Once, a long time ago, the antelope and the deer happened to meet on the
prairie. They spoke together, giving each other the news, each telling what he
had seen and done. After they had talked for a time the antelope told the
deer
how fast he could run, and the deer said that he could run fast too,
and before
long each began to say that he could run faster than the other.
So they agreed
that they would have a race to decide which could run the
faster, and on this
race they bet their galls. When they started, the
antelope ran ahead of the deer
from the very start and won the race and so
took the deer's gall.
But the deer began
to grumble and said, "Well, it is true that out here on
the prairie you
have beaten me, but this is not where I live. I only come out
here once in
a while to feed or to cross the prairie when I am going somewhere.
It would
be fairer if we had a race in the timber. That is my home, and there I
can
run faster than you. I am sure of it."
The antelope felt so glad and proud that he had beaten the deer in the race
that he was sure that wherever they might run he could beat him, so he said,
"All right, I will run you a race in the timber. I have beaten you out here
on
the flat and I can beat you there." On this race they bet their
dew-claws.
They started and ran this race
through the thick timber, among the bushes,
and over fallen logs, and this
time the antelope ran slowly, for he was afraid
of hitting himself against
the trees or of falling over the logs. You see, he
was not used to this
kind of travelling. So the deer easily beat him and took
his dew-claws.
Since that time the deer has had no gall
and the antelope no
dew-claws.
[The End]
prairie. They spoke together, giving each other the news, each telling what he
had seen and done. After they had talked for a time the antelope told the
deer
how fast he could run, and the deer said that he could run fast too,
and before
long each began to say that he could run faster than the other.
So they agreed
that they would have a race to decide which could run the
faster, and on this
race they bet their galls. When they started, the
antelope ran ahead of the deer
from the very start and won the race and so
took the deer's gall.
But the deer began
to grumble and said, "Well, it is true that out here on
the prairie you
have beaten me, but this is not where I live. I only come out
here once in
a while to feed or to cross the prairie when I am going somewhere.
It would
be fairer if we had a race in the timber. That is my home, and there I
can
run faster than you. I am sure of it."
The antelope felt so glad and proud that he had beaten the deer in the race
that he was sure that wherever they might run he could beat him, so he said,
"All right, I will run you a race in the timber. I have beaten you out here
on
the flat and I can beat you there." On this race they bet their
dew-claws.
They started and ran this race
through the thick timber, among the bushes,
and over fallen logs, and this
time the antelope ran slowly, for he was afraid
of hitting himself against
the trees or of falling over the logs. You see, he
was not used to this
kind of travelling. So the deer easily beat him and took
his dew-claws.
Since that time the deer has had no gall
and the antelope no
dew-claws.
[The End]