One day long ears Rabbit was running along hippity-hop, tippity-lop when he heard Spouty the whale and jumbo the elephant talking. And this is what they were saying.
`Jumbo my friend, you are the biggest animal on land,’ said Spouty,’’ and I am the biggest animal in the ocean. If we work together, we can rule over all the animals in the world. Then we can have our own way in everything’. Jumbo trumpeted loudly and laughed, `Ho! That’s a fine plan Spouty. Let’s do that.’
`You won’t rule and my million brothers,’ whispered Long ears himself. He went home and thought for one day and one night.
`Big brother Spouty, you are the strongest animal in the ocean,’ he said. `Please help me pull out my buffalo. She’s stuck in the mud a mile from here and I can’t pull her out.’ Spouty let out a fountain of water and said proudly,’ of course I will help you little brother. No trouble at all.’
Long ears tied one end of the rope to Spouty’s tail and said, `I will tie the other end to my buffalo. When I signal to you by beating on my drum, then you’ll know it is time to pull the rope. You must pull very hard, for my buffalo is very heavy and she’s stuck very deep in the mud.
`Don’t worry my little friend,’ laughed Spouty. I’ll pull out your buffalo very easily.’
Long ears ran off to jumbo and said, `Big brother jumbo, you are the biggest animal on land. Please help me. My buffalo is stuck in the sand of the shore a mile from here. And I can’t pull her out.’
Jumbo trumpeted loudly and grandly and said, `Ho! Little brother I well help you’.
Lang ears tied one end of the rope tightly around jumbo’s trunk and said, `I will tie the other end to my buffalo. You hear me beating my drum, that’s the signal for you to pull. You must pull with all your strength for my buffalo is very heavy and she’s stuck very deep in the sand.’
`Just leave it to me,’ Jumbo grinned. `I can pull out twenty buffaloes.’
Long ears ran off to the bushes. He beat his drum. Dhum! Dhum!
What do you think happened?
Spouty began to pull and jumbo began to pull.
`Phoosh! This buffalo is stuck really very deep! Phoosh!’ thought Spouty.
`Troom! This must be a very heavy buffalo. Troom! Jumbo’s thought.
They both pulled with all their strength.
Soon Spouty began to side towards the land. This made him angry and the dived head first into the water, right down to the bottom of the ocean. Jumbo was jerked off his feet and he came sliding down to the beach. He was very angry. He gave a mighty pull. Up came Spouty out of the water.
Who’s pulling?’ both screamed together.
And then they saw each other.
`I will teach you to fool me!’
`I will teach you to trick me!’
They pulled again. This time the rope broke. Spouty and jumbo fell on their backs. They glared at each other and went their own ways. Jumbo stamped into the jungle and Spouty swam away to the wide ocean. Their plan to rule together failed.
Long ears sat in the bushes and laughed and laughed. Then he ran off to tell his million rabbit friends and the other animals in the jungle.