Hyena and the Hare: A story told by Maria Samson (Singano village, Malawi)

Hyena and the Hare were very good friends. One day the Hare saw a milk tank car. As the car was passing by, he jumped into the back of it where the milk was. He started to drink the milk until he was full. He then jumped out of the car and went his own way. At that time, his friend hyena was in the bush busy eating leaves. He was very proud to have eaten very soft and tasty leaves. When these good friends met, they discussed how their day so far had been. Because they usually do funny things together, hyena got an idea of what they could do at that moment. „My friend, lets vomit and see who has eaten good things!“ said the hyena. „Yes! Good idea, you can start“replied the hare. Without waisting time the hyena  vomitted the green grass he had eaten while his friend vomitted milk. Having seen what the hare had vomitted, the hyena asked his friend where he had gotten the milk. „It is very easy to get milk“ argued hare. „When you see a car that carries milk, you should run to the motorway and lie down there.“ Hyena was advised. „Am I not going to be hit by the car?“ asked hyena. -„No! The car will just pass over, as soon as it passes you, get up and climb at ist back and that‘s where the milk is.“

Hyena did as he had been advised. When he saw the milk tank car, he ran to the motorway and lay down there. Soon the car ran over hyena and he was killed right away.  At that time the hare was watching this incident happening. He therefore went to the motorway and collected the remains of his friend. He packed the pieces in a plastic bag and went to the house of the late hyena. There, he found the wife to hyena. „Here, your husband has given me this meat to give it to you, „he said“ he should find it cooked when he comes home.“ Said the hare.  As the wife to hyena did not know what had happened to her husband, she cooked the meat. She expected her husband to come back home as soon as possible but he never came home. For this reason she decided to start eating the meat. When she started to eat it, the hare was just nearby watching her eat. „You have eaten your husband!“ shouted the hare. „What? Hare what did you just say?“ she asked. „I have said, you have eaten the meat of your husband.“ Later hyena‘s wife realized that her husband was killed and she had cooked and eaten his meat. She was very sad and angry over the hare.

Recorded by Author  17.07.2016, Singano village, Malawi