human
A serpent and a young crocodile dwelt in the same part of the country. The serpent fixed itself in a tree by the water-side; and underneath the same tree the young crocodile watched for prey. After a time a dog came to drink; the crocodile pursued him; down came the serpent to stop the crocodile. What have you to do with me?
gpt
Why, you are seeking to eat everybody that passes this way,
human
Be quiet,
gpt
lest I give you a blow with my tail, and cut you in two.
human
And pray what are you?
gpt
I suppose you are thinking that, because I have neither hands nor feet, I can do nothing; but, perhaps, you have not looked at _my_ tail, how sharp it is.
human
Cease your noise,
gpt
or I'll just break you in two.
human
How is this,--you that can conquer people and cattle, however large, and anything else?
gpt
Where are you going?
human
Let that goose alone,
gpt
lest I kill you.
human
Well, this time, see if you are not the worse for it;
gpt
How is it that you are beaten by that foolish serpent? You are wise and powerful, and that little fellow conies and beats you.
human
The crocodile heard him, and labored with all his might to finish boring at the root, one branch of which remained to cut. The crocodile then watched at the water-side a good while, when down came the dog to drink: the crocodile pursued him; the serpent, as before, came to oppose him, calling out,
gpt
Let that dog alone there, lest you get the worst of it. --
human
You, said the crocodile,
gpt
When the serpent heard that, he replied,
human
There _is_ no God; for if there were, I should have had both hands and feet: there is no God at all. But I will have your carcass to-day. Then the dog and the serpent together made an attack on the crocodile; the crocodile got weaker, and dived in the water; when all the little fish came again, and expressed their astonishment, as before, that he should be conquered by that little serpent,
gpt
Wait a little, said the crocodile,
human
The serpent got up the tree as usual; the crocodile watched,--bored the hole completely,--then looked up, and saw the serpent sound asleep on a branch overhanging the water; then, cutting what remained of the root, the tree broke and fell into the water, the serpent falling with it. Then all the fishes acknowledged that the crocodile was superior, for he had got the serpent into the water, and made him dive in it, and kept him under water half-an-hour. The serpent, however, survived it, and repented of what he had done.
gpt
Oh! that I had never opposed you; only let me go, and I will never attack you again. --
human
Ah! said the crocodile;
gpt
Thus the crocodile made him heartily repent before he let him go.
human
Then, said the serpent,
gpt
After that, the crocodile let him go. He was glad to get off; but he had been beaten, and took an oath not to renew the attack when the crocodile went to look out for prey. The crocodile, however, owed the dog a grudge, because he had attacked him, and so laid all his family under a curse to devour the dog whenever opportunity offered.
human
Unless you do that, said he,
gpt
Well, George, are you like the serpent? Have you had enough of the water?
human
Oh! no! I shall be very sorry when the voyages are over.
gpt
You have been on the ocean a weary while. Have you, like Sir James Ross, reached either of the Poles?
human
No, sir; but we have been very near the North Pole; have we not, Charles?
gpt
Yes; in the Arctic Ocean we have been as high as 80° parallel of north latitude to Spitzbergen; and in the Antarctic as high as the 66° parallel of south latitude, to the New South Shetland Isles.
human
Well done! You will not then start any objections on the score of cold, to accompany me to Kerguelan's Land?
gpt
Oh dear, no! exclaimed the boys.
human
We do not mind the cold.
gpt
Kerguelan's land was discovered in 1772 by Monsieur de Kerguelan, a French navigator, who took it for a continent, and so reported it to his government. He was sent back the following year to make critical examination. Three years after this, Captain Cook fell in with the island, and, not finding it of any importance, called it Isle of Desolation. But, despite its name, it is not a bad place by any means. It is a safe and commodious harbor, and abundance of fresh water. However, considering its latitude, it is exceedingly bare of vegetation; and there is only one plant which claims attention, that is the famous cabbage discovered by Captain Cook. For 130 days his crew enjoyed the luxury of fresh vegetables, which were served out with their salt beef and pork, and prevented sickness among them.
human
Are there any animals on the island?
gpt
Numbers of birds; penguins, albatrosses, gulls, ducks, cormorants, &c.; and the island is the resort of seals and sea-elephants.
human
It cannot be a very pretty place?
gpt
Here is an idea of it. The whole island appears to be deeply indented by bays and inlets, the surface intersected by numerous small lakes and water-courses. These becoming swollen by the heavy rains, which alternate with the frost and snow, accompanied by violent gusts of wind, rush down the sides of the mountains and along the ravines in countless impetuous torrents, forming in many places beautiful foaming cascades, wearing away the rocks, and strewing the valleys below with vast fragments.
human
That is _grand_, but decidedly not _comfortable_.