114 
THE LION. 
on their journey, when a troop of wild horses 
(zebras), appeared, and the man said to the woman, 
4 1 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. 5 
cc The woman answered, e You’ll be afraid.’ 
ecc No, no,’ said the man. 6 1 am afraid of dying 
of hunger, but not of you.’ 
cc 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. 
ce 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 came 
back to where the child was crying, and the man 
called from the tree, c Enough ! enough! Don’t 
hurt me. Put off your lion’s shape. I’ll never ask 
to see this again.’ 
6S The lion looked at him and growled. c I’ll 
remain here till I die,’ exclaimed the man, f if you 
don’t become a woman again.’ The mane and tail 
began to disappear, the lion went towards the bush 
where the skin petticoat lay; it was slipped on, and 
the woman in her proper shape took up the child. 
The man descended, partook of the horse’s flesh, 
but never again asked the woman to catch game for 
him.” 
