“That is impossible!” roared the Lion. “But show me this Rajah who has so terrified you, and I will destroy him at once. I will show you how quickly I can overpower him, and, after I have eaten him, I will eat you!”
Then the little Jackals ran on and on through the jungle with the great lion following them until they reached a very deep well of water. They cowered down beside the well, looking very frightened, while the Rajah Jackal pointed down into the water with his paw, and whispered in an excited little voice, “See, Sire! Look down there!”
The great Singh Rajah came close to the well and, peering down into the water, he saw a great lion’s face peering up at him. He was very angry. He shook his great mane, and his eyes glowed like flaming fire, as he roared and roared.
Then the shadow lion shook his mane. His eyes were glowing and he opened his mouth to roar.
“Gr-rr-rr!” roared the Rajah Lion.
“Gr-rr-rr!” answered the echo of his voice from the well.
“Come out of your den and I will show you who is ruler here,” roared the lion, gnashing his teeth in rage. But the echo mocked him, and the lion in the well gnashed his teeth.
Now, Singh Rajah was so angry that he could not wait to fight that other lion. So, with a terrific roar, he jumped into the well to kill him.
The well was so deep and the sides were so steep that the great Singh Rajah could not climb out to punish the two little Jackals, who peeped down at him from the top of the well.
Now, when the little jackals knew that he was drowned, they danced round and round the well, singing, “Ao! Ao! Ao! the King of the Jungle is dead. We have killed the great Lion who would have killed us! Ao! Ao! Ao! Ring-a-ting, Ding-a-ting, Ding-a-ting, Ring-a-ting! Ao! Ao! Ao!”