(504 BANTU NEGROES 



" Wait for him," said he, " and when he has his head deep in the hole, pounce upon 

 him. But," he added, remembering the friendship the hare had shown him in 

 not ordering him to be killed, "do not kill him." "Oh," remonstrated the friends,, 

 "we like hare, we want to eat him." "Very well," said the tortoise, "but if you 

 kill him quickly, he will be tough. You must take him home, make a pot ready 

 half-filled with line oil and salt, put the hare in it, and leave a hole in the cover so 

 that you may add cold water from time to time, for if you let the oil get hot you 

 will completely spoil the hare, so be very careful not to let it boil." The friends 

 did exactly as they were told. They trapped the hare ami carried him back with 

 them, put him in the pot with the nicest of oil and the proper amount of salt, 

 and placed it on the fire. Water was added occasionally through the hole made in the 

 cover. After some hours, when all was thought to be ready, the friends having 

 washed their hands and nicely laid out the dishes and seated themselves expectantly, 

 the pot was placed in the middle of them, the cover withdrawn, when hey ! presto, 

 out popped the hare and to their horror scrambled off. " Dear me," said the tortoise 

 as he received him, "where have you baen ? " "Alas!" said the hare, "I have been 

 in great danger ; I nearly lost my life. I have been caught, cooked, and only by a 

 miracle escaped with my life." As he said this he began to lick himself. The 

 tortoise, noticing a look of pleasure rapidly succeed that of fright with which he had 

 first entered, went across and also began licking the hare. " How delicious ! " said 

 he. " Get away ! " said the greedy hare ; " you have not been in the pot, nor been 

 through all the trials I've been through. Keep oft' ! " The tortoise, feeling that his 

 cunning had supplied the oil and salt, began to wax angry. "Let me have your 

 left shoulder and side to lick." " I will not," said the hare, more and more enjoying 

 himself. The tortoise left in a great fury, and ran into the arms of his friends, who 

 were coming to him in a towering rage. " What did you mean ? " said they. " Through 

 your advice we have lost not only the hare, but also all our beautiful oil and salt. 

 When Ave uncovered the pot the hare jumped out and ran oft' with it all clinging to 

 him." "Dear me," said the tortoise, in his rage lost to every feeling of friendship, 

 " this is very sad. Xow, 1 will tell you what to do. Arrange a dance and invite 

 the hare, and when he is dancing to your tom-toms, seize him, and this time kill 

 him." This was done, not a moment being lost, when once the hare was trapped, 

 in killing, skinning, and cutting him up, so as to ensure his not this time escaping. 

 And thus the hare himself was outwitted, and perished through his greediness 

 and selfishness. 



(5) The Hare and the Elephant.— One day a hare came upon an elephant standing 

 expectantly at an ant-hole which had only that morning been dug by himself with 

 a view to his evening meal. " What hard luck ! " said the hare. " What can I do 

 against that big hulking brute, Avho wants to steal my dinner? I will try a plan." 

 He returned to his home, made a torch of four reeds, and passed by the elephant 

 at a great pace. " Who are you ? " said the latter. " I'm a hare." " Where are you 

 going?" " Oh," said the hare, "we hear that an elephant is stealing our ants," 

 and then scampered off. A little farther on he put out the torch, and sneaked 

 round by a by-way to his home, relighted the torch, and again went to the elephant- 

 " Who are you 1 " said the big beast. " A hare." " Where are you going ? " " Oh," 

 said the hare, "my comrades called me because an elephant is stealing our ants," 

 and again went oft' quickly. As before, he sneaked round to his home, and then 

 passed the elephant. "Who are you?" said the elephant. "I'm a hare." "Where 

 are you going?" "Haven't you seen my fellows pass this way? We are meeting 

 in numbers, as we mean to have our meal which an enemy is trying to steal," and 

 again ran off. Going round once more to his home, he again came up with the elephant 



