Long ago, there was a wise and kind king who ruled a big, rich kingdom. His kingdom was famous for its beautiful green forests, shiny rivers, and tall mountains. In the middle of all this beauty, a tiny hare lived in a cozy burrow deep in the woods.
One stormy night, when the rain was falling hard and the wind was howling, the little hare felt a surge of panic. His heart raced as the cold rain soaked through his fur, and each crash of thunder made him jump. Trembling with fear, he hopped and ran, desperate to find a safe place to hide from the fierce storm.
In the grand palace, the king sat by the warm fireplace, enjoying the crackling flames and sipping spiced tea. The palace was a marvel, with rich bark cloth tapestries and the smell of roasted coffee beans in the air. Suddenly, there was a gentle knock on the palace door. Curious, the king opened it to find the shivering hare seeking shelter from the storm.
“My dear King,” the hare squeaked timidly, “please, may I seek shelter from this dreadful storm? The rain is beating down on me, and I fear I may not survive.” Filled with compassion for the tiny creature, the king welcomed the hare into his palace with open arms. He wrapped the hare in a soft bark cloth, fed him millet porridge, and offered him a cozy corner by the fire to rest.
The hare was very grateful for the king’s kindness and stayed in the palace, enjoying the warmth and comfort. As days turned into weeks, the hare loved the luxurious palace life more and more. He started to want more than just warmth and food.
One day, when the king was away attending the coronation of a new Katikkiro, the hare’s true nature came out. With a sneaky glint in his eye, he decided to go after the king’s most precious possessions – his beautiful wives. Sneaking around the palace, the hare used his charm to seduce the queen and her attendants. He told them sweet lies and made them dream of exciting adventures.
When the king came back and found out what the hare had done, he was very angry. How dare the hare betray his trust and dishonor his kingdom! The king called his royal guards, known as the Abambowa, and banished the deceitful hare from the palace, promising never to trust him again. He brought in a loyal dog to guard the palace gates and protect his kingdom.
But the cunning hare wasn’t ready to give up. He wanted revenge and to get back into the palace. One sunny morning, the hare met the dog on his way to the king’s farm. With a sly smile, he whispered, “My friend, did you know that the spirits of our ancestors bless groundnuts roasted with salt before planting? It’s an ancient secret for a bountiful harvest!” The dog, eager to help his master, believed the hare’s lie. He rushed back to the farm and roasted the groundnuts with salt before planting them. In the rich, fertile soil of Buganda, the groundnuts sprouted and grew tall, but something was amiss.
Weeks passed, and the groundnuts started to grow. But when the Kabaka’s stewards came to harvest them, there was no crop. Confusion and dread filled their hearts as they realized the groundnuts had not matured. Their hands trembled as they inspected the barren fields, knowing they had to report this failure to the Kabaka. Angry and confused, the stewards reported to the Kabaka, who listened with a furrowed brow and tightening fists. His eyes blazed with fury as he questioned the dog about what had happened. The dog explained what the hare had told him, his voice quivering with guilt and fear.
Furious, the Kabaka’s voice thundered through the palace as he ordered the dog to guard the farm day and night to stop the hare from tricking them again. Determined to prevent another deception, the dog vowed to stay vigilant. But the hare was not easily deterred. As the moon bathed the kingdom in silver light, he returned to the farm and convinced the dog to leave his post with promises of grand feasts, Bakisimba dances, and the company of beautiful women from the kingdom.
While the dog played in the moonlight, the hare snuck back to the farm to steal the king’s crops. But the Kabaka had set a trap, hidden beneath the ground.
The night was tense as the hare, quick and desperate, moved silently through the farm. The cool night air was filled with the rustling of leaves and distant hoots of owls. His heart pounded as he dug into the soil, driven by greed. Suddenly, his paw triggered the hidden snare, and with a snap, he was trapped. Panic washed over him as he realized his greed had led him into an inescapable trap.
The next morning, the Kabaka and his guards arrived to inspect the trap. The Kabaka’s eyes burned with anger as he looked down at the trembling creature. The air was thick with tension as he demanded an explanation, surrounded by guards holding spears adorned with traditional bark cloth.
Crying, the hare begged for forgiveness, tears streaming down his face. His voice quivered with remorse as he promised to make amends. Moved by the hare’s sincerity, the Kabaka decided to give him another chance but with a stern punishment.
“You shall guard the royal chicken coop at the Lubiri,” the Kabaka declared. “But you shall receive no reward for your service.”
Grateful for the Kabaka’s mercy, the hare accepted his punishment and set about his duties with diligence. Day and night, he stood watch over the precious eggs, protecting them from harm. However, he could not resist the temptation of his old ways. Under the cover of darkness, he began to pilfer the Kabaka’s eggs, savouring their taste.
When the king discovered the hare’s theft, he was filled with righteous anger once more. Determined to end the hare’s mischief once and for all, he set out to capture the cunning creature and bring him to justice. With his loyal guards by his side, the king embarked on a quest to track down the hare and put an end to his reign of deception. Through forests and fields, over hills and valleys, they pursued the elusive hare, determined to bring him to justice.
But the cunning hare was always one step ahead, using his wits to outsmart his pursuers at every turn. With his keen senses and quick reflexes, he eluded capture time and time again, leaving the king and his men frustrated and exhausted.
Faced with defeat, the king devised a clever plan to ensnare the hare once and for all. Setting a trap along the hare’s escape route, Lunguja Nateete Road, near the grand Mvule tree, he lay in wait. The hare, in his haste to evade capture, stumbled headlong into the trap. With nowhere left to run, the hare was finally brought to justice, his reign of deception ended.
Just as the king prepared to punish the hare, tragedy struck the kingdom. A great fire broke out in the palace, engulfing the grand structure in flames. In the chaos, the king realized the hare’s cunning ways could be put to good use.
In a moment of desperation, the king ordered the hare to help save the palace. Using his agility and quick thinking, the hare managed to navigate through the flames, guiding the king and his men to safety and helping to salvage precious artifacts.
Seeing the hare’s bravery and usefulness, the king decided to give the hare another chance, this time with a role that suited his cleverness and agility. The hare was appointed as the king’s chief scout, using his wits to protect the kingdom from future threats.
The hare, grateful for the king’s mercy and a chance to redeem himself, served loyally. From then on, he used his cunning for the good of the kingdom, proving that even the most deceptive of creatures could change their ways when given the chance.
