MAN.  He said he had been hurt and begged me to help him to the river.  He promised me his friendship if I would do so.

ALLIGATOR.  Ha, ha, ha!  I told him I’d show him where to find the biggest fish.

RABBIT.  And now thou wilt not?

ALLIGATOR.  But I will.  He’ll find it after he is inside of me.  Ha, ha!

RABBIT.  Ha, ha!  A good joke!

ALLIGATOR.  I told him I’d carry him across the river.  I didn’t explain he’d go inside.  Ha, ha!

RABBIT.  What a joker thou art, Ally dear!

(He turns to the Man.)

But how didst thou get him here?

MAN.  I carried him in this small net.

RABBIT (looking surprised).  Thou art trying to fool me!

MAN.  No, Brother Rabbit, it is quite true.

ALLIGATOR (nodding).  Yes, it is true.

RABBIT.  But, Ally, try as thou mightst, thou couldst not so much as get thy head into that net.

[Illustration:  “HELP!  HELP!”]

ALLIGATOR.  But I tell thee I did!

RABBIT.  Ha, ha, ha!  That’s too funny!

ALLIGATOR (angrily).  I do not like thy manners, young man.

RABBIT.  But it’s such a joke!  Ho, ho, ho!

ALLIGATOR.  Cease thy laughing or I shall eat thee some day!

RABBIT.  I laugh because I must laugh!  Ha, ha, ho, ho!

ALLIGATOR.  Thou wilt not believe it, eh?

RABBIT.  Well, not unless I see it.

MAN.  We can prove it to thee, Brother Rabbit.

RABBIT.  Oh, that’s good too!  Ha, ha, ho!

ALLIGATOR.  Dost thou think we cannot?

RABBIT.  Of course thou canst not!  If thou couldst, thou wouldst.

ALLIGATOR.  And we will!  Get thy net ready, Man.

MAN.  But how?  Thou art holding my leg.

ALLIGATOR (freeing the Man; turning to the Rabbit).  We’ll show thee just how it was done, young man.

RABBIT.  Seeing is believing.

[The Man brings his net; opens it.]

ALLIGATOR.  See!  I put my legs under—­so!  Then I fold my arms—­so!  Now I roll myself up and up and up.  And now I am in—­all in!

RABBIT.  As I live—­thou art!  Well, seeing is believing.  But how couldst thou remain within the net?  It is quite open.

ALLIGATOR.  Tie it up, Man.  Show him exactly how we did it.

MAN (tying net).  I tied it tight—­like this, Brother Rabbit.

RABBIT.  Is it quite tight?

ALLIGATOR.  Let him try the knot, Man.

RABBIT (trying knot).  Most truly, it is tight.

(Turning to the Alligator.)

Thou dost look as if thou couldst not move, Ally dear.

ALLIGATOR.  Of a surety—­I cannot.

RABBIT.  Well, Brother Man, now that thou hast him, don’t be foolish enough to let him go.  Get thy big stick and beat him to death.