114 THE LION. 



on their journey, when a troop of wild horses 

 (zebras), appeared, and the man said to the woman, 

 ' I am hungry ; and as I know you can turn yourself 

 into a lion, do so now, and catch us a wild horse, 

 that we may eat.' 



" The woman answered, ' You'll be afraid.' 



"'No, no,' said the man. 'I am afraid of dying 

 of hunger, but not of you.' 



" Whilst he was speaking, hair began to appear 

 at the back of the woman's neck, her nails assumed 

 the appearance of claws, and her features altered. 

 She set down the child. 



" The man alarmed at the change, climbed a tree 

 close by, while the woman glared at him fearfully ; 

 and, going to one side, she threw off her skin petti- 

 coat, when a perfect lion rushed out into the plain. 

 It bounded and crept among the bushes towards the 

 wild horses; and, springing on one of them, it fell, 

 and the lion lapped its blood. The lion then en me 

 back to where the child was crying, and the man 

 called from the tree, ' Enough ! enough ! Don't 

 hurt me. Put off your lion's shape. I'll never a>k 

 to see this again.' 



" The lion looked at him and growled. ' I'll 

 remain here till I die,' exclaimed the man, ' if you 

 don't become a woman again.' The mane and tail 

 began to disappear, the lion went towards tho bush 

 where the skin petticoat lay; it was slipped on, and 

 the woman in her proper shape took up lb< child. 

 The man descended, partook of the horse's flesh, 

 but never again asked the woman to catch game for 

 him." 



