nianga dia ngenga takes up his gun, saying: "i will go a-hunting." he has reached the bush; he has hunted; he saw not game; he says: "i will go."
when he returns home, he finds mr. leopard, whom they have stuck up in the fork of a tree. when he sees nianga, he says: "father nianga, help me out!" nianga says: "what has done this to thee?" he says: "unfork me first; i shall tell thee."
nianga took him out; he set him on the ground. he says: "elephant has stuck me up in the fork of the tree. sir, to whom one has given life, one gives more. i have been two days on the tree; give me a little food." nianga says: "where shall i find food?" he says: "anywhere."
nianga takes up his dog; he gives it to mr. leopard. mr. leopard ate it and said, "i am not satisfied." nianga takes up also the other dog; he gives it to mr. leopard. he has eaten, says, "still i have not enough." nianga dia ngenga took up his cartridge-box; he gives him it. mr. leopard, when he had eaten it, said, "still i have not enough."
hare comes; he finds them talking; says: "why are you quarrelling?" nianga says: "mr. leopard, i found him in the fork of a tree. says he, 'take me out!' i took him out. says he, 'give me to eat!' i gave him both my dogs and my cartridge-box. he says, 'give me more to eat.' that is what we are quarrelling about."
hare says: "mr. leopard, let him be again on the tree, where he was; that i may see." mr. leopard returns to the tree, where he was. hare moves off to a distance; he calls nianga. he says: "thou, nianga, art unwise. mr. leopard is a wild beast, he is wont to catch people. thou, who didst get him out of there, he wanted to devour thee. shoot him."
nianga then shoots mr. leopard.
the end . . . "is with god."
leopard and the other animals
mr. leopard lived. one day hunger grasps him. he says: "how shall i do? i will call all the animals in the world, saying, 'come ye, let us have a medical consultation.' when the animals come then i may catch and eat."
he sends at once to call deer, antelope, soko, hare, and philantomba. they gather, saying: "why didst thou send for us?" he says: "let us consult medicine, that we get health."
the sun is broken down. they begin the drums outside with the songs.
mr. leopard himself is beating the drum; he is saying, saying:
"o antelope! o deer!
your friend is sick;
do not shun him!
o antelope! o deer!
your friend is sick;
do not shun him!
o antelope! o deer!
your friend is sick;
do not shun him'"
deer says: "chief, the drum, how art thou playing it? bring it here; that i play it." mr. leopard gives him it. deer takes the drum, says:
"not sickness;
wiliness holds thee
not sickness;
wiliness holds thee!
not sickness;
wiliness holds thee!"
mr. leopard stood up from ground, said: "thou, deer, knowest not how to play the drum."
the animals all then ran away, saying, "mr. leopard has a scheme to catch us."
