Elephant invited Dog to dinner. He watched as Elephant kindled a fire and cooked plantains. Next, Elephant thrust his foot into the fire and then held his foot over the food so that fat dripped everywhere. Dog stuffed himself with plantains and fat. Delicious!
Dog then invited Elephant to dinner. He also kindled a fire and cooked plantains. Then he put his foot into the fire, but it burned. Dog shrieked and pulled his foot from the fire. There were no fat drippings.
"Foolish Dog!" said Elephant. "You shouldn't invite guests to dinner if you don't know how to cook."
[a Bulu story from Cameroon]
Inspired by: "Dog Tries to Do Same as Elephant" in Bulu Folk-Tales (in Journal of American Folklore) by George Schwab, 1914. The Bulu are a people who live in Cameroon.
Notes: You can read the original story online. In the original story the dog burns his foot off!
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