Page 8 - ScaredRabbits

„The earth is breaking to pieces“, they replied.
“Who saw it breaking to pieces?” he asked.
“The elephants”, they replied.
“Did you see it breaking?” he asked the elephants
“No, we did not see it; the lions saw it”, they replied.
“Did you see it?” he asked the lions.
“No, the tigers saw it”, they replied.
“Did you see it?” he asked the tigers.
“The rhinoceros saw it”, they replied.

But the rhinoceros said: „The oxen saw it”. The oxen said: “The buffaloes saw it”. The
buffaloes said: “The elks saw it”, the elks said: “The boars saw it”, the boars said: “The deer
saw it”. The deer said: “The hares saw it”. And the hares said: “That little one told us that the
earth was breaking”.

„Did you see the earth breaking?” the Lion King asked the little hare. “Yes, Lord,” replied the
hare, “I saw it breaking”. “Where were you when you saw it breaking?” he asked.

With a trembling voice little hare replied: „I was sitting beneath a fruit tree and I thought:
‚What will happen to me when the earth comes to an end?’ And at the very moment I heard
the noise of the earth breaking, and I ran”.

The Golden Lion thought: “He was sitting beneath an apple tree, certainly the noise he heard
was that of an apple falling to the ground”.

„Ride on my back, little one“, he said, „and show me where you saw the earth break“.

Little hare jumped on his back and the Golden Lion flew to the place, but as they approached
the apple tree little hare jumped off so frightened he was to return to the spot. And he
pointed out the tree to the lion, saying: “Lord, there is the tree.”

The Great one went to the tree and saw the spot where little hare had been sitting and the
fruit which had fallen from the tree. “Come here, little one”, he called. “Now where do you
see the earth broken?”

Little hare, after looking around, and seeing the apple on the ground, knew that there had
been no occasion for his fright, he jumped once again on the lion’s back and away they went
to the hundreds and thousands of creatures who were awaiting their return.

The lion the told the great multitude that the noise little hare had heard was of an apple
falling to the ground.

All animals were so relieved that the world was not falling apiece, and to the great joy of all
they danced a little dance: „Gopala“….. (not part of the original story)

And then all turned back, the elephants to the jungle, the lions to the caves, the deer to the
riverbanks, and little hare to the fruit tree, and they all lived happy ever after.

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