Leopard had in-laws who lived very far away. One day he decided to visit them and asked the Deer to go with him. The deer agreed. On the way, they took turns carrying a large jug of palm wine - a gift to the relatives of Leopard's wife.
They walked, walked, walked. We saw cultivated fields.
– Do you see these fields? – asked the Leopard. – These are all my wife’s relatives. But their trees are guavas with delicious fruits. Let's enjoy ourselves. Just be careful not to eat ripe fruits - this should be left to the owners.
The deer did as the Leopard told him: he picked only the unripe fruits. And the Leopard, choosing a moment when the Deer did not see him, shook the tree and ate the ripe fruits.
Then the Leopard approached the Deer and said sympathetically:
- Oh, Deer, why are you eating green guavas?! There are so many ripe fruits!
- But you said it yourself, uncle!
- Why don’t you understand jokes!
And they moved on. Cultivated fields appeared in the distance again.
– Do you see these fields? These are also my wife's relatives. Sugar cane grows there. We can gnaw on the dry panicles, and let the stems remain with the owners.
The deer obeyed again. And the Leopard himself, having climbed into the reeds, secretly and greedily sucked the sweet juice from the stems.
- Oh, Deer, how did you hurt your lips so much? he asked.
- With a hard reed, uncle.
- Are you really that stupid, nephew? I was joking. It was necessary to suck the juice from the soft stems.
And again they walked, walked, walked. Cultivated fields appeared in the distance again.
– Do you see these fields? My wife's relatives live next to them. But they are very uneducated. That's why they don't have spoons! Let's hide our spoons too.
In the indicated place, the Deer hid a basket in which they carried their things.
We walked a little further.
- Listen, Deer! I already told you that my wife’s relatives are completely uneducated. When they say “hello” to you, instead of “hello”, you answer them by saying “go to hell!” They won't understand what you told them. When they want to take the jug of wine from you, you throw it on the ground. Be sure to do as I say, nephew.
“Yes, yes, I’ll definitely do that, I’ll do everything as you say, uncle.”
The children rushed towards them, shouting with joy:
- Uncle Leopard, Uncle Leopard! And the elders greeted the guests:
- Hello! Hello! To which the Deer respectfully replied: “Go to hell!”
The relatives were very surprised, but still came up to take the jug of wine from him, and the Deer immediately threw it to the ground. Then his relatives got angry and beat him.
After lunch, the Leopard sent the Deer for a basket of things that they had hidden, while he himself ate all the food. Then he flooded the entire yard with water and, when the Deer returned, he said angrily:
- Nephew, why are you walking so slowly? Couldn't you hurry up? Do you see this water? It was my wife’s uneducated relatives who flooded the entire yard... They ate everything themselves, and left us nothing. Even I didn’t get anything! Okay, nephew, we'll eat tomorrow...
“Okay, uncle, we’ll eat tomorrow,” said the Deer, whose stomach was already sick from hunger.
At night, when everyone was asleep, the Leopard crept into the barn, killed the goats, filled the nut shell with blood, silently entered the pen where the Deer was sleeping, and doused him.
In the morning, the Deer slept for a long time, and the kids ran to wake him up. They ran into the corral, saw the Deer covered in blood and rushed back, shouting:
- Ay-ay-ay! Uncle Deer is covered in blood!
And the adults already knew that someone had killed their goats.
- Ah, so that’s who’s to blame! - they shouted and furiously attacked the Deer.
The deer was beaten so hard that the poor fellow died from the beating. And then the relatives of the Leopard’s wife ate him.
A little time passed, and Leopard again went to visit his wife’s relatives. This time he called the Monkey with him. She agreed and carried a jug of palm wine.
When they came to the first cultivated field, the Leopard said:
– Do you see these fields?
- Yes, uncle, I see.
“These are the fields of my wife’s relatives.” But their trees are guavas. Of course we can eat a few fruits. But only green ones. Ripe ones should be left to the owners. Do you hear?
- Of course, uncle! As if I don’t understand that sweet fruits should remain for the owners! I don't even like ripe guavas: they're too sweet. But green ones - yes! I love them. Birds don't peck at them, and that's why they're clean.
When they approached the trees, the Leopard wanted to take the heavy jug of wine from the Monkey.
- It’s okay, uncle, I’m not tired. - And in front of the Leopard, the Monkey began to gnaw on green fruits. But as soon as he stepped aside, she quickly climbed the tree and feasted on the ripest fruits. Suddenly, from above, she saw that the Leopard was also eating ripe fruits.
– How dare you pick ripe fruits?! - The Leopard pounced on her, seeing a ripe guava in the hands of the Monkey.
- And-and-them! There are so many ripe ones around, and you want me to eat green ones? What else! I’ll throw the jug of wine, go away, and leave you alone!
- Well, niece, don’t be angry, I was joking!
And they moved on. We reached the sugar cane.
– Do you see this reed? It also belongs to my wife's relatives. We can enter it. But we will only break the panicles - we will leave the stems to the owners. Do you hear?
- Of course, uncle! I know everything. I don't even like sugar cane, it's too sweet. Here are the panicles, yes, I really like them.
And, standing next to the Leopard, the Monkey began to gnaw on the dried tops of the reeds. But as soon as he moved away, she immediately broke the thickest stem and began to suck out the juice. At the same time, with one eye she saw that the Leopard was doing the same.
Seeing the thick soft stem in the Monkey’s hands, the Leopard became angry:
- How?! Did you break a thick stalk of reed?
- And-and-them! Do you really want me to gnaw on these dry panicles when there are so many sweet reeds all around! Look, I’ll throw your jug of wine and leave!
- No, no, niece, don’t be angry, I was joking. And they moved on.
The house of Leopard's wife's relatives appeared in the distance.
- Look, Monkey, when we get there, hide our spoons. My relatives don't eat with spoons.
- Of course, uncle, I’ll hide it. When you don't know what customs are followed in the house, you have to be careful. Isn't that so, uncle?..
And the Monkey pretended to hide the spoons.
– Listen, niece, I already told you that my wife’s relatives are very uneducated. So: when they say “hello” to you, instead of saying “hello” in response, say “get the hell out!” And when they want to take the jug of wine from you, throw it on the ground. Do you hear?
- Of course, uncle. It was so difficult for me to carry it that I would rather break it than give it to these ignoramuses!
The kids rushed towards them:
- Uncle Leopard! Uncle Leopard! Aunt Monkey!
The monkey smiled welcomingly at them.
- Hello! – said the relatives of Leopard’s wife. And the Monkey answered affably:
- Hello!
When they wanted to take the jug from her, she carefully gave it to them.
Indignant, Leopard asked her:
“Hey, why didn’t you answer like I told you?” Why didn't you throw the jug on the ground?
- Uncle, don’t be stupid! Otherwise I'll leave! It was so difficult for me to drag the jug, am I really going to break it now!
- Well, calm down. I just said so.
And the Leopard sent her for the hidden spoons:
- But be careful, don’t linger like a Deer. Run: one foot here, the other there. We can't eat without spoons. And these ignoramuses here will devour everything without us.
- Uncle, you know how fast I run. Before you know it, I'll be back.
Left alone, the Leopard pounced on the food and hurriedly began to eat. And the Monkey saw this through the crack and in one jump found himself next to the Leopard and grabbed his paw.
- Uncle! What are you doing? Is it possible to eat without spoons? What an example you set for them!
- No, no, niece! I just wanted to try it!
At midnight, when everyone was already fast asleep, the Leopard went into the barn, killed the goats and filled the coconut shell with blood.
The monkey did not sleep, he saw and heard everything. She crept after the Leopard into the barn, hid behind the door and, when he returned with a nutshell, she grabbed his paw, and the goat’s blood stained the Leopard’s skin.
Early in the morning a cry of horror was heard:
– Someone killed our goats again!
And at that time the Leopard was standing by the stream - he was trying to wash off the blood on his skin. The children of his owners found him doing this.
- Ay-ay-ay! Uncle Leopard is covered in blood! - they shouted.
Then the indignant relatives of his wife came running, grabbed Leopard, tied him up and then beat him so hard that he died from the beating. One of the smartest relatives said:
“And that time our goats were probably killed by a Leopard!” And in vain we killed the poor Deer!
The monkeys found a groom, and a few days later they went to her home together, taking with them a piece of roasted Leopard meat. Having found the Leopard's wife, the Monkey said:
“Uncle asked me to say hello to you.” He stayed with relatives to help them with their work. He sends you a piece of roasted meat as a gift.
The Leopard's wife was very happy: they had not eaten fried meat for so many days! But the youngest daughter suddenly said plaintively:
- Mom, this meat smells like dad!
- And-and-them! This kid is always coming up with something! Are you sick or crazy?
- Ayue! She's still little, she doesn't know what she's saying! - said the Monkey sympathetically.
Mother prepared dinner. Everyone feasted on meat. Only the youngest daughter refused, still repeating:
- Mom, this meat smells like dad!
And then the Monkey told everything that happened:
“The meat I brought you is indeed Leopard meat.” I did the same thing that the Leopard himself did not so long ago - he sent a piece of roasted Deer meat to his family.
And the youngest daughter cried bitterly:
- Well, didn’t I say that this meat smells like dad?
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru