Lion accepted
this offer gratefully. Hare became his housekeeper and ate
well every day. Soon Hyena became jealous and plotted to
steal Hare's good fortune.
Hyena devised a plan. While Sungura the hare was
running an errand, Hyena whispered in Lion's ear: "Do you
know that Hare is a well-known medicine man? Yet he does not
give you any medicine. Why not? Because that is not in his
interest. He wants you to be sick, so he can stay here and
eat your meat."
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Hyena's punishment |
Lion
believed Hyena. When Hare came back, Lion said to him: "I am
told that you have a medicine for my wound." The alert Hare,
perceiving who might be trying to play a trick on him,
replied quickly: "Yes, I do, Sire. But, you see, the problem
is that the medicine cannot be prepared without the hair
that grows on a hyena's neck."
Soon Hyena came back for another visit. The lovely
smell of all that meat attracted him. Of course, he also
hoped to create more mischief. Lion beckoned and whispered
to him: "Come close, I want to tell you something."
When Hyena was close enough, Lion bit his neck to get
some of the hairs that grew on it. Alas, poor Hyena! When
Lion bites a neck, it breaks. His teeth go right through it.
That is his job, you see. Of course, Hare knew such details,
since his father had told him. There are many hares with a
detailed knowledge of Lion's teeth. Hyena, however, should
have been more careful in trying to deceive Lion, and he
should have thought twice before trying to trick Hare. If
you want to outwit a hare, do not leave your brain at home.
Commentary
These stories were collected in eastern Kenya from
the Digo. Like many Bantu peoples, the Digo prefer the
metaphoric medium of animal fables. The significance of
these animal tales is no less or different than the stories
of non-Bantu people, such as Kenya's Oromo, which use human
characters. In Bantu tales, for example, the lion typically
represents the king. In similar Oromo tales, the king
appears in human form, uncensored by the cautious
storyteller. |
