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<h2> HOW THE CAMEL GOT HIS HUMP </h2>
<h3> NOW this is the next tale, and it tells how the Camel got his big hump. </h3>
<p>In the beginning of years, when the world was so new and all, and the
Animals were just beginning to work for Man, there was a Camel, and he
lived in the middle of a Howling Desert because he did not want to work;
and besides, he was a Howler himself. So he ate sticks and thorns and
tamarisks and milkweed and prickles, most 'scruciating idle; and when
anybody spoke to him he said 'Humph!' Just 'Humph!' and no more.</p>
<p>Presently the Horse came to him on Monday morning, with a saddle on his
back and a bit in his mouth, and said, 'Camel, O Camel, come out and trot
like the rest of us.'</p>
<p>'Humph!' said the Camel; and the Horse went away and told the Man.</p>
<p>Presently the Dog came to him, with a stick in his mouth, and said,
'Camel, O Camel, come and fetch and carry like the rest of us.'</p>
<p>'Humph!' said the Camel; and the Dog went away and told the Man.</p>
<p>Presently the Ox came to him, with the yoke on his neck and said, 'Camel,
O Camel, come and plough like the rest of us.'</p>
<p>'Humph!' said the Camel; and the Ox went away and told the Man.</p>
<p>At the end of the day the Man called the Horse and the Dog and the Ox
together, and said, 'Three, O Three, I'm very sorry for you (with the
world so new-and-all); but that Humph-thing in the Desert can't work, or
he would have been here by now, so I am going to leave him alone, and you
must work double-time to make up for it.'</p>
<p>That made the Three very angry (with the world so new-and-all), and they
held a palaver, and an <i>indaba</i>, and a <i>punchayet</i>, and a
pow-wow on the edge of the Desert; and the Camel came chewing on milkweed
<i>most</i> 'scruciating idle, and laughed at them. Then he said 'Humph!'
and went away again.</p>
<p>Presently there came along the Djinn in charge of All Deserts, rolling in
a cloud of dust (Djinns always travel that way because it is Magic), and
he stopped to palaver and pow-pow with the Three.</p>
<p>'Djinn of All Deserts,' said the Horse, 'is it right for any one to be
idle, with the world so new-and-all?'</p>
<p>'Certainly not,' said the Djinn.</p>
<p>'Well,' said the Horse, 'there's a thing in the middle of your Howling
Desert (and he's a Howler himself) with a long neck and long legs, and he
hasn't done a stroke of work since Monday morning. He won't trot.'</p>
<p>'Whew!' said the Djinn, whistling, 'that's my Camel, for all the gold in
Arabia! What does he say about it?'</p>
<p>'He says "Humph!"' said the Dog; 'and he won't fetch and carry.'</p>
<p>'Does he say anything else?'</p>
<p>'Only "Humph!"; and he won't plough,' said the Ox.</p>
<p>'Very good,' said the Djinn. 'I'll humph him if you will kindly wait a
minute.'</p>
<p>The Djinn rolled himself up in his dust-cloak, and took a bearing across
the desert, and found the Camel most 'scruciatingly idle, looking at his
own reflection in a pool of water.</p>
<p>'My long and bubbling friend,' said the Djinn, 'what's this I hear of your
doing no work, with the world so new-and-all?'</p>
<p>'Humph!' said the Camel.</p>
<p>The Djinn sat down, with his chin in his hand, and began to think a Great
Magic, while the Camel looked at his own reflection in the pool of water.</p>
<p>'You've given the Three extra work ever since Monday morning, all on
account of your 'scruciating idleness,' said the Djinn; and he went on
thinking Magics, with his chin in his hand.</p>
<p>'Humph!' said the Camel.</p>
<p>'I shouldn't say that again if I were you,' said the Djinn; you might say
it once too often. Bubbles, I want you to work.'</p>
<p>And the Camel said 'Humph!' again; but no sooner had he said it than he
saw his back, that he was so proud of, puffing up and puffing up into a
great big lolloping humph.</p>
<p>'Do you see that?' said the Djinn. 'That's your very own humph that you've
brought upon your very own self by not working. To-day is Thursday, and
you've done no work since Monday, when the work began. Now you are going
to work.'</p>
<p>'How can I,' said the Camel, 'with this humph on my back?'</p>
<p>'That's made a-purpose,' said the Djinn, 'all because you missed those
three days. You will be able to work now for three days without eating,
because you can live on your humph; and don't you ever say I never did
anything for you. Come out of the Desert and go to the Three, and behave.
Humph yourself!'</p>
<p>And the Camel humphed himself, humph and all, and went away to join the
Three. And from that day to this the Camel always wears a humph (we call
it 'hump' now, not to hurt his feelings); but he has never yet caught up
with the three days that he missed at the beginning of the world, and he
has never yet learned how to behave.</p>
<p>THE Camel's hump is an ugly lump<br/>
Which well you may see at the Zoo;<br/>
But uglier yet is the hump we get<br/>
From having too little to do.<br/>
Kiddies and grown-ups too-oo-oo,<br/>
If we haven't enough to do-oo-oo,<br/>
We get the hump—<br/>
Cameelious hump—<br/>
The hump that is black and blue!<br/>
We climb out of bed with a frouzly head<br/>
And a snarly-yarly voice.<br/>
We shiver and scowl and we grunt and we growl<br/>
At our bath and our boots and our toys;<br/>
And there ought to be a corner for me<br/>
(And I know there is one for you)<br/>
When we get the hump—<br/>
Cameelious hump—<br/>
The hump that is black and blue!<br/>
The cure for this ill is not to sit still,<br/>
Or frowst with a book by the fire;<br/>
But to take a large hoe and a shovel also,<br/>
And dig till you gently perspire;<br/>
And then you will find that the sun and the wind.<br/>
And the Djinn of the Garden too,<br/>
Have lifted the hump—<br/>
The horrible hump—<br/>
The hump that is black and blue!<br/>
I get it as well as you-oo-oo—<br/>
If I haven't enough to do-oo-oo—<br/>
We all get hump—<br/>
Cameelious hump—<br/>
Kiddies and grown-ups too!<br/></p>
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