SIKONOA KOLKLORF,. 305 



said, " Yes, your talk is goofl. We will stop in this place. You 

 must leave that fruit for me. That will be for me to eat, but 

 you, my servants, may eat anything else that is in this place, 

 only leave the fruit of this tree for me." 



So they all put down the things that they were carrying, 

 and began to make ready to pass tlie night in that place. 



Now just before it got dark, just when all the animals were 

 getting ready to sleep, the hare went to the headmen and said, 

 I have been thinking about something." 



" Yes," said they, '" what is it, O Nwampfundla the hare'i' 

 Well," said the hare, " I am not quiet in my mind about 

 that tree with the fruit, which our master the lion says must 

 only be for him." 



Oh! what about that'!* Everybody knows the will of our 

 master. What then'? 



Well," said the hare, "I do not want to get into any 

 trouble. Suppose somebody gets up in the night and steals the 

 fruit of the tree? Things like that do happen sometimes, you 

 know. If such; a thing should happen, I know that you would 

 sa.y, ' Oh, it is Nwampfundla -the hare who has done this thing.' 



Why should you think that'.' " said the tinduna. 



" Well, there is somethmg in my mind that says it," said 

 the hare. " But I have a good plan Do you see that old wooden 

 mortar that they use for stainping corn'-' I will tell you what to 

 do. You had better cover me with that old mortar, and then I 

 shall be safe inside it, and if anything happens in the night every- 

 one will know that it cannot be I, for I shall be shut up in the 

 mortar." 



" Very well," said the tinduna. They laughed at the liare, 

 but they took the mortar, and turned it upside down, and covered 

 the hare with it, so that he was quite shut up in the mortar. 

 Then all the animals went to sleep, sleeping there in the bush, in 

 the place where was the I'ncebe tree.. 



Now in the night, when all the animals were asleep, the hare 

 lifted up tlie side of the mortar, and looked out. He did it very 

 quietly. He looked out on this side, and the other side, and on 

 every side, but everything was still, for all the animals were 

 asleep. 



Then, when he saw that all were asleep, he came out of the 

 mortar very quietly, and he went to a place where they had left 

 a basket, and he took the basket. Then he stood still to listen. 

 He could hear the breathing of the animals as they slept, but 

 none moved, they were all asleep, for they had eaten much of the 

 fruits of the other trees that the lion had given them, and they 

 were all asleep. 



So the hare climbed up the tree quietly, going up a little bit, 

 and listening, and then going up another little bit and listening 

 again. But there was no movement among the beasts, they were 

 all fast asleep. 



