13. THE LEOPARD AND THE RAM.

(From Sir James E. Alexander's "Expedition of Discovery into the Interior of Africa," vol. ii. pp. 247, 250.)

A LEOPARD was returning home from hunting on one occasion, when he lighted on the kraal of a Ram. Now the Leopard had never seen a Ram before, and accordingly, approaching submissively, he said, "Good day, friend! what may your name be ?"

The other, in his gruff voice, and striking his breast with his forefoot, said, "I am a Ram. Who are you ?"

"A Leopard," answered the other, more dead than alive; and then, taking leave of the Ram, he ran home as fast as he could.

A Jackal lived at the same place as the Leopard did, and the latter going to him, said, "Friend Jackal, I am quite out of breath, and am half dead with fright, for I have just seen a terrible-looking fellow, with a large and thick head, and, on my asking him what his name was, he answered roughly, "I am a Ram!" "What a foolish Leopard you are!" cried the

Jackal, to let such a nice piece of flesh stand! Why did you do so? But we shall go to-morrow and eat it together!"

Next day the two set off for the kraal of the Ram, and as they appeared over a hill, the Ram, who had turned out to look about him, and was calculating where he should that day crop a tender salad, saw them, and he immediately went to his wife, and said, "I fear this is our last day, for the Jackal and Leopard are both coming against us. What shall we do?" "Don't be afraid," said the wife, "but take up the child in your arms; go out with it, and pinch it to make it cry as if it were hungry." The Ram did so

as the confederates came on.

No sooner did the Leopard cast his eyes on the Ram, than fear again took possession of him, and he wished to turn back. The Jackal had provided against this, and made the Leopard fast to himself with a leathern thong, and said, “Come on!" when the Ram cried in a loud voice, and pinching his child at the same time, "You have done well, friend Jackal, to have brought us the Leopard to eat, for you hear how my child is crying for food!"

On hearing these dreadful words, the Leopard, notwithstanding the entreaties of the Jackal to let him loose, set off in the greatest alarm, dragging the

Jackal after him over hill and valley, through bushes and over rocks, and never stopped to look behind him till he brought back himself and the half-dead Jackal to his place again. And so the Ram escaped.

II.

TORTOISE FABLES.

THE SPRINGBOK (GAZELLE).

Woe is me! He is one who goes

Where his mother would not let him!

Who rolls off (the rocks),

Rolling himself together like a book.

14. THE ELEPHANT AND THE TORTOISE.

(The original, in the o Tyi-hereró or Damara language, is in the Library of Sir G. Grey, J. Rath's Manuscript, pp. 27, 29.)

TWO things, the Elephant and the Rain, had a dispute. The Elephant said, "If you say that you nourish me, in what way is it that you do so?" The Rain answered, "If you say that I do not nourish you, when I go away, will you not die ?" And the Rain then departed.

The Elephant said, "Vulture! cast lots to make

rain for me ?" The Vulture said, "I will not cast lots."

Then the Elephant said to the Crow, "Cast lots!" who answered, "Give the things with which I may cast lots." The Crow cast lots and rain fell. It rained at the lagoons, but they dried up, and only one lagoon remained.

The Elephant went a-hunting. There was, however, the Tortoise, to whom the Elephant said, "Tortoise, remain at the water!" Thus the Tortoise was left behind when the Elephant went a-hunting.

There came the Giraffe, and said to the Tortoise, "Give me water!" The Tortoise answered, "The water belongs to the Elephant."

There came the Zebra, who said to the Tortoise, "Give me water!" The Tortoise answered, “The water belongs to the Elephant.'

There came the Gemsbok, and said to the Tortoise, "Give me water!" The Tortoise answered, "The

water belongs to the Elephant.”

There came the Wildebeest, and said, "Give me water!" The Tortoise said, "The water belongs to the Elephant."

There came the Roodebok, and said to the Tortoise, "Give me water!" The Tortoise answered, “The water belongs to the Elephant."