Folk Tales from Tibet (1906)/The Story of how the Hare made a Fool of the Wolf
STORY No. XI.
THE STORY OF HOW THE HARE MADE A FOOL OF THE WOLF.
[This story is really the continuation of Number X., which is sometimes told of "the Sheep and the Goat," instead of "the Sheep and the Lamb." The first part of the story is exactly the same as Number X. They experience the same adventures with the Wolf and are extricated in exactly the same manner by the aid of the Hare. But the end of the story is different.]
When the Wolf ran away, Da-gye the Sheep and Pen-dzong the Goat were so elated that they could not refrain from vaingloriously galloping after him until they saw him dive hastily into his earth some distance away; they then sat themselves down at the mouth of the hole and remained there for some time chaffing the Wolf and telling him to hurry up and come out to be skinned, whilst the foolish Wolf lay cowering and trembling within.
Presently the Sheep grew rather hungry and thirsty, so she went off to eat and drink, leaving the Goat to watch the earth. After sitting for a short while the Goat began rubbing his horns on a stone, and the Wolf hearing the grating sound squeaked out very humbly:
"Oh! Brother Goat, what are you doing now?"
"Sharpening a knife to kill you with," replied the Goat.
And the Wolf cowered into the furthest recesses of his den trembling with fear.
A few minutes later some rain began to fall, and the Wolf hearing the sound of the pattering raindrops called out:
"What is happening now, pray, Brother Goat?"
"I am collecting the water to cook you in," answered the Goat gruffly.
Presently the Goat began to scrape the earth with one hoof and the Wolf asked:
"What is that scraping noise, Brother Goat?"
"I am preparing a fireplace to boil the water at," answered the Goat. "It will soon be time to finish you off."
Just then the Sheep came back from grazing and said to the Goat:
"Now, Brother Goat, it is time for you to go and refresh yourself. I will stay here and look after the Wolf while you are away."
The Goat thanked the Sheep for her offer and told her how he had been acting during her absence, and after advising her to behave in the same manner and on no account to show any signs of fear, he went off to get something to eat and drink.
When the Sheep found herself left alone at the mouth of the Wolf's den, her natural timidity asserted itself, and she began to feel very nervous, but in order to keep up appearances she started to rub her horns against a stone, just as the Goat had advised her to do. As soon as he heard this noise the Wolf called out as before, asking what was happening.
"I am sharpening a knife to kill you with," replied the Sheep, but she was so nervous that the Wolf at once noticed the terrified sound of her voice and began to suspect that he had been made a fool of.
"Is that you, Sister Sheep?" said the Wolf; "thought it was Brother Goat."
"No, Brother Wolf, it is me," replied the Sheep. "Brother Goat has gone away to get himself something to eat and drink."
"And are you all alone, Sister Sheep?" asked the Wolf.
"Yes, Brother Wolf," replied the Sheep.
On hearing this the Wolf dashed out of his den, and seizing hold of the poor Sheep he quickly slew her.
The Wolf now realised that he had been made game of by the Sheep and the Goat and became very angry. So he started off to hunt for the Goat, vowing vengeance against him. As soon as the Goat caught sight of the Wolf coming along in the distance he guessed what had happened, and fled as fast as he could across the hills with the Wolf after him. They soon came to some rough, rocky ground, and here the Goat missed his footing and fell into a deep, narrow cleft between two rocks, breaking his leg; and the Wolf, who had not seen what had happened, jumped over the crevice and pursued his way, still hunting for the Goat.
For some time the poor Goat lay helpless at the bottom of the crevice, when by chance a Fox, who happened to be passing that way, heard him moaning and came to see what was wrong.
"Good-morning, Brother Goat," said the Fox, peering down into the cleft. "What has happened to you, and why do you lie there moaning?"
"Oh! Brother Fox," replied the Goat, "I have had a terrible misfortune. I am Pen-dzong the Goat, and I and my friend Da-gye the Sheep hunted a Wolf into his lair this morning and tried to frighten him by telling him that we were going to skin him; and while I was away getting myself something to drink and eat the Wolf came out of his den and killed my poor friend Da-gye the Sheep, and then proceeded to chase me. But I, as you see, fell down into this cleft and have broken my leg. I am unable to move, and the Wolf jumped over the crevice as I lay here and has gone right away. I have one dying request to make to you, however. I beg you when I am dead to strip off my skin and to hand it over to my young ones as a mat for them to lie on, and in return for this service you can have my flesh for yourself."
The Fox was much affected on hearing the Goat's tale, and promised to do as he asked. So when the Goat died shortly after the Fox stripped off his skin, and set off with it to hand it over to the Goat's young ones. As he was going along, carrying the skin on his back, he chanced to come across a Hare.
"Good-day, Brother Fox," said the Hare. "Where are you going to, and what is that you have on your back?"
"Good-day, Brother Hare," replied the Fox. "This is the skin of Pen-dzong the Goat, whom I found lying in a cleft between two rocks with a broken leg. He and his friend Da-gye the Sheep have both been killed by a Wolf, and he begged me after his death to strip off his skin and to take it as a last present from him to his young ones.
"Dear me," replied the Hare, "that no doubt must be the same Goat and the same Sheep whom I rescued so recently from that very Wolf. What foolish creatures they are to have got themselves into so much trouble after I had freed them from all their difficulties. But, nevertheless, I am not going to let the Wolf get the best of me like this, and kill my friends with impunity. Come along with me and we will see what we can do to avenge Da-gye and Pen-dzong."
The Fox agreed to this, and he and the Hare set off together to hunt for the Wolf. They travelled a long way without coming across him, but at length, as they were crossing a high pass they found him feeding upon the carcase of a dead Horse.
"Good-day, Uncle Wolf," called out the Hare genially. "I am so glad to have met you. The fact is, there is a wedding feast going on at that big house over yonder, where Brother Fox and I expect to find plenty to eat and drink. If you care to come along with us too we shall be very glad, and I think we can promise you some better refreshment than that old Horse you are devouring here. So come along and see what we can find."
The Wolf was very pleased at this invitation, so he joined the Hare and the Fox, and all three went off together to the big house where the wedding feast was being held. They studied the premises carefully before approaching too near, and they soon ascertained that the whole of the wedding party were busy feasting in the central room, and that the larder, full of good things to eat and drink, was quite unguarded. So they jumped in through a narrow window and began to enjoy themselves thoroughly, eating and drinking anything which took their fancy. When they were as full as could be the Hare said:
"What I advise now is as follows: let us each take some provisions, as much as we can carry, and bring them with us to our own homes, so that we may have something to go on with when we next feel hungry. I myself shall take some cheese; Brother Fox no doubt would like some cold fowl; and I should advise you, Brother Wolf, to carry off that jar of wine."
The Fox and the Wolf both agreed with the Hare's proposals, and they began to load themselves with the provisions they proposed to take with them. The Fox and the Hare had no difficulty in making up a bundle of cheese and cold fowl, but the Wolf found that it would be very difficult for him to carry off the jar of wine. So the Hare explained to him that the best plan would be for him to slip his head through the handle of the jar, in which case it would be quite easy for him to drag the jar along with him. So the Wolf put his head through the handle of the jar, and all three made ready to start.
"Well now, Brother Fox and Brother Wolf," said the Hare in a genial tone of voice, "it is nearly time for us to be off. How are you both feeling? Have you had a good dinner? Are your bellies full?"
"Couldn't be fuller," replied the Wolf, rubbing his stomach with one paw. "I have done very well."
"Well, then," said the Hare, "as we have feasted well and feel happy and contented, let's have a song before starting."
"Certainly, Brother Hare," replied the Wolf. "Will you begin?"
"I would with pleasure," answered the Hare, "but really, the fact is, I can't recollect a single song at this moment. Perhaps Brother Fox will oblige us."
"I am very sorry, Brother Hare," answered the Fox, "but I am afraid I don't know any songs. I am sure Brother Wolf sings beautifully."
"Yes," joined in the Hare. "Pray, Brother Wolf, let us hear you sing?"
"No, no, please," said the Wolf modestly, scratching his ear with one paw. "I am a very poor singer, you really must excuse me."
But the Fox and the Hare pressed him, and presently he began to sing. At the first sound of his voice the men in the next room stopped their feasting, and saying to one another, "There is a Wolf in the house," they rushed towards the larder.
As soon as they heard the disturbance the Hare and the Fox, carrying their provisions with them, hopped quietly out of the window and made off quickly for their homes. The Wolf, too, made a leap towards the window, but the great jar round his neck was too broad to go through the narrow opening, and he fell back into the room below. Again he jumped and again he fell back; and he was still jumping and falling when the people of the house rushed in and soon despatched him with sticks and stones.