Now let me get you a few animal stories of which I am sure there must be hundreds stored up in the hearts of the black boys and girls. Where they learn them I know not, but they all seem to be able to tell stories. I really do believe they are born with them in their hearts all ready for the telling.

Among the animals, strange to say, the rabbit is considered the cunning one. White children are accustomed to hear of the sly fox who said the grapes were sour; his place in Africa is taken by Mr Rabbit. Many are the tricks he plays on animals big and small, and even on people. The foolish animal is the hyena, and on him very often falls the punishment that ought to be borne by the cunning rabbit.

The Story of the Rabbit and the Elephant

A rabbit made friends with an elephant, and they agreed together to hoe a large garden. While they were busy hoeing, the head of the rabbit’s hoe fell out, and as he could not see a stone on which to knock his hoe, he was at a loss to know what to do. Suddenly a good plan entered his head, and, turning to the elephant, he said, “Friend Elephant, let me knock in my hoe on your head.” The elephant agreed, and the hoe was knocked in by the rabbit. Then they went on hoeing again. Not long after the head of the elephant’s hoe fell off. So, turning to the rabbit, he said, “Friend Rabbit, let me knock in my hoe on your head.” But the rabbit, being afraid that the elephant would kill him, refused and ran off. On his way he met a hyena, who asked him why he was running at such a break-neck speed. “Ah!” replied the rabbit, “the elephant has much meat in the garden yonder. Go to him and you will be sure to get a bit. I am running to get a knife to cut it up.” When the elephant saw the hyena coming, he thought it was still the rabbit who had “bewitched” himself to be like another beast. So he caught him and killed him.

The Story of the Rabbit and the Hippopotamus

A rabbit, going down to the river to drink, met a hippopotamus and began to speak to him. Not far away was an elephant feeding on the trees near the bank of the river. “Come, let us try our strength,” said the rabbit to the hippopotamus, “you try to pull me into the water and I shall try to pull you to the bank, and whoever is pulled over must pay the other.” But the hippopotamus would not listen to such a proposal and laughed, saying, “Why should I waste time pulling with a creature so small as you?” But the rabbit urged him very much to have a try, so at last he consented. Then the rabbit went off to find a rope, but in passing the elephant, who was feeding quietly, he challenged him to a similar trial of strength, but this time the rabbit was to try to pull the elephant into the water. Like the hippopotamus, the elephant at first refused. But in the end he consented. So the rabbit gave him one end of the rope, saying that he would go down into the water and begin to pull. When he reached the river, however, he gave the other end of the rope to the hippopotamus, saying he would now run back and begin to pull. Then the rabbit, pretending to go to pull his end of the rope, slyly lay down in the grass and watched. Then the two great animals began to pull and tug against one another but neither could pull the other over, and all the time the rabbit lay laughing in the grass. All day the great beasts heaved and tugged at the rope. About sunset, quite worn out, they gave up the tug-of-war. The rabbit ran to the river bank where the hippopotamus was standing exhausted half out of the water with the sand all trampled round about. “Well,” said the rabbit, “how did I pull?” The poor hippopotamus had to own up that he was beaten and agreed to pay. Thereupon the rabbit ran to where the elephant still panted amidst trampled grass and brushwood, and said, “Well, how did I pull?” The elephant also had to own defeat and agreed to pay. Thus was the rabbit made rich in a single day.

The Story of the Rabbit and the Lion Cubs

A rabbit once wanted to wear a lion’s skin, so he said, “Where shall I find one?” But his friends said, “You don’t mean it. The lion is a fearful animal.” But the rabbit said, “I shall deceive it.” So he went to a lion’s den where there were cubs, stood in the courtyard, and clapped his hands. The lioness came out and received his salutation and said, “Well, what?” And the rabbit replied, “I have come to stay.” So the lioness said, “Pass into the house there and take care of the children. Remain with them, and I myself shall go to kill game.” Then she went away to kill game. Not long afterwards the lioness came back and stood in the path and called out, saying, “Rabbit.” And the rabbit said, “Here I am.” And she said, “Take this meat. Are all the children well?” And the rabbit replied, “Yes, they are all well.” “All right,” said the lioness, “bring them that I may see them.” So the rabbit brought them, and said, “This is one, this is another, and this another.” In all there were three. Quite pleased, the lioness said, “Take the meat and give it them.” The rabbit went and received the meat, but ate it all himself and the children got none. Then the lioness went off to kill more meat. When she had gone the rabbit took one child, killed it, took off its skin, and went away to hide it. The lioness soon returned, bringing more game, and said, “Are the children well? Bring them that I may see them.” So the rabbit brought them, saying, “This is one, this is another, and this another,” but one he brought twice. Again, well pleased, the lioness went away for more game, and the rabbit killed another cub, took off its skin, and went away and hid it. In the evening the lioness again returned, bringing meat, and said, “Are the children all well?” As usual the rabbit replied, “Yes, they are all well.” So he showed the lioness the same cub three times, and said, “This is one, this is another, and this another.” Again, well pleased, the lioness said, “Take this meat and give it them.” But the rabbit ate it all, and afterwards killed the cub that was left, skinned it, and went off to hide the skin. Then, afraid of the return of the lioness, he went to get string. Next he cut a small slave stick and tied himself by the neck. Then he twisted cords and tied his legs and bound himself to the stick again, and with another cord tied his arms. Then he made a great noise, and called out, “War! War! War against the lion. War!” The lioness came bounding back, and said, “What is the matter?” So the rabbit said, “The children are all taken, the soldiers carried them off.” And the lioness demanded, “Soldiers from where?” And the rabbit said, “I don’t know. Untie me.” The lioness set about untying, and the rabbit said, “Wait for me, I shall go in search of them.” So the rabbit went away and found monkeys spinning their tops, saying, “Go! Go!” But the rabbit said, “Yes, nonsense, but you should say, ‘I have killed a lion and taken off his skin.’” The monkeys said, “Yes, very good,” and the rabbit left the monkeys repeating these words. He himself went back and met the lioness, and said, “The children were killed by these monkeys.” So the lioness said, “Deceive them, saying that we will do trade in tops.” So the rabbit went back to the monkeys, and said, “Let us deal in these tops.” So they said, “With what goods?” And the rabbit said, “With beans.” Then the monkeys said, “Well, bring them that we may buy.” So the rabbit went back and told all to the lioness, who said, “Weave a basket and tie me into it.” And the rabbit wove a basket, tied in the lioness, and put a few beans on top, lifted the basket, and departed. When he arrived at their courtyard he found the monkeys spinning their tops. So he called out, “I have brought that merchandise.” And they replied, “We shall buy it.” Just then a monkey sent his top spinning, saying, “I have killed a lion’s cub and have taken off its skin.” So the rabbit whispered to the lioness, “Listen, those fellows killed the children;” then to the monkeys, “Let us go and sell in this house.” Then the rabbit took a knife and cut the ropes that held the lioness, who sprang out upon the poor monkeys and killed them all. But the rabbit went for his skins and took them home and wore them.

The Story of the Tortoise and the Monkey

Once a tortoise and a monkey made friends, and the monkey said to the tortoise, “Friend Tortoise, come to my home and visit.” So the tortoise went and the monkey cooked food for him, but, wishing to play a trick on him, placed it on a high platform which the tortoise could not possibly reach up to. Then he called the tortoise, saying, “Friend Tortoise, go into the house and eat.” When the tortoise went in expecting a feast he found the food so high up that he could not reach it. So he came out very angry, and said, “Friend Monkey, you have been insolent to me.” So he went home, and brooded over the insult for three days. Then he sent a messenger to invite the monkey to his home, saying to himself, “Yon monkey was cheeky to me, I also will be cheeky to him.” So when the monkey came he found food already cooked and eyed it greedily. But the tortoise said, “Friend Monkey, there is no water in the house, go down to the stream and wash your hands.” So the monkey went down through the burned grass and washed his hands in anticipation of the feast. But in coming back from the stream he had to pass again through the burned grass and his hands were as black as ever. So seeing through the tortoise’s cunning he got angry, and said, “My friend has played a trick on me,” and departed to his own home.