56 
HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
came and expressed their astonishment, as before, that he 
should be conquered by that little serpent. “Wait a 
little,” says the crocodile, “ and you’ll see I am not con¬ 
quered by him. The serpent got up the tree as usual; the 
crocodile watched; bored the hole completely—then looked 
up and saw the serpent sound asleep on a branch over¬ 
hanging the water; then cutting what remained of the root, 
the tree broke, and fell into the water, the serpent falling 
with it. Then all the fishes acknowledged that the croco¬ 
dile was superior, for he had got the serpent into the 
water, and made him dive in it, and kept him under water 
half an hour. The serpent, however, survived it, and 
repented of what he had done: “ O that I had never 
opposed you; only let me go, and I’ll never attack you 
again.”—“ Ah!” says the crocodile, “ but as often as I 
pursued the dog, I was pursued by you; so you must suffer 
in your turn.” Thus the crocodile made him heartily 
repent before he let him go; then, said the serpent, “ If 
ever I touch you again, may I be conquered,” (may god 
subdue me.) After that, the crocodile let him go. He 
was glad to get off, but he had been beaten, and took 
an oath not to renew the attack when the crocodile went 
to look out for prey. The crocodile, however, owed the 
dog a grudge because he had attacked him, and so laid 
all his family under a curse to devour the dog whenever 
opportunity offered. “ Unless you do that,” said he, “ may 
you die without posterity, for yonder dog took part with 
another against me.” 
That is said to be the origin of the hatred between the 
dog and the crocodile.—It is not probable that the latter 
suffer much from the former, who are themselves frequently 
devoured by the formidable enemies. Mr. Hastie mentions, 
in his journal, that he was awoke one night by a most 
