How the camel got his hump

In the beginning of time, the animals were just beginning to work for Man. The Camel lived in
the middle of the desert. He ate sticks and thorns and was very, very lazy and when anybody
spoke to him he just said Humph!
One Monday morning the Horse came to him with a saddle on his back and said, Hey! Camel!
Come out and trot like the rest of us." Humph! said the Camel; and the Horse went away and
told the Man.
Then the Dog came to him, with a stick in his mouth, and said, Hey! Camel! Come and fetch
and carry the rest of us." Humph! said the Camel; and the Dog went away and told the Man.
Then the Ox came to him, with a yoke on his neck, and said, Hey! Camel! Come and plough
like the rest of us." Humph! said the Camel; and the Ox went away and told the Man.
At the end of the day the Man called the Horse and the Dog and the Ox together, and said, Im
very sorry for you all but the Camel won't work, so you must work double time to make up for it.
That made the three of them very angry. They decided they werent going to put up with it any
longer. Just then, along came the Djinn in charge of all the deserts.
Djinn of all the deserts, said the Horse, is it right for anyone to be lazy, with the world so new
and so much to be done?
Certainly not," said the Djinn.
Well, said the Horse, the Camel hasnt done any work since Monday morning. He couldnt get
away with it!
The Djin went off and found the Camel doing absolutely nothing but looking at his own reflection
in a pool of water.
The Djinn sat down and tried to work out what to do and he looked through his large book of
magic spells. Meanwhile the Camel made out that he wasnt very interested and carried on
looking at his reflection in the pool of water.
You've given the Horse, the Dog and the Ox extra work ever since Monday morning because of
your terrible laziness," said the Djinn.
Humph! said the Camel.
I shouldnt say that again if I were you, said the Djinn.
But the Camel said Humph! again. This time though, as soon as he said it, he saw his back
growing into a huge, great big hump.
Today is Thursday, said the Djinn, and youve done nothing since Monday, when the work
began. Now its time to get down to some real work.
How can I," said the Camel, with this hump on my back?
Thats made for a reason, said the Djinn, all because you missed those three days. You will
be able to work for three days without eating, because you can live on your hump. Go and find
the other animals, and behave!
So, the Camel went away to join the Horse, the Dog and the Ox. And from that day to this the
Camel always wears a hump, but he still hasnt caught up with the three days that he missed at
the beginning of the world and he still hasnt learned how to behave.


1) Im very sorry for you all but the Camel won't work, so you must work double time to make up for it.
2) That made the three of them very angry. They decided they werent going to put up with it any longer.
3) Well, said the Horse, the Camel hasnt done any work since Monday morning. He couldnt get away with it!
4) The Djinn sat down and tried to work out what to do and he looked through his large book of magic spells.
5) Meanwhile the Camel made out that he wasnt very interested and..
6) ... carried on looking at his reflection in the pool of water.
7) Today is Thursday, said the Djinn, and youve done nothing since Monday, when the work began. Now its
time to get down to some real work.
8) And from that day to this the Camel always wears a hump, but he still hasnt caught up with the three days that
he missed at the beginning of the world and he still hasnt learned how to behave.