Number two Joy Street

THE RAM AND THE LEOPARD By VALERY CARRICK

Reading edition

An African Tale

Once upon a time a ram thought he would build himself a house in the forest. So he went into the forest and made a clearing.

“That’s done now,” he said; “to-morrow I’ll have a rest, and after that I’ll start building my house.”

Then he went back to his home.

But at the same time a leopard thought he would build himself a house in the forest. So he went there and began to look for a likely place, when suddenly he saw that a clearing had already been made, as though on purpose for a house to be built there.

“That’s splendid!” he thought. “I’ll begin to build my house here!”

And he started dragging sticks and stakes and logs along; he worked all day, and got very tired, and then he said:

“Well, the beginning is always the hardest part! To-morrow I’ll rest, and then start work again!”

The next day the ram came along, and saw all the sticks and stakes and logs gathered there: all he had to do was to put them together! And he was very much surprised, and he thought:

“This must be the fairies helping me!”

31And then he began putting the walls up. And he got half way, and then felt very tired, so he went away to rest.

The next day the leopard came along again, and saw that the walls had been half built, and he thought:

“There, isn’t that splendid! I had a rest yesterday, and the fairies meantime helped me!”

Black and white line drawing of a grumpy-faced leopard standing on a hill in a jungle clearing surrounded by palm trees.

And he started to work and finished building the walls, and got very tired, and thought:

“That’s all right! All to-morrow I’ll rest, and then I’ll finish it off!”

The next day the ram came along, and saw that it was 32all done but for the roof. And he set to work and put the roof on. Then he thought:

“Well, to-morrow I’ll just have a good rest, and then I can start moving in!”

The next day the leopard came along again, and when he saw what had happened he thought:

Black and white line drawing of a horned ram standing in a clearing next to a pile of logs, with palm trees behind.

“There now, would you believe it, the work’s finished! The roof is on! To-morrow I’ll move in!”

The next day the ram started moving into his new house, and the leopard also started moving into HIS new house, and they both came along and met, and the ram said:

33“This house is for ME to live in! I built it, and the fairies helped me!”

But the leopard said:

“No! This house is for ME to live in! It was I who built it, and it was ME whom the fairies helped!”

Black and white line drawing of a leopard and a ram facing each other before a thatched hut with a pointed roof and palm trees.

And they argued about it for a long time, and couldn’t settle who was to live in the house, or whom the fairies had helped. And in the end they went for judgment to the lion, and said to him:

“Please will YOU decide the question: Who built the house, whom did the fairies help, and who is to live in it?”

34And the lion replied:

“Both of you built the house, and the fairies helped you both, and so both of you go and live in it, and don’t quarrel!”

Black and white line drawing of a grumpy lion sitting centrally between two palm trees, facing a ram and a leopard standing below.

So both the leopard and the ram started living in the house, and they got on all right and didn’t quarrel. The leopard would go off hunting, bring back his prey, and eat it. And the ram just kept on walking about round the house, nibbling the grass and getting quite satisfied with that. And the leopard began to wonder how it was: the ram had no sharp teeth, had no claws, and besides that he was lazy, so how did he manage to get plenty to eat and 35keep fat? How did HE catch his prey? So he asked him one day, and said:

“How do YOU catch your prey, Mr. Ram?”

And the ram answered:

“How do I catch my prey? First of all you show me how YOU catch your prey!”

Black and white line drawing of a leopard sitting upright near a single log, watching a ram headbutt the ground near a thatched hut.

Then the leopard put a log of wood on the ground, and began to approach it as if he were hunting: first he’d come up from one side, crouch down on the earth and creep along; then he’d come up from the other side, crouch down on the earth and creep along. Then all at once he’d spring right on to the log and start gnawing it with his teeth, hitting 36it with his paws, and tearing it with his claws. And the ram watched him, and then said:

“Well, now I’ll show you how I catch my prey.”

Black and white line drawing of a ram headbutting a wide-eyed leopard in the side, with palm trees in the background.

And he went and stood in front of the log, and then began to back. And he backed and backed, till all at once he ran forward at the log and butted it hard with his horns, and the log simply went spinning away like a top. So the leopard saw that the ram was very strong, and he thought to himself:

“The ram’s a dangerous beast! I must be on the look-out, or he’ll do for me. But there’s one good thing: I know he’s got to go back before he comes forward!”

37And after that they went on living happily, the leopard going off hunting and bringing back his prey, and the ram walking round the house and nibbling the grass. But the leopard kept a sharp look-out and watched to see if the ram hadn’t started backing.

Then came the rains, and the earth got wet and slippery. And one day the leopard and the ram were standing together when suddenly the ram slipped, and he slipped so much that he went quite a long way back. And when the leopard saw this he got a terrible fright, and thought:

“Oh dear, oh dear! My end has come!”

And with that he dashed off into the forest. And ever since then the ram has been sole master of the house.

Black and white line drawing of a ram standing in a grassy clearing, watching a leopard flee into the background past palm trees.

Detailed black and white line drawing of a mechanical dragon built like a steamship or train, with smokestacks, biplane wings, and riveted metal plates.