SIUONGA FOLKLORE. • 387 



So the leopard gave the hare the piece of flesh to carry, and 

 went and showed him the place where the cubs were lying 

 asleep in a hollow tree. 



" Oh!" said the hare, when he saw them, *' this is not the 

 best place to keep cubs in. You must take them out and go and 

 put them in •'a good, comfoitable place." 



So the hare took those cubs out of the hollow tree and put 

 them in a good place. Now the leopard used to give the hare 

 some flesh for the cubs every day, and the hare took care of the 

 cubs and fed them. The leopard used to hunt and to sleep. After 

 a long time the leopard said to the hare, " Hare, I want to have 

 a look at my cubs." 



So the hare went wjth the leopard to the place where th^ 

 cubs were, and took one and brought it "and showed it to the. 

 leopard, and the leopard said, " Oh, you spoke the truth when 

 you said that they would grow quickly. You keep them well. 

 They are nice." There were four. 



After the next day, the hare went and caught one of the 

 cubs and killed it, and ate the flesh, keeping only one foot. By 

 and bye, when he saw the leopard coming from hunting, the hare 

 called the leopard and said, " Oh I my mistress, 1 told you that I 

 would keep your cubs well. To-.day I saw this, when I was taking 

 them to walk outside. A young buck passed by in the bush and 

 they saw it, and ran and caught it, and now they can get food for 

 themselves. They caught a buck this morning and now they can 

 kill their own food. I kept just one part of the buck this morn- 

 ing. Would you like to have it? " 



'* Yes," said the leopard; " yes, indeed. I should be pleased 

 to have something that has been caught by my cubs." But 

 she did not know that she would have part of one of her own 

 cubs. 



The hare took the meat and gave it to the leopard and the 

 leopard ate it. 



The next day the hare took another, and there were two left. 

 He did the sar/ie the next day, giving a part of it to the mother, 

 saying that it was part of a buck that the cubs had caught, and 

 the rnother was deceived all the time. 



Then, when there was only one cub left, the leopard came 

 and asked to see her cubs. So the hare said, " Certainly, but 

 there is no need to go all the way to the place where the cubs 

 are. 1 am your servant, and I will bring the cubs to you." So 

 the leopard sat down in the shade of a big tree and the hare went 

 off to fetch the cubs. But three had been eaten, and there was 

 only one left. So he took that one that was left and brought it 

 to the leopard, who took much pleasure in seeing it. Then the 

 leopard said, " Where are the others, hare? Let me see them 

 all." 



'* Yes," said the hare, " certainly you shall see them all; 

 but I have taken such good care of them and they have grown 



