Then the Father of All-the-Leopards said, "I am ashamed that this Beast
should overcome me. I will kill him!" And he made a plan to do so. He
went to the spring where Mankind got their drinking-water. And he
stood, hiding at the spring. Men of the town went to the spring to get
water; Leopard killed two of them. The people went to tell Goat, "Go
away from here, for Leopard is killing Mankind on your account." The
Mother of Goat said to him, "If that is so, let us go to my brother
Vyâdu." So they both went to go to Uncle Antelope. And they came
to his village. When they told him their errand, he bravely said,
"Remain here! Let me see Njâ come here with his audacity!"
They were then at Antelope's village, about two days. On the third
day, about eight o'clock in the morning, Leopard came there as if for
a walk. When Antelope saw him, Goat and his mother hid themselves;
and Antelope asked Leopard, "What is your anger? Why are you angry
with my nephew?"
At that very moment while Antelope was speaking, Leopard seized him
on the ear. Antelope cried out, "What are you killing me for?" Leopard
replied, "Show me the place where Tomba-Taba and his mother are." So,
Antelope being afraid said, "Come tonight, and I will show you where
they sleep. And you kill them; but don't kill me."
While he was saying this, Goat overheard, and said to his mother,
"We must flee, lest Njâ kill us." So, at sun-down, that evening, Goat
and his mother fled to the village of Elephant. About midnight, Leopard
came to Antelope's village, according to appointment, and looked for
Goat, but did not find him. Leopard went to all the houses of the
village, and when he came to Antelope's own, in his disappointment,
he killed him.
Leopard kept up his search, and followed to find where Goat had
gone. Following the tracks, he came to the village of Elephant. When
he arrived there, Elephant demanded, "What's the matter?" And the same
conversation was held, as at Antelope's village, and the incidents
happened as at that village, ending with Elephant's being killed
by Leopard. For, Goat and his mother had fled, and had gone to the
village of Ox.
Leopard followed, and came to Ox's village. There all the same things
were said and done, as in the other villages, and ending with Goat
and his mother fleeing, and Ox being killed.
Then, the mother, wearying of flight, and sorry at causing their
entertainers to be killed, said, "My child! if we continue to flee to
the villages of other beasts, Njâ will follow, and will kill them. Let
us flee to the homes of Mankind."
So, they fled again, and came to the town of Man, and told him their
story. He received them kindly. He took Goat and his mother as guests,
and gave them a house to live in.