` Not so , ' said the Brahmin . ` Look , he is driving the flood before him ! He is the godling of the village . ' Then they threw many flowers at me , and by happy thought one led a goat across the road . '' `` How good -- how very good is goat ! '' said the Jackal . `` Hairy -- too hairy , and when found in the water more than likely to hide a cross-shaped hook . But that goat I accepted , and went down to the Ghaut in great honour . Later , my Fate sent me the boatman who had desired to cut off my tail with an axe . His boat grounded upon an old shoal which you would not remember . '' `` We are not ALL jackals here , '' said the Adjutant . `` Was it the shoal made where the stone-boats sank in the year of the great drouth -- a long shoal that lasted three floods ? '' `` There were two , '' said the Mugger ; `` an upper and a lower shoal . '' `` Ay , I forgot . A channel divided them , and later dried up again , '' said the Adjutant , who prided himself on his memory . `` On the lower shoal my well-wisher 's craft grounded . He was sleeping in the bows , and , half awake , leaped over to his waist -- no , it was no more than to his knees -- to push off . His empty boat went on and touched again below the next reach , as the river ran then . I followed , because I knew men would come out to drag it ashore . '' `` And did they do so ? ''
said the XXXXX , a little awe-stricken .
Ay Brahmin Ghaut Jackal Mugger flood floods godling jackals well-wisher