Then the Ethiopian put his five fingers close together (there was
plenty of black left on his new skin still) and pressed them all
over the Leopard, and wherever the five fingers touched they left
five little black marks, all close together. You can see them
on any Leopard's skin you like, Best Beloved. Sometimes the
fingers slipped and the marks got a little blurred; but if you
look closely at any Leopard now you will see that there are
always five spots--off five fat black finger-tips.

'Now you are a beauty!' said the Ethiopian. 'You can lie out on
the bare ground and look like a heap of pebbles. You can lie out
on the naked rocks and look like a piece of pudding-stone. You
can lie out on a leafy branch and look like sunshine sifting
through the leaves; and you can lie right across the centre of a
path and look like nothing in particular. Think of that and
purr!'

'But if I'm all this,' said the Leopard, 'why didn't you go
spotty too?'

'Oh, plain black's best for a nigger,' said the Ethiopian. 'Now
come along and we'll see if we can't get even with Mr. One-Two-
Three-Where's-your-Breakfast!'

So they went away and lived happily ever afterward, Best Beloved.
That is all.

Oh, now and then you will hear grown-ups say, 'Can the Ethiopian
change his skin or the Leopard his spots?' I don't think even
grown-ups would keep on saying such a silly thing if the Leopard