The stag thought the question so silly that he only shrugged his shoulders . ` Of course , the victor would have the right to kill the other , ' went on the tortoise . ` Oh , on that condition I agree , ' answered the deer ; ` but I am afraid you are a dead man . ' ` It is no use trying to frighten me , ' replied the tortoise . ` But I should like three days for training ; then I shall be ready to start when the sun strikes on the big tree at the edge of the great clearing . ' The first thing the tortoise did was to call his brothers and his cousins together , and he posted them carefully under ferns all along the line of the great clearing , making a sort of ladder which stretched for many miles . This done to his satisfaction , he went back to the starting place . The stag was quite punctual , and as soon as the sun 's rays struck the trunk of the tree the stag started off , and was soon far out of the sight of the tortoise . Every now and then he would turn his head as he ran , and call out : ` How are you getting on ? ' and the tortoise who happened to be nearest at that moment would answer : ` All right , I am close up to you . ' Full of astonishment , the stag would redouble his efforts , but it was no use . Each time he asked : ` Are you there ? ' the answer would come : ` Yes , of course , where else should I be ? ' And the stag ran , and ran , and ran , till he could run no more , and dropped down dead on the grass . And the tortoise , when he thinks about it , laughs still . But the tortoise was not the only creature of whose tricks stories were told in the forest . There was a famous monkey who was just as clever and more mischievous , because he was so much quicker on his feet and with his hands . It was quite impossible to catch him and give him the thrashing he so often deserved , for he just swung himself up into a tree and laughed at the angry victim who was sitting below . Sometimes , however , the inhabitants of the forest were so foolish as to provoke him , and then they got the worst of it . This was what happened to the barber , whom the monkey visited one morning , saying that he wished to be shaved .
The barber bowed politely to his customer , and begging him to be seated , tied a large cloth round his neck , and rubbed his chin with soap ; but instead of cutting off his beard , the barber made a snip at the end XXXXX his tail .
along as at because below for in of under with