418 THE LION KILLER. 



stilled the forest around him, and his young heart swelled 

 high with triumph. 



" Presently he saw a bull in one of the plains below him. 

 His horns were like pine trees, his eyes darted red fire, his tail 

 swung backward and forth like a thrasher's flail, and his hoofs 

 tore the sod from the earth and scattered it like hail. 



" * Ha ! ha !' said the young lion, ' there is a warlike 

 creature, that might well be called the seed of the woman 

 that rules the earth. That is ray enemy, I will march at him.' 



" He walked up with a fierce air to the bull, and in a tone 

 of great emphasis he demanded, 



" ' Are you the seed of the woman V 



" The bull dropped his tail, and replied, 



" ' My dear friend, you are foolish. The courage that God 

 has given to the seed of the woman He has granted to no 

 living creature. Do you know how he treats me and my 

 race? He takes us and puts yokes over our necks, and 

 makes us do his work. If we are idle, he beats us with goads, 

 and when too old to act longer as his servants, he slays us 

 and divides our flesh to feed his wives and children." 

 • " The lion listened to this story, a sage look of wonder man- 

 tled his countenance, and he then continued his course. He 

 could not quite understand what he had heard, but he made 

 up his mind to find his enemy, if he had to turn heaven and 

 earth to do it. . After walking a little while, he presently 

 encountered face to face a camel, that was pasturing on a deli- 

 cate patch of thistles. 



" ' This time I have hit it ; what fortunate star led me to this 

 mountainous creature ?" said the lion to himself; then to the 

 camel he said : 



" ' Sirrah, are you the seed of the woman V 



" The camel laughed outright, as he tilted up his long neck 

 from the thistle-bed. 



