ANIMAL STORIES
Now let me get you a few animal stories of which I am sure there must
be hundreds stored up in the hearts of the black boys and girls. Where
they learn them I know not, but they all seem to be able to tell
stories. I really do believe they are born with them in their hearts
all ready for the telling.
Among the animals, strange to say, the rabbit is considered the
cunning one. White children are accustomed to hear of the sly fox who
said the grapes were sour; his place in Africa is taken by Mr Rabbit.
Many are the tricks he plays on animals big and small, and even on
people. The foolish animal is the hyena, and on him very often falls
the punishment that ought to be borne by the cunning rabbit.
THE STORY OF THE RABBIT AND THE ELEPHANT
A rabbit made friends with an elephant, and they agreed together to hoe
a large garden. While they were busy hoeing, the head of the rabbit’s
hoe fell out, and as he could not see a stone on which to knock his
hoe, he was at a loss to know what to do. Suddenly a good plan entered
his head, and, turning to the elephant, he said, “Friend Elephant,
let me knock in my hoe on your head.” The elephant agreed, and the
hoe was knocked in by the rabbit. Then they went on hoeing again. Not
long after the head of the elephant’s hoe fell off. So, turning to
the rabbit, he said, “Friend Rabbit, let me knock in my hoe on your
head.” But the rabbit, being afraid that the elephant would kill him,
refused and ran off. On his way he met a hyena, who asked him why he
was running at such a break-neck speed. “Ah!” replied the rabbit, “the
elephant has much meat in the garden yonder. Go to him and you will be
sure to get a bit. I am running to get a knife to cut it up.” When the
elephant saw the hyena coming, he thought it was still the rabbit who
had “bewitched” himself to be like another beast. So he caught him and
killed him.
THE STORY OF THE RABBIT AND THE HIPPOPOTAMUS
A rabbit, going down to the river to drink, met a hippopotamus and
began to speak to him. Not far away was an elephant feeding on the
trees near the bank of the river. “Come, let us try our strength,” said
the rabbit to the hippopotamus, “you try to pull me into the water
and I shall try to pull you to the bank, and whoever is pulled over
must pay the other.” But the hippopotamus would not listen to such a
proposal and laughed, saying, “Why should I waste time pulling with a
creature so small as you?” But the rabbit urged him very much to have a
try, so at last he consented. Then the rabbit went off to find a rope,
but in passing the elephant, who was feeding quietly, he challenged him
to a similar trial of strength, but this time the rabbit was to try to
pull the elephant into the water. Like the hippopotamus, the elephant
at first refused. But in the end he consented. So the rabbit gave him
one end of the rope, saying that he would go down into the water and
begin to pull. When he reached the river, however, he gave the other
end of the rope to the hippopotamus, saying he would now run back and
begin to pull. Then the rabbit, pretending to go to pull his end of
the rope, slyly lay down in the grass and watched. Then the two great
animals began to pull and tug against one another but neither could
pull the other over, and all the time the rabbit lay laughing in the
grass. All day the great beasts heaved and tugged at the rope. About
sunset, quite worn out, they gave up the tug-of-war. The rabbit ran to
the river bank where the hippopotamus was standing exhausted half out
of the water with the sand all trampled round about. “Well,” said the
rabbit, “how did I pull?” The poor hippopotamus had to own up that he
was beaten and agreed to pay. Thereupon the rabbit ran to where the
elephant still panted amidst trampled grass and brushwood, and said,
“Well, how did I pull?” The elephant also had to own defeat and agreed
to pay. Thus was the rabbit made rich in a single day.
THE STORY OF THE RABBIT AND THE LION CUBS
A rabbit once wanted to wear a lion’s skin, so he said, “Where shall
I find one?” But his friends said, “You don’t mean it. The lion is a
fearful animal.” But the rabbit said, “I shall deceive it.” So he went
to a lion’s den where there were cubs, stood in the courtyard, and
clapped his hands. The lioness came out and received his salutation
and said, “Well, what?” And the rabbit replied, “I have come to stay.”
So the lioness said, “Pass into the house there and take care of the
children. Remain with them, and I myself shall go to kill game.” Then
she went away to kill game. Not long afterwards the lioness came
back and stood in the path and called out, saying, “Rabbit.” And the
rabbit said, “Here I am.” And she said, “Take this meat. Are all the
children well?” And the rabbit replied, “Yes, they are all well.”
“All right,” said the lioness, “bring them that I may see them.” So
the rabbit brought them, and said, “This is one, this is another, and
this another.” In all there were three. Quite pleased, the lioness
said, “Take the meat and give it them.” The rabbit went and received
the meat, but ate it all himself and the children got none. Then the
lioness went off to kill more meat. When she had gone the rabbit took
one child, killed it, took off its skin, and went away to hide it. The
lioness soon returned, bringing more game, and said, “Are the children
well? Bring them that I may see them.” So the rabbit brought them,
saying, “This is one, this is another, and this another,” but one he
brought twice. Again, well pleased, the lioness went away for more
game, and the rabbit killed another cub, took off its skin, and went
away and hid it. In the evening the lioness again returned, bringing
meat, and said, “Are the children all well?” As usual the rabbit
replied, “Yes, they are all well.” So he showed the lioness the same
cub three times, and said, “This is one, this is another, and this
another.” Again, well pleased, the lioness said, “Take this meat and
give it them.” But the rabbit ate it all, and afterwards killed the
cub that was left, skinned it, and went off to hide the skin. Then,
afraid of the return of the lioness, he went to get string. Next he
cut a small slave stick and tied himself by the neck. Then he twisted
cords and tied his legs and bound himself to the stick again, and with
another cord tied his arms. Then he made a great noise, and called out,
“War! War! War against the lion. War!” The lioness came bounding back,
and said, “What is the matter?” So the rabbit said, “The children are
all taken, the soldiers carried them off.” And the lioness demanded,
“Soldiers from where?” And the rabbit said, “I don’t know. Untie me.”
The lioness set about untying, and the rabbit said, “Wait for me, I
shall go in search of them.” So the rabbit went away and found monkeys
spinning their tops, saying, “Go! Go!” But the rabbit said, “Yes,
nonsense, but you should say, ‘I have killed a lion and taken off
his skin.’” The monkeys said, “Yes, very good,” and the rabbit left
the monkeys repeating these words. He himself went back and met the
lioness, and said, “The children were killed by these monkeys.” So the
lioness said, “Deceive them, saying that we will do trade in tops.” So
the rabbit went back to the monkeys, and said, “Let us deal in these
tops.” So they said, “With what goods?” And the rabbit said, “With
beans.” Then the monkeys said, “Well, bring them that we may buy.” So
the rabbit went back and told all to the lioness, who said, “Weave a
basket and tie me into it.” And the rabbit wove a basket, tied in the
lioness, and put a few beans on top, lifted the basket, and departed.
When he arrived at their courtyard he found the monkeys spinning their
tops. So he called out, “I have brought that merchandise.” And they
replied, “We shall buy it.” Just then a monkey sent his top spinning,
saying, “I have killed a lion’s cub and have taken off its skin.” So
the rabbit whispered to the lioness, “Listen, those fellows killed the
children;” then to the monkeys, “Let us go and sell in this house.”
Then the rabbit took a knife and cut the ropes that held the lioness,
who sprang out upon the poor monkeys and killed them all. But the
rabbit went for his skins and took them home and wore them.
THE STORY OF THE TORTOISE AND THE MONKEY
Once a tortoise and a monkey made friends, and the monkey said to
the tortoise, “Friend Tortoise, come to my home and visit.” So the
tortoise went and the monkey cooked food for him, but, wishing to
play a trick on him, placed it on a high platform which the tortoise
could not possibly reach up to. Then he called the tortoise, saying,
“Friend Tortoise, go into the house and eat.” When the tortoise went
in expecting a feast he found the food so high up that he could not
reach it. So he came out very angry, and said, “Friend Monkey, you have
been insolent to me.” So he went home, and brooded over the insult for
three days. Then he sent a messenger to invite the monkey to his home,
saying to himself, “Yon monkey was cheeky to me, I also will be cheeky
to him.” So when the monkey came he found food already cooked and eyed
it greedily. But the tortoise said, “Friend Monkey, there is no water
in the house, go down to the stream and wash your hands.” So the monkey
went down through the burned grass and washed his hands in anticipation
of the feast. But in coming back from the stream he had to pass again
through the burned grass and his hands were as black as ever. So seeing
through the tortoise’s cunning he got angry, and said, “My friend has
played a trick on me,” and departed to his own home.