Every day a lion used to catch the people, and he began to finish them all off. Then one day a certain man arose and said, “First let me go and eat some honey.” When he had arrived in the bush, lo! he heard a honey-guide fall [an expression frequently used regarding the sudden appearance of the chattering honey-guide]. When it had thus fallen, they [Lamba idiom indicating “the man and the honey-guide”] sped off. Over there he found the honey-guide ‘hanging about’. He found them (the bees) located in two places. He found weapons lying about. When he sat down to make a fire [in order to smoke the bees], it (the lion) also came and ate him.
Again in the morning another got up and said, “First of all let me go and follow up a little honey-guide.” Indeed he heard it come. Off they sped. Further on he found it ‘hanging about’. On looking up, he found them located in two places. When he had sat down to light a fire, it too came and ate him.
Again in the morning yet another got up in the same way. When he had reached the forest, he heard the honey-guide fall. Off they sped. Further on he found it ‘hanging about,’ and there they were located in two places. When he sat down to make a fire, it also came and ate him.
Then practically everybody was finished off. At dawn one day, Mr. Wulambe himself arose and said, “I am going out to eat some honey.” When he had reached the forest, he heard it fall. Off they sped. When he had gone further on, he found it ‘hanging about’. When Mr. Wulambe looked up, he found them located in two places. Mr. Wulambe sat down to make a fire. It came and caught him.
Then in the village they tired of waiting (for him), and his sister and his mother became tired of sitting. They said, “Today it has eaten Mr. Wulambe!” Then indeed his sister sat down and wept. One day a certain man came and said, “I want to marry!” (The mother) said, “He who wants to marry my child, let him first kill that which ate Wulambe.” Then that man refused, saying, “No, how is one to kill what ate Wulambe?” Then yet another came saying, “I want to marry this woman!” The mother said, “He who wants to marry Wulambe’s sister, let him first kill that which ate Wulambe!”
But one day, Mr. Little-Hare arrived with a big sack, and said, “I want to marry this woman!” And Wulambe’s mother answered, “He who wants to marry Wulambe’s sister, let him first kill that which ate Wulambe!” Little-Hare agreed saying, “Yes, I’ll marry.”
When morning dawned it went out with its sack. When it had gone a little, behold the honey-guide came. And it went following. When it had done that, it found that it (the honey-guide) was loitering about. When it arrived, it looked round, and found countless weapons. Then it knew that was where that which ate Wulambe was.
When it looked round again, it saw him (the lion) coming. Then it put down its sack, and it went right over there. And it arrived and bowed itself down, and said, “Greeting, O Master!” And he (the lion) said, “Greeting!” And it asked, “Where is your house, Sir? Let me have a smoke!”
Then they both went over there. When they had finished smoking, it said to him, “Sir, I have a splendid trick! If you were to see it, you would just love it at once!” Then Lion said, “Ah! The lies, Little-Hare, that you are telling!” And he said, “Let us go, Sir, you’ll see!”
When they had gone over there, it arrived, and took up its sack; then it went inside; and said to Lion, “Now lift me up, Sir!” He was about to lift him up, when (Little-Hare) caught his claws into a root. Mr. Lion strained, he couldn’t lift him. Then he said, “And you, Sir, now get in!” And, lo! Mr. Lion got in. Mr. Little- Hare said, “And your wife, Sir, and all your children, let them get in!” Mr. Lion said, “You can’t pick us up!” He said’ “No Sir, I’ll pick you up!” Then indeed they all went in.
When they had finished going in, then it started to tie it up with a tremendous rope. He said, “Little-Hare, what are you tying us up like this for?” He said, “No Sir, just in order to pick you up easily.” Then he bound it round everywhere tightly. Then he said to him, “Today you lie; I am going to kill you; it is you who ate Wulambe!” It took a stick, and started to beat them. When it had beaten for a long time, it saw that all was still; then off it went to the village. It said, “Today I have killed those that ate Wulambe!” They said, “Lies, you lie! You, of such (little) size, how are you to kill those that ate Wulambe?” It said, “Let everybody get up, let us go!”
Then indeeed they all arose, and set out. Indeed they found them all dead in the sack. They cut a heap of fire-wood, and threw them in. Then they were all burnt up. Then the people returned to the village. And that woman Little-Hare married.