The Story of the Rabbit and the Elephant
A rabbit made friends with an elephant, and they agreed together to hoe a large garden. While they were busy hoeing, the head of the rabbit’s hoe fell out, and as he could not see a stone on which to knock his hoe, he was at a loss to know what to do. Suddenly a good plan entered his head, and, turning to the elephant, he said, “Friend Elephant, let me knock in my hoe on your head.” The elephant agreed, and the hoe was knocked in by the rabbit. Then they went on hoeing again. Not long after the head of the elephant’s hoe fell off. So, turning to the rabbit, he said, “Friend Rabbit, let me knock in my hoe on your head.” But the rabbit, being afraid that the elephant would kill him, refused and ran off. On his way he met a hyena, who asked him why he was running at such a break-neck speed. “Ah!” replied the rabbit, “the elephant has much meat in the garden yonder. Go to him and you will be sure to get a bit. I am running to get a knife to cut it up.” When the elephant saw the hyena coming, he thought it was still the rabbit who had “bewitched” himself to be like another beast. So he caught him and killed him.