| Category: | African Legends |
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One hot day, Hare went down to the river to drink. As he was about to dip his head in the water, Crocodile surfaced with a grin. "Hello, Hare. You look thirsty. Why not come closer and drink? The water's nice and cool," Crocodile said slyly.
Hare knew Crocodile's tricks and stepped back. "I'm not thirsty anymore," he said. "But you know, Crocodile, I have something you might be interested in. There's a field of fresh meat just beyond the river. If you let me cross safely, I can show you where it is."
Crocodile's mouth watered. "Meat, you say? Show me!" he demanded. Hare grinned and said, "First, we'll need to get all your family to line up across the river so I can count how many of you there are. Then I'll know how much meat to bring back."
Crocodile, eager for the feast, called all his relatives. Soon, a line of crocodiles stretched across the river. Hare hopped onto the first crocodile's back and began to count, "One, two, three…" all the way to the other side.
As soon as he reached the far bank, Hare turned and laughed. "Thanks for the ride, Crocodile, but there's no meat! Just my clever trick!"
Furious, Crocodile snapped his jaws, but Hare was too quick. He disappeared into the tall grass, leaving Crocodile and his family splashing angrily in the river. From that day on, Crocodile never trusted Hare, but Hare always found new ways to outsmart him.