Young Leopard and Young Otter were friends, but when Leopard's father found out, he told his son, "Otters are food, not friends. You must kill Young Otter; then we'll eat him."
Turtledove heard this and warned Young Otter to stay near the water, but she had to be careful; she was friends with the Leopards too.
The next day Young Otter played near the water, and when Young Leopard came, Turtledove sang, "The friends will play now, friendly friends!"
Young Otter realized the danger and escaped into the water, but the Leopards did not blame Turtledove. She had fooled them!
Inspired by: "The Children of the Leopard and the Children of the Otter" in Bulu Tales from Kamerun, West Africa (published in Journal of American Folkklore) by Adolph N. Krug, 1912.
Notes: You can read the original story online. This Bulu version in Schwab does not have the dove: Little Leopard and Little Otter.
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