Hare Deceives Hyena
| One time a hyena went on a visit to see a hare. When he arrived at the compound of the hare, the hare spoke to her heart to watch out. She knew that the hyena had not come to her home for nothing. He came because he wanted to steal her children. As for this hyena, he had never before seen a hare with his own eyes. It was the first time he had ever seen one. He saw the long ears of the hare and thought that they were horns. Earlier the children of the hare had invited the hyena into the house and given him a skin to sit on. The hare came in, but before she greeted the hyena, she bragged saying, “I gored a rock and the water came out kilik, kilik, kilik,” [drip, drip, drip]. When the hyena heard the hare say this he was afraid, thinking that the hare would gore him with her sharp horns. He did not realize that they were just ears. Therefore, he quickly said to the hare, “I just came for nothing, Maanygoon” [honorific]. “Earlier I was not intending to come this way. However, when I was just passing on the path I lifted my eyes and saw the children playing here in the center of the compound. I said to myself, ‘Let me go and just greet them standing up and then proceed. It is not proper to see people and pass on without greeting them.’” The hare asked, “Don’t you want any water to drink? You can’t go without drinking some water.” The hyena said, “I need to hurry and get on my way. I will come to see you another day.” The hare replied, “All right. We will meet again another day.” The hyena left and proceeded on his way. He stayed away for awhile and then on another day he returned again. When he arrived at the compound of the hare, he found the children alone and their mother absent. He asked them where their mother was. The children replied, “Our mother went into the forest earlier. Now she is on her way home.” The hyena said, “Awaŋ [exclamation]. How are you all?” The children replied, “We are all fine.” The hyena said, “I want to ask you a question. What does your mother use to sharpen her horns before she gores the rock to let out the water?” The children replied, “Our mother has horns where? Perhaps you saw her long ears and thought they were horns.” “No way. They were not ears. Why are you trying to deceive me, an old man like your father? When I saw your mother come here last time, I saw that she had horns.” “No. We are not deceiving you. Later when she comes, you can see for yourself. Even now she is coming.” The hare came and when she entered the house, she found the hyena inside. She sat down and immediately boasted saying, “I pierced the rock and the water came out kilik, kilik, kilik.” When she said this, the hyena immediately jumped on her saying, “Here I am. Gore me.” The hare escaped and fled and the hyena chased her into the forest until she disappeared. The hyena returned and collected the children and hit them on the head and ate them. ~~~~~ Reprinted with permission of the translator, Jonathan E. Arensen from Mice Are Men (International Museum of Cultures, 1992) copyright by The summer Insstitute of Linguistics, Inc., 1992 ~~~~~ |