They had not gone very far when the Eagle saw a bunch of unripe palm-nuts, and said: “When these palm-nuts are ripe, and I have eaten them, then we will proceed on our way.”
They waited many days until the palm-nuts ripened and were eaten by the Eagle, then they started again, and by and by the Hawk espied the bush (a great space covered with tall grass, canes, and stunted trees), and said: “When this bush is burnt, and I have eaten the locusts, and drunk in the smoke from the fire, then we will go.”
So they waited while the bush dried, and was burnt, and the Hawk ate his locusts, and drank in the smoke from the burning grass, then they were ready to start again; but when the Palm-rat saw the bush was burnt, he said: “We remain here until the grass and canes have grown again, so that I may eat the young canes, for remember we agreed not to thwart or oppose each other on this journey.”
They waited there some months until the canes grew again, and the Palm-rat had eaten them.
Once more they started on their travels, and on reaching a large forest the Dog said: “Now I will dry my nose.”
His companions answered: “All right, we will go for firewood.”
The Palm-rat and the Hawk fetched the wood, and the Eagle went for the fire. The Dog put his nose near the fire, but every time it dried he made it wet again by licking it. They remained a long time in the forest, but the Dog’s nose never became properly dry: it was an endless job. His companions became vexed, and the Hawk and the Eagle flew away, leaving the Palm-rat and the Dog alone. At last the patience of the Palm-rat was exhausted, and he, too, ran away; but the Dog chased him to kill him, and this is the reason why the Dog and the Palm-rat hate each other. He would not wait until the Dog’s nose was dry.
VI
The Leopard boils his Mother’s Teeth
One day the Gazelle bought some maize at the market, and while he was boiling them at home, the Leopard paid him a visit, and asked him: “Friend Gazelle, what are you boiling in the saucepan?”
The Gazelle replied: “I am boiling my mother’s teeth.”