There was once a woman who lived in a cave.
Rabbit fell in love with her. "Marry me!" he said.
The woman agreed.
Rabbit brought Lion to see his beautiful bride, and she sang:
Who needs Lion? I do not like him.
I love only my Rabbit, my Rabbit alone!
Rabbit brought other animals, one after another, and his bride sang the same song.
But then Rabbit brought a man to meet his bride, and she ran off with the man and married him instead.
Rabbit wept bitterly, singing a sad song:
My beautiful bride, she is gone, long gone!
[a Lozi story from Zambia]
Inspired by: "The Woman and the Hare" in Barotseland: eight years among the Barotse by D. W. Stirke, 1922.
Notes: You can read the original story online. Barotseland, now incorporated into Zambia, is the home of the Lozi people; learn more at Wikipedia.
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