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.

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.

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.

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.

"I'm not afraid of Muggers!" said the Mongoose; and he sat
down and began to crack the eggs, and eat the little muggers
as they came out. And he threw the shells into the water,
so that the old Mugger should not see that any one had been