Tortoise came along to that palm-wine tree; and he climbed to the top. There he found that the sap had already collected in the bowl. And he drank three tumblerfuls. Excited by his success, he shouted out aloud, “I’m drunk! I’m drunk!”
Off in the forest, Wild Rat heard his voice, and, following the sound, came to the place. To Tortoise, Rat said, “Whose wine-tree is this?” Tortoise replied, “My own!” So, Rat begged of him, “Give me a glassful!” Tortoise told him “Climb up! Of what are you afraid?” So, Rat climbed up the tree. He also drank two glassfuls.
Presently, Tortoise heard Leopard coming, and he said to Rat. “Await me here, I’m just going down to the ground.” When he reached the ground, Tortoise hid his body in a hole at the base of the tree.
In a very little while, Leopard arrived at the tree. He lifted up his eyes to the top and saw Rat there. To him Leopard said, “Who owns this palm-tree?” Rat replied, “My Chum, Kudu.” But, Leopard asked, “This Kudu, where is he?” Then Leopard flung one of his claws at Rat. It stuck in him, and Rat fell dead.
Leopard took Rat’s body and went away with it to his town. And he said to his wife, “Cook this; this is our meat.”
Soon after Leopard had gone from the tree, Tortoise came out of his hiding, and climbed the tree a second time. Then, having drank again, he shouted, as before, “I’m drunk! I’m drunk!”
In his hole off among the rocks, Porcupine heard Tortoise shouting; and he came to the tree, and asked for a drink. Tortoise told him to climb; adding, “What are you afraid of?” So, Porcupine followed Tortoise up the tree, and drank two glassfuls of the wine.
Again Tortoise heard Leopard coming, recognizing the thud of his steps as he leaped on the way. So, Tortoise cried out, as if in pain, “O! my stomach hurts me! I’m going down!” At the base, he hid himself again in the cavity of the tree.
In a little while, Leopard appeared standing at the foot of the tree. Looking up, he saw Porcupine there. And he inquired, “Ngomba! who owns this tree?” Porcupine answered, “Chum Kudu!” Leopard asked, “This Kudu, who is he? I want to see him.” Porcupine replied, “Kudu has gone off, his stomach paining him.” Then Leopard exclaimed, “So! indeed! you are the ones who use up all my wine here!” And he added, “What day I shall meet Kudu I do not know. But, that day we will meet in fight.” While he was saying all this, Tortoise, in the hole at the tree, heard.
Then Leopard threw a claw at Porcupine. Porcupine fell down to the ground a corpse. Leopard taking it, went away with it to his town, and said to his wife, “Cook this meat, and let us eat it.”