the tapir and the badger

one day, badger was out snuffling about when he heard a polite harumph. it was tapir.

-excuse me badger, but you wouldn't by any chance have noticed a little black wallet lying about?

-look tapir, can't you see i'm busy here?
badger had a rep for being terse so tapir didn't take it personally.

-well badger, it would only take a moment... you see, it's my friend's wallet. he lost it during last week's migration and we really need it.

tapir tried to look as endearing as possible, which, if you've ever seen a tapir, is a pretty strange look to behold.

-no, i haven't seen any such wallet, came the curt reply.

badger continued to poke around the tall grass so that tapir couldn't see his lying face. for badger had in fact found the wallet that very morning. he had decided to employ finders-keepers precedent and had already spent the contents of the billfold -- $11 -- on flax seed oil to help with his eczema.

-oh, well then...
tapir trailed off and fixed a sidelong stare at badger. he was, for a tapir, remarkably perceptive and badger's fidgeting set off alarm bells in his prehistoric cranium. still, without any sort of proof, tapir figured, there was no reason to start tossing out accusations. But he would keep an eye on old badger. Count on it.