The Eagle and the Blue-tailed Skink 



across the gravel walk out into the fields, and away so far no 

 one could see them. When the little girl woke up in the morn- 

 ing she found that her legs were gone; so she couldn't walk. 

 And she began to cry until her mother came in, and then they 

 looked all around for the little legs. When they went out into 

 the garden, they saw the prints on the gravel which the little 

 legs had made on going out, for it had just been raining and 

 you could see the marks quite plainly. So her father saddled 

 the horses, and they got on their backs, and cantered around 

 all over the fields and down the road and looked for the little 

 legs. By and by they saw something running by the side of the 

 road away down toward the Bay. Then they whipped up the 

 horses, and they ran very fast, and the father got off from his 

 horse and caught the little legs just as they were getting tangled 

 in a barbed-wire fence. Then he picked up the little legs and 

 wrapped them in a soft blanket and put them under his coat 

 and carried them home. Then they fastened them on again, 

 so that the little girl could make them carry her around any- 

 where she wanted to go; and ever since then she has kept them 

 stuck on tight, so they can't get away, and she never, never 

 takes them off at night. 



The Eagle and the Blue-tailed Skink 



There was once a Blue-tailed Skink, and he sat on a log in 

 the sun and had a good time, and on top of the tree over his 

 head there was a big bald Eagle. The Eagle watched the Blue- 

 tailed Skink sitting on the log in the sun, until she thought i4: 

 was time to eat him. Then she swooped down on him. When 

 the Skink saw the Eagle coming he gave a jump forward, so 

 that when the Eagle got down there she just caught the end 

 of his tail. The tail of the Skink will come off if you catch hold 

 of it. It is made and put on that way. So the Skink left the 

 Eagle with the tail in her claws. He was all right himself, and 

 he ran down the side of the log while the Eagle ate up the tail. 

 Then the Blue-tailed Skink looked up the tree and saw 

 where high in the crotch of the tree the Eagle had a nest. In 

 the nest were four eggs. So the Skink ran up the side of the 

 tree to the nest. Then he looked down and saw the Eagle on 

 the log eating up his tail. So he ate up the four eggs that the 



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