Page:Swahili tales.djvu/29

Rh he said, 'That is nothing, it is only the lion's way of conversing.' She said, 'Let us go, then.'

"They went till they arrived. The lion, when he had only caught sight of her, sprang upon her and tore her in two pieces.

"When the hare came, he said to him, 'Take this meat and roast it; but myself I want nothing except the donkey's heart and ears.' The hare said, 'Thanks.' And he went and roasted the meat in a place apart, where the lion did not see him. And the hare took the heart and ears, and went on eating himself, till he had had enough. And the rest of the meat he put away.

"And the lion came and said, 'Bring me the heart and ears.' He said, 'Where are they?' The lion asked him, 'What does this mean?' He said, 'This was a washerman's donkey, did not you know?' And he said, 'What about there being no heart and ears?' He said, 'You lion, a grown-up person, and is it not clear to you? If this animal had had heart and ears, would it have come here a second time? For the first time it came, it saw it would be killed, and ran away; and yet it came again the second time. Now, if it had any heart, would it have come?' The lion said, 'There is truth in what you say.

So the monkey said to the shark, "And you want to make a washerman's donkey of me. Take your way and be off home, you are not going to get me again, and our friendship is ended. Good-bye." 