“And you,” he said to the Buffalo, “will you do me the favor of finding some young banana leaves that have fallen? Then we shall have suitable plates for the meat when it is cooked.”
Off galloped the Buffalo to find some young leaves fallen from a banana tree.
“And you, Uncle,” said the King to the Hyena, “will you do me the favor of finding a spring with spouting water? That is the only kind of water in which we can boil the vegetables.”
Off ran the Hyena to find a spring of spouting water.
All night the three animals hunted and could not find what they had been sent to get, and in the morning they came back very tired and humble.
“You do not seem to care to come to my feast,” said the King of the Monkeys, severely.
“I hunted all through the forest,” said the Lion, licking his paws.
“I sat under banana trees all night long,” said the Buffalo, shivering.
“I watched the mouth of the spring until the moon went down,” said the Hyena, yawning as if his jaws would break in two.
“You lazy fellows, I have heard enough of your excuses!” shouted the King of the Monkeys, and all the Monkeys, who had gathered above in the trees, began to throw down sticks and large nuts and to chatter so fiercely that the Lion, the Buffalo, and the Hyena started out of the forest at full speed and never came back. Then the King of the Monkeys and the little Rabbit laughed and laughed and laughed, until they were tired.