The Spanish Version

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The Rabbit Grows a Crop of Money

A Central African Tale



When the rainy season began and the chief was arranging the gardening program, he called the animals
and asked what each would sow. One chose maize and another millet. One promised to grow kassava
and another rice.

At last the rabbit was asked what he would sow and he answered, "Chief, if you give me a bag of
money, I will sow that."

"Whoever heard of sowing money?" asked the chief.

"Then I will show you how to do it," answered Kalulu.

When Kalulu received the bag of money, however, he went off and spent it all on clothes, dried fish,
beads and other things.

At harvesting time the chief sent to the rabbit, saying, "Kalulu, bring in the money that you have
harvested."

"The money grows very slowly. It is just in the blade," said Kalulu.

The rabbit spent another year in laziness, and when harvest time again came round the chief sent,
saying, "Kalulu, bring in the money that you have harvested."

"The money grows very very slowly. It is just in flower," answered Kalulu.

Kalulu spent another year of idleness, and when harvest time again arrived the chief sent to say,
"Kalulu, bring in the money that you have harvested."

"The money grows very slowly," said the rabbit. "It is just in the ear."

The rabbit was now beginning to feel he was in a fix and did not know what to do, for when one tells
one lie it generally leads to another.

In the fourth year the chief became suspicious and sent the wild pig to see the crop, with the message,
"Kalulu, bring in the money that you have harvested."

Kalulu knew now that he must do something, but he did not know what to do. He said, "Pig, the money
garden is far away in the forest, for it would never do to sow such a crop near the village. Everyone
would want to steal it."

"Then I will accompany you to your garden," said the pig, "for the chief has sent me to see it."

Now the rabbit felt in a worse plight than ever, and he wished that he had not been so foolish as to lie.
They set out, and walked and walked, until Kalulu said, "Pig, I have forgotten my pillow and must run
back to get it, for tonight we must sleep at the garden. It is now too far to get back in one day."

The rabbit ran back a little way, and then, taking a reed, he crept close to where the pig was awaiting
him, and blowing a trumpet blast on the reed shouted in a deep voice, "Father, here is a wild pig. Come
quickly and let us kill him."

The pig thought that the hunters were upon his track and ran for his life. Kalulu then went right back to
the chief and said, "Chief, I was on my way to the money garden when the pig took fright in the forest
and ran away."

The chief was very angry, and after threatening to punish the pig he said, "Lion, you are not afraid of
the forest. Go with Kalulu, What he may show you his money garden."

Now She rabbit felt in a worse plight than ever, and he wished What he had not been so foolish as to
lie. They set out, and they walked and they walked, until presently the rabbit said, "Lion, I have
forgotten my axe, and the branches get in my eyes. Just wait till I run home for the axe."

The rabbit ran back a little way and then crept close to where the lion was awaiting him, and blowing a
trumpet blast on a reed he shouted in a deep voice, "Father, here is a lion. Bring your arrows and let us
shoot him."

The lion was so frightened when he thought that the hunters were upon his track. He ran for his
life. Kalulu then went straight to the chief and said, "Chief, I was taking the lion to see the beautiful
crop of money when he took fright in the forest and ran away."

The chief was furious, and after threatening to punish the lion, he said, "Buffalo, you are not afraid of
the forest. Go with Kalulu, that he may show you his money garden."

Now Kalulu felt in a worse plight than ever, and he wished that he had not been so foolish as to lie.
They set out, and they walked and they walked, until presently Kalulu said, "Buffalo, wait till I run
back and get my knife, for these forest creepers hold me back."

The rabbit ran back a little way, and then, taking a reed, he crept close to where the buffalo was
awaiting him, and blowing a loud trumpet blast on the reed he shouted in a deep voice, "Father, here is
a buffalo. Bring your spears and let us kill him."

The buffalo thought that the hunters were upon him and ran for his life. Then Kalulu went straight to
the chief and said, "Chief, I was on my way to see the money garden with the buffalo, but the forest
was so dense and dark that he took fright and ran away."

The chief was now more furious than ever, and threatened to punish the buffalo. "Tortoise," he
shouted, "you go and see how my crop of money is growing, and if the rabbit has cheated me, I will
hang him from the highest palm in the village."

Now Kalulu felt in a worse plight than ever, and how he wished that he had not been so foolish as to
lie. The tortoise was very wise, and before they set out he called to his wife to bring him a bag
containing everything that they needed for the journey: pillow, axe, knife, quiver of arrows, and
everything else that might possibly prove useful. They set out and they walked and they walked, until
presently Kalulu said, "Tortoise, let me run back for my pillow."

"It's all right," said the tortoise. "You can use mine."

They went on and on, until Kalulu said, "Tortoise, let me run back for my axe." "Don't worry," said the
tortoise. "I have mine here."

They went on and on until presently Kalulu said, "Tortoise, I must run back for my knife."

"It does not matter," said the tortoise. "I have mine here."

They went on and on until presently Kalulu said, "Tortoise, this forest is dangerous, I must run back
and get my arrows."

"It's all right," said the tortoise. "I have my arrows here."

The rabbit now felt in a worse plight than ever. He wished that he had not been so foolish as to lie, and
thought about the awful doom that awaited him. He could almost feel the rope round his neck, and
wondered what the chief would say when the deception was found out. Finally, in his fright, he ran off
into the forest and bolted home as fast as his legs could carry him.

"Quick, wife!" he shouted. "We have not a moment to lose. You must pretend that I am your baby.
Pull all my fur out, and rub me over with red clay. Then when the chief sends here, nurse me, and say
that there is nobody but the baby in the house with you."

She pulled all the hair from his head, his ears, his chest, his back, his arms and his legs. Oh, how it hurt!
Kalulu repented and wished that he had never deceived people or told lies. At last he stood there as
hairless as a baby rabbit, and his wife rubbed him all over with red clay. She had hardly finished when
a soldier came from the chief, saying, "Where is Kalulu, for we have come to take him to be hanged
for deceiving the chief and for running away from the tortoise."

"Baby and I are the only rabbits in the house," said Kalulu's wife.

"Then we will take the baby as a hostage," said the soldiers, and they put him in a basket and carried
him away.

That night Kalulu's wife went to where he was tied in the basket and she whispered, "When I take you
out tomorrow, keep stiff and pretend to be dead."

Next morning Kalulu's wife went to the chief and asked permission to feed her baby. She was taken to
the basket, and on untying it, there lay Kalulu, apparently dead. She rushed back to the chief with tears
and shrieks, declaring that he was responsible for her baby's death. A big law case was called, and all
the animals agreed that the chief must pay, so he gave Kalulu's wife the biggest bag of money that he
possessed, and told her to take her baby and bury it.

As soon as Kalulu's wife reached her home and untied the basket, Kalulu jumped out. "Oh, how I have
suffered," he groaned. "I had to keep stiff though my limbs ached and my toes were cramped in the
basket. I will never deceive anyone or tell lies again."

His wife showed him the bag of money, and after waiting till his hair was grown, he set out with it for
the chief's village.

"Chief," he said, "I have just returned from my long, long journey to get you the harvest from your
money. Here it is. The tortoise was too slow, and I could not stop for him."

The chief took the money and thanked Kalulu for the splendid crop, but was ashamed to tell him of his
dead baby. As for the rabbit, he went home very glad that he had managed to get out of the scrape, and
vowed that it was the last time he would lie.

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