` But it 's straining your back-plates a little . They are all overlapping now , instead of lying side by side . ' ` Oh , that 's the result of exercise , ' said Slow-and-Solid . ` I 've noticed that your prickles seem to be melting into one another , and that you 're growing to look rather more like a pinecone , and less like a chestnut-burr , than you used to . ' ` Am I ? ' said Stickly-Prickly . ` That comes from my soaking in the water . Oh , wo n't Painted Jaguar be surprised ! ' They went on with their exercises , each helping the other , till morning came ; and when the sun was high they rested and dried themselves . Then they saw that they were both of them quite different from what they had been . ` Stickly-Prickly , ' said Tortoise after breakfast , ' I am not what I was yesterday ; but I think that I may yet amuse Painted Jaguar . ` That was the very thing I was thinking just now , ' said Stickly-Prickly . ' I think scales are a tremendous improvement on prickles -- to say nothing of being able to swim . Oh , wo n't Painted Jaguar be surprised ! Let 's go and find him . ' By and by they found Painted Jaguar , still nursing his paddy-paw that had been hurt the night before . He was so astonished that he fell three times backward over his own painted tail without stopping . ` Good morning ! ' said Stickly-Prickly . ` And how is your dear gracious Mummy this morning ? '
` She is quite well , thank you , ' said Painted XXXXX ; ` but you must forgive me if I do not at this precise moment recall your name . '
Jaguar Mummy Stickly-Prickly back-plates before chestnut-burr morning paddy-paw pinecone prickles