THE FAST RUNNERS

0nce, long ago, the antelope and the deer met on the prairie. At this timeboth of them had galls and both dew claws. They began to talk together, andeach was telling the other what he could do. Each one told how quick hecould run, and before long they were disputing as to which could run thefaster. Neither would allow that the other could beat him, so they agreedthat they would have a race to decide which was the swifter, and they bettheir galls on the race. When they ran, the antelope proved the quickerrunner, and beat the deer and took his gall.

Then the deer exclaimed: "Yes, you have beaten me on the prairie, but that isnot where I live. I only go out there occasionally to feed, or when I amtravelling around. We ought to have another race in the timber. That is myhome, and there I can run faster than you can."

The antelope felt somewhat big because he had beatwelve the deer in the race, andhe thought wherever they might be, he could run quicker than the deer. So heagreed to race in the timber, and on this race they bet their dew claws.

They ran through the thick timber, among the brush and over fallen logs,and this time the antelope ran slowly, because he was not used to this kindof travelling, and the deer easily beat him, and took his dew claws.

Since then the deer has had no gall, and the antelope no dew claws.