Dog and Tortoise were friends, and together they decided to go steal yams. They stuffed their sacks full, and then they ran.
In the distance, Tortoise heard people shouting.
"Dear Dog," he said, "my bag is so heavy. I can't go on; please take my bag!" Tortoise only said this because he was afraid they would get caught.
Dog took Tortoise's bag and heaved it onto his back. Tortoise then crawled into the bushes just as the people arrived.
They beat Dog and took back all the yams, while Tortoise watched, safely hidden.
Dog never realized that Tortoise tricked him.
Inspired by: "Dog is Betrayed" in West African folktales by Jack Berry, 1991.
Notes: You can read the original story online. This is a Yoruba story from Nigeria.
Ha ha ha! Dog was strong enough to carry both sacks, but he wasn't very intelligent! I bet Tortoise was delighted to see his trick had worked!
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