THE CAMEL AND THE PIG

By Ramaswami Raju

A CAMEL said, "Nothing like being tall! Look how tall I am!"

A Pig, who heard these words, said, "Nothing like being short! Look
how short I am!"

The Camel said, "Well, if I fail to prove the truth of what I said. I
shall give up my hump."

The Pig said, "If I fail to prove the truth of what I have said, I
shall give up my snout."

"Agreed!" said the Camel.

"Just so!" said the Pig.

They came to a garden, inclosed by a low wall without any opening. The
Camel stood on this side of the wall, and reaching the plants within by
means of his long neck, made a breakfast on them. Then he turned,
jeeringly to the Pig, who had been standing at the bottom of the wall,
without even having a look at the good things in the garden, and said,
"Now, would you be tall or short?"

Next they came to a garden, inclosed by a high wall, with a wicket gate
at one end. The Pig entered by the gate, and, after having eaten his
fill of the vegetables within, came out, laughing at the poor Camel,
who had had to stay outside because he was too tall to enter the garden
by the gate, and said, "Now, would you be tall or short?"

Then they thought the matter over and came to the conclusion that the
Camel should keep his hump and the Pig his snout, observing, "Tall is
good, where tall would do; of short, again, 'tis also true!"