This was a dreadful thing indeed. The Dog had never dreamed of hurting the cub. He dragged all the bones back into the cave as quickly as he could, for fear the other cub might be killed. He could not think what he should do in this terrible situation, and while he stood trembling and whimpering with fear and grief, he heard the Leopard coming.
“I will try to hide the dead cub until the Leopard has gone to sleep,” he said to himself, “and then I will run away.”
The Leopard came up to the cave, dragging a fine fat wild pig. First of all she asked, “Are the cubs well and happy?”
The Dog was very much frightened, but he went into the cave and fetched out the live cub. “See how well he looks,” he said.
The Leopard looked the cub all over and licked it with her strong tongue. Then she said, “This one seems very well. Now show me the other.”
The Dog took the live cub back into the cave and brought it out again. The two cubs looked so much alike that he had never been able to tell them apart, and he thought that perhaps the Leopard would be deceived.
But the Leopard gave one look at the cub and then sprang at the Dog.
“You stupid creature,” she snarled, “do you think you can fool me in that way?”
The Dog made one dash away from the cave entrance and down the path through the forest, with the Leopard at his heels. He ran out of the forest and across the plain, up hills and down valleys, with the Leopard at his heels. He ran until he was almost dead, and when he had hardly strength to go another step he saw a hollow tree with a hole in it big enough for him to get into, but too small for the Leopard to follow him. Into it he went, his tail curled between his legs and all four feet gathered under him. Hard as she tried, the Leopard could not quite reach him with her paw.
In the tree sat a Monkey, watching the goings-on and chattering with excitement. The Leopard looked up and saw him.