Once upon a time, the flood drove a crocodile so far away from the river that it could not find its way back to the water. It was hungry and thirsty and grew weaker by the hour. 

A hunter came by, saw the crocodile and asked: "What are you doing here in the bush?"

The crocodile told his story. The hunter took pity on him and said: "If you promise not to eat me, I'll take you back to the river."

The crocodile promised, and the hunter pulled it to the riverbank with ropes.

"Now you've brought me this far, you can pull me into the water too."

The hunter pulled the crocodile into the water, but it said: "You've brought me this far, so you can still pull me into the deep water."

The hunter pulled the crocodile into the river until he was up to his neck in water and said: "That's enough, now you can go."

But the crocodile said, "I'm very hungry and can't leave without eating you."

"Is this the reward for saving your life?" the hunter shouted angrily. The two argued with each other until the crocodile said: "Right, we'll find a judge. He will decide whether I can eat you or not".

Shortly afterwards, a horse came to the river to drink.

"Horse!" shouted the crocodile, "you must be our judge." He explained everything to the horse and then asked: "So, do I have the right to eat the hunter?"

The horse replied: "In my experience, all humans are bad. My master chased me away because I was getting old. You can eat the hunter for all I care."

The crocodile was already opening its big mouth when a cow came along. 

"Let's ask the cow for her opinion too," said the hunter.

The crocodile explained the matter to the cow and she said: "The humans are all ungrateful, they chased me away because I no longer give milk. You can eat the hunter for all I care."

The crocodile opened its mouth again when a rabbit hopped up to the river and asked: "What are you doing there?"

The hunter explained everything to the hare, who said to the crocodile: "You are so big and strong. How could the hunter pull you all the way to the river?"

The crocodile told him about the ropes and the hare said: "I can't believe it, please show me."

So the hunter tied the crocodile up with the ropes and pulled it to the riverbank."

"Did the hunter find you here?" asked the rabbit.

"It was much further into the bush," said the crocodile, and the hunter pulled it exactly where he had found it.

"You see," said the rabbit to the hunter, "you've won. Leave the crocodile here, it will keep you full for a long time, and give me a reward for helping you."

The hunter happily returned to his village with the rabbit. But when he got there, he was told: "Your daughter is ill. Only a rabbit’s fur can make her well again."

The hunter looked at the rabbit and said: "You're just in time for me", and wanted to catch it. But the rabbit jumped away and shouted: "Is this the thanks I get for saving you from the crocodile?".

Since that day, rabbits have been wary of humans.

© translated by Lysander Jaenike, version by Djamila Jaenike, based on:  Le Chasseur, le Crocodile et le Lièvre, in: F. de Zeltner, Contes du Sénégal et du Niger, Paris 1913