AT THE WELL

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 258, 21 January 1928, Page 27

AT THE WELL

AN OLD FOLK-TALE It was a year of drought. The rivers and streams had all dried up, and the animals decided to dig a well in order to get water. They dug and dug. The wolf dug, the bear dug, the badger dug, and the fox dug. But the hare refused to dig—he was too lazy. Water collected in the well and the animals began to draw it, but they said to the hare: “As you didn't dig, you can’t have any water.” And in the. day-time the hare didn’t dare go up to the well to draw water; but at night, when all the other animals were asleep, he would creep in to the well, draw a little bucket full of water, and carry it off home. One day the fox was going past the hare’s house, and he saw a bucket of water standing there, and asked: “Mr. Hare, where do you get your water from?” “Oh, a dew-drop at a time, one from every leaf and one from every dower,” replied the hare, “and so in time I get a little water.” “I don’t believe you could get enough dew to give you all that water!” answered the fox. And he went off and told the other animals, and said: “I’m sure the hare comes to our well at night and draws water from it. We must catch him.” And the hedgehog thought of a plan how to catch the hare: “Let’s make a doll of pitch and put it by the well, and then you’ll see!” So the animals made a doll of pitch and put it by the well, right on the road. And in the night the hare came along for his water and saw someone standing there, guarding the road, so he said: “Let me pass!” And the doll said nothing. “Answer,” said the hare, “or I’ll knock you down!” And the doll never uttered a sound. “So you won’t speak?” said the hare, “then take that!”—and he banged the doll with his paw. And his paw stuck fast in the pitch. “Let me go!” Then said the bare, “Don’t hold on to me!” But the doll never let go his paw. “Oh, you won’t let go, won’t you?” ! said the hare; “then take that as well!” and he struck the doll with his other paw, and that stuck, too. “But what are you holding me for?” asked the *hare. “Let go, when you’re told, or else I’ll start kicking.” But the doll held both his paws fast. Then the hare struck the doll with his right hind-leg—and that, too, stuck to the pitch. And then he struck with his left hind-leg—and so all his four paws got stuck. “I suppose you think,’ said he, “that because you’re holding me by all my four paws, I can’t settle with you? And what about my head?” And then he struck the doll with his head, and that stuck, too! And he began to wriggle and struggle, but he only got stuck tighter and tighter. The next morning the other animals came and saw the hare, and said: “Oh, that’s how you collect dew in the mornings, is it, you fellow!” And they condemned the hare to the cruellest death they could think of. What sort of death should that be? The badger suggested: “Let’s light a big fire of sticks and fling him on to it!” But the hare said: “Splendid! I was born in fire! Light a fire quickly and fling me on to it!” And the animals saw that fire wouldn’t kill the hare. Then the hedgehog said: “Better tie a stone to liis neck and fling him in the water!” But the hare said: “Excellent! I’ll catch a nice lot of fish for my dinner!” So they saw this was no good. Then the wolf suggested: “Let’s throw him right into the middle of the brambles, there he’ll be torn and pricked to death! ” And at that the hare began to wail and to weep, and said: “Oh, kill me any other way you like, but; don’t throw me into the brambles!” And at that the other animals were of course simply delighted! And they said: “That’s just why you shall suffer this most terrible of all deaths. We’ll teach you to steal water from our well!” And they took the hare and swung him up in the air, and threw him from the cliff-top right into the middle of the brambles! And there the hare sat down in the greatest comfort, saying: “Here I can find food to eat! Here I can make jmy bed! Here I was born and here i I shall stay as long as it pleases me.”