English
Nowthisisthenexttale,andittellshowtheCamelgothisbighump.
Inthebeginningofyears,whentheworldwassonewandall,andtheAnimalswerejustbeginningtoworkforMan,therewasaCamel,andhelivedinthemiddleofaHowlingDesertbecausehedidnotwanttowork;andbesides,hewasaHowlerhimself.
Soheatesticksandthornsandtamarisksandmilkweedandprickles,most‘scruciatingidle;andwhenanybodyspoketohimhesaid‘Humph!’Just‘Humph!’andnomore.
PresentlytheHorsecametohimonMondaymorning,withasaddleonhisbackandabitinhismouth,andsaid,‘Camel,OCamel,comeoutandtrotliketherestofus.’
‘Humph!’saidtheCamel;andtheHorsewentawayandtoldtheMan.
PresentlytheDogcametohim,withastickinhismouth,andsaid,‘Camel,OCamel,comeandfetchandcarryliketherestofus.’
‘Humph!’saidtheCamel;andtheDogwentawayandtoldtheMan.
PresentlytheOxcametohim,withtheyokeonhisneckandsaid,‘Camel,OCamel,comeandploughliketherestofus.’
‘Humph!’saidtheCamel;andtheOxwentawayandtoldtheMan.
AttheendofthedaytheMancalledtheHorseandtheDogandtheOxtogether,andsaid,‘Three,OThree,I’mverysorryforyou(withtheworldsonew-and-all);butthatHumph-thingintheDesertcan’twork,orhewouldhavebeenherebynow,soIamgoingtoleavehimalone,andyoumustworkdouble-timetomakeupforit.’
ThatmadetheThreeveryangry(withtheworldsonew-and-all),andtheyheldapalaver,andanindaba,andapunchayet,andapow-wowontheedgeoftheDesert;andtheCamelcamechewingonmilkweedmost‘scruciatingidle,andlaughedatthem.Thenhesaid‘Humph!’andwentawayagain.
PresentlytherecamealongtheDjinninchargeofAllDeserts,rollinginacloudofdust(DjinnsalwaystravelthatwaybecauseitisMagic),andhestoppedtopalaverandpow-powwiththeThree.
‘DjinnofAllDeserts,’saidtheHorse,‘isitrightforanyonetobeidle,withtheworldsonew-and-all?’
‘Certainlynot,’saidtheDjinn.
‘Well,’saidtheHorse,‘there’sathinginthemiddleofyourHowlingDesert(andhe’saHowlerhimself)withalongneckandlonglegs,andhehasn’tdoneastrokeofworksinceMondaymorning.Hewon’ttrot.’
‘Whew!’saidtheDjinn,whistling,‘that’smyCamel,forallthegoldinArabia!Whatdoeshesayaboutit?’
‘Hesays“Humph!”’saidtheDog;‘andhewon’tfetchandcarry.’
‘Doeshesayanythingelse?’
‘Only“Humph!”;andhewon’tplough,’saidtheOx.
‘Verygood,’saidtheDjinn.‘I’llhumphhimifyouwillkindlywaitaminute.’
TheDjinnrolledhimselfupinhisdust-cloak,andtookabearingacrossthedesert,andfoundtheCamelmost‘scruciatinglyidle,lookingathisownreflectioninapoolofwater.
‘Mylongandbubblingfriend,’saidtheDjinn,‘what’sthisIhearofyourdoingnowork,withtheworldsonew-and-all?’
‘Humph!’saidtheCamel.
TheDjinnsatdown,withhischininhishand,andbegantothinkaGreatMagic,whiletheCamellookedathisownreflectioninthepoolofwater.
‘You’vegiventheThreeextraworkeversinceMondaymorning,allonaccountofyour‘scruciatingidleness,’saidtheDjinn;andhewentonthinkingMagics,withhischininhishand.
‘Humph!’saidtheCamel.
‘Ishouldn’tsaythatagainifIwereyou,’saidtheDjinn;youmightsayitoncetoooften.Bubbles,Iwantyoutowork.’
AndtheCamelsaid‘Humph!’again;butnosoonerhadhesaiditthanhesawhisback,thathewassoproudof,puffingupandpuffingupintoagreatbiglollopinghumph.
‘Doyouseethat?’saidtheDjinn.
‘That’syourveryownhumphthatyou’vebroughtuponyourveryownselfbynotworking.
To-dayisThursday,andyou’vedonenoworksinceMonday,whentheworkbegan.Nowyouaregoingtowork.’
‘HowcanI,’saidtheCamel,‘withthishumphonmyback?’
‘That’smadea-purpose,’saidtheDjinn,‘allbecauseyoumissedthosethreedays.
Youwillbeabletoworknowforthreedayswithouteating,becauseyoucanliveonyourhumph;anddon’tyoueversayIneverdidanythingforyou.
ComeoutoftheDesertandgototheThree,andbehave.Humphyourself!’
AndtheCamelhumphedhimself,humphandall,andwentawaytojointheThree.
AndfromthatdaytothistheCamelalwayswearsahumph(wecallit‘hump’now,nottohurthisfeelings);buthehasneveryetcaughtupwiththethreedaysthathemissedatthebeginningoftheworld,andhehasneveryetlearnedhowtobehave.
Share this article to
FINISH