` That 's a trick worth learning . Take a lesson by it , Leopard . You show up in this dark place like a bar of soap in a coal-scuttle . ' ` Ho ! Ho ! ' said the Leopard . ` Would it surprise you very much to know that you show up in this dark place like a mustard-plaster on a sack of coals ? ' ` Well , calling names wo n't catch dinner , said the Ethiopian . ` The long and the little of it is that we do n't match our backgrounds . I 'm going to take Baviaan 's advice . He told me I ought to change ; and as I 've nothing to change except my skin I 'm going to change that . ' ` What to ? ' said the Leopard , tremendously excited . ` To a nice working blackish-brownish colour , with a little purple in it , and touches of slaty-blue . It will be the very thing for hiding in hollows and behind trees . ' So he changed his skin then and there , and the Leopard was more excited than ever ; he had never seen a man change his skin before . ` But what about me ? ' he said , when the Ethiopian had worked his last little finger into his fine new black skin . ` You take Baviaan 's advice too . He told you to go into spots . '
` So I did , ' said the XXXXX .
Baviaan Ethiopian Ho Leopard coal-scuttle colour mustard-plaster slaty-blue touches trick