After this the little Jackal kept away from the river, out of danger.  But after about a week he got such an appetite for crabs that nothing else would do at all; he felt that he must have a crab.  So he went down by the river and looked all around, very carefully.  He didn’t see the old Alligator, but he thought to himself, “I think I’ll not take any chances.”  So he stood still and began to talk out loud to himself.  He said,—­

“When I don’t see any little crabs on the land I generally see them sticking out of the water, and then I put my paw in and catch them.  I wonder if there are any fat little crabs in the water to-day?”

The old Alligator was hidden down in the mud at the bottom of the river, and when he heard what the little Jackal said, he thought, “Aha!  I’ll pretend to be a little crab, and when he puts his paw in, I’ll make my dinner of him.”  So he stuck the black end of his snout above the water and waited.

The little Jackal took one look, and then he said,—­

“Thank you, Mr Alligator!  Kind Mr Alligator!  You are exceedingly kind to show me where you are!  I will have dinner elsewhere.”  And he ran away like the wind.

The old Alligator foamed at the mouth, he was so angry, but the little Jackal was gone.

For two whole weeks the little Jackal kept away from the river.  Then, one day he got a feeling inside him that nothing but crabs could satisfy:  he felt that he must have at least one crab.  Very cautiously, he went down to the river and looked all around.  He saw no sign of the old Alligator.  Still, he did not mean to take any chances.  So he stood quite still and began to talk to himself,—­it was a little way he had.  He said,—­

“When I don’t see any little crabs on the shore, or sticking up out of the water, I usually see them blowing bubbles from under the water; the little bubbles go puff, puff, puff, and then they go pop, pop, pop, and they show me where the little juicy crabs are, so I can put my paw in and catch them.  I wonder if I shall see any little bubbles to-day?”

The old Alligator, lying low in the mud and weeds, heard this, and he thought, “Pooh! That’s easy enough; I’ll just blow some little crab-bubbles, and then he will put his paw in where I can get it.”

So he blew, and he blew, a mighty blast, and the bubbles rose in a perfect whirlpool, fizzing and swirling.

The little Jackal didn’t have to be told who was underneath those bubbles:  he took one quick look, and off he ran.  But as he went, he sang,—­

“Thank you, Mr Alligator!  Kind Mr Alligator!  You are the kindest Alligator in the world, to show me where you are, so nicely!  I’ll breakfast at another part of the river.”

The old Alligator was so furious that he crawled up on the bank and went after the little Jackal; but, dear, dear, he couldn’t catch the little Jackal; he ran far too fast.