"But," said the serpent, "this is the way _you_ do it!"

"True," exclaimed the woodman, holding out the hem of his tunic; "but
you will observe that my skin is brief and open. If you desire one
like that, I think I can assist you."

So saying, he chopped off about a cubit of the snake's tail.




XXX.


An oyster who had got a large pebble between the valves of his shell,
and was unable to get it out, was lamenting his sad fate, when--the
tide being out--a monkey ran to him, and began making an examination.

"You appear," said the monkey, "to have got something else in here,
too. I think I'd better remove that first."

With this he inserted his paw, and scooped out the animal's essential
part.

"Now," said he, eating the portion he had removed, "I think you will
be able to manage the pebble yourself."

To apprehend the lesson of this fable one must have some experience of
the law.