FOLK TALES 371 



ravine, you can pull me back ? " But the rhinoceros 

 only laughed, and said, " I could jerk you back and 

 catch you on my horn." " Never mind," rejoined 

 the hare, " let us try." So he attached the end 

 of the rope held by the elephant to the neck of 

 the rhinoceros, and retracing his steps until he 

 reached a point about the middle, he cried to them 

 both to pull him. Then commenced a mighty 

 struggle ; the elephant trying to puU the rhinoceros 

 up-hiU, and the rhinoceros to draw the elephant 

 down. They pulled until they were weary, without 

 the least result, and at length went in search of 

 each other. When they met both were furious at 

 the trick the hare had played them, and agreed that 

 he must die, so they tied him up and placed him 

 in a tree, whilst they went for firewood to burn 

 him to death. Whilst they were gone, a leopard 

 passing by espied the hare tied up in the tree. 

 " What are you doing there, hare ? " he asked. 

 " The elephant said he would make me eat flesh," 

 replied the cunning hare, " and as my teeth were 

 not made for eating anything but grass, I shall 

 starve to death." " Oh, but mine were," said the 

 leopard ; " I will take your place." So with his 

 teeth he unfastened the hare's bonds, and the 

 latter lost no time in getting out of sight. When 

 the elephant came back, he said in a surprised 

 tone, " What are you doing there, leopard ? " 

 " Waiting for the meat you went to get for the 

 hare," was the rejoinder. " Ah," said the elephant, 

 " you want the meat, do you ? Well, take it," and 

 throwing upon the leopard the immense pile of wood 

 he had brought back, he crushed him to death. 



