important.'

'But,' said the Tortoise, 'when you paw your meat you drop it
into a Tortoise with a scoop. Why can't you understand?'

'You are making my spots ache,' said Painted Jaguar; 'and
besides, I didn't want your advice at all. I only wanted to know
which of you is Hedgehog and which is Tortoise.'

'I shan't tell you,' said Stickly-Prickly. 'but you can scoop me
out of my shell if you like.'

'Aha!' said Painted Jaguar. 'Now I know you're Tortoise. You
thought I wouldn't! Now I will.' Painted Jaguar darted out his
paddy-paw just as Stickly-Prickly curled himself up, and of
course Jaguar's paddy-paw was just filled with prickles. Worse
than that, he knocked Stickly-Prickly away and away into the
woods and the bushes, where it was too dark to find him. Then he
put his paddy-paw into his mouth, and of course the prickles hurt
him worse than ever. As soon as he could speak he said, 'Now I
know he isn't Tortoise at all. But'--and then he scratched his
head with his un-prickly paw--'how do I know that this other is
Tortoise?'

'But I am Tortoise,' said Slow-and-Solid. Your mother was quite
right. She said that you were to scoop me out of my shell with
your paw. Begin.'

'You didn't say she said that a minute ago, said Painted Jaguar,
sucking the prickles out of his paddy-paw. 'You said she said