390 SIRONGA FOLKLORE, 



Now in the night the buck said to himself: " The hare says 

 we will make that pit to-morrow. I had better go to-night, be- 

 fore the pit is made, and have a good feed of those beans." 



So he came from his kraal, walking quietly in the paths. It 

 was very dark, and there was no moon, and all the stars were 

 hidden behind the clouds, so in the dark he fell into the pit that 

 the hare had already made. The sharp stakes went into his hind- 

 quarters and the buck jumped out, leaving the mark of blood 

 upon the stakes! Then he went home and lay down. The 

 wounds hurt him very much. 



Early next morning, while the sun' was still low, the hare 

 went to the garden, and saw what had happened there in the 

 night. 



" Oh! " said he, " somebody has been here. Look at that 

 blood on the stakes, and look at that spoor in the sand. I have 

 caught that buck who eats my beans!" 



Then he took a piece of stick with the mark of blood on it\ 

 and he went to the kraal of the buck, and said to him, " Look at* 

 this ! Somebody has been to my garden in the night, and has 

 fallen into the pit that I made. Just look at the blood ! I nearly 

 caught him. I do not know hoVv he got out of the pit again." 



Tha buck said, " Oh, I do not know who it is." 



Then the hare said, " "What is the matter with you that you 

 lie so stiff, and look so ill? You were quite well yesterday." 



*' Oh," said the buck, " I caught fever yesterday. I have 

 caught a chill." 



" Well," said the hare, " that's all right. It is a good thing 

 thab I came to see you, for I have some medicine that I can give 

 you, if you like." 



" Thank you, very much," answered the buck; " I shall be 

 thankful if you will do so." 



So the hare went and took a large piece of a broken waterpot 

 and put some dry leaves in it, and poured some fresh water on 

 tbem, and made a fire and put the pot on the fire. 



Then he said to the buck, " Now this is the way to cure a 

 cold. If we go into the steam and cover ourselves with blankets, 

 we shall soon get well. I will have the medicine too, for I think 

 I have caught a little cold also." 



" Very well," rephed the buck; " who will be first? " 



" Oh, I will," said the hare. " I don't mind being the first. 

 When I say ' Open ! ' you must open the blankets as quickly as 

 you can, when I feel the heat of the medicine." 



So the hare went in. Soon he called out, " Open for me! 

 and the buck opened the covering of the blankets, and the hare 

 caine out. Then the buck went in, and stayed for some minutes 

 inside. Then he said, " Please open ^ for me! ". and the hare 

 opened the blankets, and the buck came out. 



As-soon as the buck had come out, the hare took some pieces 

 of wood and made a" big fire, and said, " Well, I want to go iri 

 while this pot is boiling." 



