_)
Now thou art in; and now I will depart.
[_He turns to go._]
ALLIGATOR (_seizing the Man's leg_). Not yet!
MAN. Let go of my leg!
ALLIGATOR. Why?
MAN (_indignantly_). Why! Why!
ALLIGATOR (nodding_). Why and wherefore?
MAN. Thou art hurting me!
ALLIGATOR. It will soon be over.
MAN. What dost thou mean?
ALLIGATOR. What I have just spoken.
MAN. Why dost thou look at me so?
ALLIGATOR (_slowly_). Because--I--mean--to--eat--thee.
MAN. Eat me!
ALLIGATOR (_nodding_). Eat thee.
MAN. Me?
ALLIGATOR (_nodding_). Thee.
MAN. Thou didst promise to be my friend.
ALLIGATOR. I was only fooling thee.
MAN. But I helped thee out of trouble.
ALLIGATOR. No matter--I mean to eat thee.
MAN. Is that the way to repay a favor--by doing a wrong?
ALLIGATOR (_nodding_). That's the way of all the animals.
MAN. Thou art surely mistaken--not all the animals--
ALLIGATOR (_interrupting_). There's not one of them remembers a favor or a
friend when hungry.
MAN. I cannot think that! Suppose we ask the first animal that comes to
drink?
ALLIGATOR. Ask any of them--I know what they will say.
[_Enter the_ WOLF. _He comes down the bank to drink._]
MAN.
Pages:
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97