“Never fear, my dear,” answered her husband, the Rajah Jackal. “I will take care of you. Let us run another mile or two. Come now, run fast! Come, come!” And they would run on and on through the jungle as fast as they could.
They grew more tired and weary every day, and at last the little Ranee Jackal said, “Oh dear! oh dear! I must stop. I really cannot run another step. I am just worn out.”
“Never fear, my dear,” answered her husband, bravely. “I will take care of you! Never fear!”
“Oh dear! oh dear!” gasped she, “I hear him coming nearer and nearer. How loud his roaring sounds! He is in a terrible temper and he will surely catch us and eat us today. Oh dear! oh dear!”
“Never fear, my dear!” said the brave little Rajah Jackal. “Come with me and do just what I tell you, and we can save ourselves. Do not look so frightened. Cheer up! Now, come with me, and we will go right up to that lion.”
And what did those cunning little jackals do but take hold of paws and go prancing boldly right up to the lion.
When he saw them he began to shake his mane about and his eyes glowed with anger as he roared out, “Grr-rr-rr! Grr-rr-rr! You miserable little wretches! Come here and be eaten at once! I have had no dinner for three whole days, and I am very hungry. I am the Rajah of this jungle, and I have called and called you, but you did not come. And I have run and run to catch you while you have always run away, you miserable little jackals, leading me on and on over hill and dale. Come here and be eaten at once! Grr-rr-rr! Grr-rr-rr! Come here-re-re!” And the Rajah Lion gnashed his teeth and looked very terrible indeed. “Grr-rr-rr! Why didn’t you come before?”
“Oh, great Singh Rajah,” answered the brave little Jackal, “we do know that you are our master, and we would have obeyed your voice and come at your call long ago, but, indeed, Sire, there is a much bigger Rajah than you in this jungle. For many days he has tried to catch us and eat us, and we are so afraid of him that we have run and run, trying to find a place to hide.”
“What do you mean?” growled the great Singh Rajah. “I am the king of this jungle. There is no king here but me.”
“Ah, Sire,” answered the jackal, “in truth, one would think that you were the king, for you are most terrible. Your very voice is death. But, indeed, there lives a horrible lion in this jungle. His eyes glow like fire. His step is as thunder, and his power is supreme. We have seen him with our own eyes, and he is as much larger than you, as you are larger than we are. Oh, he is indeed most terrible! When he roars his voice is so loud that the leaves tremble upon the trees. He is far more fearful than you!”