break. The raven flew back home to get the help of the rat. "Oh, rat," he said, "follow me. Our friend, the gazelle, is caught in a net. Come and gnaw the ropes and set him free!" The raven flew away and the rat followed. As the rat left home, he said, "Tortoise, you had better stay at home. You go so slowly that you can not reach the gazelle in time to help. We shall soon be back, I hope." As soon as the raven and the rat were out of sight, the tortoise said, "I can not stay here and do nothing. I may be needed. I will hurry as fast as I can;" and he started off. The raven reached the gazelle first. He said, "Cheer up, the rat is coming to set you free." Soon the rat arrived. He began at once to gnaw the ropes. He had just set the gazelle free when a hunter came along. The gazelle sprang to one side into the bushes, the raven flew into a tree, and the rat ran into a hole in the ground. The hunter looked about for the gazelle, but could not find him. He was very angry. Just then the tortoise came up. The hunter picked him up and put him into his bag for his supper. The raven whispered to the gazelle, "The hunter is carrying off our tortoise." As soon as the gazelle heard this, he came out of his hiding place and limped along as if he were lame. The hunter saw him. He threw down his bag and ran after the gazelle, thinking that he could easily catch him; but the gazelle kept ahead of him. At last the hunter could run no more. He went back to get his bag, tired and cross, but sure of a supper. But what do you suppose had happened while he was gone? The rat had gnawed a hole in the hunter's bag and set the tortoise free, and both had run off. It was now quite dark, and all the animals went home. That was the happiest evening of their lives. Each one had done something for the others, and all were safe, and it was good to be at home. There was once a king who was so cruel to his people that he was called "The Tyrant." The people used to wish that he would die so that they might have a better king.
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