17 WHY THE RABBIT LAUGHED

“I am stronger than you,” said the Whale to the Elephant.
“You are not,” said the Elephant. “I am stronger than you. Here comes White Rabbit. You ask him if I am not stronger than you.”
White Rabbit came along, hoppety, hoppety, hop.
White Rabbit said, “How do you do, Mr. Whale! How do you do, Mr. Elephant!”
“White Rabbit, is the Elephant stronger than I am?” asked the Whale.
“You are both very strong,” said White Rabbit. “Here is a rope. Now play Tug of War.
If you can pull Mr. Elephant into the water, you are the stronger, Mr. Whale.
If you can pull Mr. Whale out of the water, then you are the stronger, Mr. Elephant.”
White Rabbit tied one end of the rope around the Elephant. He tied the other end around the Whale.
“One, two, three, pull!” said White Rabbit.
The Whale began to pull.
The Elephant began to pull.
The rope began to stretch.
How White Rabbit laughed!
“Pull harder!” said White Rabbit.
The Whale pulled harder.
The Elephant pulled harder.
The rope stretched tighter. Snap, snap, went the rope.
“Ha, ha!” laughed White Rabbit.
“Why do you not pull harder?” asked White Rabbit.
The Whale pulled harder.
The Elephant pulled harder.
Then the rope broke.
The Whale went down to the bottom of the sea.
The Elephant fell over backwards.
White Rabbit sat in the bushes and laughed, and laughed.