How the Camel Got His Hump

In the beginning of the world, a lazy Camel answers the Horse, the Dog and the Ox with nothing but “Humph!”, so they must do his work as well. The Djinn of All Deserts comes rolling in a cloud of dust, and when the Camel says “Humph!” once too often, his back puffs up into a great big hump.

Scene 1: Humph!

How the Camel Got His Hump. In the beginning of years, when the world was so new and all, the Animals began to work for Man. But a Camel lived in the middle of a Howling Desert, because he did not want to work. He ate sticks and thorns and prickles, most ’scruciating idle. When anybody spoke to him, he said: “Humph!” Just “Humph!” and no more.

Scene 2: Camel, O Camel

On Monday morning, the Horse came to him and said: “Camel, O Camel, come out and trot like the rest of us.” The Camel said: “Humph!” Then the Dog came, with a stick in his mouth, and said: “Camel, O Camel, come and fetch and carry like the rest of us.” The Camel said: “Humph!” Then the Ox came, with the yoke on his neck, and said: “Camel, O Camel, come and plough like the rest of us.” And the Camel said: “Humph!”

Scene 3: Double Time

At the end of the day, the Man called the Horse and the Dog and the Ox together. He said: “Three, O Three, I’m very sorry for you. That Humph-thing in the Desert can’t work, so you must work double-time.” That made the Three very angry! Along came the Camel, chewing milkweed, and laughed at them. He said: “Humph!”

Scene 4: The Djinn of All Deserts

Presently, along came the Djinn in charge of All Deserts, rolling in a cloud of dust, because it is Magic. The Horse asked: “Djinn of All Deserts, is it right for anyone to be idle, with the world so new-and-all?” The Djinn said: “Certainly not.” The Three told him about the lazy Camel. The Djinn said: “I’ll humph him, if you will kindly wait a minute.”

Scene 5: Once Too Often

The Djinn rolled himself up in his dust-cloak, and found the Camel by a pool of water. He said: “My long and bubbling friend, what’s this I hear of your doing no work?” The Camel said: “Humph!” The Djinn sat down, with his chin in his hand, and thought a Great Magic. He said: “I shouldn’t say that again if I were you. Bubbles, I want you to work.” But the Camel said it again: “Humph!” At once, his back began puffing up and puffing up into a great big lolloping humph!

Scene 6: Humph Yourself!

The Djinn said: “That’s your very own humph, that you’ve brought upon your very own self by not working.” Then he said: “Now you are going to work. You can work for three days without eating, because you can live on your humph. Humph yourself!” So the Camel went off to join the Three. And from that day to this, the Camel always wears a humph. We call it “hump” now, not to hurt his feelings. The Camel’s hump is an ugly lump, which well you may see at the Zoo. But uglier yet is the hump we get from having too little to do.

Moral: The hump we get comes from having too little to do: idleness makes extra work for everyone, so do your share.

Questions about How the Camel Got His Hump

What did the Camel say when anybody spoke to him?

Humph!.

Which three animals asked the Camel to work?

The Horse, the Dog and the Ox.

How did the Djinn of All Deserts travel?

Rolling in a cloud of dust.

Where did the Djinn find the Camel?

By a pool of water.

What happened when the Camel said “Humph!” once too often?

His back puffed up into a hump.