XXIX The Leopard Tries to Steal the Gazelle’s Wife
The Leopard had many wives, but his friend the Gazelle had only one, and the Leopard desired to procure that one, and very often said to himself: “I must kill the Gazelle and take his wife for myself.” So he sent a messenger to call the Gazelle, but he was too wise to go, and sent an excuse, saying: “You tell the Leopard that I am going to market, and cannot visit him now.”
In a very short time another messenger arrived and said: “Go to the Leopard, for he is dead.”
“Oh! oh! that is very strange,” replied the Gazelle, “that you who are a mourner should be travelling about, but perhaps you are going to buy pigs for the funeral feast?”
Before he had finished speaking another messenger came and said: “Gazelle, your uncle the Leopard is dead, go and wrap the cloth round his body.”
“Yes,” answered the Gazelle, “I will come and bind up the body, but first I will go and buy some pigs for the funeral festivities.”
When the Leopard heard these answers he rushed after the Gazelle that he might kill him, but on turning a corner in the road the Leopard met a beautiful girl; but he did not know that it was the Gazelle who had changed himself into that form. Of her the Leopard inquired: “Did you see a Gazelle pass this way?”
“Yes, my lord Leopard, I did,” she replied.
The Leopard then said to her: “Would you like to marry me?”
“Yes,” she said, “I would like to marry you, but you have such sharp teeth and claws.”
“Very well,” replied the Leopard, “cut them all off.”
So she at once cut off all his claws, and pulled out his teeth.
“Will you marry me now?” asked the Leopard.
“I would like to,” repeated the girl, “but for the marks on your chest and neck.”
“Oh, all right,” he said; “cut them all out.”
And she cut them away, spot after spot, and mark after mark, and the Leopard died. The Gazelle changed back to his proper form, and as he went off he said: “The Leopard tried to rob me of my one wife, but he has lost his life through his covetousness.”