Presently he heard a grunt and a crash and a scramble,and the Ethiopian called out,'I've caught a thing that I can't see.It smells like Giraffe,and it kicks like Giraffe,but it hasn't any form.'
'Don't you trust it,'said the Leopard.'Sit on its head till the morning--same as me.They haven't any form--any of 'em.'
So they sat down on them hard till bright morning-time,and then Leopard said,'What have you at your end of the table,Brother?'
The Ethiopian scratched his head and said,'It ought to be 'sclusively a rich fulvous orange-tawny from head to heel,and it ought to be Giraffe;but it is covered all over with chestnut blotches.What have you at your end of the table,Brother?'
And the Leopard scratched his head and said,'It ought to be 'sclusively a delicate greyish-fawn,and it ought to be Zebra;but it is covered all over with black and purple stripes.What in the world have you been doing to yourself,Zebra?Don't you know that if you were on the High Veldt I could see you ten miles off?
You haven't any form.'
'Yes,'said the Zebra,'but this isn't the High Veldt.Can't you see?'
'I can now,'said the Leopard.'But I couldn't all yesterday.How is it done?'
'Let us up,'said the Zebra,'and we will show you.
They let the Zebra and the Giraffe get up;and Zebra moved away to some little thorn-bushes where the sunlight fell all stripy,and Giraffe moved off to some tallish trees where the shadows fell all blotchy.
'Now watch,'said the Zebra and the Giraffe.'This is the way it's done.One--two--three!And where's your breakfast?'
Leopard stared,and Ethiopian stared,but all they could see were stripy shadows and blotched shadows in the forest,but never a sign of Zebra and Giraffe.They had just walked off and hidden themselves in the shadowy forest.
'Hi!Hi!'said the Ethiopian.'That's a trick worth learning.
Take a lesson by it,Leopard.You show up in this dark place like a bar of soap in a coal-scuttle.'
'Ho!Ho!'said the Leopard.'Would it surprise you very much to know that you show up in this dark place like a mustard-plaster on a sack of coals?'
'Well,calling names won't catch dinner,said the Ethiopian.
'The long and the little of it is that we don't match our backgrounds.I'm going to take Baviaan's advice.He told me I ought to change;and as I've nothing to change except my skin I'm going to change that.'
'What to?'said the Leopard,tremendously excited.
'To a nice working blackish-brownish colour,with a little purple in it,and touches of slaty-blue.It will be the very thing for hiding in hollows and behind trees.'
So he changed his skin then and there,and the Leopard was more excited than ever;he had never seen a man change his skin before.
'But what about me?'he said,when the Ethiopian had worked his last little finger into his fine new black skin.
'You take Baviaan's advice too.He told you to go into spots.'
'So I did,'said the Leopard.I went into other spots as fast as I could.I went into this spot with you,and a lot of good it has done me.'
'Oh,'said the Ethiopian,'Baviaan didn't mean spots in South Africa.He meant spots on your skin.'
'What's the use of that?'said the Leopard.
'Think of Giraffe,'said the Ethiopian.'Or if you prefer stripes,think of Zebra.They find their spots and stripes give them per-feet satisfaction.'
'Umm,'said the Leopard.'I wouldn't look like Zebra--not for ever so.'
'Well,make up your mind,'said the Ethiopian,'because I'd hate to go hunting without you,but I must if you insist on looking like a sun-flower against a tarred fence.'
'I'll take spots,then,'said the Leopard;'but don't make 'em too vulgar-big.I wouldn't look like Giraffe--not for ever so.'
'I'll make 'em with the tips of my fingers,'said the Ethiopian.
'There's plenty of black left on my skin still.Stand over!'
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 and the Ethiopian hadn't done it once--do you?But they will never do it again,Best Beloved.They are quite contented as they are.
I AM the Most Wise Baviaan,saying in most wise tones,'Let us melt into the landscape--just us two by our lones.'
People have come--in a carriage--calling.But Mummy is there....
Yes,I can go if you take me--Nurse says she don't care.
Let's go up to the pig-sties and sit on the farmyard rails!
Let's say things to the bunnies,and watch 'em skitter their tails!
Let's--oh,anything,daddy,so long as it's you and me,And going truly exploring,and not being in till tea!
Here's your boots (I've brought 'em),and here's your cap and stick,And here's your pipe and tobacco.Oh,come along out of it --quick.
