This o best beloved is another story of the High and Far-Off Times In the very middle of those times was a Stickly-Prickly Hedgehog and he lived on the banks of the turbid Ama zon eating shelly snails and things And he had a friend a Slow-Solid Tortoise who lived on the banks of the turbid Amazon eating green lettuces and things And so that was all right Best Beloved Do you see But also and at the same time in those High and Far Off Times there was a Painted Jaguar and he lived on the banks of the turbid Amazon too and he ate everything that he could catch When he could not catch deer or monkeys he would eat frogs and beetles and when he could not catch frogs and beetles he went to his Mother Jaguar and she told him how to eat hedgehogs and tortoises She said to him ever so many times graciously waving her tail My son when you find a Hedgehog you must drop him into the water and then he will uncoil and when you catch a Tortoise you must scoop him out of his shell with your paw And so that was all right Best Beloved One beautiful night on the banks of the turbid Amazon
