THE HARE, THE HYÆNA, AND THE LION.
Once upon a time the lion arose, with the hyæna and the hare, and they consulted about going into the country to make a garden. And they went into the country, and made a garden, and planted eatables, and then returned to their dwellings and waited.
And when the time of the eatables ripening was fully come, they said, "Let us go to our garden, and look at our eatables." And their garden was a very long way off. And the hare said to his companions, "While we are going to the garden let us not stop on the road, and whoever stops let him be eaten." His companions consented to what he said.
So they went, and when they got upon the road the hare stopped. His companions said, "The hare has stopped, let him be eaten." The hare said, "Well, I am thinking." His companions asked him, "What are you thinking about?" And he said, "I am thinking about those two stones, one big and one little; the little one does not go up, nor does the big one go down." And his companions said, "These words are true."
And they went on again. When they got further on, the hare stopped again. His companions said, "The hare has stopped, let him be eaten." The hare said, "Well, I am thinking." His companions asked him, "What are you thinking about?" And he said, "I am thinking about this—When people put on new clothes, where do the old ones go to?" And his companions said, "These words are true."
And they went on again. When they got further on, the hyæna too stopped. And his companions said, "The hyæna has stopped, let him be eaten." The hyæna said, "Well, I am thinking." His companions asked him, "What are you thinking about?" And he said, "I am thinking about nothing at all." His companions took the hyæna and ate him.
There remained the lion and the hare, and they went on again. When they got further on, they saw a place where there was a cave. The hare stopped. The lion said, "The hare has stopped, let him be eaten." The hare said, "Well, I am thinking." The lion asked him, "What are you thinking about?" And he said, "I am thinking about that cave; in old times our elders used to go in here and go out there, and I shall go and try to go in here and go out there." And he went, and went in here and went out there many times.
And he said to the lion, "Old lion, you go too, and try to go in here and go out there." And the lion went, and went into the cave, and stuck fast, so that he could not go on forward or return backward. The hare went upon the back of the lion and ate his flesh. When he had eaten him, the lion said, "Brother, eat me in front." The hare said, "I cannot come eating you in front, my eyes are ashamed."
And the hare went his way, and left the lion there, and took their garden for himself.