Alligators

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In Jamaica land there lived a hare. Now this hare had a powerful wish to eat some delicious sweet green melons. All day long he sat thinking of these wonderfu1 melons but he couldn’t think of how to get them. For you see, they were on the other side of the river. The hare didn’t have a problem getting across the river. He knew how to swim. He just didn’t know what to do with the alligator who lived on a small island in the middle of the river. That alligator had a nasty habit of gobbling up anyone who tried to swim across the river . The hare had no wish to be an alligator snack. So he sat on the edge of the river bank thinking and wishing. Lucky for him, his neighbor the jackal came by and stopped when he saw his friend looking so sad. After the hare told the jackal of his problem, the jackal said," Well, my friend you are a lucky hare indeed. Seems I was just about to pay that alligator a neighborly visit. And for a melon or two, I’ll be happy to keep that alligator busy and off your tail!" The thankful hare agreed to share a few melons with the jackal for a way to get some safely across the river. The jackal added, " Wait till I get to the alligator’s island before swimming across."

Well, you know all went according to that jackal’s plan. The jackal swam up to the little island and before the alligator had time to open up his humongous choppers and have a bite of jackal, the jackal started sweet talkin’ that slow thinkin’ reptile. That poor gator never did have a chance. " Mister Gator, I hear that you make a soup that’s as tasty as it is hot! Folks, here about, say that you make the hottest soup around. I was hopeing you wouldn’t mind making some as I got to wondering if it’s as hot as mine." That silly alligator puffed up full of pride. " My soup is the most tastiest, hottest soup there is. I know it’s got to be hotter that any soup you make. Just stand back and watch me cook some up. One taste and I know you’ll agree." The alligator then busied his self with gathering the stuff to make the soup. Boy, did he lay up on those peppers! He used green ones, red ones, black ones, and even purple ones. He loaded up a heap and a half of firewood to cook that soup good and hot. The jackal stood and watched the alligator rush about. Every now and then, the jackal would say something like, " Just what I use." And " Don’t you think a little more wood would make it hotter." And " Oh, so that’s how its done." Well, the foolish alligator just ate all that attention up! When at long last he was finished cooking the soup. The two of the them sat down to eat. The jackal, pretending to take a taste of soup, said, " It’s pretty hot, but you know I like mine hotter. How about we let the sun heat it up some more. I usually let it heat up for an hour, any longer that that and I have to sip it real slow." Well, that’s all it took for the jackal to say. The alligator puffed up and said, " I was just going to suggest that we let the sun heat it up for two hours at least, sometimes I even let the sun heat it up for three hour just to make it good and really hot the way I like it." The jackal pretended to be amazed," You sure do like it hot! I don’t think I could take three hours of the sun heating it up. But I’ll try it with two." The two animals while they were waiting for the sun to heat up the soup, played tic-tac-toe. At last two hours passed. The jackal made a big deal of slurping and sipping his bowl of soup. " Say, Mister Gator, this soup is the hottest and tastiest soup I’ve ever tasted. Thank you, thank you." The alligator delighted that the jackal liked his soup so much, did not even notice that his own bowl of soup was ice cold. The jackal after eating, said, " Can I come another time and get your reciepe for your soup? I need to go and visit my mother now, but I would sure like to visit you again." The alligator deeply flattered, smiled with all his teeth waved goodby to the jackal and said, " Please do Mister Jack, it was a pleasure." When the jackal swam back to the river bank, the hare had several tasty cool green melons waiting for dessert.