But when the Whale found himself sliding toward the land he was so provoked with the cow that he dived head first, down to the bottom of the sea.  That was a pull!  The Elephant was jerked off his feet, and came slipping and sliding to the beach, and into the surf.  He was terribly angry.  He braced himself with all his might, and pulled his best.  At the jerk, up came the Whale out of the water.

“Who is pulling me?” spouted the Whale.

“Who is pulling me?” trumpeted the Elephant.

And then each saw the rope in the other’s hold.

“I’ll teach you to play cow!” roared the Elephant.

“I’ll show you how to fool me!” fumed the Whale.  And they began to pull again.  But this time the rope broke, the Whale turned a somersault, and the Elephant fell over backward.

At that, they were both so ashamed that neither would speak to the other.  So that broke up the bargain between them.

And little Brother Rabbit sat in the bushes and laughed, and laughed, and laughed.

FOOTNOTES: 

[15] Adapted from two tales included in the records of the American Folk-Lore Society.

THE LITTLE HALF-CHICK

There was once upon a time a Spanish Hen, who hatched out some nice little chickens.  She was much pleased with their looks as they came from the shell.  One, two, three, came out plump and fluffy; but when the fourth shell broke, out came a little half-chick!  It had only one leg and one wing and one eye!  It was just half a chicken.

The Hen-mother did not know what in the world to do with the queer little Half-Chick.  She was afraid something would happen to it, and she tried hard to protect it and keep it from harm.  But as soon as it could walk the little Half-Chick showed a most headstrong spirit, worse than any of its brothers.  It would not mind, and it would go wherever it wanted to; it walked with a funny little hoppity-kick, hoppity-kick, and got along pretty fast.

One day the little Half-Chick said, “Mother, I am off to Madrid, to see the King!  Good-bye.”

The poor Hen-mother did everything she could think of to keep him from doing so foolish a thing, but the little Half-Chick laughed at her naughtily.  “I’m for seeing the King,” he said; “this life is too quiet for me.”  And away he went, hoppity-kick, hoppity-kick, over the fields.

When he had gone some distance the little Half-Chick came to a little brook that was caught in the weeds and in much trouble.

“Little Half-Chick,” whispered the Water, “I am so choked with these weeds that I cannot move; I am almost lost, for want of room; please push the sticks and weeds away with your bill and help me.”

“The idea!” said the little Half-Chick.  “I cannot be bothered with you; I am off to Madrid, to see the King!” And in spite of the brook’s begging, he went away, hoppity-kick, hoppity-kick.