Bakame n'impyisi (The rabbit and the hyena)

There was once a rabbit and a hyena who were good friends. However, the rabbit was envious of the hyena's riches, so one day the rabbit said to the hyena, "You know what would be great? if we chopped up all these trees and sold the wood." The hyena thought it was a good idea and went to chopping. The business went well and the rabbit traveled far and wide selling the wood. When the rabbit came back to the village, the hyena came to get his share. The rabbit faked tears and said, "You won't believe what happened? I was robbed of everything and I barely made it here!" He wanted to keep the profits to himself. He reassured the hyena he would pay him back once he got back on his feet. The hyena agreed.

The rabbit used the profits to buy fish and set up a pond for himself in his backyard, this way, he had an endless supply of food. After about a month however, the hyena was back asking for his share. The rabbit seeing him, told him to sit down, he would get him something to eat. The rabbit went to his pond and got the biggest fish and cooked a very nice meal for the hyena. The hyena having eaten his fill, exclaimed, "Where do you get such good food?" The rabbit said to him, "Oh, you don't know? dig up a pit and fill it with water, after a few weeks, fish will grow in it." They hyena, excited, forgot about what had brought him and ran back to dig a pond.

After a few weeks, they hyena grew frustrated there was no fish. He was very angry and went over to the rabbit's hat in a fit of rage. The rabbit seeing him, faked excitement and said, "Hyena, you caught me at a good time, I have great honey wine! Please, join me." The hyena calmed down, sat down and drunk wine with the rabbit. After a few hours, the hyena was drunk and said to the rabbit, "This is great wine, where did you get it?" The rabbit said, "You don't know? Cut down a few banana plants, bury them in the ground, and wait a few weeks." The hyena had forgotten why he was here in the first place, he thanked the rabbit and hurried back to make himself honey wine.

After a few weeks, the hyena dug up the banana plants he had buried, squeezed out the juice and drunk it. On touching his tongue, it burnt him and he exclaimed, "That rabbit deceived me again. He won't get away with it this time." So he went over to the rabbit's hat and before the rabbit could say anything, he grabbed him and threw him in a sack. "You will not lie to me again, I am going to throw you down the river" the hyena said. The hyena flung the sack with the rabbit in it over his shoulder and off he went to the river. On his way however, he remembered he'd forgotten something at the rabbit's hat, so he set down the sack and ran back to get it.

An Antelope happened to pass by the sack. The rabbit hearing him said, "Hello antelope, how goes your day?" The antelope, perplexed, responded, "Rabbit, is that you. You are still alive! I haven't seen you in a while. What are you doing in that sack?" "You wouldn't believe my plight!" The rabbit exclaimed, "The animals want to crown me king. Now, I told them I am not interested, but they won't have it, now they forced me into this sack and are going to crown me by force.", "What? why wouldn't you want that?" the antelope said, "Would you? if you do we can trade places." So the antelope untied the sack, let out the rabbit and went in. The rabbit tied the sack tight and said, " I will go tell them I found someone willing." And so the rabbit ran off.

Now the hyena came back, flung the sack over his should and set upon his way to the river. The hyena exclaimed, "What did you eat rabbit, you are much heavier!" The antelope shot back, "I am not the rabbit, has he not told you?" the hyena laughed and said, "Rabbit, you have fooled me too many times, this time it won't work." And so he went and threw the sack in the river, "there, now I can go eat those fish and drink that wine!" said the hyena.

The hyena ran back to the rabbit's hat, and lo and behold, there was the rabbit, fishing at his pond. On seeing the hyena, the rabbit shouted, "Stay back hyena! it is not safe for the living to get close to the dead!" The hyena, frightened, ran off and never bothered the rabbit again.