Long ago, Dog and Leopard were friends. They lived in a cave. They hunted together, brought the meat home and cooked it. They were the best of friends. Dog got so much good meat to eat that he got fat and lazy. He did not go hunting anymore. When Leopard brought home a fine goat, Dog would say, “Well, today I almost caught a rabbit. But it got away.”
At last, Dog said to himself, “I must find a better way of fooling Leopard or he will know that I do not go out hunting. Someday, he might eat me. “The next evening Leopard said, “Tonight I am going to the village and get me a fat goat.” “That is just where I thought of going tonight,” said Dog.
In the middle of the night, Dog and Leopard went to the village together. When they got to the village fence, Dog went one way, and Leopard went the other. The dog only went a little way. Then he turned and followed Leopard.
The leopard went around the fence until he came to the goat pen. He jumped over the fence and killed a fat goat. He picked up the goat and jumped back over the fence. As soon as the dog saw the Leopard jump over the fence with the goat, he picked up a big stick and hit the ground crying, “The leopard has killed a goat. The leopard has killed a goat. Catch him. Catch him.” The leopard thought all the men in the village were after him. He dropped the goat and ran home.
The dog picked up the fat goat and dragged it to the cave. “Come and see my goat, Friend Leopard. It is big and fat. Where is your goat?” “I killed a fat goat,” said the leopard. “But I could not drag it home. The men of the village were after me. I had to run for my life.” “You can have some of my goat,” said the dog. The leopard built a fire, and they cooked the big fat goat. When the meat was ready to eat, the dog went out of the cave. He hid so that the leopard could not see him.
The dog picked up a stick and hit the ground, crying, “Do not kill me. It was the leopard who killed your goat.” The leopard heard the dog crying, and he said to himself, “The men of the village have followed me to the cave. They are killing the dog. They will kill me next.” The leopard ran out of the cave as fast as he could go. He ran and hid in the forest. And he did not come back for a long, long time. The dog saw the leopard running away. He laughed and said to himself, “My trick worked and now I shall eat all the meat.”
When the leopard came home, he found the dog asleep before the fire. The dog opened his eyes and said, “Friend Leopard, don’t touch me, for the men beat me and left me for dead. I am glad that you got away and they did not hurt you.” “Poor Dog,” said the leopard. “Just lie by the fire and rest. I will go hunting and get us another goat tonight.” That night, the leopard went hunting, and the dog tricked him again. The leopard did not know what the matter was. He was very hungry, for the dog ate all the meat.
“I am going to the Spirit of the Forest,” said the leopard to himself. “He will tell me what the matter is. He will make me a great hunter again.” The leopard went deep into the Forest. He heard the Spirit of the Forest calling to him, “Leopard, watch Dog. Watch Dog. The dog is fooling you.” The leopard did not understand why he was to watch the dog. But when he got home, he said to Dog, “Tonight I am going hunting. I will get another fat goat.” “That is just what I thought of doing tonight,” said the dog.
The leopard and the dog ran to the village. The leopard went around the fence until he came to the goat pen. He jumped over the fence and killed a fat goat. He picked up the goat and jumped back over the fence. The dog saw the leopard, and he cried, “The leopard has killed a goat. Catch him. Catch him.” The leopard did not run away. He ran where he heard the noise. And he saw the dog. He dropped the fat goat and cried, “Now I am going to kill you for you have fooled me for the last time.”
The dog ran around and around the fence of the village. He found a hole in the fence and pushed through just as the leopard was about to catch him. The dog ran right into the hut of a Man. The man was going to kill the dog. But the dog lay down and wagged his tail. The man understood that the dog wanted to be his friend. Ever since that time the dog and the man have been friends. The man gives the dog food. The dog plays with Man’s children. And the dog guards the man’s village. He barks every time Leopard comes. (Folktale from West Africa) – (Photo: Pixabay)
