(From Sir James E. Alexander’s “Expedition of Discovery into the
Interior of Africa,” vol. ii. pp. 247, 250.)
A Leopard was returning home from hunting on one occasion, when he
lighted on the kraal of a Ram. Now the Leopard had never seen a Ram
before, and accordingly, approaching submissively, he said, “Good day,
friend! what may your name be?”
The other, in his gruff voice, and striking his breast with his
forefoot, said, “I am a Ram. Who are you?”
“A Leopard,” answered the other, more dead than alive; and then, taking
leave of the Ram, he ran home as fast as he could.
A Jackal lived at the same place as the Leopard did, and the latter
going to him, said, “Friend Jackal, I am quite out of breath, and am
half dead with fright, for I have just seen a terrible-looking fellow,
with a large and thick head, and, on my asking him what his name was,
he answered roughly, “I am a Ram!”
“What a foolish Leopard you are!” cried the Jackal, to let such a nice
piece of flesh stand! “Why did you do so? But we shall go to-morrow and
eat it together!”
Next day the two set off for the kraal of the Ram, and as they appeared
over a hill, the Ram, who had turned out to look about him, and was
calculating where he should that day crop a tender salad, saw them, and
he immediately went to his wife, and said, “I fear this is our last
day, for the Jackal and Leopard are both coming against us. What shall
we do?”
“Don’t be afraid,” said the wife, “but take up the child in your arms;
go out with it, and pinch it to make it cry as if it were hungry.” The
Ram did so as the confederates came on.
No sooner did the Leopard cast his eyes on the Ram, than fear again
took possession of him, and he wished to turn back. The Jackal had
provided against this, and made the Leopard fast to himself with a
leathern thong, and said, “Come on!” when the Ram cried in a loud
voice, and pinching his child at the same time, “You have done well,
friend Jackal, to have brought us the Leopard to eat, for you hear how
my child is crying for food!”
On hearing these dreadful words, the Leopard, notwithstanding the
entreaties of the Jackal to let him loose, set off in the greatest
alarm, dragging the Jackal after him over hill and valley, through
bushes and over rocks, and never stopped to look behind him till he
brought back himself and the half-dead Jackal to his place again. And
so the Ram escaped.