was; but the Wild Dog ran back.
The Lion went, thinking, "I will kill the bird," but he did not know that on seeing
him the hunter had prepared himself, and taken out his arrow; so, as he thought,
"I will go and seize the bird," and was come close to the hunter, the hunter shot
an arrow at the Lion and hit him. Then the Lion fell back, and having got up and
fallen down three times, the arrow took effect and he felt giddy. In the same
moment the hunter had disappeared[1] so that he saw him no more. Then the
Lion recovered his courage and went very gently home.
On his arrival at home the Wild Dog said to him:
"Brother Lion, as thou saidst to me that thou art not afraid of any one in the
world except our Lord, tree-leaves, grass, flies, and dirt, why didst thou not catch
that black bird which I showed thee, and bring it to thy children?"
The Lion replied, "This man's strength is greater than mine."
Then the Wild Dog said again, "Thou saidst that thou fearest no one, except
grass, flies, earth and tree-leaves; thou fearest, lest when thou enterest the forest,
the leaves of trees should touch thee, or lest grass should touch thy body, or lest
flies should sit on thy skin; thou also fearest to lie upon the bare earth, and thou
fearest our Lord, who created thee: all these thou fearest, 'but not any other I fear
within this forest,' thou saidst; and yet I showed thee a bird, the which thou
couldst not kill, but thou leftest it, and rannest home; now tell me how this bird
looks?"
The Lion answered and said to the Wild Dog: "Wild Dog, what thou saidst is
true, and I believe it; a black man is something to be feared; if we do not fear a
black man neither shall we fear our Lord who created us."
Now all the wild beasts which God has created hunt for their food in the forest,
and eat it; but as soon as they see one black man standing, they do not stop and
wait, but run away. Now the following beasts are dangerous in the forest: viz.,
the leopard, the lion, the wild cow, the wild dog and the hyena; but when they
see a black man, they do not stop and wait. As for the dispute which the Lion
and the Wild Dog had, the Wild Dog was right, and the Lion gave him his right;
then they shook hands again, and each went and ran to his own home. This fable,
which I heard, respecting the Wild Dog and the Lion, is now finished.