Once upon a time, in a dense and mysterious forest, there lived a family of six hares. Five of them were renowned for their wisdom, but the youngest, a naive and foolish hare, stood out as the odd one in the family. Despite his brothers’ attempts to teach him, he continued to make silly mistakes, earning him a reputation as the fool of the forest.
One fateful day, the foolish hare found himself wandering alone in the heart of the woods. It was then that he crossed paths with a sly, old leopard who, with a cunning smile, said, “I was just coming to see you; I am in a bit of a predicament and need your help. Could you lend me three goats?” Flattered by the leopard’s request, the foolish hare hurried home and brought the goats, trusting that the leopard would repay him in due time.
Days passed, and the leopard showed no sign of honoring his debt. Worried about facing the consequences from his wise brothers, the hare decided to confront the leopard. “I must tell my brothers about this debt unless you can pay me,” he declared.
Craftily, the leopard replied, “I was just thinking about that. Tomorrow, I plan to fetch my goats from the islands, and I will repay you. But, if you’ve never been to the islands, would you like to join me?” Intrigued by the prospect of an adventure, the foolish hare agreed, hoping to prove to his brothers that he was becoming wiser.
The following morning, they embarked on a canoe journey to the islands. As they reached the landing place, the leopard pointed to a massive tree with a hole and said, “Place your three parcels of food in here. Mukasa, the wizard, demands tribute from everyone who sets foot on these islands.” Obliging, the hare deposited his offerings, unknowingly sealing his fate.
As they ventured deeper into the islands, hunger struck the foolish hare, while the leopard casually enjoyed monkey-nuts. Mockingly, the leopard remarked, “Foolish people never look ahead; wise men are always prepared.” Undeterred, the hare continued the journey.
They arrived at a bustling market, and the leopard, desiring banana beer, cleverly manipulated the situation. “This beer is full of dregs. I always drink banana beer through a straw. Go fetch one from the nearby jungle,” he instructed. The hare, eager to please, returned with a straw, only to find the leopard had consumed all the beer.
Eventually, they reached their resting place, leaving the hare exhausted, hungry, and vulnerable. Seizing the opportunity, the leopard crept out, stole a goat, and smeared the hare with its blood, setting the stage for a sinister plot.
The following morning, the islanders discovered the theft and followed the blood trail to the sleeping hare. Accusing him of being a cattle-stealer, they took him to the Island Council, where the chiefs sentenced him to death.
Back in the forest, two weaver-birds, eavesdropping on the leopard’s plot, decided to intervene. They flew to the wise hares and recounted the entire tale, prompting the siblings to take action.
Upon the leopard’s return, the wise hares confronted him, claiming that their foolish brother had perished. To settle his debt, the leopard was obliged to bring one of the hares to choose three goats from his island herd.
As they journeyed to the islands, the leopard, unaware of the weaver-birds’ intelligence network, fell into the hare’s traps. The hare, recalling the leopard’s tricks, used them to his advantage. When the leopard rested and indulged in monkey-nuts, the hare casually ate, claiming, “Wise men are always prepared; it’s only foolish people who don’t look ahead.”
At the market, the leopard’s attempt to deceive the hare with the banana beer ploy was met with the hare’s polite suggestion of using a straw. The leopard’s frustration grew, but he concealed it, continuing their journey.
As night fell at their resting place, the hare, recalling the leopard’s previous actions, covered his eyes with polished cowrie shells. Believing the hare was wide awake, the leopard refrained from his nocturnal mischief, waiting for a chance that never came.
With the dawn, the islanders discovered the leopard in a smeared and disheveled state, and he was swiftly brought before the Island Council. Accused of cattle theft, the leopard met the same fate he had plotted for the foolish hare.
The wise hare returned to the forest, sharing the tale of vengeance with his brothers, who thanked the weaver-birds for their invaluable assistance. From that day forth, no foolish hare was heard of again in the forest, and the wise hares continued to live harmoniously, their unity prevailing over the schemes of the crafty leopard.
