The Cleaver Rabbit
In the kingdom of the forest, one day, Rabbit went on a visit to the Deer. After the usual courtesies, the Deer said to the Rabbit, “We heard that you have been giving Fox a good deal of trouble. Fox has been openly declaring that he will get you. You had better be on the watch.”
When the Fox visited the Deer the next day, the Deer repeated what Rabbit had said about him being a mount for his father for thirty years. Fox gnashed his teeth and said, “I’ll make him tell you about his father riding me. Just wait.”
“What do I care for, Fox?” Rabbit said, “Don’t you know that he was my father’s mount for thirty years?”
Then he went to Rabbit’s house and knocked. The Rabbit was expecting him. He had closed and bolted the door. When he heard the knocking, he said in a very feeble voice, “Who is it? Is it Brother Fox?”
“Yes,” said Fox. “I’ve come to fetch you. Open the door.” “O Brother Fox,” Rabbit moaned, “I am very ill. Will you please get me a doctor?”
“Not now,” said Fox. “The Deer are throwing a party, and everyone is there except you. They sent me to fetch you. Let us go now.”
“I can’t move a foot,” Rabbit replied, “how can I come? I am very ill!”
“I shall help you walk,” Fox replied.
“If you want me to come,” Rabbit said, “Carry me on your back.”
Fox agreed. But Rabbit insisted on having a saddle and bridle.
Then he got on to Fox’s back and began to ride.
“I shall not carry you up to the Deer’s door,” Fox said. “You will have to walk some distance.”
“That is reasonable,” Rabbit said, slipping spurs onto his heels without Fox knowing about it. When Fox halted within sight of the Deer’s, Rabbit dug his spurs into his sides, and poor Fox had to run. He ran past the Deer who were standing amazed at their gate.
After a time, Rabbit managed to turn Fox back, and they arrived at the Deer. He tied up Fox to a post outside and went in. After spending some time with the Deer, Rabbit bade them goodbye, untethered Fox and got on to his back again.
“Now,” said Fox, “see what I am going to do with you.”
Fox took Rabbit to a deserted spot and halted. Rabbit nimbly jumped from his back and raced towards some bushes, Fox following his heels. Leading him on like that, Rabbit suddenly ran into the hollow of a tree.
The hole was not big enough for Fox to go through, and, trying to pursue Rabbit, Fox knocked against the tree and fell unconscious.
After a while, Buzzard came there, saw Fox and exclaimed, “Is Brother Fox dead? I am so sorry.
“Ah,” said Fox, sitting up, “I will not die without first settling my affairs with Master Rabbit.”
“Master Rabbit, you say?” said Buzzard.
“Yes, he is hiding in the tree,” Fox replied. “He can’t escape me. Look, Brother Buzzard, will you watch the hole while I go home and fetch my axe?”
“Of course, I will,” said Buzz- ard. “Come back soon.”
Fox had been away a little while when Rabbit called from inside the hole, “Brother Fox, Brother Fox!”
“Well,” said Buzzard, trying to imitate Fox, “What is it now?”
“There is a fat squirrel in here,” Rabbit replied. “How I wish Brother Buzzard were at hand!”
“Brother Buzzard is here,” said Buzzard. “Drive the squirrel out.”
Rabbit said. “If Brother Buzzard can guard the hole on the other side of the tree, I can drive the squirrel out.”
So Buzzard went behind the tree while Rabbit made a din pretending to drive someone out of the hole. Then he scampered out of the hole and dashed home.
In the meantime, Buzzard searched in vain for the hole on the other side and finally realised that Rabbit had fooled him and given him the slip.
“Let me fool Fox and enjoy the fun,” Buzzard said to himself and waited for Fox.
Presently Fox came with the axe on his shoulder. “What says, Master Rabbit?” he asked of Buzzard.
“There is not a sound!” Buzzard replied. “I think he is sleeping.”
“Let us wake him up then!” said Fox, and he began to hack at the tree with his axe.
After a few strokes, Fox was tired. As he stood leaning on his axe and panting, he noticed Buzzard laugh to himself. Sus- pecting mischief, he looked coldly at Buzzard and said, “Are you sure Rabbit is inside?”
“Of course I am!” said Buzzard. “I was watching all the time.”
Fox peeped down the hole and said, “I see something. Come and see if it is not his leg.”
Buzzard put his head inside the hole, and at once, Fex caught hold of his neck. “You want to fool me, scoundrel?” he said.
“Let me go!” cried Buzzard. “I asked you to watch the hole, and you let Rabbit escape, Fox said.
Fox took Buzzard by his tail and tried to dash him to the ground. But he managed to detach only a few feathers off Buzzard’s tail.
“Thank you, Brother Fox, for giving me a good start!” said Buzzard as he flew away.
Having fooled Buzzard, Rabbit ran away and came within sight of his house, where he met Cow.
Now, Rabbit had a score to settle with this same Cow who had repeatedly refused his milk.
“Hello, auntie,” said Rabbit. “How do you do?”
“I’m all right,” said Cow, “How about you?”
“I’m well, thank you!” said Rabbit. Then he looked up into the tree above and said, “I feel like eating some of that nice fruit up there!”
“Why don’t you eat them then?” Cow asked.
“I can’t climb up the tree,” Rabbit replied. “If only someone would shake the tree and bring the ripe ones down! If you could butt the trunk with your head-but, no! You are not strong enough for that!”
“I can’t butt the tree, you say?” retorted Cow, nettled.
Then she lowered her head and came dashing against the tree trunk. But the fruit on the tree was quite green, and not one fell. “Didn’t I tell you?” said Rabbit. “You are not strong enough by half.”
This irritated the Cow more. She backed away from the tree to a greater distance and, with lowered head, rushed at the tree with such force that both of her horns got stuck in the tree’s trunk. “Good heavens!” Rabbit said, “Let me run for Uncle Bull’s assistance.”
Soon Rabbit and all these household members arrived with pails, milked the Cow to the last drop and departed.
The Cow was fuming with rage. She struggled through the night and finally got her horns free from the tree as the day broke.
But she wanted to punish Rabbit for his mischief, so she re-inserted her horns loosely into the tree and waited.
Unfortunately for Cow, Rabbit watched her take out her horns and thrust them back into the tree. But he came along whistling as though he did not see anything and said, “Why, auntie, I thought you would be free by now!”
“I could,” Cow replied, “if you pulled me by my tail.”
“I will,” Rabbit said and pretended to go behind Cow.
In a flash, Cow removed her horns from the tree and jumped around. But, by then, Rabbit was gone quite far, and he kept running. And Cow chased him.
Having outdistanced Cow, Rabbit entered a bush and peed through the leaves. Soon Cow came along panting.
“Hello, auntie,” Rabbit cried out. “What is up?”
Cow saw only the eyes of Rabbit and took him for Deer.
“Have you seen that wily Rabbit, my dear?” Cow asked.
“I saw him just now,” Rabbit replied. “He was limping. Run after him.”
tail.” “I will,” Rabbit said and pretended to go behind Cow. In a flash, Cow removed her horns from the tree and jumped around. But, by then, Rabbit was gone quite far, and he kept running. And Cow chased him. Having outdistanced Cow, Rabbit entered a bush and peed through the leaves. Soon Cow came along panting. “Hello, auntie,” Rabbit cried out. “What is up?” Rabbit and took him for Deer. “Have you seen that wily Rabbit, my dear?” Cow asked. “I saw him just now,” Rabbit replied. “He was limping. Run after him.” “That
Wolf bore a grudge against Rabbit ever since he failed in his attempt to dupe him into the hands of Fox. So he wanted to settle his score with the wily Rabbit and his brood of children.
He haunted the vicinity of Rabbit’s house and never let slip an opportunity of making away with one or other of Rabbit’s children. Seeing this happen several times, Rabbit lost his peace of mind.
He fortified his house with more robust doors and better bolts, and Wolf found it not easy to slip into the place as before. Rabbit also made some boxes for his children to hide in case of danger and provided the boxes with locks.
Now Wolf had to think up other ways of avenging himself on this Rabbit, and the problem greatly occupied his mind.
At last, Wolf hit upon a plan. At once, he ran to the house of Rabbit and knocked on the door as though he were in a hurry.
“Who is it?” Rabbit inquired from within.
“It is I, brother! Wolf!” said Wolf. “Open the door at once! The hounds are after me! Please save me from them!” There was great anxiety and fear in his voice.
Rabbit sent his children into another room and opened the door. He saw Wolf panting and covered with dust.
Rabbit opened a chest near the door and said, “Get into this chest, brother. You can come out when the hounds are gone.”
Wolf thought that his plan worked and gladly went into the chest. The rabbit closed the trunk and locked it. Then he called his children in so that they could enjoy the fun.
Soon Wolf asked from inside the chest, “Have the hounds passed, brother?”
“I can still see one of them sniffing at the door,” Rabbit replied, gesturing to the children that they should not laugh.
Wolf was aware of Rabbit moving across the room several times and asked, “What are you doing, brother?”
“I am making fire,” Rabbit replied.
“Why, brother?” Wolf asked. “To prepare some tea for you!” Rabbit replied.
A little later, Wolf asked, “What is that noise, brother?” The Rabbit replied that it was the water boiling.
“What are you doing to the chest, brother?” Wolf asked anxiously.
“Oh, I am boring holes so you can breathe better!” Rabbit replied.
After a while, Wolf uttered a cry of pain and said, “Something is stinging me, brother.”
“It must be the fleas,” Rabbit replied. “Turn over.”
Wolf turned over, but it was no use. Rabbit began to pour boiling water through the holes he had made in the chest lid, and Wolf suffered terribly for some time and died.
