Dishwashing Tales, Part III

Africans admire cleverness and the story of the Rabbit shows this to be true. It was the thirsty season, but Rabbit refused to help the other animals dig a well. Since Rabbit would not help, the rest of the animals told her that she could not have any water. She said okay and went off to nibble grass. To make sure Rabbit would not get water they decided to post guards at the well. Hyena took the first watch. Soon Rabbit approached with a piece of meat. “Are you hungry, Hyena?” “Oh, yes,” he replied. “I have had nothing to eat.” Rabbit made a trade of meat for water. But while Hyena was chewing the meat, she tied his leg to a tree. Rabbit not only hopped to the water and drank, she splashed and bathed and muddied up the water. The other animals came back and were astonished that she had tricked Hyena. They decided that Rabbit must be punished. “Shall we cut off her head?” “No, throw her in the sand.” Rabbit fiercely protested being thrown in the sand. “Oh, no! That will kill me!” she wailed. So the animals listened to clever Rabbit. When she was thrown onto the sand, however, she used her back feet to throw sand on the others and blind their eyes. And, away Rabbit scampered, proud of her cleverness.