"'Was that you I saw walking just now?'
"'No; I cannot walk, I have lain here for a long time,' said the rock.
"The wolverine retorted that he was sure he had seen the rock walking.
"This made the rock angry and he told the wolverine that he was telling a falsehood. Then the saucy wolverine replied:
"'You need not speak to me in that way, for I have seen you walking.'
"Then the wolverine ran off a little distance and challenged the rock to catch him. But the rock did not reply to this and the bold wolverine came close up to the rock, struck it with his paw, and said:
"'Come, now, see if you can catch me!'
"'I cannot run,' said the rock, 'but I can roll.'
"At this the conceited wolverine began to laugh. 'That will do! All I want is a race. You can run or roll, just as you like.'
"Then the race began; the wolverine started down the mountain side at a great rate, and the rock came rolling behind him. At first the big rock did not move very fast, and the wolverine laughed as he looked back and saw the rock was so far behind. But the rock came on faster and faster, and now it made the wolverine do his very best to keep ahead of it. On they rushed, over the sticks and stones and rough places, down—down that great, long mountain side. At length, swift and strong as he was, the wolverine began to get tired, and although he was running as he never did before in his life the big rock was surely gaining on him. By and by he was so frightened that in looking behind at the rock, now close at his heels, he tripped over a stick and down he fell. The rock rolled over him and, just as it had completely crushed him down to the earth, there it stopped.