“Oh, Epaminondas!  Epaminondas!  How could you be so foolish?” cried his mammy.  “Now I have no bread for dinner.  I’ll have to go and get some myself.”

She went into the house and got her bonnet.  When she came out, she said, “Epaminondas, do you see those three mince pies I’ve put on the doorstep to cool.  Well, now, you hear me, Epaminondas.  You be careful how you step on those pies!”

“Yes, mammy.”

His mammy went off down the road; Epaminondas went to the door and looked out.  “Mammy told me to be careful how I step on those mince pies,” he said, “so I must be careful how I do it.  I’ll step right in the middle of every one.”

And he did!

When his mammy came home, there were no pies for dinner.

Now she was angry all over, and something happened.  I don’t know, and you don’t know, but we can guess.

Poor Epaminondas!—­SOUTHERN TALE.

[Illustration:  Epaminondas stepping in the pies]

HOW BROTHER RABBIT FOOLED THE WHALE AND THE ELEPHANT

I

One day Brother Rabbit was running along on the sand, lippety, lippety, lippety.  He was going to a fine cabbage field.  On the way he saw the whale and the elephant talking together.

Brother Rabbit said, “I’d like to know what they are talking about.”  So he crouched down behind some bushes and listened.

This is what Brother Rabbit heard the whale say: 

“You are the biggest thing on the land, Brother Elephant, and I am the biggest thing in the sea.  If we work together, we can rule all the animals in the world.  We can have our own way about everything.”

“Very good, very good,” trumpeted the elephant.  “That suits me.  You keep the sea, and I will keep the land.”

[Illustration:  Brother Rabbit listening]

“That’s a bargain,” said the whale, as he swam away.

Brother Rabbit laughed to himself.  “They won’t rule me,” he said, as he ran off.

Brother Rabbit soon came back with a very long and a very strong rope and his big drum.  He hid the drum in some bushes.  Then taking one end of the rope, he walked up to the elephant.

“Oh, dear Mr. Elephant,” he said, “you are big and strong; will you have the kindness to do me a favor?”

The elephant was pleased, and he trumpeted, “Certainly, certainly.  What is it?”

“My cow is stuck in the mud on the shore, and I can’t pull her out,” said Brother Rabbit.  “If you will help me, you will do me a great service.  You are so strong, I am sure you can get her out.”

“Certainly, certainly,” trumpeted the elephant.

“Thank you,” said the rabbit.  “Take this rope in your trunk, and I will tie the other end to my cow.  Then I will beat my drum to let you know when to pull.  You must pull as hard as you can, for the cow is very heavy.”