Folktales

The Rabbit and the Lion

In olden days there lived two animal that were very good friends; wherever they went they were never separated. If the lion would run after a deer or any animals which could be eaten by the lion, the rabbit would frighten the animal.

A little late the animal would be caught by the lion and the lion would eat the animal. Then the rabbit would eat the grass near the lion.

One day, the animal disease appeared to plague the forest. Almost all of the animals died in the forest. The lion looked for the animals but the only things he could see were the bones of the animals. Because of this, the lion and the rabbit were very sad. The lion looked hungrily at the rabbit that prompted the rabbit to walk to the river.

"I'll take a walk over there.", the rabbit said.

The lion said, "Yes, go ahead,"

And the lion followed the rabbit. When tbey were near to each other, the lion said to the rabbit, "Good, you rest now, because tomorrow I will eat.

That night, the rabbit pretended to be dead near a river which was infested by the crocodile. At the dawn, immediately the lion went near the rabbit. The lion saw the rabbit dead, its mouth rotten and filled with flies. The lion said, "Poor rabbit, you are dead already. I will go to the forest now."

When the lion with his head bowed and gone further, hastily the rabbit asked the crocodile.

"How many are you?"

The crocodile answered, "we are many. "

The rabbit refused, "I don't believe unless you fall in line and I will count you one by one jumping over your back till I get to the other side of the river."

The crocodiles consented and the rabbit jumped over their backs as he counted them until it reached the other side of the river. The rabbit would live but the lion would inevitably died.