The Moon sent Louse with a message for the people. "Tell them: As I die and, dying, live again, so shall you."
Louse was on his way when Rabbit overtook him. "You're so slow!" Rabbit said. "Tell me the message, and I'll deliver it."
Louse said, "Moon says: As I die and, dying, live again, so shall you."
Rabbit ran and told the people, "Moon says: As I die and, dying, perish, so shall you."
Then Rabbit reported back to Moon.
"You got it wrong!" shouted Moon, and she punched Rabbit's in the nose. That's why Rabbit's nose is split.
Inspired by: "The Origin of Death" in Reynard the fox in South Africa; or, Hottentot fables and tales by W. H. I. Bleek, 1864. Bleek translated the story from the Khoekhoe (Hofftentot) version in Kronlein's manuscript.
Notes: You can read the original story online. The original story does not say what insect, but other South African versions have the Louse (see Bascom: "Moon Splits Hare's Lip (Nose): An African Myth in the United States" for examples), so I used Louse as the insect in this story. For a story just about the hare and the moon, see: Rabbit Brings Death to the World and the notes there.
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