Page:Tales of the Punjab.pdf/255

THE JACKAL AND THE CROCODILE 233

like to go in, for whenever I come home my wife always calls out,

‘"Oh, dearest hubby hub!

What have you brought for grub

To me and the darling cub?”

and to-day she doesn’t say anything!’ Hearing this, Miss Crocodile sang out from inside,

‘Oh, dearest hubby hub!

What have you brought for grub

To me and the darling cub?’

The Jackal winked a very big wink, and stealing in softly, stood at the doorway. Meanwhile Miss Crocodile, hearing him coming, held her breath, and lay, shamming dead, like a big log.

‘Bless my stars!’ cried Mr, Jackal, taking out his pocket-handkerchief, ‘how very very sad! Here’s poor Miss Crocodile stone dead, and all for love of me! Dear! dear! Yet it is very odd, and I don't think she can be quite dead, you know—for dead folks always wag their tails!’

On this, Miss Crocodile began to wag her tail very gently, and Mr. Jackal ran off, roaring with laughter, and saying, ‘Oho!—oho! so dead folk always wag their tails!’