Onceuponatimetherewasalittle blackboy,andhis namewasLittleBlackSambo.
AndhismotherwascalledBlackMumbo.
AndhisfatherwascalledBlackJumbo.
AndBlackMumbomadehimabeautifullittleRed Coat,anda pairofbeautifullittleBlueTrousers.
AndBlackJumbowenttotheBazaarandboughthima beautifulGreenUmbrellaandalovelylittlePairof PurpleShoeswithCrimsonSolesandCrimsonLinings. Andthenwasn'tLittleBlackSambogrand?
SoheputonallhisFineClothesandwentoutfora walkintheJungle.
AndbyandbyhemetaTiger.AndtheTigersaidto him,"LittleBlackSambo,I'mgoingtoeatyouup!" AndLittleBlackSambosaid,"Oh!Please,Mr.Tiger, don'teatmeup,andI'llgiveyoumybeautifullittleRed Coat."
SotheTigersaid,"Verywell,Iwon'teatyouthistime, butyoumustgivemeyourbeautifullittleRedCoat." SotheTigergotpoorLittleBlackSambo'sbeautiful littleRedCoat,andwentawaysaying,
“NowI'mthegrandestTigerintheJungle."
AndLittleBlackSambowenton,andbyandbyhemet anotherTiger,anditsaidtohim,"LittleBlackSambo, I'mgoingtoeatyouup!"
AndLittleBlackSambosaid,"Oh!Please,Mr.Tiger, don'teatmeup,andI'llgiveyoumybeautifullittle BlueTrousers."
SotheTigersaid,"Verywell,Iwon'teatyouthistime, butyoumustgivemeyourbeautifullittleBlue Trousers."SotheTigergotpoorLittleBlackSambo's beautifullittleBlueTrousers,andwentawaysaying, "NowI'mthegrandestTigerintheJungle."
AndLittleBlackSambowentonandbyandbyhemet anotherTiger,anditsaidtohim,"LittleBlackSambo, I'mgoingtoeatyouup!"AndLittleBlackSambosaid, "Oh!Please,Mr.Tiger,don'teatmeup,andI'llgive youmybeautifullittlePurple ShoeswithCrimson SolesandCrimsonLinings."
ButtheTigersaid,"Whatusewouldyourshoesbeto me?I'vegotfourfeetandyou'vegotonlytwo."
"Youhaven'tgotenoughshoesforme."ButLittle BlackSambosaid,"Youcouldwearthemonyour ears."
SoIcould,"saidtheTiger,"that'saverygoodidea. Givethemtome,andIwon'teatyouthistime."
SotheTigergotpoorLittleBlackSambo'sbeautiful littlePurpleShoeswithCrimsonSolesandCrimson Linings,andwentawaysaying,"NowI'mthegrandest TigerintheJungle."
AndbyandbyLittleBlackSambometanotherTiger, anditsaidtohim,"LittleBlackSambo,I'mgoingtoeat youup!"
AndLittleBlackSambosaid,"Oh!Please,Mr.Tiger, don'teatmeupandI'llgiveyoumybeautifulGreen Umbrella."ButtheTigersaid,"HowcanIcarryan umbrella whenIneedallmypawsforwalkingwith?"
"Youcouldtieaknotonyourtail,andcarryitthat way,"saidLittleBlackSambo.
"SoIcould,"saidtheTiger."GiveittomeandIwon't eatyouthistime."
SohegotpoorLittleBlackSambo'sbeautifulGreen Umbrella,andwentawaysaying,"Now I'mthe grandestTigerintheJungle."
AndpoorLittleBlackSambowentawaycrying, becausethecruelTigershadtakenallhisfineclothes.
Presentlyhe heardahorriblenoisethatsoundedlike "Gr-r-r-r-rrrrrrr,"anditgotlouderandlouder. "Ohdear!"saidLittleBlackSambo,"Thereareallthe Tigerscomingbacktoeatmeup! WhatshallIdo?"
Soheranquicklytoa palm-tree, Andpeepedroundittoseewhatthematterwas.
AndtherehesawalltheTigersfightinganddisputing whichofthemwasthegrandest.
Andatlasttheyallgotsoangrythattheyjumpedup andtookoffallthefineclothesandbegantoteareach otherwiththeirclawsandbiteeachotherwiththeir greatbigwhiteteeth.
Andtheycame,rollingandtumbling,righttothefoot oftheverytreewhereLittleBlackSambowashiding, buthejumpedquicklyinbehindtheumbrella.Andthe Tigersallcaughtholdofeachothers'tails.
Astheywrangledandscrambled,andsotheyfound themselvesinaringaroundthetree.
Then,whentheTigerswere veryweeandveryfar away,LittleBlackSambojumpedupandcalledout,
"Oh!
Tigers!whyhaveyoutakenoffallyournice clothes?Don'tyouwantthemanymore?"
ButtheTigersonlyanswered "Gr-r-r-rrrrr!"
ThenLittleBlackSambosaid,"Ifyouwantthem,say so,orI'lltakethemaway."ButtheTigerswouldnotlet goofeachothers'tails,andsotheycouldonlysay "Gr-r-r-rrrrrr!"
AndtheTigerswerevery,veryangry,butstillthey wouldnotletgoofeachothers'tails.Andtheywereso angrythattheyranroundthetree,tryingtoeateach otherup,andtheyranfasterandfastertilltheywere whirlingroundsofastthatyoucouldn'tseetheirlegsat all.
Andtheystillranfasterandfasterandfaster,tillthey alljustmeltedaway,andthentherewasnothingleft butagreatbigpoolofmeltedbutter(or"ghi"asitis calledinIndia)roundthefootofthetree.
NowBlackJumbowasjustcominghomefromhis work,witha greatbigbrasspotinhisarms,andwhen hesawwhatwasleftofalltheTigers,hesaid, "Oh!whatlovelymeltedbutter!I'lltakethathometo BlackMumboforhertocookwith."
Soheputitallintothegreatbigbrasspot,andtookit hometoBlackMumbotocookwith.
WhenBlackMumbosawthemeltedbutter,wasn'tshe pleased!"Now,"saidshe,"we'llallhavepancakesfor supper!"
Soshegotflourandeggsandmilkandsugarand butter,andshemadeahugebigplate ofmostlovely pancakes.Andshefriedtheminthemeltedbutter whichtheTigershadmade,andtheywerejustas yellowandbrownaslittleTigers.
Andthentheyallsatdowntosupper.AndBlack Mumboate Twenty-sevenpancakes,andBlackJumbo ateFifty-five,butLittleBlackSamboatea Hundred andSixty-nine,becausehewassohungry.
