The camel “follows the leader,” almost as in the game, for wherever the leader goes he goes—so when a number of camels are used to carry loads long distances they are tied head to tail in a line, like a train of cars hitched together, often with a donkey at the head of the train like a locomotive to lead them. The donkey has sense, but a camel has little sense; that’s why the donkey is made the leader. Such a train of camels is called a caravan. The camel looks very superior—as if no one were as good as he—but he is really a stupid animal with a very small brain. He has, however, an even temper—always mean, ugly, and nasty. He grunts as he walks slowly along on his stilt-like legs. He is trained to kneel and a load is then put on his back, and he will carry great loads with his driver on top of that. If too big a load is put on his back, when kneeling, the camel will not get up at all; but once he gets up he never gives up, no matter how heavy the load.

You can then pile anything on him until it crushes him to the ground. When he has all the load he can carry, one straw more may be enough to break his back. So when you give some one too much work to do, people say, “It’s the last straw that breaks the camel’s back.” The camel carries loads for his master, but the camel does more than that. The mother camel gives him milk, and sometimes young camels are used for food. The camel’s hair is woven to make blankets and clothes and tents. In our country the best paint brushes are made of camel’s hair.