‘i don’t believe it,’ said painted jaguar. ‘you’ve mixed up all the things my mother told me to do with the things that you asked me whether i was sure that she didn’t say, till i don’t know whether i’m on my head or my painted tail; and now you come and tell me something i can understand, and it makes me more mixy than before. my mother told me that i was to drop one of you two into the water, and as you seem so anxious to be dropped i think you don’t want to be dropped. so jump into the turbid amazon and be quick about it.’