WHY THE DONKEY LIVES IN THE TOWN
Of all the beasts of the forest the Donkey was the greatest, so he said. He said if he went to the forest, of the beasts of the forest that he would kill there was no end.
The Hyena said, "Oh, no, I am the greatest"
Then the Donkey said, "Hyena, go tomorrow and find out where the beasts have assembled. Then come and tell me."
The Hyena said, "Very well."
In the morning the Hyena went to look for the place where the beasts had assembled. When he had gone, he came upon the Elephant, the Buffalo, the Deer, and the Water-buck. The beasts had assembled in force; all had come to one place.
Then the Hyena returned and told the Donkey. So he told her to go in front, and take him to the place. They went on, and on, and on, until they came to the place.
Then he said, "Hyena, go back a little, and stop until I call you to come and eat some flesh."
Then the Donkey went carefully, so that the beasts of the forest would not see him. When he had come close, he rushed out with a "boop," and went, "Hoha, hoha, hoha," like the braying that they make.
Then the Elephant became frightened and ran away, and trampled on the Buffalo, and the Deer, and the Water-buck, and others up to about a hundred she killed. The remainder ran away.
Then the Donkey said to the Hyena, "Come here."
When the Hyena came, he said, "See here, all these I have killed."
Then the Hyena said, "Of a truth you are a terror; you are my chief." The Hyena was then afraid of the Donkey.
The Donkey always used to go out with the Hyena. She thought his ears were horns, until one day she said, "May I touch your horns and feel them?"
So the Donkey said, "Here they are."
When she had touched them, she found they were not hard, and said, "Indeed, those things of yours are not horns?"
So he said, "Yes, they are ears."
Then she said, "That's very nice."
Then, one day in the evening, the Donkey went out to feed, when the Hyena made a bound and rushed and seized the Donkey, and the Donkey, when he felt pain, ran away right inside the town.
When the people of the town saw him, they caught him, and said they had gained a Donkey.
From that time the Donkey has never returned to the forest.
Story Title: Why the Donkey lives in the Town
Article Title: Fifty Hausa Folktales
Author: A.J.N. Tremearne.
Serial: Folklore, volume 21
Published: 1910
Rights: CC0 Public Domain
Online Source: Hathi Trust
Process: Light editing for paragraphing and punctuation.
