Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 27, 1916.djvu/189

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Folklore of the Banyanja.
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On the other side of the mountain he met a Man. He asked the Man if he might stay with him. The Man said, "Very well." The Man of the Hut bought a fowl and gave it to the new arrival, saying, "Cook it while I go to work in the garden." The Man said, "All right," and cooked it; but ate it all himself. The other Man returned and said, "Where is the fowl?" He answered, "I ate it all." The Man of the Hut bought him another fowl, and gave it to him to cook, while he went himself to work in the garden. As before, he cooked it and ate it himself. When the other Man returned he was angry, and killed his guest.

The Hare and the Elephant.

Once there was a Hare and he said he would work at a garden together with the Elephant. He used his own pick; but only drove it in a little way, so that each time it came out again. Then he used the Elephant's pick; but it was too heavy; thus he worked very slowly. The Elephant came to see and the Hare said, "It is because my pick is too blunt and I cannot drive it into the ground. Let me sharpen it. If I strike it on your head it will become sharp." The Elephant said, "Very well"; and the Hare did so and worked well for a little time; then he said his pick was blunt and asked leave to sharpen it in the same way.

Next day the Elephant took his pick and worked. Soon he said, "My pick is blunt; let me hit you on the head with it." The Hare said, "No." The Elephant said, "What is this? Yesterday you struck me twice, because you said your pick wanted sharpening." The Hare said, "No, I am too little; I would die if you struck me!" The Elephant said, "It is all right if you die, because yesterday you struck me twice." The Hare ran away until he came to a river and there he was caught in a snare. The Elephant went home to get his pick. A little Wild Cat came to the