The next day the cougar came back to the same spot and roared, "Now, boaster, bring on your valiant cousin."
Pretty soon he heard a buzzing near his ear. Then he felt a stinging. "Oh, oh!" he roared, "get out of my ear!" But the cricket's cousin, the mosquito, kept on singing and stinging.
With every sting the cougar roared louder and scratched his ear and jumped around; but the mosquito kept on stinging and singing.
The cricket sat on the log and looked on. At last he said, "Mr. Cougar, are you satisfied to leave my house alone?"
"Yes, anything, anything," groaned the cougar, "if you will only get your cousin out of my ear."
So the cricket called the mosquito off, and then the cougar ran away and never bothered them any more.
"Once a flea got into my ear," broke in Antonio, eagerly, "and I was almost crazy until mamma put some warm oil in and drowned the flea out."
"Yes, I can remember how you cried," said his sister.
"No, you can't. You were too little then. And you 'd cry, too, with a flea thundering in your ear."
"You may put up your sewing now, Nita," said Tecla, "and play until supper time."
