Grandfather Leo called all the animals and said:
– We need to have a lake with clean water nearby. The lake where we go to drink is very far away. Let's all dig a big hole together and let the rains fill it with water.
And all the animals agreed. Everyone came with their own hoe, and they began to dig together.
During the rainy season, the pit filled up. The lake was ready. Grandfather Leo said that everyone can use his water..
Brother Rabbit, although he was not working or digging a hole, was the first to run and plunge his calabash into the water. He took water once and poured it out, took water a second time and poured it out, took water a third time and poured it out... And finally, he jumped into the lake himself.
- Let's dive, let's swim! Let's dive, let's swim! Fuko-fu-ko-fuko-fuko! - Brother Rabbit swam with great pleasure.
The next day the other animals came for water with their calabashes. Seeing that the water in the lake had become dirty, they ran to Grandfather Lev to ask what to do now. And grandfather Leo ordered the antelope Bambi to guard the lake.
Before evening, Brother Rabbit came running to the shore with his calabash. He poured and poured, poured and poured... And finally, he went for a swim...
- Let's dive, let's swim! Let's dive, let's swim! Fuko-fu-ko-fuko-fuko! - he was having fun.
Bambi the antelope, who hid nearby, decided to warn her friends with a song:
Despite all his tricks,
We will catch whoever is muddying our waters!
Despite all his tricks,
We will catch whoever is muddying our waters!
Brother Rabbit - pr-pr-pr - shook himself off and also answered with a song, imitating the voice of the Lion:
This is my son, this is my son, Let him swim as much as he wants! This is my son, this is my son, Let him swim as much as he wants!
Bambi the antelope ran to the Lion and told him everything. But Grandfather Leo said that he had not said anything like that, and sent Septa the antelope to the shore of the lake.
Arriving at the lake the next day, Brother Rabbit again jumped and swam in the water.
Antelope Sesha sang:
Despite all his tricks,
We will catch the one who is muddying our waters!..
And Brother Rabbit sang again in the voice of Leo:
This is my son, this is my son, Let him swim as much as he wants!..
Antelope Sesha ran to grandfather Leo. Grandfather Leo said, no, it’s not true, and sent another animal to the shore of the lake.
This went on for a long time. One after another, all the animals came to the shore of the lake. And Brother Rabbit deceived everyone.
Then Aunt Turtle, who had not yet been invited by Lev, decided to offer her services herself. With a slow gait she came to Grandfather Lev:
- What is it? Do you really want to go there too? Ehehe! All the animals with horns and claws have already been there and achieved nothing, and you think that you can do something! – Grandfather Lev laughed.
Aunt Turtle insisted and insisted, and finally Grandfather Lev, although not believing that Turtle would achieve anything, sent her to the shore of the lake.
Just like all the previous times, Brother Rabbit had fun and muddied the waters. Aunt Turtle sang:
Despite all his tricks,
We will catch whoever is muddying our waters!
Brer Rabbit was just about to sing in response when Aunt Turtle grabbed him by the tail. And Brother Rabbit, instead of imitating the voice of the Lion, plaintively shouted: “Ay-ay-ay!” And the animals understood everything.
Grandfather Leo became very angry and ordered Brother Rabbit to be thoroughly flogged. But Brother Rabbit managed to crawl out of his skin, left it on the ground, and he ran away wherever he could.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru