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a Tortoise I am to scoop him out of his shell with my paw. Now
which of you is Hedgehog and which is Tortoise? because, to save
my spots, I can't tell.'

'Are you sure of what your Mummy told you?' said Stickly-Prickly
Hedgehog. 'Are you quite sure? Perhaps she said that when you
uncoil a Tortoise you must shell him out the water with a scoop,
and when you paw a Hedgehog you must drop him on the shell.'

'Are you sure of what your Mummy told you?' said Slow-and-Solid
Tortoise. 'Are you quite sure? Perhaps she said that when you
water a Hedgehog you must drop him into your paw, and when you
meet a Tortoise you must shell him till he uncoils.'

'I don't think it was at all like that,' said Painted Jaguar, but
he felt a little puzzled; 'but, please, say it again more
distinctly.'

'When you scoop water with your paw you uncoil it with a
Hedgehog,' said Stickly-Prickly. 'Remember that, because it's
important.'

'But,' said the Tortoise, 'when you paw your meat you drop it
into a Tortoise with a scoop. Why can't you understand?'

'You are making my spots ache,' said Painted Jaguar; 'and
besides, I didn't want your advice at all. I only wanted to know
which of you is Hedgehog and which is Tortoise.'

'I shan't tell you,' said Stickly-Prickly. 'but you can scoop me
out of my shell if you like.'

'Aha!' said Painted Jaguar. 'Now I know you're Tortoise. You
thought I wouldn't! Now I will.' Painted Jaguar darted out his
paddy-paw just as Stickly-Prickly curled himself up, and of
course Jaguar's paddy-paw was just filled with prickles. Worse
than that, he knocked Stickly-Prickly away and away into the
woods and the bushes, where it was too dark to find him. Then he
put his paddy-paw into his mouth, and of course the prickles hurt
him worse than ever. As soon as he could speak he said, 'Now I
know he isn't Tortoise at all. But'--and then he scratched his
head with his un-prickly paw--'how do I know that this other is
Tortoise?'

'But I am Tortoise,' said Slow-and-Solid. Your mother was quite
right. She said that you were to scoop me out of my shell with
your paw. Begin.'

'You didn't say she said that a minute ago, said Painted Jaguar,
sucking the prickles out of his paddy-paw. 'You said she said
something quite different.'

'Well, suppose you say that I said that she said something quite
different, I don't see that it makes any difference; because if
she said what you said I said she said, it's just the same as if
I said what she said she said. On the other hand, if you think
she said that you were to uncoil me with a scoop, instead of
pawing me into drops with a shell, I can't help that, can I?'

'But you said you wanted to be scooped out of your shell with my
paw,' said Painted Jaguar.

'If you'll think again you'll find that I didn't say anything of
the kind. I said that your mother said that you were to scoop me

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