TABULATION OP FOLKTALES. 69
[No. 23.] Title of Story.— The Hare and the Lion.
Dramatis Personse. — Hare. — His wife and father. — Buku. — Tortoise. — Lion. — People.
Abstract of Story. — Hare, looking for food in forest, saw large calabash tree in which was hive of honey, returned to town to look for companions to eat with him. — (1) "Went into buku's house (buku a large kind of rat), invited him to come and eat honey, which he said his father who had died had left him ; they went to tree, climbed up, ate honey, having fired bees with burning straw so that they flew away. Lion came out under calabash tree, looked up, saw people eating, asked who they were. Hare told buku not to speak as old fellow was mad. Lion repeated question ; buku was afraid, and said, " We are here," Hare told buku to put him among straw and tell lion that he was going to throw it down, and he (buku) was coming too. — (2) Buku did so, and hare escaped from straw. Lion then told buku to come down, and after learning who had been with him lion ate buku and then went to find hare. — (.8) Third day hare invited tortoise to eat honey with him, and they went up tree. Lion came out, and he was owner of honey. Hare tried trick as before about straw; tortoise suspected it and call- ing out told lion hare was coming, so this time he was caught. — (4) Hare told lion if he ate him he would find flesh tough, but he was to take him by tail, whirl him round, knock him on ground, then eat him. Lion deceived and hare escaped from his paw. Tortoise, who came down at lion's bidding, told latter to put him in water and rub him till shell came off ; lion essayed this, tortoise escaped; lion rubbed his paws, found blood coming from them. — (5) Lion went searching for hare's house; he and his wife had moved to top of mountain, where people told lion to go. Lion found him out when he got there, and hid in house, ready to eat hare and wife when they returned. Hare found on path lion's paw-marks; sent his wife back. Beaching house said, " Oho, lion, you are inside." Then he stood at distance, saying three times, " Salaam, house." No reply, so he said, " How is this ? Every day, as I pass this place, if I say ' Salaam,' the house answers me ; but to-day, perhaps there is some one inside it." Lion was deceived, and said, "■ Salaam." Hare laughed at him, saying, " You are inside and want to eat me ; when did you hear of a house's talking?" Lion chased hare till he was tired, and gave it up, acknowledging he was beaten.
Alphabetical List of Incidents.
Hare and buku climb tree (1). Hare and tortoise climb tree (3), Hare, through cunning, escape of (2) (4). Lion goes to hare's house (.5).
