Dog also arose early, and found which way Tortoise had gone, by the
dropping of the ashes; for, as he went, Dog was looking out for the
marks on the way; and, following the signs, they clearly showed him
the route, until he reached the tree, soon after Tortoise had arrived.
Tortoise exclaimed, "Ah! Chum! What have you come here to do? Who
called you, you with your loud howling? Do you know who own this
Tree? Can you endure if one of these fruits should fall down on
you? For, if you cry out in pain, then the owners of this Tree will
catch both you and me. If they seize me, who am Kudu, what shall I
do? For, I, Kudu, do not know how to run rapidly." Then Dog said, "If
they come to seize you, I will come to take you from their hands." At
this, Tortoise laughed out aloud, "Those beasts of strength! When
they seize me, you will come and take me from them? Really?"
Just then while they were thus speaking, two of the fruits fell on
Tortoise's back, at the same time, with a thud, ndu! ndu! Though in
pain, he only unconcernedly remarked, "The hardened skin of an aged
person! Ah! the back of an old man!" and went on eating.
Dog exclaimed, "O! Chum! that big thing struck you, and you were able
to refrain from crying!" Tortoise replied, "Wait till yours also!"
Presently a very small fruit thus fell, and hit Dog on the head. He
howled lustily, "Ow! ow! ow! ow!" Tortoise said to him, "Did I not
tell you so!"
There came down another fruit, and fell on Tortoise; he quietly
disregarded it. Another then fell on Dog with a thump, ngomu! And he
ran off howling, "mwâ! mwâ!"
All this while, Leopard had been up the Tree. It was he who had flung
the fruit at Dog and Tortoise.
When Dog ran, Leopard instantly descended the Tree, and, disregarding
Tortoise, chased Dog; but could not overtake him. Had he caught Dog,
seizing him tightly, he would have killed him with one blow of his paw,
ndi! and would have eaten him on the spot. While Leopard was away,
Tortoise was in fear and did not know what to do, for he knew that he
could not run from Leopard. A Bird whistled, "Pu! pu! pu! Chum Kudu,
Hide! hide!" So Tortoise went into a hole at the base of the tree,
and hid there.
Leopard, on his return, sought for Tortoise, but could not find
him. So, he climbed the Tree again, and gathered his fruits, and
went off towards the town of the Beasts. But, he met those Beasts
coming; for, they had heard the howls of Dog, and had shouted at him,
"He! e. e.! Wait for us! Don't be afraid!"
All those People-of-the-Tree came and gathered about its trunk. They
searched; and presently they saw Tortoise. They exclaimed, "So! you
are the one who eats for us the fruit of this tree! You shall die!"