Prevod

Hare set out into the forest in search of food. He saw an enormous baobab tree, and when he looked up, he spotted a hive full of honey. He went back to town to find someone to come and feast with him.

He stopped at Rat’s door. Rat welcomed him, and they sat down. Hare said, “My father has died and left me a hive full of honey. Come, let us go and eat.” And off they went.

“Climb up,” Hare told him. They both climbed the tree and ate the honey. They had brought burning torches with them and used them to drive the bees away. Once the bees had fled, they put out the flames and feasted on the honey.

Suddenly Lion appeared beneath the baobab. He looked up, saw them eating, and called, “Who are you?” Hare whispered to Rat, “Keep quiet. That old fellow is mad.” Lion called again, “Who are you? Why don’t you answer?” Rat grew frightened and said, “We are up here.”

Hare said to Rat, “Take me and hide me inside the torch. Tell old Lion, ‘Stand aside so I can throw down the torch, and then I will come down.’” Lion stood aside, and Rat threw down the torch. As it struck the ground, Hare sprang out and ran away.

“Now come down,” Lion said. Rat climbed down. Lion seized him and asked, “Who was up there with you?” “Hare and I were there,” Rat replied. “Didn’t you see him when I threw him down?” “I didn’t see him,” said Lion. And he ate Rat. Then Lion went off to look for Hare, but could not find him.

On the third day, Hare went to Tortoise and said, “Come, let us go and eat some honey.” “Whose honey?” Tortoise asked. “My father’s,” said Hare. “Then let us go,” said Tortoise. When they arrived, they climbed the tree with their burning torches, drove off the bees, and sat down to eat.

Suddenly Lion appeared, and it was Lion himself who owned the honey. “Who are you up there?” he called. “Keep quiet,” Hare told Tortoise. Lion called again. Tortoise grew frightened and said, “I am going to answer him. You told me this honey was yours, but it turns out it belongs to Lion!” Lion called once more, “Who are you?” “We are up here,” Tortoise answered. “Then come down,” said Lion. “We are coming,” Tortoise replied. Now Lion had been searching for Hare for many days, and he said to himself, “Today I shall catch Hare.”

Hare said to Tortoise, “Take me and hide me inside the torch. Tell Lion, ‘Stand aside so I can throw down the torch, and then I will come down. Wait for me below.’” “Very well,” said Tortoise. But he thought to himself, “This fellow means to run away and leave me to be eaten by Lion. He shall be eaten first.” He took Hare and tucked him inside the torch. Then he called to Lion, “Here comes Hare!”

Lion caught him and held him fast. “What shall I do with you today?” he asked. “If you eat me as I am, my flesh will be tough,” Hare replied. “What should I do with you, then?” asked Lion. “Take me by the tail and swing me round, then dash me against the ground. After that you can eat me.” Lion was fooled. He swung Hare round, but just as he was about to dash him down, Hare slipped from his grasp and ran away. Once again, Lion had lost him.

“You come down too,” Lion told Tortoise. Tortoise climbed down. “And what shall I do with you?” Lion asked. “Put me in the mud and rub me like this until my shell comes off,” Tortoise replied. Lion carried him down to the water and began to rub him. Tortoise slipped away, while Lion went on rubbing until the skin came off his hands. He looked down at his bleeding hands and said, “Hare has played me a trick today.” And off he went to look for him.

“Where is Hare’s house?” he asked. “We don’t know,” people told him. Meanwhile, Hare had said to his wife, “We must move out of this house.” And they had moved away. Lion went on asking until people told him, “His house is over there on the hill.” Lion went there, but when he arrived, Hare was out. “I shall hide inside,” he said, “and when Hare and his wife come home, I shall eat them both.”

Hare and his wife came along, unaware of what had happened. But on the path Hare noticed Lion’s footprints. “Go back,” he told his wife. “Lion has passed this way. He is looking for me.” “I will not go back,” she said. “I shall follow you, my husband.” “You are someone’s daughter,” he told her. “Go back.” So she turned back. Hare went on, following the footprints, and saw that they led into his house. “Oh!” he said. “Lion is in there.”

He quietly drew back and stood some distance away. Then he called out a greeting: “Peace be upon you, house! Peace be upon you, house! Peace be upon you, house!” All was silent. “What can be the matter?” Hare said. “Every day when I pass here and greet my house, it answers me. There must be someone inside today.” Lion was taken in and called back, “Peace be upon you!”

“Aha!” said Hare. “Lion, you are in there! You want to eat me, your own child? Whoever heard of a house that could speak?” “Just you wait!” Lion said. Hare ran, and Lion chased him until he was exhausted. Then Lion told the people, “Hare has beaten me. Enough! I want nothing more to do with him.” And he went home.