XXXIV ERIN AND ERINOMI(THE LAND- AND WATER-ELEPHANTS)

Sacred-Texts African   

TORTOISE was always fond of making mischief between harmless people. One day as he walked along the river-bank he came upon the Elephant and said to him:

 “The Hippo is boasting that you are only a weakling, and that you have not strength to pull a log out of the river.”

 “That is false!” cried the Elephant, and to prove his strength he allowed Tortoise to tie a strong rope to his trunk and attach the other end to a log in the river.

 Tortoise went clown to the water holding the rope, and said to Hippo:

 “The Elephant is boasting of his p. 72 strength, and he declares that you are a weakling and could not pull down a tree.”

 “That is false!” cried the Hippo. “I can pull down any tree.”

 Tortoise then said that he had attached his rope to a tree, and would fasten the other end to Hippo’s horn. This he did, and the two animals began to pull, one on each end of the rope. Elephant pulled and pulled, and the Hippo pulled and pulled, and neither gave way.

 After some time Hippo rested, and Elephant came down to the water to quench his thirst, and then they saw the trick that had been played on them.

 Snorting with anger, they began to look for the mischievous Tortoise, but by this time he was, you may be sure, very far away.