The Orange Fairy Book

there once lived a strange pair of friends. Now one of the friends was a big white rabbit named Isuro, and t

sual, the rabbit awoke from his midday sleep

h me. So put some food in a bag, and sling it round your neck, f

tore of fresh green things from under the bushes,

, and at last they came to a river with rock

t into the river, unless we wish to fall in ourselves.’ And stooping down, unseen by Isuro, who

nd with a heavy sigh, the rabbit unfastened

hey had gone very far Gudu opened the bag that lay hidden in the thi

t that from?’ ask

ross the rocks quite easily, so it seemed

ought to let me share with you,’ said Isuro. But Gud

e rabbit hopped forward with joy, for he was very hungry; but Gudu said to him: ‘Pluck the green fruit, you will find it much the best. I will leave it all for you, as you have had no

cried, screwing up his face; ‘I woul

uld only make you ill. Be content with the green fruit.’ And as

te. However, by this time they had reached the village where dwelt Gudu’s future wife, and as they entered Gudu pointed to a clump of bushes, and said to Isuro:

knew would burn him, only he was afraid, and just nodded in rep

le; wait here a moment

the bushes, and gathered a quantity of the leaves, which he hid among his fur, ‘For,

s he wanted he returned to Gu

en Gudu’s betrothed, who had been watching for him, brought out a pitcher of water — which she poured over them to wash off the

Isuro did not know that Gudu was lying, and that he only wanted more fo

d not dare to produce them at the last moment lest the baboon should guess why he had stayed behind. So he just went round a corner for a short tim

ople arrived, and washed their hands, as you see, and ate your portion.’ But, though Isuro knew bett

llage, and passed on the way a large garden wh

shells; never doubting but that Isuro would meekly take the portion shown him, a

, never stopped as long as there was one left. And the worst of it was

here dwelt the mother of Gudu’s betrothed, w

: ‘You are mistaking me for somebody else, as I always eat meat when I can get

his mind, and he managed to knock over a great pot of water

to steal his meat!’ But the rabbit had grown as cunning as he, and standin

And calling to the people of the house, he bade them kindle the fire, for Gudu wo

held Gudu standing by him. Laying his finger on his nose, in token of silence, he signed to Isuro

urned dragging the dead goat with him. The two then set about skinning it, after which they stuffed the skin with dried leaves, so that no one would have guessed it was not alive, and set it up in the middle of a lump of bushes, which kept it firm on its feet. Wh

, and pretended to fall fast asleep, but, in reality, he was only waiting till it was safe to take all the meat for himself. ‘Surely I

only known, Isuro was asleep all the time; but this he never guessed, and by-and-bye he grew so tired with watching that he went to sleep himself. Soon after, Isuro woke up, and he too

she found out the trick. She made such lament that the people of the village came running, and Gudu and Isuro jumped up also, and pretended t

the sound of his voice the

’ answered Isuro boldly. And he danced forward, and tu

boon do likewise.’ And when Gudu began to jump the goat’s bones rattled an

the bones round my neck. So it is he who should die!’ And the people looke

but they may choos

suro a

all round us, so that we cannot escape, and set fire to the wood; and if on

of a hole under the wood-pile, and when the fire wa

ashes were left where the wood had been, Isur

l? He who killed your go

ona S

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