Wakaima and the Clay Man

Wakaima and the Clay Man (1)

Long, long ago, there lived in Africa a rabbit who was called Wakaima.

He was very lazy.
His greatest friend was an elephant who was called Wanjovu.

They lived together on a firm.

Now Wanjovu(elephant) got tired of living with Wakaima(rabbit), who was lazy and did not work at all while Wanjovu worked very hard.

So one day he said,
" Let each have his own farm. You will have yours and I will have mine. Then we will share what we grow. "

Wakaima agreed.

They each selected a plot of ground, prepared the soil and planted the seed.

But instead of working on his farm Wakaima ran off into the jungle and spent the days eating wild fruit and sleeping under the trees.

When evening came he would rub dirt over his paws and face and come into the house groaning, rubbing his back and saying how hard he had worked and how tired he was.

Wanjovu was a good gardener.
He planted and cultivated corn and potatoes, peas and many other vegetables.

When evening came he was really tiredーbut he said nothing about it.

Wakaima, coming in with a stick or two for the fire, his paws and face covered with dirt, would throw himself down before the fire.

" How tired I am ! " he would say.
" The work has been so hard today. I have worked all day without stopping. "

Wanjovu, who really believed him, would prepare supper for them both believed him, would prepare supper for them both.
Then Wakaima would wash his paws and face and sit down to eat.

Now one evening as they sat down to the supper that Wanjovu had prepared, Wanjovu said:
" Wakaima, I am afraid that you work too hard on your farm."

Wakaima shook his head.
" We cannot work too hard, " he said.
" We must have plenty of food to store away before the rains come. "

This went on for weeks.   

(つづく　1/5)

Wakaima and the Clay Man (2)

Wakaima and the Clay Man (2)


Finally the crops were ready.

The time had come to gather in the harvest.

One evening Wanjovu came in with a large basket filled with beautiful ears of corn and fine white potatoes.



He cooked them very carefully, and he and Wakaima ate every one.

" How good the corn is, how sweet ! " said Wakaima.
" I have never eaten finer potatoes. "

The next evening Wakaima came in with a basket full of corn and potatoes.
" These are probably not as good as yours, " he said.
" But we will try them. "

Wanjovu looked them over. They looked very much like the corn and potatoes from his own garden.

He said nothing. He cooked them carefully, and they ate them for supper.

The next morning when Wanjovu went to hi farm, he saw that someone had been there in the night and stolen some of his corn and some of his potatoes.

That evening he said to Wakaima:
" Someone got into my farm last night and stole some of my vegetables. "

Wakaima pretended to be very much excited.
" Some thief got into my farm, too. " he said.
" What are we going to do about it ? "

Now Wakaima had stolen the things from Wanjovu himself.
He had no vegetables in his garden.

" We must do something to keep the thief away, " Wanjovu answered.
" I will think it over and work out a plan. "

The next day Wanjovu went to the river and got a large quantity of clay.
With it he made a clay man, with arms outstretched.

Carefully he carried the clay man to his farm and set it up between the corn and the potatoes.

When he had finiswshed it was quite dark.

(つづく　2/5)  

Wakaima and the Clay Man (3)

Wakaima and the Clay Man (3)

Later the moon rose.

There stood the Clay Man. There was his shadow, black in the white moonlight.

Wanjovu had been asleep in his own bed for hours when the little figure of Wakaima stole into his potato patch.

When Wakaima saw the clay man looming up in the moonlight he was frightened.
Could it be Wanjovuwaiting to punish him for stealing the corn and the potatoes ?

He dared not move.

The clay man did not move.

Finally Wakaima gathered courage to speak:
" Hullo, Wanjovu, " he called, " What are you doing here at this time of night ? "

The clay man did not answer.

Wakaima began to lose his temper.

" You are not Wanjovu ! " he shouted.
" You are a thief who has come to steal his corn. Answer me, or I will go at once and tell Wanjovu. "

The clay man did not answer.

Wakaima drew nearer to him.
He was puzzled. He said,
" Who are you ? Why do you not answer ? "

The clay man did not answer.

Wakaima walked cautiously all around him.
The clay man looked very large in the moonlight.

" If you do not answer me, I will hit you ! " shouted Wakaima.

The clay man did not answer.

Wakaima went up to him and struck him as hard as he could with his paw.

And his paw stuck to the soft clay.

" Let me go ! he screamed.
" Let me go, or I will hit you with my other paw ! "

But the clay man did not let him go.

(つづく　3/5)

Wakaima and the Clay Man (4)

Wakaima and the Clay Man (4)


Wakaima lifted his other paw and punched the clay man in the stomach as hard as he could.

And his other paw stuck in the soft clay.
He was getting more angry every minute.

" Let me go, I tell you ! " he shouted.
" If you do not let me go, I will kick you with my foot. "

But the clay man did not let him go.

Wakaima raised his foot and kicked the clay man.
And his foot stuck in the soft clay.
He tried to his best to pull his foot away.

But the clay man would not let it go.

Wakaia was now very angry and very tired.
He lifted his other foot and kicked the clay man with all his strength.
And other foot stuckin the soft clay.

" I will bite you with my teeth. " screamed Wakaima.
" I will bite you in the stomach with my long, sharp teeth unless you let me go. "

But the clay man did not let him go.

Wakaima butted his head against the clay man and set his long,sharp teeth into the clay.
And clay held him fast.

He coud not draw his teeth away.
He could not draw his head away.
His feet and his paws were held fast.

He could not move.
He could not call for help.
He was held as if a trap.

The moon sank low in the sky. Darkness came.
There was Wakaima, held by the clay man.

In the east the dawn broke slowly.
Slowy the sun rose from its slumber behind the hills.

The bird began to sing thier morning songs.

(4/5)


お詫び：
ソネットの調子が不安定なため、４月４日分を、早めにお送りします。すでに、午後９時過ぎにブログの管理画面もロクに開けない状態に陥り、午前０時台は不能の見込み。 

Wakaima and the Clay Man (5) 完

Wakaima and the Clay Man (5) 完


Very early Wanjovu got up and went to his farm.

He wanted to see if the clay man had trapped the thief.

And he found Wakaima, held by the clay man.

" You wicked fellow ! " he thundered.
" So you are the thief who has stolen my food.
Do you not have a farm of your own ?
I suppose it was easier to steal my corn and potatoes than work over yours.
What a lazy good-for-nothing you are !
Now I shall punish you. "

He pulled up Wakaima until he had a freed him from the clay man.
Poor Wakaima !
He looked so ashamed and so wretched.

Wanjovu could not help feeling a little sorry for him.

" What are you going to do with me ? " sobbed Wakaima.

Wanjovu thought for a while. Finally he said:
" I realy ought to eat you. You have eaten my crops, so I should eat you. You did not tell the truth about your own garden. "

" But you cannot eat me alive, " protested Wakaima.
" I will have to be dead before you eat me, "

" Well, what do you want me to do ? " Wanjovu asked uneasily.
He did not feel very happy about eating his friend Wakaima.

Wakaima pointed to the jungle.
" Throw me over there among the trees, " he said.
" Throw me very high among the branches. By the time I hit the ground, I will be dead. Then you can eat me. "

Wanjovu lifted Wakaima.
He threw him high up among the branches of the trees.

But when Wakiama struck the ground he was not dead. He was not even hurt.

He landed lightly on his feet and scampered away into the jungle.

Wanjovu Knew that he could not catch him.
He went back to his farm.

Since that time, Wanjovu and Wakaima have not spoken to one another.

(おわり　5/5)