Page:Where Animals Talk (West African folk lore tales).djvu/98

 We will eat together." After finishing their eating, Gazelle swept up the scraps, and placed them in a basket. Said Leopard, "Come, I will go with you to show you the place where sweepings are to be thrown." Gazelle was about to fling the basket, as Leopard came to push him into the pit. But, Gazelle lightly leaped across to the other side of it, and cried out, "Uncle! what do you want to do to me?" Leopard said, "That's nothing!"

It being night, they went to their sleeping-room. Leopard accompanied by his wife. He and she carefully jumped over the other pit that was inside of the door-way of that house. Gazelle also jumped, with careful observation, the while that people stood outside expecting him to fall into it. They retired for the night. Leopard and his wife on the bed; Gazelle on a mat on the floor. Said Gazelle, "Uncle, if you hear me stertorously snoring, then I am awake; but, if silently, then I am asleep." In a little while. Gazelle feigned gentle snoring. Leopard thinking Gazelle was alseep, took an iron rod, and thrust it into the fire. Gazelle saw what he was doing. When it was red-hot, he removed it, and, stepping softly, was about to stab Gazelle with it; who, quickly moving aside, exclaimed, "Eh! what are you doing?" Leopard coolly replied, "Nothing; I was only brushing away an insect that was biting you." Gazelle thought within himself, "Njâ will surely kill me to-night." So, he took chalk, and secretly marked circles around his eyes, making himself look as if his eyes were open and he awake, even if he should actually be asleep. After a while. Leopard slept, sound asleep with his wife. Then Gazelle passed over to Leopard's bed, and lifting the woman (unconscious in her sleep) to his mat on the floor, laid down in her place, beside Leopard in the bed. During the night. Leopard awoke, and, not noticing, in the darkness, the change at his side, went with the rod, to the mat where he supposed Gazelle was sleeping, and stabbed the woman to death.

Then Gazelle (who had remained awake) cried out, "Eh! you kill another person? You are killing your wife!" Leopard exclaimed, "Umph! Is that you? I said to myself that this was you!" Gazelle said, "Yes! what did you go to my bed for? So, then! I am the one you wanted to kill!" Leopard confessed, "It is true that I came here to kill you,