Little Black Sambo   By: Helen Bannerman (1862-1946)

BY HELEN BANNERMAN

ILLUSTRATED BY FLORENCE WHITE WILLIAMS

THE SAALFIELD PUBLISHING COMPANY CHICAGO . AKRON, OHIO . NEW YORK PRINTED IN U.S.A.

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LITTLE BLACK SAMBO

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Once upon a time there was a little black boy, and his name was Little Black Sambo.

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And his mother was called Black Mumbo.

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And his father was called Black Jumbo.

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And Black Mumbo made him a beautiful little Red Coat, and a pair of beautiful little Blue Trousers.

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And Black Jumbo went to the Bazaar and bought him a beautiful Green Umbrella and a lovely little Pair of Purple Shoes with Crimson Soles and Crimson Linings.

And then wasn't Little Black Sambo grand?

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So he put on all his Fine Clothes and went out for a walk in the Jungle.

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And by and by he met a Tiger. And the Tiger said to him, "Little Black Sambo, I'm going to eat you up!"

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And Little Black Sambo said, "Oh! Please, Mr. Tiger, don't eat me up, and I'll give you my beautiful little Red Coat."

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So the Tiger said, "Very well, I won't eat you this time, but you must give me your beautiful little Red Coat." So the Tiger got poor Little Black Sambo's beautiful little Red Coat, and went away saying,

"Now I'm the grandest Tiger in the Jungle."

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And Little Black Sambo went on, and by and by he met another Tiger, and it said to him, "Little Black Sambo, I'm going to eat you up!"

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And Little Black Sambo said, "Oh! Please, Mr. Tiger, don't eat me up, and I'll give you my beautiful little Blue Trousers."

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So the Tiger said, "Very well, I won't eat you this time, but you must give me your beautiful little Blue Trousers." So the Tiger got poor Little Black Sambo's beautiful little Blue Trousers, and went away saying, "Now I'm the grandest Tiger in the Jungle."

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And Little Black Sambo went on and by and by he met another Tiger, and it said to him, "Little Black Sambo, I'm going to eat you up!" And Little Black Sambo said, "Oh! Please, Mr. Tiger, don't eat me up, and I'll give you my beautiful little Purple Shoes with Crimson Soles and Crimson Linings."

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But the Tiger said, "What use would your shoes be to me? I've got four feet and you've got only two."

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"You haven't got enough shoes for me." But Little Black Sambo said, "You could wear them on your ears."

"So I could," said the Tiger, "that's a very good idea. Give them to me, and I won't eat you this time."

So the Tiger got poor Little Black Sambo's beautiful little Purple Shoes with Crimson Soles and Crimson Linings, and went away saying, "Now I'm the grandest Tiger in the Jungle."

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And by and by Little Black Sambo met another Tiger, and it said to him, "Little Black Sambo, I'm going to eat you up!"

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And Little Black Sambo said, "Oh! Please, Mr. Tiger, don't eat me up and I'll give you my beautiful Green Umbrella." But the Tiger said, "How can I carry an umbrella when I need all my paws for walking with?"

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"You could tie a knot on your tail, and carry it that way," said Little Black Sambo.

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"So I could," said the Tiger. "Give it to me and I won't eat you this time."

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So he got poor Little Black Sambo's beautiful Green Umbrella, and went away saying, "Now I 'm the grandest Tiger in the Jungle."

And poor Little Black Sambo went away crying, because the cruel Tigers had taken all his fine clothes.

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