Leopard played dead to catch Rabbit.
"Fine meat!" Rabbit chortled. "And fine fur!"
He tied Leopard's body with rope and made a head-pad of grass to carry the load.
As Rabbit walked, Leopard dug his claws into Rabbit's head.
"What sharp thorns that grass has!" Rabbit thought.
Leopard kept clawing, and Rabbit kept groaning.
Wolf came running. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"Help me carry this load," said Rabbit, "and I'll give you half."
Wolf put the load on his head.
Leopard started clawing Wolf!
Wolf groaned, and Rabbit ran off, laughing.
Then Leopard broke free, grabbed Wolf, and ate him.
[a Swahili story from Zanzibar]
Inspired by: Kiungani, or, Story and History From Central Africa, edited by A. C. Madan
Notes: This story is a sequel to the story of Elephant trying to get his fat back from Rabbit: The Rabbit and the Elephant Go Dancing. Elephant keeps sending one animal after another and Rabbit kills them all just like he killed Buffalo, but Leopard manages to avoid the boulder. He plays dead to catch Rabbit, and that is the story I have told here.
Notes: This story is a sequel to the story of Elephant trying to get his fat back from Rabbit: The Rabbit and the Elephant Go Dancing. Elephant keeps sending one animal after another and Rabbit kills them all just like he killed Buffalo, but Leopard manages to avoid the boulder. He plays dead to catch Rabbit, and that is the story I have told here.
Brain beats brawn every time
ReplyDeleteServes Wolf right for agreeing to carry the heavy load!
DeletePoor Wolf,
ReplyDelete