The Big Brag

The BiG BRAG

The etmiayeaOn top of the hill in the sun where he lay. He felt SO important up there on that hillThat he started in bragging, as animals will And he boasted out loud, as he threw out his chest, " Of all of the beasts in the world, I'm the best! On land, and on sea. . . even up in the skyNo animal lives who is better than I! "

" What's that?" growled a voice that was terribly gruff. " Now why do you say such ridiculous stuff?" The rabbit looked down and he saw a big bear. " I'm best of the beasts, " said the bear. " And so there! "

" You're not! " snapped the rabbit. " I'm better than you! " " Pooh! " the bear snorted. " Again I say Pooh! You talk mighty big, Mr. Rabbit. That's true. But how can you prove it? Just what can you DO?" " Hmmmm. . . " thought the rabbit, " Now what CANIdo. . . ?" He thought and he thought. Then he finally said, " Mr. Bear, do you see these two ears on my head?My ears are so keen and so sharp and so fineNo ears in the world can hear further than mine! "

" Humpf! " the bear grunted. He looked at each ear" You say they are good, " said the bear with a sneer, 66But how do I know just how far they can hear?" " said the rabbit. my ears are the best" " I'll prove, You sit there andwatch me. I'll prove it by test" Then he stiffened his ears till they both stood up highAnd pointed straight up at the blue of the sky. He stretched his ears open as wide as he could. " Shhh! I am listening! " he said as he stood. He listened so hard that he started to sweatAnd the fur on his ears and his forehead got wet.

For seven long minutes he stood. Then he stirredAnd he said to the bear, " Do you know what I heard?Do you see that far mountain. . . ? It's ninety miles off. There's a fly on that mountain. I just heard him cough! Now the cough of a fly, sir, is quite hard to hearWhen he's ninety miles off. But I heard it quite clear. So you see, " bragged the rabbit, " it's perfectly trueThat my ears are the best, so I'm better than you! "