Page:Where Animals Talk (West African folk lore tales).djvu/28

 were placed on their owners' respective drying-frames. By this day's doings, many of Leopard's baskets were full, ready to be taken to town, while most of Rat's were still empty.

On the fifth day, they went to the brook again, to their fruitless work of pulling at the so-called ivory. The same things happened as before; Rat remembers that he has forgotten something; has to go in haste to the camp; rapidly changes the bundles on his and Leopard's frames; returns to the brook; they all come back to the camp to eat; and there were repeated Leopard's surprise, and his questions to Rat about the kinds of meat they were eating. Thus they continued; on alternate days hunting, and working at the ivory that was stuck immovably fast in the mud; and Rat stealing; and Leopard complaining.

Finally, Leopard became tired of his losses; and, one day, without letting anyone know what he intended doing, he said, "I will take a little walk." Rat says, "You go alone? May I accompany you.?" Leopard said, "No! I go alone; I won't be long away; and I do not go far."

So Leopard went to the wizard Ra-Marânge, whom as soon as he saw him, exclaimed, "What are you come for? Are you in trouble?" Leopard told him the matter of the losses of the meat. Then Ra-Marânge jumped into his fire, and emerged powerful and wise. And he said, "I will make for you something that will find out for you who it is that takes your meat."

So Ra-Marânge made a little image of a man, and conferred on it wisdom and power, and gave it to Leopard, who took it to his camp, and hid it in his hut.

The next day they all resumed the work at the brook, with the ivory. There was the same diving, the same fruitless pulling, Rat's same need of going back to the camp, and his same attempts at stealing. While he was doing this, he sees something like a little man standing near him. Rat puts out his hand to take from Leopard's bundles as usual, and the image catches him by the wrist of that hand. Rat indignantly says, "You! this little fool! leave me! What do you catch me for?" But the image was silent; nor did it let go its hold. So Rat struck at it with his other hand. And the image caught that hand with its other hand. Then