NOW this is the ale, and it tells how the Camel got his big hump.
In the beginning of years, when the world was so new and all, and the Animals were just beginning to work for Man, there was a Camel, and he lived in the middle of a Howli because he did not want to work; and besides, he was a Howler himself. So he ate sticks and thorns and tamarisks and milkweed and prickles, most scruciating idle; and when anybody spoke to him he said Humph! Just Humph! and no more.
Presently the Horse came to him on Monday m, with a saddle on his bad a bit in his mouth, and said, Camel, O Camel, e out and trot like the rest of us.
Humph! said the Camel; and the Horse went away and told the Man.
Presently the Dog came to him, with a sti his mouth, and said, Camel, O Camel, e ad carry like the rest of us.
Humph! said the Camel; and the Dog went away and told the Man.
Presently the Ox came to him, with the yoke on his ned said, Camel, O Camel, e and plough like the rest of us.
Humph! said the Camel; and the Ox went away and told the Man.
At the end of the day the Man called the Horse and the Dog and the Ox together, and said, Three, O Three, Im very sorry for you (with the world so new-and-all); but that Humph-thing in the Desert t work, or he would have been here by now, so I am going to leave him alone, and you must work double-time to make up for it.
That made the Three very angry (with the world so new-and-all), and they held a palaver, and an _indaba_, and a _punchayet_, and a po on the edge of the Desert; and the Camel came chewing on milkweed _most_ scruciating idle, and laughed at them. Then he said Humph! a away again.
Presently there came along the Djinn in charge of All Deserts, rolling in a cloud of dust (Djinns always travel that way because it is Magic), aopped to palaver and poith the Three.
Djinn of All Deserts, said the Horse, is it right for any oo be idle, with the world so new-and-all?
Certainly not, said the Djinn.
Well, said the Horse, theres a thing in the middle of your Howli (and hes a Howler himself) with a long ned long legs, and he hasnt done a stroke of work since Monday m. He wont trot.
Whew! said the Djinn, whistling, thats my Camel, for all the gold in Arabia! What does he say about it?
He says "Humph!" said the Dog; and he wod carry.
Does he say anything else?
Only "Humph!"; and he wont plough, said the Ox.
Very good, said the Djinn. Ill humph him if you will kindly wait a minute.
The Djinn rolled himself up in his dust-cloak, and took a bearing across the desert, and found the Camel most scruciatingly idle, looking at his own refle in a pool of water.
My long and bubbling friend, said the Djinn, whats this I hear of your doing no work, with the world so new-and-all?
Humph! said the Camel.
The Djinn sat down, with his in his hand, and began to think a Great Magic, while the Camel looked at his own refle in the pool of water.
Youve givehree extra work ever since Monday m, all on at of your scruciating idleness, said the Djinn; and he went on thinking Magics, with his in his hand.
Humph! said the Camel.
I shouldnt say that again if I were you, said the Djinn; you might say it ooo often. Bubbles, I want you to work.
And the Camel said Humph! again; but no sooner had he said it than he saw his back, that he was so proud of, puffing up and puffing up into a great big