So the two unlikely partners left the village and, after walking for an hour or so, came to a junction in the road. The Hare went left, and the Hyena, right.
“Safe travels,” cried the Hare over his shoulder. “I will see you when the rains come again.” So the two parted company, and the Hyena walked many days till he came to the coast. The Hare, meanwhile, walked barely two hours to his family’s compound and then, instead of continuing on to the Great Sand Desert (as he said he would), gathered his brothers and returned to the village. The gang of rabbits arrived in the middle of the night and, making sure they were not seen, dug up the key, opened the store, and carried all the coos to their father’s compound in the next village. Then the Hare locked up the empty store, buried the key in the same hole, and left the village. That dry season, the Hare and his family ate coos for every meal and were very happy and healthy. Then, when the clouds started billowing up in the east and the night sky danced with lightning, the Hare said goodbye to his family and followed the rising sun into the bush, till he came to the junction, where he hid himself behind some rocks and waited.
The next day, the Hare was dozing in his hideout when he was awoken by the heavy shuffle of the Hyena’s paws on the road. He peered up and watched the retched beast trot a ways down the road to the village, then discreetly took off behind him. When the Hyena finally arrived, hungry and tired, he went straight to the store but didn’t see the Hare. He called out for his partner again and again, then sat down and decided to wait. By the time evening came, he was dizzy with hunger, and eventually the temptation became too much. He would just take enough for dinner, he told himself. So he dug up the key and opened the door, but was amazed to find that all the coos was missing! It was at this moment that the Hare made his presence known. “O, Hyena, who’ve already made it,” said the Hare pleasantly. “Shall we split up the coos now?— “But what’s this?” said the Hare, feigning surprise. “You’ve already opened the door?” “Yes,” replied the Hyena, “but all the coos is gone!” |
“What do you mean it’s gone?" asked the Hare. "Where did it go?”
“I don’t know,” said the Hyena. “I just opened the door and it was gone!” “But why did you open the door without me?” asked the Hare. “You’ve been taking it without my knowledge. Admit it!” “No,” cried the Hyena. “It wasn’t me!” “But no one knew where the key was buried, except you and me, and it couldn’t have been me because I just arrived. You had to have taken it!” “But—” “There’s no buts about it!” cried the Hare. “You couldn’t control your appetite and ate all my coos.” “But—” “And I will be repaid!” continued the Hare. “Or else I’ll tell the village and they’ll skin you for it.” “But I haven’t taken it!” cried the Hyena desperately. The Hare, however, was silent. He just stood there staring at the Hyena, who was now shaking and whimpering in fear. "Okay, okay. Here’s what we’ll do," said the Hyena. "We’ll plant another farm, and you... you can have seventy—, um eighty—, I mean you, you can have my entire share.” But the Hare wouldn't hear anything of it. He insisted that the Hyena keep twenty percent, and after letting the pathetic creature grovel his thanks, the Hare and his friend set to work on the farm again. |