The Greedy Hare

A hare was invited to go and eat at the house of his wife’s family. Wanting a companion on the way, he arranged for one of the lambs of a neighbouring sheep to go with him. They started on their journey.

Although the hare was glad of a companion he did not want to share the meal that was awaiting him. So the hare played a trick. He and the lamb came to two stones lying beside the path. The hare told the lamb to hide the stones and to be sure to remember where they were hidden.

“We shall soon be needing the stones,” said the hare.

As soon as the hare finished speaking he started to run very fast. The lamb followed with difficulty. They passed a gourd and the broken pieces of an old pot. The hare called to the lamb to hide these articles and to be sure to remember where.

“We shall soon be needing them,” cried the hare.

At last they reached the house of the hare’s wife’s family. After many greetings and good wishes, palm kernels were brought to be eaten. At once, the hare told the lamb to fetch the hidden stones. The lamb went as fast as he could, but that was not very fast because he was so tired after his long run with the hare. When the lamb returned, the hare had eaten three-quarters of the palm kernels. The hare said to the lamb, “To be fair, I shall give you half of what remains.”

Then the hare’s wife’s family brought loaves of bread for the hare and the lamb to eat. Immediately the hare told the lamb to fetch the gourd and the broken pieces of the old pot. By the time the lamb returned, only one small loaf of bread remained.

“To be fair,” said the hare, “I shall give you half of the loaf that remains.”

The lamb was very hungry by the time he and the hare started on the return journey, while the hare’s stomach was full. The lamb decided that he would not accompany the hare on journeys again.

The next time the hare was going to visit the house of his wife’s family, he asked a friend of his, a bird, to accompany him. The bird had beautiful feathers, with two long tail feathers, and he was of the royal family of birds.

On their way they saw two stones. The hare told the bird to hide the stones.

“We shall soon be needing the stones,” he said. But the bird had a bag with him and he put the stones into the bag instead.

Then the hare started to run very fast. But the bird flew above the hare, travelling even faster than the hare.

They reached a gourd and the broken pieces of another old pot. The hare called to the bird to hide these articles.

“We shall soon be needing them,” he said.

The bird put them inside his bag, then flew on, closely following the hare.

When the hare and the bird reached the hare’s wife’s family’s house, the bird hung the bag outside the door. After the usual greetings and salutations palm kernels were brought.

“Fetch the stones,” the hare ordered the bird.

The bird went out to his bag and quickly brought the stones to the hare, then ate half the palm kernels. Loaves of bread were brought.

“Fetch the gourd and the broken pieces of the old pot,” ordered the hare.

The bird went out to his bag and quickly brought these articles to the hare, then ate half the loaves. Next the hare’s wife’s family brought some beans.

“I shall take these to my wife,” said the hare, who did not wish to share them with the bird. He poured them into a bag of his own.

“I shall leave you now,” said the bird, pretending to fly away, but he returned very quietly and hid in the hare’s bag.

The hare thanked his wife’s family, took up his bag, and started on the return journey.

“At least I shall have all the beans for myself,” he thought, and when he reached his home he entered very carefully so that his wife would not see the bag. But when he opened the bag he could not see a single bean, not even a grain. There was only the bird, who quickly flew out of the bag laughing at the hare and crying: “I have much enjoyed your company, you greedy hare. I hope you have enjoyed mine.”