The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1903-06-18
BABOON AND TORTOISE.
How Each Animal Played n Tric1
Upon the Other

the Othcr.
An English missionary, writing to
the London Standard from Africa,
tells the following story, which he says
is a favorite fable among the natives
of the lower Zambezi:
In the time long ago Il baboon, swing
ing from bough to bough in the great
forest, espied on the ground a tortoise.
Good morning, Friend Tortoise" said
the baboon. ''For long time I have
been wishing to make friends with you.
VIII you come and have dinner with
me today?" with pleasure" replied
the tortoise as his fishlike eyes blinked
up at the great balloon. 81 shall be
very glad to make your acquaintance"
When the tortoise arrived at the
baboon's house, he found the food
spread out upon a bamboo platform
raised some two feet above the ground.
Just help yourself to whatever you
like" said the baboon, who COM
menced at once to eat up the good
things spread before him. But the
poor little tortoise was unable to reach
the food, as the platform was far
above his head. The greedy baboon
was not long before he had eaten up
all the food there was. Then he turned
to the tortoise with a grin and said:
Il hope you have enjoyed your dinner,
Friend Tortoise. You do not seem to
have very large appetite" 'Thank
yoIl," replied the tortoise, II am salts
fed. Pray come and dine with me to-
morrow and give me an opportunity of
repaying your kindness" The greedy
balloon, allured with the hope of an
other meal, said he would come
Soon the tortoise took his departure
and on the way home revolved in his
mind plan of revenge for the insult
the baboon had put upon him. Now,
the home Of the tortoise was near the
river, and the first thing he did when
he got to his house was to set fire to the
grass growing along the bank, so that
when the fire had spent itself there was
long stretch of blackened stubble.
On the morrow, when the baboon ar
rived, he found mat spread on the
ground, on which were savory articles
of food. II am so glad to see you,"
said the tortoise. Dinner is quite
ready, as you see. Will you just run
down to the river and wash your hands
before we begin to eat?"
Away ran the baboon, his mouth wa
tering at the thought of the good things
he had seen. When he had washed his
hands, he started back again across the
patch of burned grass: But as he ran
along on all tours he soon found that
the burned grass made his hands as
dirty as they were before Il cannot
go to dinner with black hands like
these" he thought. So he returned to
wash them a second time. Then again
he attempted to cross the burned grass,
but with no better success than before
After washing his hands for the third
time he sat down to consider how he
was to return to the tOrtOise's house
without getting his hands black. The
only way seemed to be to follow the
banks of the river until he reached the
end OF the burned patch. This he set
out to 90 and at last, tired and hungry,
reached the home of the tortoise.
When he got there, he found, to his
astonishment, that the tortoise was lust
eating the last piece of food. Hello"
exclaimed his host. "Where have YOU
been all this time? I waited long
While for you; but, as you did not re-
turn, l thought that you must have
been dissatisfied with the food that YOU
saw and so had gone back to your own
nome again. Now I have eaten it all
myself and have nothing left in the
house to offer you. I hope you will not
feel any more hungry when you get
home than I did when returned from
your home yesterday" Then the bah.
Don went off, much annoyed that the
tables had been SO cleverly turned on
himself.