Then he waddled off to catch fish for himself, and left Little Black
Mingo alone beside the big pile of eggs.

And Little Black Mingo sat down on a big stone and hid her face in her
hands, and cried bitterly, because she couldn't swim, and she didn't
know how to get away.

[Illustration]

Presently she heard a queer little squeaky noise that sounded like
"Squeak, Squeak, Squeak!!! Oh Little Black Mingo, help me or I shall be
drowned." She got up and looked to see what was calling, and she saw a
bush coming floating down the river with something wriggling and
scrambling about in it, and as it came near she saw that it was a
Mongoose that was in the bush. So she waded out as far as she could, and
caught hold of the bush and pulled it in, and the poor Mongoose crawled
up her arm on to her shoulder, and she carried him to shore.

[Illustration]

When they got to shore the Mongoose shook himself, and Little Black
Mingo wrung out her petticoat, and so they both very soon got dry.

[Illustration]

The Mongoose then began to poke about for something to eat, and very
soon he found the great big pile of Mugger's eggs. "Oh, joy!" said
he, "what's this?"

"Those are Mugger's eggs," said Little Black Mingo.