Rabbit and Baboon raided a peanut-garden.
As they feasted, Rabbit said, “Let’s play a game with our fingers!”
“No,” said Baboon. “I’m using my fingers to eat.”
“With our mouths!”
“No, I’m using my mouth.”
“With our eyes!”
“No, I’m using my eyes.”
“With our tails!”
“Okay,” Baboon agreed, “but you’ll have to show me how to play this game.”
“It’s easy,” said Rabbit as he grabbed Baboon’s tail and tied it to a stake in the ground. Then Rabbit shouted, “Come, people! Come, dogs! Baboon’s stealing your peanuts!”
While the people and dogs attacked Baboon, Rabbit ran away, laughing.
[a Ndau story from Mozambique]
Inspired by: "Hare and Baboon" in Tales and Proverbs of the Vandau of Portuguese South Africa (published in Journal of American Folklore) by Franz Boas and C. Kamba Simango, 1922.
Notes: You can read the original story online, and the Ndau text is also available. In the original story, Rabbit refers to Baboon as "uncle" (mother's brother). The Ndau word for peanut here is manduwi, as in the manduvi type also known as negrito.
I feel so sorry for Baboon, he was duped.
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