being taken
out o f their littl e Pusa t Tasek s an d brough t hom e
in pickle-bottles . Tha t i s wh y the y ni p yo u wit h
their scissors , an d i t serve s you right !
 CHINA-GOING P . and O.'s*
Pass Pa u Amma' s playgroun d close ,
And hi s Pusa t Tase k lie s
Near th e trac k o f most B.I.'s .
N.Y.K. an d N.D.L.
Know Pa u Amma' s hom e a s well
As th e Fishe r o f th e Se a knows
'Bens,' M.M.'s , an d Rubattinos .
But (an d thi s i s rather queer )
A.T.L.'s ca n not com e here ;
O. an d O. an d D.O.A.
Must g o round anothe r way .
Orient, Anchor, Bibby , Hall ,
Never g o that wa y a t all .
U.C.S. would hav e a fit
If i t foun d itsel f o n it .
And i f 'Beavers' too k thei r cargoe s
To Penan g instead o f Lagos ,
Or a fat Shaw-Savil l bor e
Passengers t o Singapore ,
Or a White Sta r were to tr y a
Little tri p to Sourabaya ,
Or a B.S.A. went o n
Past Nata l t o Cheribon ,
Then grea t M r Lloyds" " would com e
With a wire* an d dra g them home !
You'll kno w wha t m y riddl e means
When you'v e eate n mangosteens.
Or i f you can' t wai t til l then , as k them to le t you hav e
the outsid e page of the Times'* tur n ove r to page 2, where
it i s marked 'Shipping' on th e to p lef t hand ; then tak e the
Atlas (and that i s the finest picture-book i n the world) an d
see how th e names of the places that th e steamers go to fit
into th e name s o f th e place s o n th e map . An y steamer -
kiddy ought to be able to do that; but if you can't read, ask
some on e to sho w i t you .
This page intentionally left blank
 THE CA T THA T WALKE D
BY HIMSEL F

EAR and attend and listen;""

for thi s befel l
and behap -
pened an d be -
came an d was,
O m y Bes t
Beloved, when
the Tam e ani -
mals were wild. The Dog was wild, an d the Horse
was wild , an d th e Co w wa s wild , an d th e Shee p
was wild , an d th e Pi g wa s wild—a s wil d a s wild
could be—and they walked in the Wet Wild Woods
by thei r wild lones . But th e wildes t o f all the wil d
animals was the Cat. He walked by himself, and all
places wer e alik e to him .
Of cours e the Man was wild too. H e was dread-
fully wild . H e didn' t eve n begin to b e tame till he
met the Woman, an d she told him that she did no t
like living in hi s wild ways . Sh e picked ou t a nice
dry Cave , instea d o f a hea p o f we t leaves , t o li e
down in ; and sh e strewed clea n sand o n th e floor ;
and sh e li t a nic e fir e o f woo d a t th e bac k o f th e
150 Jus t S o Storie s
Cave; an d sh e hun g a drie d wild-hors e skin , tail -
down, across the opening of the Cave; and she said,
'Wipe your feet , dear , when you com e in, and now
we'll kee p house. '
That night , Bes t Beloved , the y at e wil d shee p
roasted o n the hot stones , and flavoured wit h wil d
garlic and wild pepper; an d wild duc k stuffe d wit h
wild ric e an d wil d fenugree k an d wil d coriander ;
and marrow-bones o f wild oxen; and wild cherries,
and wil d grenadillas . Then th e Ma n wen t t o slee p
in front o f the fir e eve r so happy; bu t th e Woma n
sat up, combin g her hair . She took the bon e of the
shoulder o f mutton—th e bi g fla t blade-bone—an d
she looke d a t th e wonderfu l mark s o n it , an d sh e
threw more wood o n the fire, and she made a Magic.
She made the Firs t Singin g Magic in th e world .
Out i n the Wet Wild Woods al l the wild animals
gathered together where they coul d see the light of
the fire a long way off , and they wondered wha t it
meant.
Then Wild Horse stamped with his wild foot and
said, 'O my Friends and O m y Enemies, why have
the Ma n an d th e Woma n mad e tha t grea t ligh t i n
that grea t Cave , an d wha t har m wil l i t d o us? '
Wild Dog lifte d u p his wild nose and smelled the
smell o f th e roas t mutton , an d said , ' I wil l g o u p
and se e and look , an d say ; fo r I thin k i t i s good .
Cat, com e with me. '
'Nenni!'* said the Cat . C I am the Ca t wh o walk s
 The Ca t tha t Walke d b y Himsel f 15 1
by himself, and all places are alike to me. I will not
come.'
'Then we ca n never be friend s again / sai d Wil d
Dog, an d h e trotted of f to th e Cave . Bu t when h e
had gon e a little wa y th e Ca t sai d to himself , C A11
places are alike to me. Why should I not go too and
see and look and come away at my own liking?' So
he slippe d afte r Wil d Do g softly , ver y softly , an d
hid himsel f where h e coul d hea r everything .
When Wild Dog reache d the mout h o f the Cave
he lifted u p the drie d horse-ski n wit h his nose and
sniffed th e beautifu l smel l of the roas t mutton, an d
the Woman, lookin g a t the blade-bone, heard him,
and laughed , and said , 'Here comes the first . Wil d
Thing ou t of the Wild Woods, what do you want?'
Wild Do g said , ' O m y Enem y an d Wif e o f my
Enemy, what is this that smells so good in the Wild
Woods?'
Then th e Woma n picke d u p a roasted mutton -
bone an d thre w i t t o Wil d Dog , an d said , 'Wil d
Thing ou t o f the Wild Woods, taste and try.' Wild
Dog gnawe d th e bone , an d i t wa s mor e deliciou s
than anythin g h e ha d eve r tasted , an d h e said ,
'O m y Enem y an d Wif e o f m y Enemy , giv e m e
another.'
The Woma n said , 'Wil d Thin g ou t o f th e Wil d
Woods, help my Man to hunt throug h the day and
guard thi s Cav e a t night , an d I wil l giv e yo u a s
many roas t bone s a s you need. '
THIS i s th e pictur e o f th e Cav e wher e th e Ma n an d th e
Woman lived first of all. It was really a very nice Cave, and
much warmer than it looks. Th e Man ha d a canoe. It i s on
the edge of the river, being soaked in water to make it swell
up. The tattery-lookin g thing acros s th e rive r i s the Man's
salmon-net to catch salmon with. There are nice clean stones
leading up fro m th e river to the mouth o f the Cave, so that
the Man and the Woman could g o down fo r water withou t
getting san d betwee n thei r toes . Th e thing s lik e black -
beetles far dow n the beac h are reall y trunk s of dea d tree s
that floate d dow n th e river fro m th e Wet Wild Wood s on
the othe r bank . Th e Ma n an d th e Woma n use d t o dra g
them ou t an d dr y the m an d cu t the m u p fo r firewood . I
haven't draw n th e horse-hid e curtai n a t th e mout h o f th e
Cave, becaus e th e Woma n ha s jus t take n i t dow n t o b e
cleaned. Al l those little smudge s o n th e san d betwee n th e
Cave an d th e rive r ar e the mark s of the Woman' s fee t an d
the Man' s feet .
The Man and the Woman are both insid e the Cave eating
their dinner . The y wen t t o anothe r cosie r Cav e whe n th e
Baby came , becaus e th e Bab y use d t o craw l dow n t o th e
river an d fal l in , and th e Do g ha d t o pul l hi m out .
 ust
154 J S o Stories
'Ah!' sai d the Cat , listening . 'This is a very wise
Woman, bu t sh e is not s o wise a s I am /
Wild Dog crawled into the Cave and laid his head
on th e Woman' s lap , an d said , C O m y Frien d an d
Wife o f m y Friend , I wil l hel p you r Ma n to hun t
through th e day , an d a t nigh t I wil l guar d you r
Cave/
'Ah!' said the Cat , listening. 'That is a very fool-
ish Dog/ And he went bac k through th e Wet Wild
Woods wavin g hi s wil d tail , an d walkin g b y hi s
wild lone . Bu t h e never tol d anybody .
When th e Ma n waked up h e said, 'What is Wild
Dog doing here?' And the Woman said, 'His name is
not Wil d Do g an y more, bu t th e Firs t Friend , be -
cause he will be our friend for always and always and
always. Take him with you when you g o hunting/
Next nigh t th e Woma n cu t grea t gree n armful s
of fres h gras s from th e water-meadows , an d drie d
it befor e th e fire , s o tha t i t smel t lik e new-mow n
hay, and she sat at the mouth of the Cave and plaited
a halte r ou t o f horse-hide , an d sh e looke d a t th e
shoulder-of-mutton bone—a t th e big broad blade-
bone—and she made a Magic. She made the Second
Singing Magi c in th e world .
Out i n th e Wil d Wood s al l th e wil d animal s
wondered wha t had happened to Wild Dog, an d at
last Wil d Hors e stampe d wit h hi s foo t an d said ,
'I wil l g o and se e and sa y why Wil d Do g ha s no t
returned. Cat , com e with me /
 The Ca t tha t Walke d b y Himsel f 15 5
'Nenni!' sai d th e Cat . ' I a m the Ca t wh o walk s
by himself, and all places are alike to me. I will no t
come/ Bu t al l th e sam e h e followe d Wil d Hors e
softly, ver y softly , an d hi d himsel f where h e coul d
hear everything .
When the Woman heard Wild Horse tripping and
stumbling o n hi s long mane , sh e laughed an d said ,
'Here come s th e second . Wil d Thin g ou t o f th e
Wild Woods , wha t d o yo u want? '
Wild Horse said, 'O m y Enemy an d Wife o f my
Enemy, wher e i s Wild Dog? '
The Woma n laughed , and picke d u p th e blade -
bone and looked a t it, and said, 'Wild Thing ou t of
the Wil d Woods , yo u di d no t com e her e for Wil d
Dog, bu t fo r th e sak e o f thi s goo d grass. '
And Wil d Horse , tripping an d stumblin g on his
long mane , said , 'Tha t i s true; giv e i t m e to eat. '
The Woma n said , 'Wil d Thin g ou t o f th e Wil d
Woods, bend your wild hea d and wear what I give
you, an d yo u shal l ea t th e wonderfu l gras s thre e
times a day.'
'Ah,' sai d th e Cat , listening , 'thi s i s a cleve r
Woman, bu t sh e is not s o cleve r a s I am. '
Wild Hors e bent hi s wild head , and the Woma n
slipped th e plaite d hid e halte r ove r it , an d Wil d
Horse breathe d o n th e Woman's fee t an d said, ' O
my Mistress, and Wife of my Master, I will be your
servant fo r th e sak e o f th e wonderfu l grass. '
'Ah,' said the Cat, listening, 'that is a very foolish
THIS i s th e pictur e o f th e Cat * tha t Walke d b y Himself ,
walking by his wild lone through the Wet Wild Woods and
waving hi s wil d tail . Ther e i s nothin g els e i n th e pictur e
except som e toadstools . The y ha d t o gro w ther e becaus e
the woods were so wet. The lumpy thing on the low branch
isn't a bird . I t i s mos s tha t gre w ther e becaus e th e Wil d
Woods wer e s o wet .
Underneath the truly picture is a picture of the cosy Cave
that the Man and the Woman went to afte r th e Baby came.
It was their summe r Cave, and they planted whea t in front
of it . The Man is riding on the Horse to find the Co w and
bring her back to the Cave to be milked. He is holding u p
his hand to call the Dog, who has swum across to the othe r
side o f th e river , lookin g fo r rabbits .
158 Jus t S o Storie s
Horse/ An d h e wen t bac k throug h th e We t Wil d
Woods, wavin g hi s wil d tai l an d walkin g b y hi s
wild lone . Bu t h e neve r tol d anybody .
When th e Ma n an d th e Do g cam e bac k fro m
hunting, the Man said, 'What is Wild Hors e doin g
here?' And the Woman said , 'His name is not Wil d
Horse any more , bu t th e Firs t Servant , becaus e he
will carr y u s fro m plac e t o plac e fo r alway s an d
always and always . Rid e on hi s back when yo u g o
hunting/
Next day , holdin g he r wil d hea d hig h tha t he r
wild horn s shoul d no t catc h in the wild trees , Wild
Cow cam e up t o th e Cave , an d th e Ca t followed ,
and hi d himsel f just the sam e as before; and every -
thing happened jus t the same as before; and the Ca t
said the same things as before; and when Wild Co w
had promised t o give her milk to the Woman ever y
day i n exchang e for th e wonderfu l grass , th e Ca t
went bac k throug h th e We t Wil d Wood s wavin g
his wild tai l and walking b y hi s wild lone , jus t the
same a s before . Bu t h e neve r tol d anybody . An d
when th e Ma n an d th e Hors e an d th e Do g cam e
home fro m huntin g an d aske d th e sam e question s
same as before, the Woma n said , 'Her name is no t
Wild Co w an y more, bu t the Giver of Good Food.
She wil l giv e u s th e war m whit e mil k fo r alway s
and alway s an d always , an d I wil l tak e car e of he r
while yo u an d the Firs t Frien d an d the Firs t Serv -
ant g o hunting/
Next da y the Cat waited t o see if any other Wild
 The Ca t tha t Walke d b y Himsel f 15 9
Thing woul d g o up to the Cave, but no one moved
in th e We t Wil d Woods , s o th e Ca t walke d ther e
by himself ; an d h e sa w th e Woma n milkin g th e
Cow, an d h e sa w the ligh t o f th e fir e i n th e Cave ,
and h e smel t th e smel l o f th e war m whit e milk .
Cat said , C O my Enem y an d Wife o f my Enemy ,
where di d Wil d Co w go? '
The Woma n laughe d an d said , 'Wil d Thin g ou t
of th e Wil d Woods , g o bac k t o th e Wood s again ,
for I have braided up my hair, and I have put awa y
the magi c blade-bone, an d w e hav e no mor e nee d
of eithe r friend s o r servant s i n ou r Cave. '
Cat said , C I am not a friend, and I am not a serv-
ant. I am the Cat who walks by himself, and I wish
to com e int o you r Cave. '
Woman said , 'Then why di d you no t com e wit h
First Frien d o n th e firs t night? '
Cat gre w ver y angr y an d said , 'Ha s Wil d Do g
told tale s o f me? '
Then the Woman laughe d and said, c You are the
Cat wh o walk s b y himself , and al l places are alike
to you. You ar e neither a friend no r a servant. You
have sai d i t yourself . G o awa y an d walk b y your -
self i n al l places alike.'
Then Ca t pretende d t o b e sorry an d said, 'Must
I never come into the Cave? Must I never sit by the
warm fire? Must I never drink the warm white milk?
You ar e very wis e an d ver y beautiful . Yo u shoul d
not b e crue l eve n to a Cat.'
Woman said , 'I kne w I wa s wise, bu t I di d no t
160 Jus t S o Storie s
know I was beautiful. S o I will make a bargain with
you. I f eve r I sa y on e wor d i n you r praise , yo u
may com e int o th e Cave /
'And i f yo u sa y tw o word s i n m y praise? ' sai d
the Cat .
'I never shall/ sai d the Woman, 'but if I say two
words i n your praise, you may sit by the fire in the
Cave/
'And i f you sa y three words? ' sai d th e Cat .
'I never shall,' said the Woman, 'but if I say three
words i n you r praise , yo u ma y drin k th e war m
white milk three times a day for always and always
and always /
Then th e Cat arche d his back and said, 'Now let
the Curtai n a t the mouth o f the Cave , and the Fir e
at th e bac k o f th e Cave , an d th e Milk-pot s tha t
stand besid e th e Fire , remembe r what m y Enem y
and the Wife o f my Enemy has said/ An d h e went
away through the Wet Wild Woods waving his wild
tail an d walkin g by hi s wild lone .
That nigh t when the Man and the Horse and the
Dog came home from hunting , the Woman did not
tell them of the bargain that she had made with th e
Cat, because she was afraid tha t they might not like
it.
Cat wen t far and far away and hid himself in th e
Wet Wild Wood s b y hi s wild lon e fo r a long tim e
till the Woman forgo t al l about him . Only the Bat
—the littl e upside-dow n Bat—tha t hun g insid e
 The Ca t tha t Walke d b y Himsel f 16 1
the Cav e kne w wher e Ca t hid ; an d ever y evenin g
Bat woul d fl y t o Ca t wit h new s o f wha t wa s
happening.
One evenin g Ba t said , 'Ther e i s a Bab y i n th e
Cave. H e i s ne w an d pin k an d fa t an d small , an d
the Woma n i s very fon d o f him /
c
Ah,' said the Cat, listening, 'but what is the Baby
fond of? '
'He is fond of things that are soft an d tickle,' said
the Bat . c He is fond o f warm thing s t o hol d i n his
arms whe n h e goe s t o sleep . H e i s fon d o f bein g
played with . H e i s fond o f al l those things. '
c
Ah,' sai d th e Cat , listening , 'the n m y tim e has
come.'
Next nigh t Ca t walke d throug h th e We t Wil d
Woods an d hi d ver y nea r th e Cav e til l morning -
time, an d Ma n an d Do g an d Hors e went hunting .
The Woma n wa s busy cookin g tha t morning , an d
the Bab y cried an d interrupted. S o she carried hi m
outside the Cave and gave him a handful o f pebbles
to pla y with . Bu t stil l th e Bab y cried .
Then th e Ca t put ou t hi s paddy pa w and patted
the Bab y on th e cheek , an d i t cooed ; an d th e Ca t
rubbed agains t its fat knees and tickle d i t under it s
fat chi n wit h hi s tail . An d th e Bab y laughed ; and
the Woma n hear d hi m an d smiled .
Then th e Bat—th e littl e upside-dow n Bat-—tha t
hung in the mouth o f the Cave said, 'O my Hostes s
and Wif e o f m y Hos t an d Mothe r o f m y Host' s
162 Jus t S o Stories
Son, a Wild Thin g fro m th e Wil d Wood s i s mos t
beautifully playin g with you r Baby /
'A blessing on that Wild Thing whoeve r he may
be/ sai d the Woman, straightening her back, 'fo r I
was a busy woma n thi s mornin g an d h e ha s don e
me a service. '
That very minut e an d second , Bes t Beloved, the
dried horse-ski n Curtai n tha t wa s stretche d tail -
down a t th e mout h o f th e Cav e fel l down —
woosh!—because it remembered the bargain she had
made with the Cat; an d when th e Woman went t o
pick i t up—l o an d behold!—th e Ca t wa s sittin g
quite comf y insid e th e Cave .
C
O m y Enem y an d Wif e o f m y Enem y an d
Mother of my Enemy,' said the Cat, 'it is I: for yo u
have spoken a word in my praise, and now I can sit
within the Cav e for alway s and always and always.
But still I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all
places ar e alike to me. '
The Woma n wa s ver y angry , an d shu t he r lip s
tight and took up her spinning-wheel and began to
spin.
But th e Bab y crie d becaus e th e Ca t ha d gon e
away, and the Woman could not hush it, for it strug-
gled an d kicke d an d gre w blac k in th e face .
'O m y Enem y an d Wif e o f m y Enem y an d
Mother o f my Enemy,' said the Cat , 'tak e a strand
of th e threa d tha t yo u ar e spinnin g an d ti e i t t o
your spinning-whor l an d dra g i t alon g th e floor ,
 The Ca t tha t Walke d b y Himsel f 16 3
and I will sho w yo u a Magic that shal l make your
Baby laug h as loudly a s he i s now crying /
'I will d o so/ sai d the Woman, 'because I am at
my wits ' end ; but I wil l no t than k yo u fo r it/
She tied the thread to the little clay spindle-whorl
and dre w i t acros s the floor , an d th e Ca t ra n afte r
it and patted i t with his paws an d rolled head ove r
heels, and tossed it backward over his shoulder and
chased i t betwee n hi s hind-leg s an d pretende d t o
lose it , an d pounce d dow n upo n i t again , til l th e
Baby laughe d as loudly a s it ha d bee n crying, an d
scrambled afte r th e Ca t an d frolicke d al l over th e
Cave til l i t gre w tire d an d settle d dow n t o slee p
with th e Ca t i n it s arms.
'Now,' said Cat, 'I will sing the Baby a song that
shall keep him asleep for an hour/ And he began to
purr, loud an d low, low and loud, till the Baby fel l
fast asleep . The Woman smiled as she looked dow n
upon the two of them, and said, 'That was wonder-
fully done . N o questio n bu t yo u ar e ver y clever ,
O Cat /
That ver y minut e and second , Bes t Beloved, the
smoke o f th e Fir e a t th e bac k o f th e Cav e cam e
down i n cloud s fro m th e roof— puff!—because i t
remembered the bargain she had made with the Cat;
and whe n i t ha d cleare d away—l o an d behold! —
the Ca t wa s sitting quit e comf y clos e t o th e fire .
C
O m y Enem y an d Wif e o f m y Enem y an d
Mother of my Enemy,' said the Cat; 'it is I: for you
164 Jus t S o Storie s
have spoken a second word i n my praise , and no w
I ca n sit by th e war m fir e a t the bac k of the Cav e
for alway s and always and always. But still I am the
Cat wh o walk s b y himself , an d al l places are alike
to me /
Then th e Woma n wa s ver y ver y angry , an d le t
down her hair an d put mor e wood o n the fire and
brought ou t th e broa d blade-bon e of th e shoulde r
of mutto n and bega n to mak e a Magic that shoul d
prevent he r fro m sayin g a third wor d i n prais e of
the Cat . I t wa s not a Singing Magic, Best Beloved,
it was a Still Magic; and b y an d b y th e Cav e grew
so stil l tha t a little wee-we e mous e crep t ou t o f a
corner an d ra n acros s th e floor .
'O m y Enem y an d Wif e o f m y Enem y an d
Mother o f m y Enemy / sai d th e Cat , 'i s tha t littl e
mouse par t o f your Magic? '
'Ouh! Chee ! No indeed!' said the Woman, and she
dropped th e blade-bone and jumped upon the foot-
stool i n fron t o f th e fir e an d braide d u p he r hai r
very quick for fear that the mouse should run up it.
'Ah,' said the Cat, watching, 'then the mouse will
do m e n o har m i f I ea t it? '
'No,' said the Woman, braidin g up her hair, 'eat
it quickl y an d I wil l eve r b e gratefu l t o you /
Cat mad e one jump and caugh t the littl e mouse ,
and the Woman said , 'A hundred thanks . Even the
First Frien d i s not quic k enough to catch little mice
as you hav e done. Yo u mus t b e very wise /
 The Cat that Walked by Himself 165
That ver y momen t an d second, O Bes t Beloved ,
the Milk-pot tha t stoo d b y the fire cracked in two
pieces—ffft!—because it remembered the bargain
she had mad e with th e Cat ; an d when th e Woma n
jumped down fro m th e footstool—lo and behold!—
the Ca t wa s lapping up th e war m whit e mil k tha t
lay i n on e o f th e broke n pieces .
C
O m y Enem y an d Wif e o f m y Enem y an d
Mother of my Enemy/ said the Cat, c it is I: for yo u
have spoke n thre e words i n m y praise , an d no w I
can drin k th e war m whit e mil k thre e time s a da y
for alway s and always and always. But still I am the
Cat wh o walk s b y himself , an d al l places are alike
to me /
Then the Woman laughed and set the Cat a bowl
of th e war m whit e mil k and said , C O Cat , yo u ar e
as clever as a man, but remembe r that your bargain
was no t mad e with th e Ma n or th e Dog , an d I d o
not know what they will do when they come home/
'What is that to me?' said the Cat. clf I have my
place i n th e Cav e b y th e fir e an d m y war m whit e
milk three times a day I do no t car e what th e Man
or th e Dog ca n do/
That evenin g when th e Ma n an d th e Do g cam e
into th e Cave , th e Woma n tol d the m al l the stor y
of th e bargain , whil e th e Ca t sa t b y th e fir e an d
smiled. The n th e Ma n said , 'Yes , bu t h e ha s no t
made a bargain , wit h m e o r wit h al l proper Me n
after me / The n h e too k of f hi s tw o leathe r boot s
166 Jus t S o Storie s
and he took up his little stone axe (that makes three)
and h e fetched a piece of wood an d a hatchet (tha t
is five altogether), an d he set them out i n a row an d
he said, 'Now we will make our bargain. If you d o
not catc h mic e whe n yo u ar e i n th e Cav e fo r al -
ways and always and always, I will throw these five
things a t you wheneve r I se e you, an d s o shal l all
proper Me n d o afte r me /
'Ah/ sai d th e Woman , listening , 'thi s i s a ver y
clever Cat , bu t h e i s not s o cleve r a s my Man /
The Cat counted th e five things (and they looke d
very knobby ) an d he said, 'I will catc h mic e when
I am in the Cave for always and always and always;
but still I am the Cat who walk s by himself, and all
places ar e alike to me /
'Not when I am near/ sai d the Man. 'If yo u had
not sai d that las t I would hav e put al l these thing s
away for alway s and always and always; but no w I
am goin g t o thro w m y tw o boot s an d m y littl e
stone axe (that makes three) at you whenever I meet
you. An d s o shal l al l proper Me n d o afte r me! '
Then th e Do g said , 'Wai t a minute. H e ha s no t
made a bargai n wit h m e o r wit h al l proper Dog s
after me/ * An d h e showe d hi s teet h an d said , 'I f
you ar e no t kin d t o th e Bab y whil e I a m i n th e
Cave fo r alway s an d alway s an d always , I wil l
hunt yo u til l I catc h you , an d when I catc h yo u I
will bite you. An d so shall all proper Dogs d o afte r
me/
 The Ca t tha t Walke d b y Himsel f 16 7
'Ah/ sai d th e Woman , listening , 'thi s i s a ver y
clever Cat , bu t h e i s not s o cleve r a s the Dog /
Cat counte d th e Dog' s teet h (an d the y looke d
very pointed ) an d h e said , ' I wil l b e kin d t o th e
Baby while I am in the Cave, as long as he does no t
pull m y tai l to o hard , fo r alway s an d alway s an d
always. But still I am the Cat that walks by himself,
and al l places are alik e to me! '
'Not when I am near/ sai d the Dog. 'I f yo u had
not sai d that las t I would hav e shut m y mout h fo r
always and always and always; but no w I am going
to hunt you up a tree whenever I meet you. And so
shall al l proper Dog s d o afte r me. '
Then th e Man threw hi s two boot s an d his little
stone axe (that makes three) at the Cat, an d the Ca t
ran ou t o f the Cav e an d th e Do g chase d him u p a
tree; and from tha t da y to this , Best Beloved, three
proper Me n out o f five will always throw thing s at
a Cat whenever they meet him, and all proper Dog s
will chase him up a tree. But the Cat keeps his side
of the bargain too. H e will kill mice, and he will be
kind to Babies when he is in the house , just as long
as the y d o no t pul l hi s tail to o hard . Bu t when h e
has don e that , an d betwee n times , an d whe n th e
moon get s up an d night comes," " he is the Ca t tha t
walks b y himself , and al l places ar e alik e t o him .
Then he goes out to the Wet Wild Woods o r up the
Wet Wild Trees o r on the Wet Wild Roofs, waving
his wil d tai l an d walkin g b y hi s wild lone." "
PUSSY ca n si t b y th e fir e an d sing ,
Pussy ca n clim b a tree ,
Or pla y wit h a silly ol d cor k an d strin g
To 'mus e herself, no t me .
But I lik e Binkie m y dog , becaus e
He know s ho w t o behave ;
So, Binkie'$ the sam e as the Firs t Frien d was ,
And I a m the Ma n in the Cave .
Pussy wil l pla y man-Frida y til l
It's tim e t o we t her paw
And mak e her wal k o n th e window-sil l
(For th e footprin t Cruso e saw) ;
Then sh e fluffle s he r tai l an d mews ,
And scratche s an d won't attend .
But Binkie wil l play whateve r I choose ,
And h e i s my tru e Firs t Friend .
Pussy wil l ru b m y knee s with he r hea d
Pretending sh e loves m e hard ;
But th e ver y minut e I g o to m y bed
Pussy run s ou t i n the yard ,
And ther e sh e stays til l th e morning-light ;
So I kno w i t i s only pretend ;
But Binkie, he snore s a t m y fee t al l night ,
And h e i s my Firstes t Friend !
THE BUTTERFL Y THA T STAMPE D

HIS, O my Best Beloved,

is a story— a ne w an d
a wonderfu l story— a
story quit e differen t
from the other stories—
a stor y abou t Th e
Most Wis e Sovereig n
Suleiman-bin-Daoud*
—Solomon th e So n o f
David.
There ar e thre e
hundred and fifty-five stories abou t Suleiman-bin -
Daoud; bu t thi s i s no t on e o f them . I t i s no t th e
story of the Lapwing who foun d th e Water; or the
Hoopoe who shaded Suleiman-bin-Daoud from th e
heat. It i s not th e stor y o f the Glas s Pavement, o r
the Ruby with the Crooked Hole, or the Gold Bars
of Balkis. * I t i s th e stor y o f th e Butterfl y tha t
Stamped.
Now atten d al l over agai n an d listen !
Suleiman-bin-Daoud wa s wise . H e understoo d
what th e beasts said, what th e bird s said , what th e
fishes said, and what the insects said. He understoo d
170 Jus t S o Stories
what the rocks said deep under the earth when they
bowed i n towards eac h other an d groaned ; an d h e
understood wha t th e tree s sai d when the y rustle d
in the middle of the morning. He understood every -
thing, from th e bishop o n the bench to th e hysso p
on the wall;* and Balkis, his Head Queen , the Most
Beautiful Quee n Balkis , wa s nearl y a s wis e a s h e
was.
Suleiman-bin-Daoud was strong. Upon the third
finger o f hi s righ t han d h e wor e a ring . Whe n h e
turned i t once , Afrit s an d Djinn s cam e out o f th e
earth to do whatever he told them. When he turned
it twice , Fairie s cam e dow n fro m th e sk y t o d o
whatever he told them; and when he turned it three
times, th e ver y grea t ange l Azrae l o f th e Sword *
came dresse d as a water-carrier, and tol d him the
news o f th e thre e worlds,—Above—Below—an d
Here.
And yet Suleiman-bin-Daoud was not proud. H e
very seldo m showe d off , and whe n h e di d h e was
sorry for it. Once h e tried to fee d al l the animals in
all th e worl d i n on e day , bu t whe n th e foo d wa s
ready a n Animal came out o f th e dee p se a and at e
it up i n three mouthfuls. Suleiman-bin-Daoud was
very surprised and said, 'O Animal, who ar e you?'
And th e Anima l said, 'O King , live for ever ! I am
the smalles t of thirt y thousan d brothers , an d ou r
home i s a t th e botto m o f th e sea . W e hear d tha t
you wer e goin g t o fee d al l th e animal s in al l th e
 The Butterfl y tha t Stampe d 17 1
world, an d my brother s sen t m e to as k when din -
ner would be ready/ Suleiman-bin-Daoud was more
surprised tha n eve r and said , * O Animal, you hav e
eaten al l th e dinne r tha t I mad e read y fo r al l th e
animals i n th e world / An d th e Anima l said , ( O
King, liv e fo r ever , bu t d o yo u reall y cal l that a
dinner? Wher e I com e fro m w e eac h ea t twic e a s
much a s that betwee n meals / The n Suleiman-bin-
Daoud fel l fla t o n hi s fac e an d said , 'O Animal ! I
gave that dinner to show what a great and rich king
I was , an d no t becaus e I reall y wanted t o b e kin d
to th e animals . Now I a m ashamed , an d i t serve s
me right / Suleiman-bin-Daou d wa s a reall y trul y
wise man, Best Beloved. After tha t he never forgot
that it was silly to sho w off ; and now the real story
part o f m y stor y begins.
He married ever so many wives. He married nine
hundred an d ninety-nin e wives," " beside s the Mos t
Beautiful Balkis ; and they all lived in a great golden
palace i n th e middl e o f a lovel y garde n wit h
fountains. H e didn' t really want nin e hundred an d
ninety-nine wives , bu t i n thos e day s everybod y
married ever so many wives, and of course the King
had t o marr y eve r so many more just to sho w that
he wa s th e King .
Some of the wives were nice, but som e were sim-
ply horrid, and the horrid ones quarrelled with th e
nice ones and made them horrid too, an d then they
would al l quarre l wit h Suleiman-bin-Daoud , an d
THIS is the picture of the Animal* that came out o f the sea
and ate up al l the food that Suleiman-bin-Daoud had made
ready fo r al l th e animal s i n al l th e world . H e wa s reall y
quite a nice Animal, and his Mummy was very fond of him
and of his twenty-nine thousan d nin e hundred an d ninety -
nine other brother s that lived at the bottom o f the sea. You
know tha t he was the smallest of them all, and so his name
was Smal l Porgies. H e at e up al l those boxe s an d packets
and bale s an d thing s tha t ha d bee n go t read y fo r al l th e
animals, withou t eve r onc e takin g of f th e lid s o r untyin g
the strings , an d i t di d no t hur t hi m a t all . Th e sticky-u p
masts behin d th e boxe s o f foo d belon g t o Suleiman-bin -
Daoud's ships. The y wer e bus y bringin g mor e foo d whe n
Small Porgies cam e ashore. He di d not ea t the ships . The y
stopped unloadin g th e food s an d instantl y saile d awa y t o
sea till Small Porgies had quite finishe d eating . You can see
some of the ship s beginning to sai l away by Smal l Porgies'
shoulder. I have not draw n Suleiman-bin-Daoud, but h e is
just outside the picture, very much astonished. The bundle
hanging from th e mas t of th e shi p i n th e corne r i s really a
package o f wet date s fo r parrot s t o eat . I don' t kno w th e
names o f th e ships . Tha t i s all there i s in tha t picture .
 ust
i/4 J So Stories
that was horrid fo r him. But Balkis the Most Beau-
tiful never quarrelled with Suleiman-bin-Daoud. She
loved hi m to o much . Sh e sat i n he r room s i n th e
Golden Palace , or walked in the Palace garden, and
was trul y sorr y fo r him .
Of course if he had chosen to turn his ring on his
finger an d cal l u p th e Djinn s an d th e Afrit s the y
would hav e magicke d all those nin e hundre d an d
ninety-nine quarrelsome wives into white mules of
the desert or greyhounds or pomegranate seeds; but
Suleiman-bin-Daoud though t tha t tha t woul d b e
showing off. So, when they quarrelled too much , he
only walked by himself in one part o f the beautifu l
Palace gardens and wished he had never been born.
One day , whe n the y ha d quarrelle d fo r thre e
weeks—all nin e hundre d an d ninety-nin e wive s
together—Suleiman-bin-Daoud went ou t fo r peace
and quie t a s usual; and amon g the orange-tree s h e
met Balki s the Mos t Beautiful , ver y sorrowfu l be -
cause Suleiman-bin-Daoud was so worried. And she
said t o him , C O m y Lor d an d Ligh t o f m y Eyes ,
turn th e rin g upo n you r finge r an d sho w thes e
Queens o f Egypt an d Mesopotamia and Persia and
China tha t yo u ar e th e grea t an d terribl e King /
But Suleiman-bin-Daou d shoo k hi s head an d said,
'O m y Lad y an d Deligh t o f m y Life , remembe r
the Anima l that cam e out o f th e se a and mad e me
ashamed befor e al l th e animal s i n al l th e worl d
because I showed off . Now, i f I showed of f befor e
these Queen s o f Persi a an d Egyp t an d Abyssini a
 The Butterfl y tha t Stampe d 17 5
and China, merely because they worry me , I might
be mad e even more ashame d than I hav e been/
And Balkis the Most Beautifu l said , 'O my Lord
and Treasur e o f m y Soul , what wil l yo u do? '
And Suleiman-bin-Daoud said, 'O my Lady and
Content o f m y Heart , I shal l continu e t o endur e
my fat e a t th e hand s o f thes e nin e hundre d an d
ninety-nine Queen s wh o ve x m e wit h thei r con -
tinual quarrelling /
So he went o n betwee n the lilie s and the loquat s
and the roses and the cannas and the heavy-scented
ginger-plants tha t gre w in th e garden , till he came
to the great camphor-tree that was called the Cam -
phor Tre e o f Suleiman-bin-Daoud . Bu t Balki s hid
among the tal l irises and the spotte d bamboo s and
the re d lilie s behind th e camphor-tree , s o as to b e
near he r ow n tru e love , Suleiman-bin-Daoud .
Presently tw o Butterflie s fle w unde r th e tree ,
quarrelling.
Suleiman-bin-Daoud heard one say to the other ,
'I wonde r a t your presumptio n i n talking like this
to me . Don't you kno w tha t i f I stamped with m y
foot al l Suleiman-bin-Daoud' s Palac e an d thi s
garden here would immediatel y vanish in a clap of
thunder?'
Then Suleiman-bin-Daou d forgo t hi s nine hun -
dred an d ninety-nin e bothersom e wives , an d
laughed, till the camphor-tree shook , at the Butter -
fly's boast . An d h e hel d ou t hi s finge r an d said ,
Tittle man , come here/
176 Jus t S o Storie s
The Butterfl y was dreadfull y frightened, but h e
managed t o fl y u p t o th e han d o f Suleiman-bin -
Daoud, an d clung there, fanning himself. Suleiman-
bin-Daoud ben t his head and whispered very softly,
'Little man , yo u kno w tha t al l you r stampin g
wouldn't bend one blade of grass. What mad e you
tell that awfu l fib to your wife?—fo r doubtles s she
is you r wife /
The Butterfly looked at Suleiman-bin-Daoud and
saw the most wise King's eyes twinkle lik e stars on
a frost y night , an d h e picke d u p hi s courag e wit h
both wings , an d h e pu t hi s hea d o n on e sid e an d
said, 'O King , live for ever . She is my wife; and yo u
know wha t wive s are like.'
Suleiman-bin-Daoud smile d in his beard and said,
'Yes, / know , littl e brother. '
'One mus t kee p the m i n orde r somehow, ' sai d
the Butterfly , 'and sh e ha s bee n quarrellin g wit h
me all the morning . I sai d tha t to quie t her. '
And Suleiman-bin-Daoud said , 'May it quiet her.
Go bac k t o you r wife , littl e brother , an d le t m e
hear wha t yo u say. '
Back flew the Butterfl y to hi s wife, who wa s all
of a twitter behin d a leaf, an d sh e said , 'He heard
you! Suleiman-bin-Daou d himsel f hear d you!'
'Heard me!' said the Butterfly. 'Of cours e he did.
I mean t him t o hea r me.'
'And wha t di d h e say ? Oh , wha t di d h e say? '
'Well,' sai d th e Butterfly , fannin g himsel f most
 The Butterfl y tha t Stampe d 17 7
importantly, 'betwee n yo u an d me , m y dear—o f
course I don't blam e him, becaus e his Palace must
have cost a great deal and the oranges are just ripen-
ing,—he aske d m e not t o stamp , an d I promised I
wouldn't/
'Gracious!' said his wife, and sat quite quiet ; bu t
Suleiman-bin-Daoud laughed till the tears ran down
his face a t the impudence of the ba d little Butterfly.
Balkis th e Mos t Beautifu l stoo d u p behin d th e
tree amon g th e re d lilie s and smile d t o herself , for
she ha d hear d al l thi s talk . Sh e thought , 'I f I a m
wise I can yet sav e my Lor d fro m the persecution s
of these quarrelsome Queens,' and she held out he r
finger and whispered softl y to th e Butterfly's Wife,
'Little woman, com e here.' Up flew the Butterfly's
Wife, ver y frightened , and clun g t o Balkis' s whit e
hand.
Balkis ben t he r beautifu l hea d dow n an d whis -
pered, 'Littl e woman , d o yo u believ e wha t you r
husband ha s just said? '
The Butterfly' s Wif e looke d a t Balkis , an d sa w
the Mos t Beautifu l Queen' s eye s shinin g like deep
pools with starligh t on them, and she picked up her
courage wit h bot h wing s and said , 'O Queen , be
lovely for ever . You kno w wha t men-fol k are like.'
And th e Quee n Balkis , the Wise Balkis of Sheba,
put he r han d t o he r lip s t o hid e a smile an d said ,
'Little sister , / know. '
'They ge t angry, ' sai d th e Butterfly' s Wife ,
178 Jus t S o Storie s
fanning herself quickly, 'over nothing at all, but we
must humou r them , O Queen . The y neve r mea n
half the y say . I f i t please s m y husban d t o believ e
that I believ e he ca n mak e Suleiman-bin-Daoud' s
Palace disappea r b y stampin g hi s foot, F m sur e /
don't care . He'll forge t al l about i t to-morrow. '
'Little sister, ' sai d Balkis , 'you ar e quit e right ;
but nex t tim e h e begin s t o boast , tak e hi m a t hi s
word. Ask him to stamp, and see what will happen.
We kno w wha t men-fol k are like, don't we? He'll
be very muc h ashamed. '
Away flew the Butterfly' s Wife t o he r husband ,
and i n fiv e minute s the y wer e quarrellin g wors e
than ever .
'Remember!' said the Butterfly. 'Remember what
I ca n do i f I stam p m y foot. '
'I don't believ e you on e little bit,' sai d the But -
terfly's Wife . ' I shoul d ver y muc h lik e t o se e i t
done. Suppos e yo u stam p now. '
'I promised Suleiman-bin-Daoud that I wouldn't,'
said th e Butterfly , 'and I don' t wan t t o brea k my
promise.'
'It wouldn't matter if you did,' said his wife. 'You
couldn't bend a blade of grass with your stamping .
I dare you to do it,' she said. 'Stamp! Stamp! Stamp!'
Suleiman-bin-Daoud, sitting under the camphor-
tree, heard every word o f this, and he laughed as he
had neve r laughe d i n hi s lif e before . He forgo t all
about hi s Queens; h e forgot about the Animal that
 The Butterfl y tha t Stampe d 17 9
came ou t o f th e sea ; he forgo t abou t showin g off .
He jus t laughed with joy , and Balkis, on the othe r
side o f th e tree , smile d becaus e he r ow n tru e lov e
was s o joyful .
Presently th e Butterfly, very hot and puffy, cam e
whirling bac k unde r th e shado w o f th e camphor -
tree and said to Suleiman , 'She wants m e to stamp !
She want s t o se e what wil l happen , O Suleiman -
bin-Daoud! Yo u know I can't do it, and now she'll
never believe a word I say. She'll laugh at me to th e
end o f m y days! '
'No, little brother,' said Suleiman-bin-Daoud, cshe
will neve r laug h a t yo u again, ' an d h e turne d th e
ring on his finger—just for the little Butterfly's sake,
not fo r th e sak e o f showin g off,—and , l o an d be -
hold, fou r hug e Djinns * cam e out o f th e earth !
'Slaves,' sai d Suleiman-bin-Daoud , 'whe n thi s
gentleman on my finger' (that was where the impu -
dent Butterfl y wa s sitting ) 'stamp s hi s lef t fron t
forefoot yo u wil l mak e m y Palac e an d thes e gar -
dens disappear in a clap of thunder. When he stamps
again yo u wil l brin g the m bac k carefully. '
'Now, littl e brother, ' h e said , 'g o bac k t o you r
wife an d stam p al l you've a mind to. '
Away fle w th e Butterfl y t o hi s wife , wh o wa s
crying, ' I dar e yo u t o d o it ! I dar e yo u t o d o it !
Stamp! Stam p now ! Stamp! ' Balki s sa w th e fou r
vast Djinn s stoo p dow n t o th e fou r corner s o f th e
gardens wit h th e Palac e i n th e middle , an d sh e
180 Jus t S o Stories
clapped her hands softly and said, 'At last Suleiman-
bin-Daoud wil l do for th e sak e of a Butterfly what
he ough t t o hav e done lon g ag o for hi s ow n sake ,
and th e quarrelsom e Queen s wil l b e frightened! '
Then th e Butterfl y stamped . Th e Djinn s jerke d
the Palac e an d th e garden s a thousan d mile s int o
the air : ther e wa s a mos t awfu l thunder-clap , an d
everything gre w inky-black . Th e Butterfly' s Wif e
fluttered about in the dark, crying, 'Oh, Fll be good!
I'm s o sorry I spoke! Only bring the gardens back,
my dea r darling husband, an d I'l l neve r contradic t
again.'
The Butterfly was nearly as frightened as his wife,
and Suleiman-bin-Daou d laughe d s o muc h tha t i t
was several minutes before he found breath enough
to whispe r t o th e Butterfly , 'Stam p again , littl e
brother. Giv e m e bac k m y Palace , mos t grea t
magician.'
'Yes, giv e him bac k his Palace, ' sai d th e Butter -
fly's Wife, still flying about in the dark like a moth.
'Give him back his Palace, and don't let's hav e any
more horri d magic. '
'Well, m y dear, ' sai d th e Butterfl y as bravely as
he could, 'you see what your nagging has led to. Of
course i t doesn' t mak e any differenc e t o me —I'm
used t o thi s kin d o f thing—but a s a favour to yo u
and t o Suleiman-bin-Daou d I don' t min d puttin g
things right. '
So h e stampe d onc e more , an d tha t instan t th e
 The Butterfl y that Stampe d 18 1
Djinns le t down th e Palac e and the gardens , with -
out eve n a bump. The sun shone on the dark-green
orange-leaves; the fountains played among the pink
Egyptian lilies ; the bird s wen t o n singing ; and th e
Butterfly's Wife lay on her side under the camphor -
tree wagglin g he r wing s an d panting , 'Oh , I'l l b e
good! I'l l b e good!'
Suleiman-bin-Daoud coul d hardl y spea k fo r
laughing. H e leane d bac k al l weak an d hiccoughy ,
and shoo k hi s finger at the Butterfl y and said , 'O
great wizard, what is the sense of returning to me my
Palace if at the sam e time you sla y me with mirth! '
Then cam e a terrible noise, fo r al l the nin e hun -
dred an d ninety-nine Queen s ra n ou t o f the Palace
shrieking and shouting an d calling for their babies.
They hurrie d dow n th e grea t marbl e step s belo w
the fountain , on e hundre d abreast , an d th e Mos t
Wise Balki s wen t statelil y forwar d t o mee t the m
and said , 'Wha t i s your trouble , O Queens? '
They stoo d o n th e marbl e step s on e hundre d
abreast and shouted, 'What is our trouble? We were
living peacefull y i n ou r golde n Palace , a s i s ou r
custom, when upon a sudden the Palace disappeared,
and w e wer e lef t sittin g i n a thic k an d noisom e
darkness; an d i t thundered , an d Djinn s an d Afrit s
moved abou t i n th e darkness ! That i s our trouble ,
O Hea d Queen, and we are most extremely troubled
on account of that trouble, for it was a troublesome
trouble, unlik e an y troubl e w e hav e known.'
THIS i s th e pictur e o f th e fou r gull-winge d Djinn s liftin g
up Suleiman-bin-DaoucT s Palace the ver y minut e afte r th e
Butterfly ha d stamped . Th e Palac e an d th e garden s an d
everything cam e up i n one piece like a board, an d they lef t
a bi g hole i n th e groun d al l full o f dust an d smoke . I f yo u
look in the corner, clos e to th e thing that looks lik e a lion,
you wil l se e Suleiman-bin-Daoud with hi s magic stick and
the tw o Butterflie s behin d him. The thin g that look s like a
lion is really a lion carved in stone, and the thing that look s
like a milk-can i s really a piece o f a temple o r a house o r
something. Suleiman-bin-Daou d stoo d ther e s o a s t o b e
out o f the way o f the dust an d the smoke when the Djinns
lifted u p the Palace. I don't know th e Djinns' names. They
were servants of Suleiman-bin-Daoud's magic ring, and they
changed abou t ever y day . The y wer e jus t commo n gull -
winged Djinns .
The thin g a t th e botto m i s a picture o f a very friendl y
Djinn calle d Akraig. He use d t o fee d th e littl e fishes in the
sea thre e time s a day , an d hi s wing s wer e mad e o f pur e
copper. I put hi m in to show you wha t a nice Djinn is like.
He di d no t hel p t o lif t th e Palace . H e wa s bus y feedin g
little fishes in the Arabia n Se a when i t happened .
184 Jus t S o Storie s
Then Balki s th e Mos t Beautifu l Queen —
Suleiman-bin-Daoud's Very Bes t Beloved—Queen
that wa s o f Sheb a and Sabi e an d th e River s o f th e
Gold o f the South—fro m th e Desert o f Zinn to th e
Towers o f Zimbabwe—Balkis , almos t a s wis e a s
the Mos t Wis e Suleiman-bin-Daou d himself , said ,
'It i s nothing , O Queens ! A Butterfl y ha s mad e
complaint agains t hi s wif e becaus e sh e quarrelle d
with him , an d i t ha s please d ou r Lor d Suleiman -
bin-Daoud t o teac h he r a lesso n i n low-speakin g
and humbleness, for that is counted a virtue among
the wive s o f th e butterflies /
Then u p an d spok e a n Egyptia n Queen—th e
daughter o f a Pharaoh—and sh e said , 'Ou r Palace
cannot b e plucked u p b y th e root s lik e a leek fo r
the sake of a little insect. No! Suleiman-bin-Daou d
must b e dead, and what w e heard an d saw was the
earth thunderin g an d darkenin g a t the news. '
Then Balki s beckoned tha t bol d Quee n withou t
looking a t her , an d sai d t o he r an d t o th e others ,
'Come an d see/
They cam e down th e marbl e steps, on e hundre d
abreast, an d beneat h hi s camphor-tree , stil l wea k
with laughing , the y sa w th e Mos t Wis e Kin g
Suleiman-bin-Daoud rockin g back and forth with a
Butterfly o n eithe r hand , an d the y hear d hi m say ,
'O wif e o f m y brothe r i n th e air , remembe r afte r
this to please your husband i n all things, les t he be
provoked t o stam p hi s foo t ye t again ; for h e ha s
said tha t h e i s used t o thi s Magic , an d h e i s mos t
 The Butterfl y that Stampe d 18 5
eminently a grea t magician—on e wh o steal s away
the very Palace of Suleiman-bin-Daoud himself. Go
in peace , littl e folk! ' An d h e kisse d the m o n th e
wings, an d the y fle w away .
Then al l th e Queen s excep t Balkis—th e Mos t
Beautiful an d Splendi d Balkis , wh o stoo d apar t
smiling—fell fla t on thei r faces , for the y said , 'I f
these things are done when a Butterfly is displeased
with hi s wife, wha t shal l b e don e t o u s wh o hav e
vexed ou r Kin g with ou r loud-speakin g an d ope n
quarrelling throug h man y days? '
Then the y pu t thei r veil s ove r thei r heads , an d
they pu t thei r hand s ove r thei r mouths , an d the y
tiptoed bac k to th e Palac e most mousy-quiet .
Then Balkis—th e Mos t Beautifu l an d Excellen t
Balkis—went forwar d throug h th e re d lilie s int o
the shad e o f th e camphor-tre e an d lai d he r han d
upon Suleiman-bin-Daoud' s shoulde r an d said, (O
my Lor d an d Treasur e o f my Soul , rejoice , for w e
have taught the Queen s o f Egypt an d Ethiopia and
Abyssinia an d Persi a an d Indi a an d China wit h a
great an d a memorable teaching/
And Suleiman-bin-Daoud , stil l looking afte r th e
Butterflies wher e they playe d i n the sunlight , said,
*O m y Lad y an d Jewe l o f m y Felicity , whe n di d
this happen? For I have been jesting with a Butter-
fly ever since I came into the garden / An d h e told
Balkis wha t h e ha d done .
Balkis—the Tende r an d Mos t Lovel y Balkis —
said, ' O m y Lor d an d Regen t o f m y Existence , I
186 Jus t S o Storie s
hid behin d th e camphor-tre e an d sa w it all . I t was
I who told th e Butterfly's Wif e to ask the Butterfly
to stamp , becaus e I hope d tha t fo r th e sak e o f th e
jest m y Lor d woul d mak e som e grea t Magi c an d
that th e Queen s woul d se e it an d b e frightened. '
And sh e tol d hi m wha t th e Queen s ha d sai d an d
seen an d thought .
Then Suleiman-bin-Daoud rose u p fro m hi s seat
under the camphor-tree, an d stretched hi s arms and
rejoiced an d said , ' O m y Lad y an d Sweetene r o f
my Days, know tha t i f I had mad e a Magic against
my Queen s fo r th e sak e o f prid e o r anger , a s I
made tha t feas t fo r al l th e animals , I shoul d cer -
tainly hav e bee n pu t t o shame . Bu t b y mean s o f
your wisdo m I mad e th e Magi c fo r th e sak e o f a
jest an d fo r th e sak e o f a littl e Butterfly , and —
behold—it ha s als o delivere d m e fro m th e vexa -
tions o f my vexatious wives ! Tel l me , therefore, O
my Lad y an d Hear t o f m y Heart , ho w di d yo u
come t o b e s o wise?'
And Balki s the Queen, beautiful an d tall, looke d
up into Suleiman-bin-Daoud's eyes and put her head
a little o n one side, just like the Butterfly, and said ,
Tirst, O m y Lord , becaus e I love d you ; an d sec -
ondly, O m y Lord, because I know what women -
folk are. '
Then the y wen t up t o th e Palac e an d lived hap -
pily eve r afterwards .
But wasn' t i t cleve r o f Balkis?
THERE wa s neve r a Quee n lik e Balkis,
From her e t o th e wide world's end ;
But Balki s talked t o a butterfly
As you woul d tal k t o a friend.
There wa s neve r a King like Solomon ,
Not sinc e the worl d began ;
But Solomo n talke d t o a butterfly
As a man woul d tal k t o a man.
She wa s Quee n o f Sabaea —
And h e was Asia's Lord —
But the y bot h o f 'e m talke d t o butterflies
When the y too k thei r walk s abroad !
This page intentionally left blank
 APPENDIX A

THE TAB U TAL E

HE mos t importan t thin g

about Tegumai Bopsulai
and hi s dea r daughter ,
Taffimai Metallumai ,
was th e Tabu s o f Tegu -
mai, whic h wer e al l
Bopsulai.
Listen an d attend ,
and remember , O Bes t
Beloved; because we know abou t Tabus, you an d I.
When Taffima i Metalluma i (but you ca n still call
her Taffy ) wen t ou t int o th e wood s huntin g wit h
Tegumai, sh e never kept still . She kept very unstill.
She danced among dead leaves, she did. She snapped
dry branche s off, she did. She slid down bank s and
pits, sh e did—quarrie s an d pit s o f sand , sh e did .
She splashe d throug h swamp s an d bogs , sh e did ;
and sh e mad e a horrible noise !
So al l th e animal s tha t the y hunted—squirrels ,
beavers, otters, badgers, and deer, and the rabbits—
knew when Taffy an d her Daddy wer e coming, and
ran away .
190 Jus t S o Storie s
Then Taffy said : Tm awfully sorry , Daddy, dear/
Then Teguma i said : 'What' s th e us e o f bein g
sorry? The squirrels have gone, and the beavers have
dived, th e dee r hav e jumped , an d th e rabbit s ar e
deep i n thei r buries . Yo u ough t t o b e beaten , O
Daughter o f Tegumai, and I would, too , i f I didn' t
happen t o lov e you. ' Jus t the n h e sa w a squirre l
kinking an d prinkin g roun d th e trun k o f a n ash -
tree, an d h e said : 'H'sh! There's ou r lunch , Taffy ,
if you'l l onl y kee p quiet.'
Taffy said : 'Where ? Where ? Sho w me ! Show! '
She sai d i t i n a raspy-gasp y whispe r tha t woul d
have frightened a steam-cow, and she skittered about
in the bracken, being a 'citable child; and the squir -
rel flicked his tail and went off in large, free, loopy -
leps t o abou t th e middl e o f Susse x before h e ever
stopped.
Tegumai was severely angry. He stood quite still,
making up hi s mind whethe r i t would b e better t o
boil Taffy, or skin Taffy, or tattoo Taffy , or cut her
hair, o r sen d he r t o be d for on e night without be -
ing kissed ; an d whil e h e wa s thinking , th e Hea d
Chief o f th e Trib e o f Teguma i cam e throug h th e
woods al l in hi s eagle-feathers.
He was the Head Chie f of the High and the Low
and th e Middl e Medicin e fo r th e whol e Trib e o f
Tegumai, an d h e an d Taff y wer e rathe r friends .
He sai d t o Tegumai : "Wha t i s th e matter , O
Chiefest o f Bopsulai ? You loo k angry. '
 The Tab u Tal e 19 1
'I am angry/ said Tegumai, and he told th e Head
Chief all about Taffy's ver y unstillness in the woods ;
and abou t th e wa y sh e frightene d th e game ; an d
about he r fallin g int o swamp s becaus e she woul d
look behin d he r whe n sh e ran; an d abou t he r fall -
ing ou t o f tree s becaus e sh e wouldn' t tak e goo d
hold o n both side s of her; and about her getting her
legs al l green y wit h duckwee d fro m pond s an d
places, an d bringin g it sploshin g int o th e cave .
The Hea d Chie f shoo k hi s hea d til l th e eagle -
feathers an d the little shells on his forehead rattled,
and the n h e said: 'Well, well! I'll see about it later .
I wante d t o tal k t o you , O Tegumai , o n seriou s
business/
'Talk away , O Hea d Chief, ' sai d Tegumai ; an d
they bot h sa t down politely .
'Observe an d tak e notice , O Tegumai, ' sai d th e
Head Chief . 'The Tribe of Tegumai have been fish-
ing th e Waga i river eve r so long an d eve r so muc h
too much . 'Consequence is, there's hardl y any carp
of an y siz e lef t i n it , an d eve n th e littl e carp s ar e
going away. '
'Quite so , O Tegumai, ' sai d th e Head Chief .
'What do you thin k o f putting the Big Tribal Tab u
on it, so as to sto p ever y one from fishing there for
six months?'
'That's a good plan, O Head Chief,' said Tegumai.
'But wha t wil l th e consequenc e b e i f an y o f ou r
people brea k th e tabu? '
192 Jus t S o Storie s
"Consequence will be, O Tegumai,' said the Head
Chief, 'tha t we will mak e them understan d i t wit h
sticks and stinging-nettle s an d dob s o f mud; and if
that doesn' t teac h them , we'l l dra w fine , freehan d
tribal pattern s o n thei r back s with th e cutt y edge s
of mussel-shells. Come along with me, O Tegumai,
and we will proclaim the Tribal Tabu o n the Wagai
river/
Then the y wen t u p t o th e Hea d Chief' s hea d
house, wher e al l the Triba l Magi c of Teguma i be -
longed; and they brough t ou t the Big Tribal Tabu -
pole,"" made of wood, with th e imag e of the Triba l
Beaver of Tegumai and the other animals carved on
top, an d al l th e triba l Tabu-mark s carve d under -
neath.
Then the y calle d up th e Trib e o f Tegumai wit h
the Big Tribal Hor n tha t roar s an d blores, and the
Middle Triba l Conc h tha t squeak s an d squawks ,
and th e Littl e Triba l Dru m tha t tap s an d raps .
They made a lovely noise, and Taffy wa s allowed
to bea t th e Littl e Triba l Drum , becaus e sh e wa s
rather friend s wit h th e Hea d Chief .
When all the Tribe had come together in front of
the Hea d Chief' s house , th e Hea d Chie f stoo d u p
and said and sang: CO Tribe of Tegumai! The Wagai
river ha s bee n fishe d to o much , an d th e car p fis h
are gettin g frightened . Nobod y mus t fis h i n th e
Wagai rive r fo r si x months . I t i s tab u bot h side s
and the middle ; on al l islands and mud-banks. It is
 The Tab u Tal e 19 3
tabu t o brin g a fishing-spear nearer than te n man -
strides to the bank of the river. It is tabu, it is tabu,
it is most speciall y tabu, O Trib e o f Tegumai! It is
tabu for this month and next month and next month
and nex t mont h an d nex t mont h an d nex t month .
Now g o an d pu t u p th e Tabu-pol e b y th e river ,
and don' t le t anybod y preten d tha t the y haven' t
understood!'
Then th e Tribe o f Tegumai shouted , an d put u p
the Tabu-pole b y the banks of the Wagai river, and
swiftly the y ra n dow n bot h bank s (hal f th e Trib e
on one side and half o n the other), and chased away
all the small boys who hadn' t attende d the meeting
because they were looking for crayfis h i n the river ;
and the n the y al l praise d th e Hea d Chie f an d
Tegumai Bopsulai .
Tegumai went hom e afte r this , but Taff y staye d
with th e Hea d Chief , becaus e the y wer e rathe r
friends. She was very much surprised. She had never
seen a tabu put o n anythin g before, an d she said to
the Hea d Chief : 'Wha t doe s tab u mea n azactly? '
The Hea d Chie f said : 'Tabu doesn' t mea n any -
thing til l yo u brea k it , O Onl y Daughte r o f
Tegumai; bu t whe n yo u brea k it , i t mean s stick s
and stinging-nettle s an d fine , freehand , triba l pat -
terns draw n o n you r bac k with th e cutt y edge s of
mussel-shells.'
Then Taff y said : 'Coul d I hav e a tab u o f m y
own—a littl e smal l tabu t o pla y with? '
THIS is a picture of the Tribal Totem Pol e afte r i t was pu t
up on the banks of the Wagai river. That fat thing at the to p
is th e Triba l Beave r of th e Trib e o f Tegumai . I t i s carved
from lime-wood , an d thoug h yo u can' t se e the nails , i t is
nailed o n t o th e res t of the pole , which is all in one piece .
Below th e Beave r are four birds—tw o ducks, one o f them
looking a t a n egg , a sparrow-bird, an d a bird whos e name
I don't know. Belo w them is a Rabbit, below the Rabbi t a
Weasel, below th e Wease l a Fox o r a Dog ( I am not quit e
sure which), an d below th e Dog two Fishes . O n th e othe r
side of the pol e is an Otter, a Badger, a Bison, an d a Wild
Horse. The rope that steadies the pole is looped roun d next
to th e Fishes . This show s tha t th e Tab u i s a Fish Tabu . If
the Head Chie f wanted to tab u the tribe killing Rabbits or
Duck, he would have put the rope next to the Rabbit or the
Duck carving ; and so on with th e othe r animal s and birds.
The tw o blac k figures below th e rop e ar e meant for th e
Bad Ma n wh o didn' t kee p Tabu , an d s o gre w al l knobby
and uncomfy, an d the Good Man who kept Tabu and grew
fat an d round . The y ar e painted o n th e pol e wit h a paint
made fro m oak-apple s an d pounded-u p piece s o f iron. A t
the very bottom o f the pole (but there was not room to put
it in the picture) are six copper ring s to show that the Tabu
was t o las t fo r si x months.
You will see that there is nobody a t all in the woods an d
hills behind. That i s because the Tabu is a Strong Tabu and
nobody woul d brea k it.
196 Jus t S o Storie s
Then th e Hea d Chie f said : Til giv e you a little
tabu o f you r own , jus t becaus e you mad e up tha t
picture-writing whic h will one day grow into the A
B C.' (Yo u remember how Taffy an d Tegumai made
up th e Alphabet? That wa s why sh e and the Hea d
Chief wer e rathe r friends. )
He too k of f one o f his magic necklaces—he had
twenty-two o f them—an d i t wa s mad e o f bit s o f
pink coral, and he said: 'If yo u put thi s necklace on
anything that belongs to you your ow n self, no one
can touch that thing until you take the necklace off.
It will only wor k insid e your ow n cave ; and if you
have left anythin g of yours lyin g about where yo u
shouldn't, th e tab u won't wor k til l yo u hav e pu t
that thin g bac k i n its proper place /
'Thank you very much indeed/ said Taffy. 'Now ,
what d'yo u trul y s'pos e i t will d o t o m y Daddy?'
Tm no t quit e sure, ' sai d th e Hea d Chief . 'H e
may thro w himsel f dow n o n th e floo r an d shout ,
or h e may have cramps, or h e may just flop, or he
may take Three Sorrowfu l Steps and say sorrowful
words, an d then you ca n pull his hair three times if
you like. '
'And what will it do to my Mummy?' said Taffy .
'There aren' t an y tabu s o n people' s Mummies, '
said th e Hea d Chief .
'Why not? ' sai d Taffy .
'Because if there were tabus on people's Mummies ,
people's Mummie s coul d pu t tabu s o n breakfasts ,
 The Tab u Tal e 19 7
and dinners , and teas , an d that woul d b e very ba d
for th e Tribe. Long and long ago the Tribe decided
not to have tabus on people's Mummies anywhere—
for anything /
'Well/ sai d Taffy , c do yo u kno w i f m y Dadd y
has an y tabu s o f hi s ow n tha t wil l work o n me —
s'posin' I brok e a tabu b y accident? '
'You don't mea n t o say, ' sai d th e Hea d Chief ,
c
that you r Dadd y ha s never put an y tabus on yo u
yet?'
'No,' said Taffy; 'h e only say s "Don't," and gets
angry.'
'Ah! I suppos e h e though t yo u wer e a kiddy, '
said th e Hea d Chief . 'Now, if you sho w hi m tha t
you've a rea l tab u o f you r own , I shouldn' t b e
surprised i f he put severa l real tabus o n you. '
'Thank you,' sai d Taffy; 'bu t I hav e a little gar -
den o f m y ver y ow n outsid e th e cave , and i f yo u
don't min d I shoul d lik e yo u t o mak e thi s tabu -
necklace wor k s o tha t i f I han g it u p o n th e wil d
roses i n fron t o f the garden , and peopl e g o inside,
they won' t b e able to com e out til l they hav e said
they ar e sorry.'
'Oh, certainly , certainly, ' sai d th e Hea d Chief .
'Of cours e yo u ca n tabu you r ver y ow n garden. '
'Thank you,' said Taffy; 'an d now I will go home
and se e if this tab u trul y works. '
When sh e go t bac k t o th e cave , i t wa s nearl y
time fo r dinner ; an d whe n sh e cam e to th e door ,
198 Jus t S o Storie s
Teshumai Tewindrow , he r dea r Mummy , instea d
of saying : 'Where hav e you been , Taffy?' said : 'O
Daughter o f Tegumai! com e in an d eat / sam e as if
she had been a grown-up person. That was because
she sa w a tabu-necklace on Taffy' s neck .
Her Dadd y wa s sitting in front o f the fire wait-
ing for dinner, and he said the very same thing, and
Taffy fel t most important .
She looked al l round th e cave to see that her ow n
things (he r privat e mendy-ba g o f otter-skin , wit h
the shark's teeth and the bone needles and the deer-
sinew thread; her mud-shoes of birch-bark; her spear
and her throwing-stick an d her lunch-basket) were
all i n thei r prope r places , and the n sh e slippe d off
her tabu-necklac e quit e quickl y an d hun g i t ove r
the handl e o f th e littl e woode n water-bucke t tha t
she used t o dra w wate r with .
Then he r Mummy sai d t o Tegumai , he r Daddy,
quite accidental: CO Tegumai! won't you get us some
fresh drinking-wate r fo r dinner? '
'Certainly,' said Tegumai, and he jumped up and
lifted Taffy' s bucke t wit h th e tabu-necklac e on it .
Next minut e h e fel l dow n fla t o n th e floo r an d
shouted; then he curled himself up and rolled round
the cave; then he stood up and flopped several times.
'My dear, ' sai d Teshuma i Tewindrow , 'i t look s
to me as if you ha d rather broken somebody' s tabu
somehow. Doe s i t hurt? '
'Horribly,' said Tegumai. He took three sorrowful
 The Tab u Tal e 19 9
steps and put hi s head on one side, and shouted: ' I
broke tabu ! I brok e tabu ! I brok e tabu! '
'Taffy, dear , tha t mus t b e you r tabu / sai d
Teshumai Tewindrow . 'You' d bette r pul l hi s hai r
three times , o r h e will hav e to g o on shoutin g til l
evening; an d yo u kno w wha t Dadd y i s like when
he onc e begins /
Tegumai stooped down , and Taffy pulle d his hair
three times ; an d h e wipe d hi s face , an d said : 'M y
Tribal Word! That's a dreadful stron g tabu of yours,
Taffy. Wher e di d yo u ge t it from? '
'The Hea d Chie f gav e i t me . He tol d m e you'd
have cramps and flop s i f you brok e it,' sai d Taffy .
'He was quite right . But he didn't tel l you any -
thing abou t Sign-tabus , did he? '
'No,' said Taffy. 'H e said that i f I showed yo u I
had a real tabu o f my own , you' d mos t likel y pu t
some rea l tabus on me. '
'Quite right , m y onl y daughte r dear, ' sai d
Tegumai. 'I'll give you some tabus that will simply
a-maze you—stinging-nettle-tabus, sign-tabus, black
and whit e tabus—dozen s o f tabus. Now atten d t o
me. Do yo u kno w wha t thi s means? '
Tegumai skiffle d hi s forefinge r i n th e ai r snaky -
fashion. 'That' s tab u o n wrigglin g whe n you'r e
eating your dinner . I t i s an importan t tabu , an d if
you brea k it you'll have cramps—same as I did—or
else I'l l hav e to tatto o yo u al l over.'
Taffy sa t quit e stil l throug h dinner , an d the n
2oo Jus t S o Storie s
Tegumai held up his right hand in front of him, the
fingers close together. "That' s the Stil l Tabu, Taffy .
Whenever I d o that , yo u mus t sto p a s yo u ar e
whatever you're doing. If you are sewing, you must
stop wit h th e needl e half-wa y throug h th e deer -
skin. I f you'r e walking , yo u sto p o n on e foot . I f
you're climbing, you stop on one branch. You don't
move agai n until yo u se e me g o lik e this.'
Tegumai put up his righ t han d and wave d it in
front o f his face two o r three times. 'That's the sign
for Carr y On . Yo u ca n go on wit h whateve r yo u
are doin g whe n yo u se e me mak e that. 9
'Aren't ther e an y necklace s for tha t tabu? ' sai d
Taffy.
'Yes. There is a red and black necklace, of course,
but ho w ca n I com e tramping through th e fer n t o
give you a Still-Tabu necklace every time I see a deer
or a rabbit and want you to be quiet?' said Tegumai.
'I thought you were a better hunter than that. Why,
I might have to shoo t a n arrow ove r your hea d the
minute afte r I ha d pu t Stil l Tabu o n you. '
'But how would I know what you were shooting
at?' sai d Taffy .
'Watch my hand,' sai d Tegumai. 'You kno w th e
three littl e jump s a dee r give s befor e h e start s t o
run off—lik e this? ' H e loope d hi s forefinge r thre e
times in the air , and Taff y nodded . 'Whe n you se e
me d o that , you'l l kno w w re've foun d a deer . A
little jiggl e o f th e forefinge r mean s a rabbit. '
 The Tab u Tal e 20 1
'Yes. Rabbit s ru n lik e that / sai d Taffy , an d jig-
gled he r forefinge r th e sam e way .
'Squirrel's a long, climby-up twist in the air. Like
this!'
'Same as squirrels kinking round trees . / see / said
Taffy.
'Otter's a long, smooth, straigh t wave in the air—
like this. '
'Same a s otters swimmin g in a pool. / see / sai d
Taffy.
'And beaver' s jus t a s i f I wa s smackin g some -
body wit h m y ope n hand. '
'Same a s beavers ' tail s smackin g o n th e wate r
when the y ar e frightened. / see. '
'Those aren't tabus . Those ar e just signs to sho w
you wha t I am hunting. The Stil l Tabu i s the thing
you mus t watch , becaus e it's a big tabu.'
'I can put th e Still Tabu on , too/ sai d Teshumai
Tewindrow, wh o was sewing deerskins together. ' I
can put i t on you, Taffy , whe n yo u ge t too rowd y
going t o bed. '
'What happen s i f I brea k it? ' sai d Taffy .
'You can' t brea k a tabu excep t b y accident. '
'But s'pos e I did> sai d Taffy .
'You'd lose your ow n tabu-necklace. You'd hav e
to take it back to the Head Chief , and you'd just be
called Taff y again , an d no t Daughte r o f Tegumai .
Or perhap s we' d chang e you r nam e t o Tabuma i
Skellumzulai—the Ba d Thing , wh o can' t Kee p a
202 Jus t S o Storie s
Tabu—and ver y likely you wouldn' t b e kissed for
a da y an d night /
'Umm!' said Taffy. ' I don't think tabus are fun at
all.'
'Well, take your tabu-necklac e back to the Head
Chief, an d sa y you wan t t o b e a kidd y again , O
Only Daughte r o f Tegumai!' sai d her Daddy .
'No,' said Taffy. 'Tel l me more about tabus. Can't
I hav e som e mor e o f m y own—m y ver y own —
strong tabu s that giv e people Triba l Fits? '
'No,' said her Daddy. 'Yo u aren't ol d enough to
be allowe d t o giv e peopl e Triba l Fits . Tha t pin k
necklace will d o quit e well for you. '
'Then tel l m e more abou t tabus, ' sai d Taffy .
'But I am sleepy, daughter dear. I'll jus t put tabu
on an y on e talkin g to m e till th e su n get s behind
that hill , an d we'll go out i n the evenin g and se e if
we can catch rabbits. Ask Mummy about the othe r
tabus. It's a great comfort that you ar e a tabu-girl,
because now I shan't have to tell you anything more
than once. '
Taffy talke d quietl y t o he r Mumm y till th e su n
was in the right position. Then she waked Tegumai,
and they got all their hunting things ready and went
out int o the woods. Bu t just as she passed her little
garden outsid e th e cave , Taffy too k of f he r tabu -
necklace an d hun g it o n a rose-bush. He r garden -
border was only marked with white stones, but she
called the rose the real gate into it, and all the Tribe
knew it .
 The Tab u Tal e 20 3
'Who do you s'pose you'll catch?' said Tegumai.
'Wait and see till we come back/ said Taffy. 'Th e
Head Chie f said that any one who break s that tabu
will hav e to sta y i n m y garde n til l I le t him out/
They went along through th e woods and crossed
the Waga i river o n a fallen tree , an d the y climbe d
up t o th e to p o f a bi g bar e hil l wher e ther e wer e
plenty o f rabbit s i n th e fern .
'Remember you're a tabu-girl now/ said Tegumai,
when Taff y bega n t o skitte r abou t an d as k ques -
tions instea d o f huntin g fo r rabbits ; an d h e mad e
the Stil l Tabu sign, and Taff y stoppe d a s if she ha d
been al l turned int o soli d stone . Sh e was stoopin g
to ti e up a shoestring, an d she stayed still with he r
hand o n th e strin g (W e kno w tha t kin d o f tabu ,
don't we , Bes t Beloved?) only sh e looked har d a t
her Daddy , whic h yo u alway s mus t d o whe n th e
Still Tab u i s on. Presently , whe n h e ha d walke d a
long way off, he turned roun d an d made the Carr y
On sign . S o sh e walke d forwar d quietl y throug h
the bracken , alway s lookin g a t he r Daddy , an d a
rabbit jumped up i n front o f her. Sh e was just go -
ing to throw he r stick when she saw Tegumai make
the Still Tabu sign, and she stopped wit h her mouth
half ope n an d her throwing-stic k i n her hand. The
rabbit ra n toward s Tegumai , an d Teguma i caught
it. Then h e came across the fern an d kissed her and
said: 'Tha t i s what I cal l a superio r girl-daughter .
It's som e pleasure to hun t wit h yo u now , Taffy. '
A littl e whil e afterwards , a rabbi t jumpe d u p
204 Jus t S o Stories
where Teguma i coul d no t se e it, bu t Taff y could ,
and she knew it was coming towards her if Tegumai
did no t frighte n it ; so she held up he r hand , made
the Rabbi t Sig n (s o a s h e shoul d kno w tha t sh e
wasn't i n fun) , and sh e put th e Stil l Tab u o n he r
own Daddy! She did—indeed she did, Best Beloved!
Tegumai stopped with one foot half lifted to climb
over a n ol d tree-trunk . Th e rabbi t ra n pas t Taffy ,
and Taffy kille d it with her throwing-stick; bu t she
was s o excite d that sh e forgot t o tak e off th e Stil l
Tabu fo r quit e tw o minutes , an d al l tha t tim e
Tegumai stoo d o n on e leg , no t darin g t o pu t hi s
other foot down. Then he came and kissed her and
threw her up in the air, and put her on his shoulder
and dance d an d said : 'My Tribal Wor d an d Testi -
mony! This i s what I call having a daughter that is
a daughter , O Onl y Daughte r o f Tegumai! ' An d
Taffy wa s mos t tremensel y an d wonderhugel y
pleased.
It was almost dark when the y went home . The y
had five rabbits and two squirrels, as well as a water-
rat. Taff y wante d th e water-rat' s ski n fo r a shell -
purse. (Peopl e ha d to kil l water-rats i n those day s
because the y couldn' t bu y purses , bu t w e kno w
that water-rats ar e just as much tabu, these particu-
lar days , fo r yo u an d m e a s anythin g els e tha t i s
alive.)
'I thin k I'v e kep t yo u ou t a little to o late, ' sai d
Tegumai, when they were near home, 'and Mummy
 The Tab u Tal e 20 5
won't b e please d wit h us . Ru n home , Taffy ! Yo u
can se e the cave-fir e fro m here /
Taffy ra n along , an d tha t ver y minut e Teguma i
heard somethin g crackl e i n th e bushes , an d a big,
lean, grey wolf jumped out and began to trot quietly
after Taffy .
Now, al l the Teguma i peopl e hate d wolve s an d
killed them whenever they could, and Tegumai had
never see n on e s o clos e t o hi s cav e before .
He hurrie d afte r Taffy , bu t th e wol f hear d hi m
and jumpe d bac k int o th e bushes . Thos e wolve s
were afrai d o f grown-ups , bu t the y use d t o tr y t o
catch the children o f the Tribe. Taff y wa s swinging
the water-ra t an d singin g t o herself—he r Dadd y
had take n of f al l tabus—s o sh e didn' t notic e
anything.
There wa s a little meado w clos e to th e cave , and
by the mouth of the cave Taffy sa w a tall man stand-
ing in her rose-garden, bu t it was too dark to make
out properly .
'I d o believ e my tabu-necklac e ha s trul y caugh t
somebody/ she said, and she was just runnin g up
to look when she heard her Daddy say : 'Still, Taffy !
Still Tabu til l I tak e i t off! '
She stopped wher e she was—the water-rat i n one
hand an d th e throwing-stic k i n th e other—onl y
turning he r hea d toward s he r Dadd y t o b e read y
for th e Carr y O n sign .
It wa s th e longes t Stil l Tab u sh e ha d ha d pu t
206 Jus t S o Stories
upon he r al l that day . Teguma i ha d steppe d bac k
close t o th e woo d an d wa s holdin g hi s ston e
throwing-hatchet i n on e hand , an d with th e othe r
he was makin g the Stil l Tabu sign .
Then she thought she saw something black creep-
ing sideways at her acros s the grass . It cam e nearer
and nearer , the n i t move d bac k a little an d the n i t
crawled closer .
Then sh e hear d he r Daddy' s ston e throwing -
hatchet whirr past her shoulder just like a partridge,
and a t th e sam e time anothe r hatche t whirre d ou t
from he r rose-garden ; an d there was a howl, an d a
big gre y wolf la y kicking on th e grass , quite dead.
Then Tegumai picked her up and kissed her seven
times an d said : 'M y Triba l Wor d an d Teguma i
Testimony, Taffy , bu t yo u ar e a daughte r t o b e
proud of ! Did yo u kno w wha t i t was? '
Tm not sure / sai d Taffy, 'bu t I think I guessed
it was a wolf. I knew you wouldn' t let it hurt me. '
'Good girl, ' sai d Tegumai, an d h e stoope d ove r
the wolf and picked up both hatchets. 'Why, here's
the Hea d Chief' s hatchet! ' he said, and he held u p
the Head Chief' s magi c throwing-hatchet, wit h th e
big greenston e head .
'Yes,' sai d th e Hea d Chie f fro m insid e Taffy' s
rose-garden, 'an d I' d b e very muc h oblige d i f you
would brin g i t bac k t o me . I cam e to cal l o n yo u
this afternoon , an d accidentall y I steppe d int o
Taffy's garde n befor e I sa w he r tabu-necklac e o n
 The Tab u Tal e 20 7
the rose-tree . So , of course, I had t o wai t till Taff y
came bac k to le t m e out/
Then the Head Chie f all in his feathers and shells
took th e Thre e Sorrowfu l Step s with hi s hea d o n
one side , an d said : C I brok e tabu ! I brok e tabu ! I
broke tabu!' an d bowed solemnl y an d statelily be-
fore Taffy , til l his tal l eagle-hea d feather s nearl y
touched th e ground , an d h e sai d an d sang : ' O
Daughter o f Tegumai , I sa w everythin g tha t hap -
pened. You are a true tabu-girl . I am very pleased
at you . A t firs t I wasn't pleased , becaus e I ha d t o
wait i n you r garde n since six o'clock, an d I kno w
you onl y pu t tab u o n you r garde n for fun. '
'No, not fun, ' sai d Taffy. C I trul y wante d t o se e
if my tabu would catch anybody; but I didn't kno w
that a littl e tab u lik e min e woul d wor k o n a bi g
Head Chie f lik e you , O Hea d Chief. '
C
I told you i t worked. I gave it you myself, ' said
the Hea d Chief . 'O f cours e i t woul d work . Bu t I
don't mind. I want to tell you, Taffy , m y dear, that
I wouldn't hav e minded staying in your garden from
twelve o'cloc k instea d o f onl y si x o'clock , t o se e
how beautifull y you kep t tha t las t Stil l Tab u tha t
your Dadd y pu t o n you . I giv e yo u m y Chiefl y
Word, Taffy , tha t a grea t man y me n i n th e Trib e
wouldn't hav e kept tha t tab u a s you kep t it , wit h
that wol f crawlin g up t o yo u acros s the grass. '
'What are you goin g to do with th e wolfskin, O
Head Chief? ' said Tegumai, because any animal that
2o8 Jus t S o Storie s
the Hea d Chie f thre w hi s hatche t a t belonge d t o
the Head Chie f b y the Tribal Custo m o f Tegumai.
'I a m goin g t o giv e it t o Taffy , o f course , fo r a
winter cloak , and I'll make her a magic necklace of
her ver y ow n ou t o f the teet h an d claws/ sai d th e
Head Chief ; 'and I a m goin g to hav e the stor y o f
Taffy an d th e Stil l Tab u painte d o n woo d o n th e
Tribal Tabu-Count, so that all the girl-daughters of
the Trib e ca n se e an d kno w an d remembe r an d
understand/
Then the y al l thre e wen t int o th e cave , an d
Teshumai Tewindro w gav e the m a most beautifu l
supper, and the Head Chie f took off his eagle-head
feathers an d all his necklaces; and when it was time
for Taff y t o g o t o be d i n he r ow n littl e cave ,
Tegumai and the Head Chie f cam e in to sa y good-
night, an d the y rompe d al l roun d th e cave , an d
dragged Taffy ove r the floo r o n a deerskin (same as
some peopl e ar e dragge d abou t o n a hearthrug) ,
and they finished by throwing the otter-skin cush -
ions abou t an d knockin g dow n a lot o f old spears
and fishing-rod s tha t wer e hun g o n th e walls . A t
last things grew so rowdy that Teshumai Tewindro w
came in an d said : 'Still! Still Tabu o n ever y one of
you! Ho w d o yo u eve r expec t tha t chil d t o g o to
sleep?' An d the y sai d th e reall y good-nigh t an d
Taffy wen t t o sleep .
After that , what happened? Oh, Taff y learne d all
the tabus just like some people we know. She learned
 The Tab u Tal e 20 9
the White Shar k Tabu, whic h mad e her ea t up he r
dinner instead of playing with it (and that goes with
a green and white necklace, you know) ; she learned
the Grown-U p Tabu , whic h prevente d he r fro m
talking when Neolithic ladies came to call (and, you
know, a blu e an d whit e necklac e goes wit h that) ;
she learne d th e Ow l Tabu , whic h prevente d he r
staring at stranger s (and a black and blu e necklace
goes wit h that) ; sh e learned the Ope n Han d Tab u
(and w e kno w a whit e necklac e goe s wit h that )
which prevente d he r snappin g an d snarlin g whe n
people borrowe d thing s that belonge d to her ; and
she learne d five other tabus .
But th e chie f thin g she learned, and the on e that
she never broke, not eve n by accident, was the Still
Tabu.
That was why she was taken everywhere that her
Daddy went .
THIS i s th e pictur e tha t th e Hea d Chie f mad e o f Taff y
keeping the Still Tabu. It is done in the Head-Chiefly styl e
of th e Trib e o f Tegumai , an d i t i s ful l o f Tab u meanings
and signs . The wol f i s lying under wha t i s meant t o b e a
Tabu tree. He is made squarely because that was the Head -
Chiefly wa y o f drawing . All tha t wavy curly stuf f under -
neath him is the Tabu way of drawing grass, and below the
grass is a thing like a piece of stone wall, which is the Tabu
way o f drawing earth . Taffy i s always drawn i n outline —
quite white. You will see her over to the right, keeping the
Still Tabu very hard. I do not know why they did not draw
the water-rat tha t sh e was carrying, but I thin k i t was be-
cause i t wouldn' t loo k prett y i n th e picture . Teguma i i s
standing ove r a t the left , throwin g hi s hatchet a t the wolf .
He i s dressed in a cloak embroidered with the Sacre d Bea-
ver of the Tribe all turned int o a pattern—to show that h e
belonged t o th e Trib e o f Tegumai . He ha s a quive r with
two arrow s an d a bo w stuc k int o it , t o sho w tha t h e i s
hunting. He is making the Still Tabu sign with his left hand.
Up abov e in th e right-han d corner you wil l see the Hea d
Chief standin g i n Taffy's garden , throwin g hi s ax e at th e
wolf. I t i s not a portrait o f th e Hea d Chief , but a sort of
picture-writing of all the Head Chie f there was. The square
cap and th e feather s behin d sho w tha t i t i s a Head Chief ,
and the Sacred Beaver drawn on the edge of his cloak shows
that he is the Head Chief of the Tegumais. There is no face ,
because th e fac e o f a Head Chie f doe s no t matter .
The Double-Headed Beave r right in the middle of Taffy' s
garden show s tha t ther e is a Tabu o n th e garden ; which is
why th e Head Chie f couldn' t ge t out. Th e blac k doo r t o
the lef t i s supposed t o b e th e doo r int o Taffy' s cave , and
those step-thing s behin d ar e hill s an d rock s draw n i n th e
Tabu way . The curl y thing s unde r th e eigh t rose s i n pots
are the Tab u wa y o f drawing short gras s and turf .
This is a picture that really ought to be coloured, because
half th e meanin g is lost without th e colours .
This page intentionally left blank
 APPENDIX B

HAM AN D TH E PORCUPIN E

w
HEN Al l the Animals lived in Big Nurs-
ery, befor e i t wa s tim e t o g o int o th e
Ark, Big Nurse ha d to brus h their hair.
She tol d the m t o stan d stil l whil e sh e di d i t o r i t
might b e th e wors e fo r them . S o they stoo d still .
The Lio n stoo d stil l and had his hair brushed int o
a splendi d man e with a blob a t th e ti p o f hi s tail .
The Hors e stoo d still , an d ha d hi s hai r brushe d
into a beautifu l man e an d a nobl e tail . Th e Co w
stood stil l an d ha d he r horn s polished , too . Th e
Bear stood stil l and got a Lick and a Promise. The y
all stood still , except one Animal, and he wouldn't.
He wiggle d an d kicke d sideway s a t Bi g Nurse .
Big Nurse told him , over and over again, that he
would no t mak e anything b y behavin g so. But h e
said h e wasn't goin g to stan d stil l fo r anyone , an d
he wanted hi s hair to gro w all over him. So, at last,
Big Nurse washe d her hands of him and said: 'On-
your-own-head-be-it-and-all-over-you!' So , tha t
Animal went away , an d hi s hair gre w and grew —
on hi s ow n hea d i t wa s an d al l over him—al l th e
while tha t the y wer e waitin g t o g o int o th e Ark .
214 Jus t S o Stories
And th e mor e i t grew , th e longer , th e harder , th e
harsher, and the pricklier i t grew, till, at last, it was
all long spine s an d jabb y quills . O n hi s ow n hea d
it was and all over him, and particularly on his tail!
So they calle d him Porcupine an d stood hi m in the
corner til l th e Ar k wa s ready .
Then they all went into the Ark, two by two; but
not on e wante d t o g o i n wit h Porcupin e o n ac -
count o f his spines, except one smal l brother o f his
called Hedgehog who alway s stood still to have his
hair brushed (he wore it short), and Porcupine hated
him.
Their cabin was on the orlop-deck—the lowest—
which wa s reserve d fo r th e Nocturna l Mammalia ,
such a s Bats , Badgers , Lemurs , Bandicoot s an d
Myoptics a t large. Noah's secon d son , Ham," " was
in charg e there , becaus e h e matche d th e decora -
tions; bein g dark-complexione d bu t ver y wise .
When the lunch-gong sounded, Ham went dow n
with a basketfu l o f potatoes , carrots , smal l fruits ,
grapes, onion s an d gree n cor n fo r thei r lunches .
The firs t Anima l tha t h e foun d wa s th e smal l
Hedgehog Brother, having the time of his life among
the blackbeetles. He said to Ham, " I doubt if I would
go nea r Porcupin e thi s morning . Th e motio n ha s
upset hi m an d he' s a little fretful. '
Ham said : 'Dunn o anythin g abou t that . My job
is to fee d 'em. ' So he went int o Porcupine's cabin ,
where Porcupine wa s taking up al l the room i n the
 Ham an d th e Porcupin e 21 5
world in his bunk, and his quills rattling like a loose
window i n a taxi.
Ham gav e him three sweet potatoes, si x inches of
sugarcane, and two gree n corn-cobs. Whe n h e had
finished, Ha m said : 'Don' t yo u eve r sa y "thank -
you" for anything? ' 'Yes / sai d Porcupine. 'Thi s is
my wa y o f sayin g it / An d h e swun g roun d an d
slapped and swished with his tail sideways at Ham' s
bare right le g and mad e it blee d from th e ankl e t o
the knee .
Ham hoppe d u p o n deck , wit h hi s foo t i n hi s
hand, an d foun d Fathe r Noa h a t th e wheel .
'What do you want on the bridge at this hour of
high noon? ' sai d Noah.
Ham said , 'I want a large tin o f Ararat biscuits.'""
Tor wha t an d what for? ' sai d Noah .
'Because somethin g o n th e orlop-dec k think s i t
can teac h a nigge r somethin g abou t porcupines, '
said Ham . ' I wan t t o sho w him. '
'Then wh y wast e biscuits? ' sai d Noah.
'Law!' said Ham. 'I only don e ask for the largest
lid offe n th e larges t bo x o f Arara t biscuit s o n th e
boat.'
'Speak t o you r Mother / sai d Noah . 'Sh e issue s
the stores. '
So Ham's Mother, Mrs Noah, gave him the larg-
est lid off the very largest box o f Ararat biscuits in
the Ar k a s well a s som e biscuit s fo r himself ; an d
Ham wen t dow n t o th e orlop-dec k wit h th e box -
2i6 Jus t S o Stories
lid hel d lo w in his dark righ t hand , s o that i t cov -
ered hi s dark righ t le g from th e kne e to th e ankle .
'Here's somethin g I forgot / sai d Ha m an d h e
held ou t a n Ararat biscui t to Porcupine , an d Por -
cupine at e it quick .
'Now sa y "Thank-you/" sai d Ham .
'I will/ sai d Porcupine , an d he whipped round ,
swish, with hi s wicked tai l an d hi t th e biscuit-tin .
And that di d hi m no good .
'Try again / sai d Ham , an d Porcupin e swishe d
and slappe d wit h his tail harde r tha n ever .
'Try again / sai d Ham . Thi s tim e th e Porcupin e
swished so hard that his quill-ends jarred on his skin
inside him, and som e of the quill s broke of f short .
Then Ha m sat down o n the other bun k and said,
'Listen! Just because a man looks a little sunburned
and talk s a littl e chuffy , don' t thin k yo u ca n b e
fretful wit h him . I a m Ham! Th e minut e that thi s
Dhow touche s Moun t Ararat , I shal l b e Empero r
of Afric a fro m th e Bayud a Bend* t o th e Bigh t of
Benin, and from the Bight of Benin to Dar-es-Salam,
and fro m Dar-es-Sala m t o th e Drakensberg , an d
from th e Drakensberg to where the Two Sea s meet
round th e sam e Cape. I shal l be Sultan o f Sultans,
Paramount Chief of all Indunas, Medicine Men, and
Rain-doctors, an d speciall y o f th e Wummgiri* —
the Porcupin e People—wh o ar e waitin g fo r you .
You wil l belon g t o me ! You wil l liv e in hole s an d
burrows an d ol d digging s all up an d dow n Africa ;
 Ham an d th e Porcupin e 21 7
and i f ever I hea r o f you bein g fretful agai n I will
tell my Wunungiri, and they will come down afte r
you underground, and pull you out backwards. I—
amm—Hamm!'
Porcupine wa s s o frightene d a t thi s tha t h e
stopped rattlin g his quills under th e bun k an d lay
quite still .
Then th e small Hedgehog Brothe r who was un-
der the bunk too, having the time of his life among
the blackbeetles there, said: 'This doesn't loo k ros y
for me . After all , Pm his brother i n a way of speak-
ing, and I suppose I shall have to go along with him
underground, an d / can' t di g for nuts!'
'Not i n the least,' sai d Ham. 'O n hi s own head
it was and all over him, just as Big Nurse said . But
you stoo d stil l to hav e your hai r brushed. Besides,
you aren' t i n m y caravan . A s soo n a s thi s ol d
buggalow (he meant the Ark) touches Ararat, I go
South an d Eas t wit h m y littl e lot—Elephant s an d
Lions an d things— and Porcupig—an d scatte r 'e m
over Africa . You'l l g o North an d Wes t wit h on e
or othe r o f m y Brother s (Pv e forgotte n which) ,
and you'l l fetc h u p i n a comf y littl e plac e calle d
England—all amon g gardens and box-border s an d
slugs, wher e peopl e wil l b e gla d t o se e you. An d
you wil l b e a lucky littl e fello w always. '
'Thank you , Sir, ' sai d th e smal l Hedgeho g
Brother. 'Bu t what abou t m y livin g underground?
That isn' t m y lin e of country.'
2i8 Jus t S o Storie s
'Not the least need/ sai d Ham. An d he touche d
the smal l Hedgeho g Brothe r wit h hi s foot , an d
Hedgehog curle d up—whic h h e ha d neve r don e
before.
'Now you'l l b e able to pic k u p you r ow n dry -
leaf-bedding on your ow n prickles so as you ca n lie
warm i n a hedg e fro m Octobe r til l Apri l i f yo u
like. Nobody wil l bothe r yo u excep t th e gipsies;'' "
and you'll b e no trea t t o an y dog.'
'Thank you , Sir, ' sai d smal l Hedgehog Brother ,
and h e uncurle d himsel f an d wen t afte r mor e
blackbeetles.
And i t al l happened jus t as Ham said .

I don' t kno w ho w th e keeper s a t th e Zo o fee d

Porcupine but, from tha t da y to this , ever y keeper
that / hav e eve r see n fee d a porcupine i n Africa,
takes care to hav e the li d of a biscuit-box hel d low
in front of his right leg so that Porcupin e can' t ge t
in a swis h wit h hi s tai l a t it , afte r h e ha s ha d hi s
lunch.
Palaver don e set!'' " G o an d hav e you r hai r
brushed!
 EXPLANATORY NOTE S

ABBREVIATIONS
AT Antti Aarne and Stit h Thompson, Th e Types o f th e Folk-
Tale (Helsinki : Academia Scientiaru m Fennica , 1961 )
CK C. E . Carrington' s note s fro m Mr s Kipling' s diaries
LHJ Ladies3 Home Journal
KJ The Kipling Journal, publishe d quarterl y b y th e Kiplin g
Society
MM Mirkhwand, Muhammad Bin Khavendshah Bin Mahmud
[Mirza Mirkhond] , Rauzat-uz-Safa [Th e Garde n o f Pu -
rity], trans. Rehatsek (London: Oriental Translation Fund,
1892): 'sacred an d profane history accordin g to th e Mos -
lem belief . Ther e i s a set in Kipling' s study .
PM Pearson's Magazine
RK Rudyard Kipling
RG R. E . Harbor d (ed.) , Th e Readers 3 Guide t o Rudyard
Kipling's Work (privatel y printed, Kiplin g Society) , vol .
iv: 1965- 6
SN St Nicholas Magazine
SOM Rudyard Kipling , Something o f Myself fo r m y Friends
Known an d Unknown (London : Macmillan , 1937)

A U T H O R ' S P R E F A C E . Publishe d wit h th e firs t stor y i n

SN, XXV/ 2 (Dec . 1897) , 89 , under th e titl e 'Th e "Just-So "
Stories'; it wa s never collected .
i Blue Skalallatoot stories: al l that survive s of thes e i s a ma p
and a lette r (KJ (Mar . 1968) , 6-8) . O f th e Orvi n Silveste r
Woodsey storie s nothin g i s known .
HOW T H E WHAL E GO T HIS THROAT. First publishe d S N
as 'Ho w th e Whal e go t hi s Tin y Throat' , Dec . 1897 . Th e
obvious sourc e i s the boo k o f Jonah, chs . 2-3 , bu t R K has
also used the alternative account in MM, vol. ii. Further details
220 EXPLANATOR Y NOTE S

may have come from tw o episode s in The Surprising Adven-

tures o f Baron Munchausen (1786 ) (se e below) .
On th e knif e formin g th e initia l T, ther e ar e the initial s
'RK' betwee n th e screw s tha t joi n hil t an d blade . O n th e
blade i s inscribe d 'Holfe n Tromso e 1847' . Othe r Nordi c
references i n th e boo k ar e the runi c character s i n th e Tirs t
Letter' illustration an d the 'Cat' initial. Cf . also the 'Kanga -
roo' initial .
4 latitude Fifty North, longitude Forty West: roughly 55 0 miles
east-north-east o f S t John's, Newfoundland , a deep-wate r
area betwee n th e Gran d Bank s (scen e o f RK' s Captains
Courageous) an d the Mid-Atlanti c Ridge. In SN th e bearing
is '41.4 2 an d 26.36' , withou t specifyin g 'north' an d 'west' ,
the last figure being '37' a few lines further on; according t o
RG, thi s woul d b e a n unlikely plac e for whales .
suspenders: a US term ; th e Englis h equivalen t i s braces.
infinite-resource-and-sagacity: th e epithe t suggest s a deliber-
ate ech o o f Home r an d tha t othe r resourcefu l shipwrecked
mariner, her o o f th e Odyssey.
5 stepped an d h e lepped: thre e phrases, including this one, were
added in the book version. In the Munchausen story (ch. viii)
the Baron is swallowed by a large fish: 'I played m y pranks,
such as tumbling, hop, step and jump, etc., but nothing seemed
to distur b hi m s o muc h a s the quic k motio n o f m y fee t i n
dancing the hornpipe ...'.
natal-shore: Homer's Odysseus als o longs for his island home.
6 picture of th e Whale: i n SOM, 128-9 , RK describe s how o n
a tri p t o Englan d (i n the summe r o f 189 4 o r 1895 ) ne saw
from th e shi p ' a whale, who submerge d just in time to clear
us, an d looke d u p int o m y fac e wit h a n unforgettable littl e
eye the size of a bullock's.... When I was illustrating Just So
Stories, I remembere d an d strov e afte r tha t eye. '
jaws-of-a-gaff: o n a gaff-rigged sailin g vessel, the upper edge
of th e quadrilatera l mainsai l is attache d t o a spar , th e gaff .
Its jaw s are a fittin g a t th e forwar d end ; thi s fasten s roun d
the mast , allowin g th e othe r en d t o swin g fre e a s the sai l is
adjusted to catc h the wind .
 EXPLANATORY NOTE S 22 1

8 u p the beach'. MM, ii. 117 : 'the fish approached the shor e b y
divine command , wher e i t ejecte d [Jonah ] lik e a n infan t
wrapped i n swaddlin g clothes /
Change here.. . Fitchburg Road: railwa y station s i n Ne w
Hampshire and Massachusetts in RK's time. He and Josephine
may hav e heard the m i n a statio n announcemen t a t Beaver
Falls or South Vernon, junctions respectively north an d south
of Brattleboro. From Beaver Falls the Fitchburg Railroad ran
south-east vi a Keene to Boston , connectin g a t Aye r wit h a
line to Nashua . A t Sout h Verno n th e Centra l Vermon t me t
the New London and Ashuelot Railroads; the latter ran north-
east vi a Ashuelot an d Wincheste r t o Keene .
there it stuck: in Munchausen ch . xvii a whale has swallowe d
several ships. When i t opens it s mouth, th e Baron frees thei r
crews by propping u p two mast s to prevent it s jaws closing.
Sloka: vers e for m o f th e Sanskri t epics .
10 shadow-pictures: these an d thei r surroundin g pattern s re -
semble th e carving s of th e Sout h Pacifi c Islands .
HOW TH E CAME L GO T HI S HUMP . Firs t publishe d SN,
Jan. 1898 . Fo r som e probabl e source s se e Introduction , p .
xxiv-xxv. A T list s a categor y o f tale s (p . 24 , no . 9) , Th e
Unjust Partner : th e bea r works, th e idl e fo x cheats him' .
13 h e was a Howler himself: thi s phrase not i n SN, her e or later.
14 punchayet: literall y a 'counci l o f five' ; a villag e counci l i n
India.
15 M y long an d bubbling friend: no t i n 57V ; nor i s th e phras e
'Bubbles, I want yo u t o work'.
16 picture o f th e Djinn: th e figure s i n thi s drawin g recal l som e
of Willia m Harvey' s engraving s i n E . W . Lane' s Arabian
Nights' Entertainment, ed. E. Stanley Poole (London : Chatto
& Windus , 1883 ; Murray, 1859) .
The symbol of an egg is associated with the creation of the
world i n man y cultures , includin g Finnish , Egyptian , an d
Hindu.
20 Noah's Ark: th e styl e o f thi s lowe r drawin g ha s a Japanese
look. Th e backgroun d o f the ar k form s a capital A, making
222 EXPLANATOR Y NOTE S

the firs t exampl e of th e 'ARK-A ' phoneti c rebu s tha t signs

several drawing s late r i n th e book .
One o f RK' s earl y project s fo r S t Nicholas (neve r pub -
lished) wa s a stor y abou t a little bo y wh o trie d t o mak e a
Noah's Ar k o n a n India n pond , bu t coul d no t contro l th e
animals and had to be rescued before h e was drowned (letter
to Mar y Mape s Dodge, 1 5 Oct . 1892 : Thomas Pinney (ed.) ,
The Letters of Rndyard Kipling (London : Macmillan, 1990) ,
ii. 62). His tentativ e title for a book of animal fables (includ -
ing material used in The Jungle Book) wa s 'Noah's Ark Tales'
(letter to Mr s Dodge, 2 4 Nov. 1892 : ibid. 72). At 1 8 month s
Josephine Kiplin g was give n a Noah's Ark whic h becam e a
favourite to y (lette r t o Louis a Baldwin , 1 5 Jun e 1894 : ibid.
130). See also the borde r t o th e drawin g of the elephan t and
crocodile.
HOW TH E R H I N O C E R O S GO T HI S s K i N . First published
57V, Feb. 1898 , introduced by : 'No w this is the las t tale and
it tells how the Rhinoceros got his wrinkly skin.' The idea of
a merchan t o n a n 'uninhabite d island ' tha t i s mysteriousl y
connected to an exotic hinterland probably comes from E. W.
Lane's Arabian Nights ch . xx , whic h describe s th e seve n
voyages o f es-Sindiba d (Sinbad). Rhinoceroses occu r i n on e
such place in the Second Voyage, while Socotra is mentioned
in Lane' s not e 3 8 to thi s chapter . Th e consumptio n o f un -
attended food , with perilou s consequences , ca n be found in
e.g. Goldilocks an d th e Three Bears. AT list s a folk-tale cat-
egory (pp. 129 , 139 , and 144) , 'Clothes stolen while bathing'.
The initia l imitate s Mexica n art . Th e mai n figure' s bir d
costume is Mayan, and its flanking animals are probably jag-
uars (cf. 'The Beginning of the Armadilloes'). The elongate d
figure around th e to p ma y b e intended fo r th e plume d ser -
pent Quetzalcoatl : both thi s an d th e jaguar were importan t
religious symbols. The rectangular eyes and the figure's boots
resemble Zun i figures fro m Ne w Mexico .
23 Par see: descendant of refugee s wh o settle d in Indi a after th e
Arab invasio n o f Persi a i n th e jth-St h centuries . Follower s
of the sage Zoroaster, the y worship Go d i n the forms of light
and fire . Th e founde r of th e Bomba y School o f Art, wher e
 EXPLANATORY NOTE S 22 3

RK's father was employed at the time of his birth, was a rich
Parsee calle d Si r Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy.
24 Socotra: Socotr a i s a n islan d i n th e India n Ocean , of f th e
Horn o f Africa . Mazandara n is a province o f Iran .
26 on e of Pharaoh 3s chariots: the words o n the wheel read 'ptia n
Army No . 17633' . Ther e ar e als o som e hieroglyphics . Se e
Exod. 14 : 25 : 'an d too k of f thei r [th e Egyptians' ] chario t
wheels'.
Pestonjee Bomonjee: thi s was the nam e of a real Parsee (later
a well-known artist ) who wa s one o f RK's father' s students
in Bomba y (KJ (Mar . 1938) , 24).
30 Orotavo . .. Sonaput: thes e are not thought to be real names,
but ech o place s i n India , Madagascar , and Tenerife . Ther e
follows in SN: 'wher e all small people—beginning to breathe
slowly and evenly—must inevitably also accompany him—in
order t o arriv e easil y an d unknowingly—a t th e enormou s
battlements of the luxurious city of Uninterrupted Slumber. '
(See als o th e poe m 'Th e Cit y o f Sleep ' i n 'Th e Brushwoo d
Boy', Th e Day's Work.)
31 Cape Gardafui: extrem e point o f the Horn of Africa. Socotr a
Island an d it s grou p li e t o th e eas t o f it . Ship s sailin g t o
Bombay woul d leav e them t o starboar d o n emergin g fro m
the Gul f o f Aden int o th e India n Ocean .
P. and O. : the Peninsular an d Oriental Steamship Co . too k
British functionaries to an d fro m Indi a b y wa y o f th e Suez
Canal an d th e Re d Se a (see RK's poe m "Th e Exiles' Line') .
HOW TH E LEOPAR D GO T HIS SPOTS . First published LHJ,
Oct 1901 , as part o f a series advertised as a world exclusive
(ignoring the publication of the first three stories in SN). The
title 'Just So Stories' was not mentioned. Nelson Doubleday ,
son o f RK' s U S publisher , claime d t o hav e suggeste d th e
story's theme (see Introduction, p . xx) , which i s also a bib-
lical tex t (se e not e t o p . 4 3 below) . Writte n 3 0 Mar. 190 0
(CK), bu t perhap s starte d earlie r (se e Introduction, p . xx) .
Some mino r change s i n th e boo k versio n sugges t tha t th e
stories wer e Americanize d fo r LHJ\ othe r smal l change s
expand passage s that childre n ma y hav e found puzzling .
224 EXPLANATOR Y NOTE S

F. Posselt, The Fables of th e Veld (Oxfor d University Press ,

1929), 12 , has a traditional African tal e in which th e leopar d
is given his spots b y th e guinea-fow l a s a reward fo r guard -
ing he r nest . Findin g i t saf e o n he r return , 'sh e marke d hi s
skin'.
The marks on the knife in the initia l resemble Urdu writ -
ing, bu t d o no t appea r t o spel l anything .
33 High Veldt: R G define s thi s a s a plateau including 'most of
Basutoland, the Orang e Fre e Stat e and the Souther n Trans -
vaal'.
35 Baviaan: th e nam e means 'baboon' i n Dutch .
grown-up: phras e i n parenthese s i s not i n LHJ.
36 drawn him from a statue: the drawing recalls Egyptian statu -
ary, als o perhap s Lockwoo d Kipling' s illustration s t o Kim,
which were photographed fro m low-relief terracott a plaque s
(Lockwood ha d traine d as an architectural sculptor). Thoth ,
god o f wisdo m i n Egyptia n mythology , wa s sometime s
depicted a s a baboon .
Hebric. none of these inscriptions spel l anything in the script s
they imitate . The y ar e mostly shape d t o giv e the visua l im-
pression 'Baviaan' or 'this is wise Baviaan'. The marks on the
sash resembl e Coptic , derive d fro m ancien t Egyptian . Th e
upper inscription o n the plinth look s lik e Cuneiform, a form
of writing found in ancient Persian and Babylonic inscriptions.
The two inscription s followin g imitate Bengali and Burmese
scripts, an d th e nex t give s a n impressio n o f Hebrew . Th e
lowest lin e is thought t o be picture-writing invente d by RK.
38 Sa y that quickly aloud. .. th e forest must have been: sen -
tence i n parentheses not i n LHJ. 'Sprottle d an d spottled ' i n
its descriptio n wa s also adde d t o th e boo k version .
39 O you person without an y form: instea d of this in LHJ: 'This
is much too serious for dumb-crambo. (He meant he wouldn't
eat hi m up , Bes t Beloved.) ' Subsequen t reference s t o 'an y
form' hav e also bee n adde d i n th e book .
43 fo r a nigger: thes e word s ar e no t i n LHJ.
Can th e Ethiopian . . . the Leopard hi s spots?: quote d fro m
Jer. 13 : 23 .
 EXPLANATORY NOTE S 22 5

44 Sambo: se e Hele n Bannerman' s Little Black Sambo (1899 :

illustrated by the author), a now-controversial children' s clas-
sic of the period. It was set not i n Africa bu t i n South India .
Find-the-Cat: puzzle-pictures, ofte n including animals, were
popular i n the las t half o f the i9t h century. The precise on e
referred t o here has not bee n identified. The forest resembles
the 'gloom y wood* in Gustav e Dore' s illustratio n t o Dante ,
The Vision o f Hell (trans . H . F . Gary , 1871) , Cant o I , i . 2.
THE ELEPHANT' S CHILD. First published in LHJ, Apr . 1900 .
Said t o b e inspired b y th e same child's letter a s the Leopar d
story (se e Introduction , p . xx) . C K date s it s writin g a s 1 8
Aug. 1899 . O n 1 6 Oct . 189 9 R K revise d Just S o Stories
begun in August .
The Ramayana o f Tulsi Dass, trans F . S . Growse (N.W .
Provinces an d Oud h Governmen t Press) , Bk . I , p . 2 1 n.,
records thi s legen d o f a n elephant : 'A n alligato r ha d seize d
him by the foot while bathing, and though he struggled des-
perately fo r 200 0 years , h e wa s unabl e t o escap e hi s en -
emy ...'. Finally h e realizes 'that god alone could sav e him'.
RK owne d th e secon d edition , o f 1880 .
AT list s a s folk-tale archetype s th e quest ; th e defea t o f a
monster i n its lair; and specifically (p. 186, no. 517 ) 'The Boy
who Learne d Many Things', who i s driven out b y his family
and, becaus e h e understand s th e speec h o f birds , achieve s
greatness and comes back to triumph ove r them. Several tales
in George McCall Theal, Kaffir Folklore: Or, a Selection from
the Traditional Tales Current among the People Living on
the Eastern Border o f th e Cape Colony (London : Sonnen -
schein, 1882) , involv e ques t journey s to a river .
The initia l ' F i s an Islamic-styl e design . It s squar e shap e
suggests th e tile s o f Willia m d e Morgan , whos e studi o R K
was take n t o visi t a s a bo y (SOM 22) . The peacoc k i s a
character in MM's account (vol. i) of the Eden myth, parodied
in RK's 'Th e Enemie s to Eac h Other' (Debits an d Credits).
48 Kolokolo Bird: 'cluck-cluc k bird' ? I n E . Jacottet , Contes
populaires de s Basutos (Paris : Leroux , 1895) , 211 , th e he n i s
sent o n a mission tha t make s possible a happ y ending . She
precedes he r messag e with: 'Kokolokoloko! '
226 EXPLANATOR Y NOTE S

48 great grey-green, greasy.. . fever-trees: thi s description of the

river is rather lon g for a Homeric epithet ; but doe s on e hear
behind it s rhyth m th e bea t o f Africa n drums ? Se e als o
Rabelais, Bk. I, ch. i, where Gargantua's genealogy is found
in 'u n gros , gras , grand , gris , joli , petit , mois i livret , plus ,
mais non mieu x sentant que les roses' (' a big, fat, great, grey,
pretty, little, mouldy booklet , more strongly , bu t not bette r
smelling tha n roses)' . R K greatl y respecte d Rabelais : se e
'The Last of the Stories' (1889 ; collected in Abaft th e Funnel
and Uncollected Prose, Sussex an d Burwas h edns.) . Acacia
xanthopbloea i s a large deciduous thorn-tree , know n a s th e
'fever-tree' becaus e it grow s i n marshy places and was erro -
neously believe d to carr y malaria l infection.
49 little short re d kind: thi s an d othe r description s i n paren -
theses i n thi s sentenc e ar e not i n LHJ.
Khama's country: no w Botswana .
53 hijjus: hideous(ly) .
56 Elephant's Child: it ha s bee n pointe d ou t tha t th e elephan t
resembles a n Indian , no t a n African one .
59 nobody spanked anybody an y more: i n LHJ, 'everythin g
started fair' .
62 / keep si x honest serving-men: Mrs Bambridge, RK's surviv-
ing daughter, sai d that thi s was 'her' poem, addin g that a s a
little girl she used to be known i n the family as 'Elsie Why'.
RG suggest s a s it s origi n a medieva l Lati n epigra m i n th e
Register o f Danie l Rough , Cler k o f Romne y [Kent ] i n th e
14th century :
Si sapien s for e vi s se x servus qu i tib i mand o
Quid dica s et ubi, d e quo, cur , quomodo , quando .
If yo u wis h t o b e wise I commen d t o yo u si x servants,
Ask what , where , abou t what , why , how , when .
THE SING-SON G O F OL D MA N KANGAROO . Firs t pub -
lished LHJ, Jun e 1900 . Perhaps begu n in Aug. 189 9 (see In -
troduction, p . xx). Not mentione d in CK. AT (p. 24) describes
a type o f tale called 'The False Beauty-Doctor: th e trickste r
pretends t o mak e the dup e beautifu l an d injure s him'.
 E X P L A N A T O R Y NOTE S 22 /

Possible sources include K. Langloh Parker, Australian Leg-

endary Tales (1896) , 'Bohra the Kangaroo' , in which a four-
legged kangaroo 'like a dog' is transformed by joining a tribal
dance roun d a fire while th e wome n sing . Se e also Baldwin
Spencer an d F . J. Gillen , Th e Native Tribes o f Central Aus-
tralia (London : Macmillan , 1899) , 193-6 , in which a totemic
kangaroo i s pursued b y a dingo pac k acros s Australia, magi -
cally returnin g t o lif e eac h time the y catc h him—hi s bone s
and tai l becoming feature s o f th e landscape . Ther e i s an ac -
count o f the stor y bein g chanted b y th e Kangaro o trib e (p .
205), and the phrase 'old man kangaroo* is also used (p. 201).
The initia l 'N ' recall s th e Norther n Lights ; behin d i t i s the
constellation o f th e Ploug h o r Grea t Bear .
63 Little Go d Nqa: in LHJ i t is Nqa wh o ha s a 'bath in the salt-
pan': Nqong has a 'roost i n the Blu e Gums'. No suc h god s
as Nqa , Nquing , an d Nqon g occu r i n Spence r an d Gillen ,
Native Tribes. R G suggest s that the y deriv e from 'Qong' , a
Melanesian go d o f Night , an d 'Quing' , a Bushma n hunter ,
both mentione d i n Andre w Lang' s Myth, Ritual and Reli-
gion (1887) ; th e firs t suggestio n seem s mor e plausibl e tha n
the second , bu t neithe r i s wholly convincing .
65 ti-trees: more usually spelt 'tea-tree'—an evergreen flowering
shrub.
Tropics o f Capricorn an d Cancer: th e tropi c o f Capricor n
runs acros s Australia . The tropi c o f Cance r doe s not .
Wollgong River: a n invente d name .
Flinders: there is a range of mountains called Flinders in South
Australia, but RG consider s this reference to be to the Flinders
river i n Queensland .
66 picture of Ol d Ma n Kangaroo: this an d th e nex t are the onl y
illustrations i n whic h th e figure s cas t shadows .
68 Darling Downs: a regio n i n sout h Queensland .
69 Ol d Scratch: th e devil .
70 thing with the letters on it: the letters read 'Patent Fed. Govt.
Aus.' (Federa l Governmen t o f Australia) . The fram e roun d
Nqong's cloc k resemble s Maor i carvings .
73 Warrigaborrigarooma: a n invente d name .
228 EXPLANATOR Y NOTE S

THE B E G I N N I N G O F THE A R M AD I L L O E S. Firs t publishe d

LHJ, Ma y 1900 . Perhap s begu n i n 189 9 (se e Introduction) ,
but no t mentione d i n CK .
RK woul d no t visi t Brazi l unti l 1927 , bu t on e o f hi s
earliest literar y passion s (SOM 9 ) wa s Robinson Crusoe,
who wa s wrecked o n a n island off the coas t o f 'the Brazils'.
Possible sources includ e Charles Darwin , The Voyage o f th e
'Beagle' (1839) , whic h describe s (ch . vi ) th e armadillo' s
method o f curling up against enemies. Oliver Goldsmith's A
History o f the Earth and Animated Nature (1774) , vol. ii, bk.
vi, places its description just after 'Animal s of the Hedgehog ,
or Prickl y kind' . Bot h thes e works ar e i n RK' s study . I n
Jataka, Bk . XXII, no . 54 3 (Bhuridatta-Jataka), a tortoise es -
capes a king who wishe s to kil l it by persuading him to pu t
it into water; SOM 14 1 and Kim, ch. ix both mention Jataka.
RK also read Aphra Behn, Oroonoko (c.i688) (letter to H. S.
Canby, 9 Oct . 1909, Yale) , whic h refer s t o th e animal' s
'armour'.
AT lists (p. 49, no. I22G ) as an Indian oral tale: 'Wash me
before Eating : Turtle tell s jackal he must be soaked in water
to softe n hi s shell' ; th e jacka l drop s th e turtl e int o water ,
whereupon i t swim s away. Edwar d Steere , Swahili Tales a s
told b y Natives o f Zanzibar (SPCK , 1889) , give s (p. 373 ) a
similar stor y abou t a lion an d a tortoise .
78 marked i n red: the rout e o f the explorers , and the signatures
to th e scrolls at top an d bottom o f the drawing, were in red
in the first edition. The route is the double line marked with
arrows.
are told about in writing: the scroll at the bottom o f the map
reads (sic):
YE M A N I E M O U T H E S O F Y E A M A Z O N S R I V E R . Thi s
was y e wholli e desprat e essai e an d ventur e o f y e Gyan t
Shipp Sir Mat Vows hy s fitting—whic h conceiv e in ranke
follie engendured evil. Of ye fifty-seven advturers wh leaved
Bristol—Ap. 17 . 150 3 returne d n o mor e than eleven to y t
towne an d thes e in suc h case yt y e verie swine had cause
rather fo r t o moc k the m i n streete s (thei r bellie s bein g at
ye leas t filled ) an d thei r skinne s unslitte d tha n t o envi e
them thei r stat e o f grac e as mer e men . Y e track e o f ou r
 EXPLANATORY NOTE S 22 9

wavering and lamentable vyage towards ye E Indies—now

a vissio n fa r remove d i s se t down e i n re d [a s the arrow s
were i n th e firs t edn.] .
Lancelot Mayhe w A M

The othe r writing s read , take n anticlockwis e fro m th e left -

hand botto m corne r o f th e ma p (followin g th e arrows) :

And her e a s near a s maybe ye stern e cam e ashoar .

Here was oure is t Camp afte r y t she e broke apeeces 19 of
us onlie .
Here di d we e all take ye Oth e t o Si r Mtw Vows e wh . J.
Hanper he e broke .
River y t w e calle d Rumbullio n Rive r o n y e secon d nigh t
Sir M Vowse here broacht all ye rumbullion for good cawse.
And s o b y pirogue s acros s muc h mud .
Much feve r i n y e air s heere.
Here i s onlie Mu d an d Crabbes .
Batts Hill .
Littel rive r o f y e Tsluci .
Tsluci, a meer village.
A grea t fiel d o f corne , w h Nic k Dye r w d tromp e an d
misuse bein g then dronke .
Wee were presse d here .
Here wa s burie d N . Dyer , a prophane ma n bu t a stout e
sailor (o f a n arrow) .
Here we burne d y e pinnace.
I M O X A T L A N a vaste towne of ye Indian s where we wer e
all lovingli e held fo r 5 (five) days .
Here i s al l hie fores t wit h Monkies .
Wee wente b y ye River-banke to avoid e ye forest bu t soe
did no t avoi d y e fever.
Heere d o the y min e Gold .
Ye mine s wh. w e wer e forbi d t o see .
Here ar e hid th e Idol s o f Imoxatlan .
For meddlin g with a Pagod wh . hee conceived to b e pure
Golde Sam Batts of ye Gyan t (Si r M. Vowse hi s venture)
was s o handle d b y y e thinge s Preeste s y t he e dyed i n II I
daies.
230 EXPLANATOR Y NOTE S

S. Batts hys grav e hee was borne ove r ye maine River in a

pirogue y e Indian s hoisting e bu t soon e dyed .
A Pago d w h we e found e upo n a towe r o n a hil l & y e
Indians burne d offerentsf? ] before .
Here i s more forest .
[In large scroll at top o f map:] All heere is starke unknowne:
our Indian s reniging e guidanc e fo r y t the y we r afeard e of
Diwels and wee sicklie and few did perfors turne backe to
ye Coast e age n afte r al l thes e peyne s wel-persuade d y t
Here is no comin g at t y e Indie s a t leas t b y land e Lancet .
Mayhew.
Sir Matt . Vows e havin g put o n hy s bac k & fron t piece s
after cleansin g of 'em brighte was here worshipt a s a Pagod
by diver s silli e Indians .
A great e citie whenc e we e were beet . Our e is t assaul t itt
was fo r taking e an d haling e fort h Indian s fo r guide s and
came neer e t o b e ou r end e s o w e carri e Eas t b y North e
with y t we e had.
Wee took four pirogues upon ye shore, our need justifying.
Here livet h Armourdill a o r Hog-in-harnesse .
Jno. Hanper— a mutineer [ove r drawin g of a hanged man]
alsoe fo r stealin g of y e store s before .
Fort Town e an d Palisado e o f ye Chie f Imoxotlanchuatl .
Fields an d garden s of y e Indiens .
All her e i s a n evi l & stinkin g Mars h o r Quagg , y t goe s
west y e Indian s affirm e 31 4 Spanis h Leeagues.
Rivers ou t o f ye mars h o f Ilolotiputl .
Ye 2n d pirogu e go t s o fa r seekin g a wai e ou t bu t cam e
back nothing further excep t wee count the fever. Four sicke.
Here ar e horned Birde s and hav e also crownes .
Nat Thoma s hi s grav e (o f a calenture) .
Matheusec—a guinea-ma n y t tro d o n a serpent e wa s lef t
here t o hi s owne drugge s an d y e Mercie .
Here i s all rough reede— a ma n highe .
Here i s a Jaguyar lik e t o a great Catt.
Here i s found Pekkary , a littel feerc e pigg , and wit h hi m
Tapyr, ye lesse r Elephant .
Here by God's great Mercy th e Royal Tiger wa s careened
and w e took up .
 EXPLANATORY NOTE S 23 1

This seem s to b e an invented stor y i n imitation o f Hakluyt,

of whos e Voyages (1598-1600 ) R K owne d a set.
84 a regular whale: i n LHJ, ' a Gangeti c Porpoise' .
87 there ar e some i n m y garden: thi s phras e no t i n LHJ; th e
hedgehog is not nativ e i n the USA . Th e tortoises were pre -
sumably pet s i n th e garde n at Rottingdean .
88 an y wa y you turn it : Nor a Croo k (Kipling's Myths o f Love
and Death, London: Macmillan, 1989) suggests (pis. 7 and 8)
that this drawing owes something to Blake' s 'Behemoth and
Leviathan', i n Th e Book o f Job (1825) .
90 Do n an d Magdalena: steamship s o f th e Roya l Mai l Packet
Company. The y were 'whit e and gold' because at that tim e
they ha d whit e hull s and buf f upperworks .
HOW TH E FIRS T LETTE R WA S WRITTEN. Firs t publishe d
in LHJ, Dec . 1901 . C K give s the titl e 'Neolithi c Ladies ' t o
something writte n o n 1 9 Sept . 1900 . I n LH J 'Teshumai ' i s
'Tashumai' throughout, and the 'Tewara' is a 'Tewarra'. Many
other smal l alterations have been made in the boo k version .
The marking s o n th e hul l o f the ar k i n th e initia l ar e the
Plimsoll lines , indicatin g th e appropriate wate r level s when
the shi p wa s full y (bu t safely ) loade d i n summe r an d i n
winter. Th e fla g carrie s th e initial s o f Noa h an d hi s son s
Shem, Ham , an d Japhet (Gen . 7).
93 it's an awful nuisance.. . write: instead of this in LHJ, 'it' s a
bother tha t ther e isn' t anyon e tha t w e coul d sen d wit h a
message fo r th e ne w spear' .
94 di d not turn round: after this in LHJ, 't o look at the Stranger-
Man, eve n though th e Stranger-Ma n was unquestionabl y a
Tewarra'.
95 t o draw pictures: after thi s i n LHJ, 'bu t sh e didn't stic k he r
tongue out' .
97 No w this is the picture... for him!: this sentence not i n LHJ.
There i s a version o f Taffy' s drawin g there , bu t i t i s much
simpler tha n th e on e i n th e book .
100 Hetmans.. . Bonzes: many of these ar e nonsense words; the
rest ar e rulers , priests , militar y leaders, and magician s fro m
different part s o f th e world .
232 EXPLANATORY NOTE S

100 They ha d filled.. . no t ladylike: o f thi s passage , only 'the y

had sa t upo n hi m i n a long lin e of six ' i s in LHJ.
101 four caves: i n LHJ, 'fou r graduate d glacia l vernal oestuff y
and fungeriferou s caves' .
102 They were thumping hi m ... point a t Taffy: thi s passage not
in LHJ.
104 Runic magic, th e rune s o n th e lef t sid e o f th e tus k rea d
(sic):
This i s the stor i o f Taffima i al l ritten ou t o n a n ol d tusk .
If u begin at the top lef t hand corner and go on to the right
u ca n see for ursel f th e thing s a s tha happened .
On th e righ t side :
The reaso n tha t I spel l i t queerl i i s because there ar e no t
enugh letter s i n th e Runi c alphabet fo r al l the ourd s tha t
I ouan t t o us e to u o Belofed .
The part belo w th e tus k i s given i n RG:
This i s the identica l tusk o n ouc h th e tal e of Taffimai ou s
ritten an d etched b y th e author .
Runes were supposed t o have magic properties: i n the Icelan-
dic Egil's Saga, an ignoran t would-b e love r make s hi s be -
loved ill by putting a misspelt love rune in her bed. The male
figures on th e tus k appea r Nort h American ; th e principa l
female figur e look s lik e a cartoon portrai t o f Mr s Kipling .
106 Then the Head Chief... surprises th e stranger, this paragraph
not i n LHJ.
107 Merrow Down: Merrow was a village near Guildford in Surrey
(now a suburb) . RK' s frien d Joh n S t Loe Strache y live d a t
Merrow Down. Bramley , Shere, and Shamley [Green] ar e all
place-names in the same area, as is the river Wey, a tributary
of th e Thames .
HOW TH E A L P H A B E T WA S MADE. N o previou s publica -
tion. Dat e o f writing i n CK n Sept . 1900 .
 EXPLANATORY NOTE S 23 3

125 kept for ever an d ever: a reproductio n o f th e necklac e was

made by Spinks, the London jewellers, and presented t o RK
by Si r Percy an d Lad y Bate s in 1932 . I t i s o n exhibitio n a t
Bateman's, RK' s hom e i n Sussex , no w th e propert y o f th e
National Trust .
126 mind your P ys an d QV . be very careful. Brewer' s Dictionary
of Phrase an d Fable (Cassell , 1895 ) suggest s tha t i8th -
century Frenc h dancin g teacher s would tel l thei r pupil s t o
mind thei r 'pieds ' (feet ) an d 'queues ' (wigs) . R K owne d a
Brewer.
THE C R A B T H A T P L A Y E D WIT H TH E SEA . Firs t publishe d
in PAf, Aug. 1902 , as 'The Crab tha t made the Tides'. Dated
4 Dec . 190 1 i n CK . A lette r t o W . W. Skea t of 5 Jan. 1935 ,
quoted i n RG, 1677 , acknowledge s the story's deb t t o him :
'You sen t me , years ago , your Malay Magic ou t o f which I
took ("pinched " i s anothe r wor d fo r it ) m y tal e o f "Th e
Crab tha t playe d wit h th e Tides" , an d use d you r Eldes t
Magician, including the phrase Kttn, Paya Kun; the Rat ; the
Pusat Tasek , etc . et c ' .
132 three Magic Flowers: the Magician's pose resembles the Hindu
god Vishnu, holding three (Tibetan) lotus blossoms. The lotus
symbolizes th e birt h o f a divine bein g i n Egyptian , Hindu ,
and Buddhis t mythology.
a magic mark: th e swastik a was par t o f RK' s logo , accom -
panying a n elephant' s hea d wit h a lotus-flowe r hel d i n it s
trunk. Thi s wa s designed b y hi s father, afte r th e traditiona l
Hindu merchant' s sign , draw n o n accoun t book s t o brin g
good luck. When Hitler cam e to power i n Germany RK had
the swastik a removed fro m th e cover s of hi s books .
137 Raja Moyang Kaban... Raja Abdullah: no t mentione d i n
PM.
140 picture o f Pa u Amma: the whit e outlines o n a black ground ,
often use d b y Beardsley , ma y her e b e mean t t o recal l th e
shadow-puppets an d shadow-scenery o f the Wayang theatre
of Malay a and Indonesia . Als o typica l o f bot h countrie s i s
the bati k method o f printing cloth , i n whic h th e patter n i s
painted wit h wa x s o tha t i t remain s pale when th e clot h i s
dyed.
234 EXPLANATOR Y NOTE S

147 P . and O . 's: ships o f th e Peninsula r an d Orienta l Steamshi p

Co. Othe r shippin g companies mentioned i n this poem are :
British Indi a Line ; Nippo n Yuse n Kaish a (Japan Shippin g
Co.); Norddeutscher Lloy d (North German Lloyd); Ben Line
Steamers Ltd . o f Edinburgh ; Compagni e de s Messageries
Maritimes; Navigazion e General e Italian a (Societ e Reunit e
Ficcio Rubattino) ; Atlanti c Transpor t Line ; Orego n an d
Oriental Line ; Deutsch e Os t Afrik a Line ; Unio n Castl e
Steamship Co. ; th e Elde r Dempste r Co.' s Beave r service t o
W. Africa ; Britis h an d S . America n Steamshi p Navigatio n
Co.
Mr Lloyds: Lloyd' s insurance market.
wire: this play s on th e doubl e meaning , telegram or towin g
hawser.
outside page of th e Times: shipping news was regularly pub-
lished i n th e positio n described .
THE CA T THAT W A L K ED B Y H I M S E L F. Firs t published LHJ y

July 1902 . CK give s the dat e of writing as 23 Jan. 1902 . Th e

characters' menu of 'wild ric e and wild grenadillas ' suggests
an American setting, while it is hard to resist seein g the tree -
lined roa d pas t th e Naulakh a gates , covered i n snow , i n th e
cat drawing. Carrington (K J (Dec . 1982) , 14 ) called this story
'Rudyard's gentl e satire o n Carrie , hi s wife' .
There wer e cats, perhaps semi-wild , a t Naulakha (lette r t o
Ripley Hitchcock , 1 3 Nov . 1894 : Pinne y (ed.) , Letters, ii .
159). On i Dec. 189 4 RK gave his wife a Persian (CK). There
is n o recor d o f cat s a t Rottingdea n unti l jus t ove r a yea r
before the story was written, when Carrie was given another
Persian (CK) . K J (Oct . 1952) , 10 , quote s a 'legend ' (origi n
unspecified) that a cat visited the Christ-child i n the manger.
The bab y was wakeful, an d neithe r hi s mother , th e ox , th e
donkey, no r th e do g coul d sooth e him—bu t th e ca t purred
him t o sleep . Rosalind Meye r (K J (Sept . 1985) , 55 ) sees th e
truly domesticated animal s as RK the husband, the cat being
the par t o f hi m tha t hi s wif e coul d no t tame .
The mark s o n th e capita l H hav e bee n decode d a s rune s
that rea d (sic):
 EXPLANATORY NOTE S 23 5

I Rudyar d Kiplin g dre u thi s bu t becaus e ther e wa s n o

mutton bon e i n th e hous e I fake d th e anatom i fro m
memori. R . K .

On th e crosspiece o f the 'H ' the y read : 'I als o urote al l the
plais ascribe d b y Mr s Gallup ' [RG]. Mr s Gallup , i n Th e
Bilateral Cipher o f Francis Bacon (1900) , ascribe d Shake -
speare's play s t o Bacon . Sh e based he r idea s o n a n allege d
code concealed i n variations in the print of the early editions .
RK mock s th e Baconian s i n a Shakespear e parody , 'Th e
Marred Drive s o f Windsor', as part o f 'The Muse among th e
Motors' (Definitive Verse)', an d also in the story 'Th e Propa-
gation o f Knowledge ' (Debits an d Credits).
149 Hear an d attend an d listen: thi s phras e no t i n LHJ.
150 'Nenni!': a n ol d Frenc h negativ e tha t resemble s th e mil d
protest o f a cat whos e owne r ha s displease d it .
156 picture of the Cat: the upper section of this drawing was used
on the dust-jacket of the first edn. This an d 'Baviaan' are the
only tw o drawing s withou t shading .
166 o r with al l proper Dogs after me : thi s phras e no t i n LHJ,
where the next sentence reads: 'And he sat down an d growled
dreadfully and showed his teeth...".
167 an d when th e moon gets up an d night comes: no t i n LHJ.
Then he goes... wild lone: this sentence not in LHJ. Instead :
'and i f you loo k ou t a t night s yo u ca n se e him, wavin g hi s
wild tai l an d walkin g b y hi s wil d lone—jus t th e sam e a s
before'.
THE B U T T E R F L Y THA T S T A M P E D . Firs t publishe d LHJ,
Oct. 1902 . Written 4 Mar. 190 2 (CK) . Principa l source s fo r
the story are the Bible and the Koran , Sura h 27. In the Bible
the Quee n o f Sheb a doe s no t marr y Solomo n bu t 'wen t t o
her ow n country' . Additiona l details , includin g th e nam e
Balkis, come from MM . None of these include the butterfly .
CK say s i t wa s originall y a firefly. The stor y o f Solomon' s
feast fo r th e animals , an d hi s humblin g b y a sea-monste r
which at e al l the foo d provided , i s told i n MM , ii . 79-80.
The letters on King Solomon's sas h in the initial read H T
W S S T K S. According to RG, thi s is a Masonic reference t o
236 EXPLANATOR Y NOTE S

'the Mark Mason's song which begins, "Hiram, the Widow's

Son, sent t o Kin g Solomon th e grea t Key Stone". The eight
letters are well known i n Scottish Freemasonry/ Solomo n is
also wearin g a bracelet with Masoni c emblems , 'the square
and compasses'. The building of the temple at Jerusalem under
King Solomon, with help from King Huram of Tyre (2 Chron.
2 ff.), i s a n importan t sourc e o f Masoni c symbolism. Solo-
mon's chai r is part o f 'The Ceremony o f Installation for th e
Master an d Officer s o f a Masonic Lodge' (The Textbook o f
Freemasonry (London : Reeve s & Turner , 1874) , 193) . Th e
signature R K i s at th e foo t o f th e tree .
169 Suleiman-bin-Daoud: Muslim form o f Solomon-ben-David .
Lapwing. .. Gold Bars o f Balkis: th e lapwing , the hoopoe ,
and the glas s pavement are in the Koran , Surah 27; the ruby
comes from MM , ii. 83-5. The bars are the 'gold talents' th e
Queen o f Sheba gives Solomon in i Kgs. 10:10 and 2 Chron.
9: 9 .
170 hyssop o n the wall: i Kgs . 4: 33. Solomon's understanding of
birds i s mentione d i n th e Koran , Sura h 27 , where h e als o
converses with a n an t (se e also MM, ii) .
Azrael o f th e Sword: Muslim angel of death.
171 nine hundred an d ninety-nine wives: in i Kgs . n: 3, 'he had
seven hundre d wive s . .. and three hundred concubines' .
172 picture o f th e Animal: thi s i s the onl y drawin g with suc h a
heavy blac k outline roun d it .
179 Djinns: i n LH J (her e and hereafter ) 'Afrits' .
A P P E N D I X A : THE TAB U TALE . First publishe d in Collier's
Weekly, 2 9 Aug. 1903, and i n Windsor Magazine, Sept . 1903.
Collected onl y i n Scribner's Outwar d Bound edn. oijust S o
Stones (vol. 20 ) and in Sussex and Burwas h edns., Land and
Sea Tales, vols. xvi and xiv respectively. C K recorde d that a
children's story 'modelled on the totem tales' was written 1 1
Oct. 1898 . In SOMy p . 123 , RK mentions a visit to the native
American collection s i n the Smithsonian , Washington, DC .
There is a full account of tabus in different communitie s of
the world in vol. i, ch. ii of J. G. Frazer, Th e Golden Bough
(1890).
 E X P L A N A T O R Y NOTE S 23 7

192 Tribal Tabu-pole: i n Windsor Magazine, 'painte d red, twelve

foot lon g an d a foot thick. . .'.
A P P E N D I X B : HA M AN D TH E P O R C U P I N E . Uncollected :
published i n The Princess Elizabeth Gift Book i n aid o f The
Princess Elizabeth o f York Hospital for Children (London :
Hodder & Stoughton, 1935) , an d i n a US copyright edition ,
Doubleday Doran, Oct . 1935 . Written summer 1935, inspired
by a child's letter askin g how th e hedgeho g got hi s prickles
(KJ, Sept . 1980) .
214 Ham: accordin g t o legend , Ha m wa s th e ancesto r o f th e
African peoples .
215 Ararat biscuits: RG suggest s that this is a pun o n 'arrowroo t
biscuits', a well-known bran d mad e by Jacobs o f Reading.
216 Bayuda Bend: a curve in the Rive r Nile north o f Khartoum .
Wunungiri: this word ha s not bee n identified a s belonging to
any Africa n language.
218 gipsies: the y wer e sai d to ea t hedgehog s baked in a laye r of
clay wit h which , whe n cooked , th e prickle s cam e off.
Palaver done set!: 'thi s meetin g is closed.'
This page intentionally left blank
A SELECTIO N O F OXFORD WORLD'S CLASSIC S

JANE AUSTE N Catharine and Other Writings

Emma
Mansfield Park
Northanger Abbey, Lady Susan, The
Watsons, and Sanditon
Persuasion
Pride and Prejudice
Sense and Sensibilit y
ANNE BRONT E Agnes Grey
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
CHARLOTTE BRONT E Jane Eyre
The Professor
Shirley
Villette
EMILY BRONT E Wuthering Heights
WILKIE COLLIN S The Moonstone
No Name
The Woman in White
CHARLES DARWI N The Origin of Species
CHARLES DICKEN S The Adventures of Oliver Twist
Bleak House
David Copper fiel d
Great Expectation s
Hard Times
Little Dorrit
Martin Chuzzlewit
Nicholas Nickleby
The Old Curiosity Shop
Our Mutual Friend
The Pickwick Papers
A Tale of Two Cities
A SELECTIO N O F OXFORD WORLD'S CLASSICS

GEORGE ELIO T Adam Bede

Daniel Deronda
Middlemarch
The Mill on the Floss
Silas Marner
ELIZABETH GASKEL L Cranford
The Life of Charlotte Bronte
Mary Barton
North and South
Wives and Daughter s
THOMAS HARD Y Far from the Madding Crowd
Jude the Obscure
The Mayor of Casterbridge
A Pair of Blue Eyes
The Return of the Native
Tess of the d'Urbervilles
The Woodlanders
WALTER SCOT T Ivanhoe
Rob Roy
Waverley
MARY SHELLE Y Frankenstein
The Last Man
ROBERT Louis Kidnapped and Catriona
STEVENSON The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and
Mr Hyde and Weir of Hermiston
Treasure Island
BRAM STOKE R Dracula
WILLIAM MAKEPEAC E Barry Lyndon
THACKERAY Vanity Fair
OSCAR WILD E Complete Shorter Fiction
The Picture of Dorian Gray
TROLLOPE I N OXFORD WORLD' S CLASSIC S

ANTHONY TROLLOP E A n Autobiography

Ayala's Angel
Barchester Towers
The Belton Estate
The Bertrams
Can You Forgive Her?
The Claverings
Cousin Henry
Doctor Thorne
Doctor Wortle's School
The Duke's Children
Early Short Stories
The Eustace Diamonds
An Eye for an Eye
Framley Parsonage
He Knew He Was Right
Lady Anna
The Last Chronicle of Barset
Later Short Stories
Miss Mackenzie
Mr Scarborough's Family
Orley Farm
Phineas Finn
Phineas Redux
The Prime Minister
Rachel Ray
The Small House at Allington
La Vendee
The Warden
The Way We Live Now
A SELECTIO N O F OXFORD WORLD'S CLASSICS

HANS CHRISTIA N Fairy Tales

ANDERSEN

J. M . BARRI E Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens and

Peter and Wendy

L. FRAN K BAU M The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

FRANCES HODGSO N The Secret Garden

BURNETT

LEWIS CARROL L Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and

Through the Looking-Glass

CARLO COLLOD I The Adventures of Pinocchi o

KENNETH GRAHAM E The Wind in the Willows

THOMAS HUGHE S Torn Brown's Schoolday s

CHARLES KINGSLE Y The Water-Babies

GEORGE MACDONAL D The Princess and the Goblin and The

Princess and Curdie

EDITH NESBI T Five Children and It

The Railway Children

ANNA SEWEL L Black Beaut y

JOHANN DAVI D WYS S The Swiss Family Robinso n

THE OXFOR
D SHERLOCK HOLME
S

ARTHUR CONA N DOYL E Th e Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

The Case-Book of Sherlock Holme s
His Last Bow
The Hound of the Baskervilles
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes
The Return of Sherlock Holmes
The Valley of Fear
Sherlock Holmes Stories
The Sign of the Four
A Study in Scarlet
A SELECTIO N O F OXFORD WORLD'S CLASSIC S

LOUISA MA Y ALCOT T Little Women

SHERWOOD ANDERSO N Winesburg, Ohio
CHARLES BROCKDEN Wieland; or The Transformation and
BROWN Memoirs of Carwin, The Biloquist
WILLA GATHE R Alexander's Bridge
JAMES FENIMOR E COOPER The Deerslayer
The Last of the Mohicans
The Pathfinder
The Pioneers
The Prairie
STEPHEN CRAN E The Red Badge of Courage
J. HECTO R ST . JEA N Letters from an American Farmer
DE CREVECCEU R
THEODORE DREISE R Jennie Gerhardt
Sister Carrie
F. SCOT T FITZGERALD The Great Gatsby
The Beautiful and Damned
BENJAMIN FRANKLI N Autobiography and Other Writings
MARGARET FULLE R Woman in the Nineteenth Century and
Other Writings
CHARLOTTE PERKIN S The Yellow Wall-Paper and Other Stories
OILMAN
ZANE GRE Y Riders of the Purple Sage
BRET HART E Selected Stories and Sketches
NATHANIEL HAWTHORN E The Blithedale Romance
The House of the Seven Gables
The Scarlet Letter
Young Goodman Brown and Other Tales
WILLIAM DEA N HOWELL S Th e Rise of Silas Lapham
A SELECTIO N O F OXFORD WORLD'S CLASSIC S

WASHINGTON IRVIN G The Sketch-Book of Geoffrey Crayon,

Gent.
HENRY JAME S The Ambassador s
The Aspern Papers and Other Stories
The Awkward Age
The Bostonians
Daisy Miller and Other Storie s
The Europeans
The Golden Bowl
The Portrait of a Lady
Roderick Hudson
The Spoils of Poynton
The Turn of the Screw and Other Storie s
Washington Square
What Maisie Knew
The Wings of the Dove
SARAH ORN E JEWET T The Country of the Pointed Firs and Other
Fiction
JACK LONDO N The Call of the Wild
White Fang and Other Storie s
John Barleycorn
The Sea-Wolf
The Son of the Wolf
HERMAN MELVILL E Billy Budd, Sailor and Selected Tales
The Confidence-Man
Moby-Dick
Typee
White-Jacket
FRANK NORRI S McTeague
FRANCIS PARKMAN The Oregon Trail
EDGAR ALLA N PO E The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of
Nantucket and Related Tales
Selected Tales
HARRIET BEECHE R STOW E Uncl e Tom's Cabin
A SELECTIO N O F OXFORD WORLD' S CLASSICS

HENRY DAVI D THOREA U Walden

MARK TWAI N The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's
Court
Life on the Mississippi
The Prince and the Pauper
Pudd'nhead Wilson
LEW WALLAC E Ben-Hur
BOOKER T.WASHINGTO N Up from Slavery
EDITH WHARTO N The Custom of the Country
Ethan Frome
The House of Mirth
The Reef
WALT WHITMA N Leaves of Grass
OWEN WISTE R The Virginian
MORE ABOU T OXFORD WORLD'S CLASSIC S

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