TABULATION OF FOLKTALES, 97
[No. 35.] Title of Story.— The Story of the Washerman's Donkey.
Dramatis Personse. — Snltan. — Washerman.— Monkey.— Shark.— Hare.— Donkey. — Lion.
Abstract of Story. — (l) a monkey, friendly with a shark. Near deep water grew a great mkuyu tree. Monkey went to it eyery day and ate fruit. A shark under tree, to whom for many months monkey threw down fruit. One day shark told monkey he would take him to his home as payment for his kindness. Monkey objecting to go into water, shark offered to carry him. Getting half way shark told monkey reason he had brought him, which was: (2) Sultan at shark's home very ill, medicine for him monkey's heart. (3) Monkey for resource invents this story, " When going out, monkeys leave their hearts in trees." Shark believing this takes back monkey, who climbs tree. Shark vainly tries to get monkey down from tree. Monkey says, " Do you take me for a washerman's donkey that has neither heart nor ears ? " Shark, not knowing what this means, is told following story. (4) A washerman had a she-donkey which ran away into forest and got fat there. A hare going by saw it and told a sick lion that he would bring him meat. Lion agreeing, hare told donkey that lion wanted to ask her in marriage. Hare took donkey to lion, who fought and scratched her, but was thrown down at last by donkey, who returned to forest. Lion got strong after some days, and hare said he would again bring him donkey. Hare fetched donkey, who at first was afraid to come. Lion tore her in two pieces, and said hare might eat all but heart and ears. (5) Hare took heart and ears, and secretly ate them. On lion's asking for them, hare said, " This was a washerman's donkey, if it had had heart and ears would it have come here a second time, for first time it saw it would be killed and ran away ? " Monkey said to shark, " You wanted to make a washerman's donkey of me, our friendship is ended, good-bye."
Alphabetical List of Incidents.
Donkey tells falsehood (3).
Hare eats donkey's heart and ears (5).
Heart (animal's) as medicine (2, 4).
Medicine, animal's heart and ears, as (2, 4, 5).
Monkey and shark friends (1).
Trees, animals hearts in (3).
Where published SrvaUU Tales, by Edward Steere. London, 1870. Story I.
Swahili Text, pp. 3-8. English Version, pp. 4-9.
