“Oh yes,” replied the Frog; “I am a very strong person.”
“Very well,” said the Leopard; “just watch this hole, and, whatever you do, you must not let the Nkumbi get out while I go home for a hoe to dig him out of his run.”
The Leopard went off, and the Frog sat down on his haunches to watch the hole. By and by the Nkumbi came to the mouth of the hole eating some peanuts. “Uncle Nkumbi,” said the Frog, “give me some of what you are eating.”
“Open your eyes wide, and come close,” replied the Nkumbi, and at once he changed the peanuts in his mouth for some pepper, and when the Frog came near enough, he blew the chewed pepper right into his eyes. The Frog fell over with the pain, and then ran straight to a stream to wash the pepper-juice out of his eyes.
The Nkumbi took the opportunity to escape from his hole into the forest. When the Frog had washed the pepper out of his eyes he returned to watch the empty hole, and shortly after the Leopard arrived with the hoe, and asked the Frog: “Is he still in there?”
“Yes,” answered the Frog, “but I had a lot of trouble with him, and, being very strong, I was able to put him back into the hole.”
The Leopard began to dig the hole, and the Frog drew off a little way on the side nearest the stream. “Here is an opening,” said the Frog.
“Stop it up,” growled the Leopard.
The Frog shifted nearer the water. “Here is another outlet,” said the Frog.
“Stop that up also,” replied the Leopard.