31. Ijapa (Tortoise) and Ehoro (Hare)

Many, many years ago, when the world was very different from the way it is today, animals had a lot in common with human beings. They lived side by side with humans, intermingling freely. They spoke like humans and generally behaved like humans – some animals, like the tortoise, Ijapa, possessing remarkable physical and mental capabilities. Animals formed groups and made friends like humans.

The animals, especially those who lived in groups in the forest, were known to be ready to support each other, but at the same time, to fight each other if necessary. They were also known for competing with each other as to who was the strongest, biggest, most powerful, deadliest, wisest, fastest etc.

For example, at that time in Lagoni, a town in a far away land where a tortoise, Ijapa, lived, an elephant, Erin, prided himself as the biggest and the strongest among a group of animals in the forest. A lion, Kiniun, who had been chosen as ọba (king) believed himself to be the most powerful, and the most feared.

One sunny afternoon, a group of animals in the forest were playing by the river, when they suddenly wanted to know who was the fastest of them all.

“It’s Cheetah (Owawa)” some of them said.

“No, it’s Hare (Ehoro)” some other ones said.

“The best way to know is to have a footrace” one of them suggested.

“A footrace! That’s an excellent idea! Let’s go and tell Kiniun about it!”

Kiniun agreed after consulting with his counsellors, and chose a day for a footrace. Three of the animals were delegated the task of organising the race and of informing the other animals of the date, time and place. It was to be a grand affair – the first of its kind – with pomp and fanfare.

Three other animals were appointed as judges, and another was put in charge of choosing the course and fixing the goal. A clearing in the forest – a tree-lined stretch of land, a bush path – was chosen for the footrace. The start and the end of the bush path was mapped out. On both sides of the path were tall and elegant looking palm-trees, coconut trees, and pine-trees – a gentle breeze blowing their leaves against the blue sky. At their feet the green grass with beds of pine-needles, beautiful flowers and plants, lent an array of dazzling colours to the surroundings.

At the appointed date and time, all the animals had gathered at the starting line and at the finishing line, to watch the beginning and the end of the race. When Kiniun arrived, the whistle was blown, and the race began. It happened that at this first footrace Erin was hailed as winner. There and then, word was sent round about a ceremony to honour him, scheduled for the following day.

“Good for Erin! This should boost his ego. Choosing Kiniun over him as our Ọba may have dealt him a huge blow, you know” one of the smaller animals was saying.

“I don’t know, but we really should have chosen Erin as Ọba. We shouldn’t have been afraid that Kiniun would kill us all if we had acted otherwise”.

“Not only that. We thought that, as our Ọba, Kiniun would stop his criminal habit”.

“Yes. That’s the irony of the whole thing. We were wrong. Kiniun hasn’t stopped this criminal habit!”

Similarly, to some other lions elsewhere, Kiniun was very wild and wicked, and had a criminal habit of eating other animals, especially the smaller ones, whenever he felt like it. These animals believed that in making him their Ọba, Kiniun would not want to continue doing so, and risk not having any subjects to govern. But they had been wrong. It made no difference whether Kiniun was Ọba or not. The other animals, especially the smaller ones were not safe from him, and would have been better off had they made Erin their Ọba. Erin would have done his best to protect them from Kiniun.

The honouring ceremony took place at the same location the following day, with pomp and fanfare. Both sides of the forest path were decorated as on the previous day. Erin was resplendent in beautiful and colourful clothes, and a hat. He was very pleased with himself, and paraded up and down with pride, raising his trunk to wave at the other animals, flapping his ears. There was music, and all the animals present were clapping, cheering and hailing Erin, except a hare, Ehoro, who was clearly displeased with what was going on.

“How could Erin have won? How could he run fast with his bulky frame?”, one of the animals said to another one next to him, in wonder.

“I’ll tell you how.” Ehoro, who overheard them answered. “I didn’t know about the footrace until now that it’s over. I was never informed. Erin wouldn’t have stood a chance in this word had I been there.

“I wasn’t there either” an antelope (Ẹgbin/Igala) joined in.

As the matter was discussed, with some of the other animals joining in, it became obvious that the fastest animals like Ehoro, Igala, and Owawa had not been made aware of the footrace.

“No wonder! Of course, Erin won! How could he not have won when he was not competing with the likes of Igala and Owawa – not to mention me. You all know, of course, that we’re very fast indeed. I daresay that I’d have won had I taken part in the race, even though I’m sure Owawa would want you to believe otherwise. He thinks he’s the fastest!” Ehoro continued.

Igala and Owawa said nothing. They just left Ehoro to rant and rave about having been left out of the competition. Ehoro was very proud and boastful, believing that none of the other animals could beat him in a race – not even Igala and Owawa who were known to be very fast animals.

Igala and Owawa were not happy about being left out of the race either. They both knew that they were very fast, but were not proud and boastful about it like Ehoro. They thought that the best thing to do was to bring the matter to the attention of the organisers at the end of the ceremony.

When the organisers of the footrace learnt that some animals were left out, they were not happy about it.

“But we sent two delegates out to inform every single animal about the race. How could they have left out Ehoro, Owawa and Igala/Ẹgbin, and anyone else?” one of the organisers said, and immediately went to look for the two animals they had delegated the task to.

“They must have left us out deliberately, perhaps as a favour to one or two of the contestants” Ehoro burst out, and the others cautioned him.

“It’s not fair to say that, Ehoro. It could have been an oversight. At least, let’s hear what the delegates have to say first before you pass judgment. You’re not the only one involved here you know” one of the organisers said to Ehoro sternly.

“An oversight!” Ehoro snorted.

The culprits – the two delegates – claimed that it was an oversight. They were brought to task, and warned by those in charge not to let that happen again.

“There’re going to be other footraces in the future. You must make sure that every single animal is informed about the next one!”

Whether it was an oversight or a deliberate act, the matter was dismissed, but it was not over for Ehoro.

“I bet Erin bribed the delegates to leave us out. Not having been chosen Ọba he just had to try and find other ways of making his mark” he said.

Erin, who had been made aware of what was happening including Ehoro’s outbursts, and had kept quiet, taking everything in his stride, overheard Ehoro’s last remark.

“Bribed the delegates? You’d better watch what you’re saying, Ehoro!” Erin said, irate.

“Or what?” Ehoro wanted to know.

“If you continue to insult me, I’ll knock you down with my huge feet and my heavy trunk”

“That’s what you’re good for!” Ehoro shouted at Erin. The latter’s answer inflamed him further, and led to more verbal abuses.

“I don’t know why the other animals like you at all. You’re a bully. You think you can scare me. Try it and see! You may be the biggest and strongest animal, but so what? If you were running away from enemies, will you escape faster than Igala and Owawa who’re fast, but not as fast as I am. I’d have won!”

Erin would not have done anything to hurt Ehoro or the other animals, unless it was really very necessary. Erin just liked to boast as well. In fact, his boasting had led to Ijapa outwitting him and Ijapa’s other friend, Erinmilokun, a hippopotamus, in a tug of war – testing who was the stronger of two beings by pulling at a rope at both ends. Ijapa made the two big animals – Erin and Erinmilokun – believe that the tug of war – was between him and each one of them. However, unknown to them, they were pulling at each other!

Now it happened that a tortoise, Ijapa, was among the animals that had been left out of the race – a fact that did not seem to bother him in the least. Ijapa was a very slow animal, and he would have probably come last, or second to the last if Snail, Igbin, another very slow animal, had taken part.

“I wasn’t invited to take part in the footrace either, Ehoro” Ijapa, who had been observing everything that was going on, said, speaking up for Erin who was his friend, and whom he liked, although Erin liked boasting about his size and strength. However, Ijapa did not like the way Ehoro was behaving either – in a proud and boastful manner. Ehoro was too full of himself – arrogant. How could he say blatantly that he would have won the race even if Igala and Owawa had taken part?

“Why are you being so insulting to Erin?” Ijapa continued. “After all you’re not the only animal left out of the race. Igala and Owawa were left out as well, and they’re not being insulting and offensive. You should apologize to Erin. As I said, I was left out, but I’m not complaining.

“Why should you complain? Whom would you have competed with – you who are one of the slowest animals, perhaps second to Igbin? You and Igbin should compete with each other! That’d have been more like it. In fact, there should be a competition to decide who the slowest animal is, and that’s the one you should enter, Ijapa. You’ll win hands down too! Your feet are so ridiculously short, so it’s not surprising that you’re so slow” Ehoro sniggered. Ehoro was not happy that Ijapa was on Erin’s side, and decided to lash out at him – to insult him.

“For your information” Ehoro continued before Ijapa could say anything. “Igala and Owawa, and any other animals that believe they’re some of the fastest are keeping quiet about the whole thing, because they know fully well that they don’t stand any chance of winning if I were there!”

Ijapa was shocked by Ehoro’s boasting, and was thinking:

“I wish Ehoro could be challenged to another race by these other fast animals, and beaten hollow”. But Igala and Owawa said nothing. They were not boastful by nature. Besides, the organisers of the footrace had already said that they would make sure that every animal was invited in future, and this was enough for them.

Ehoro did not apologize to Erin, even though the other animals advised him to do so.

“Let him compete with me in a race and win! Then I’ll apologize…although on second thought, it’d be an insult to even compete with him, since I know I’ll beat him hollow…”

“I can run faster than you and all of you put together. You don’t even need to compete with Erin. Compete with me!” Ijapa butted in. He had by now had enough of Ehoro’s boasting.

“Compete with you? Compete with you? You’re crazy. I’ve already told you to compete with animals like Igbin. You’d better not kid yourself that you’re the fastest when the likes of Igala and Owawa are here, not to talk of myself! There’s no way you can beat me in a race! Ha! Ha!

“You, foolish animal! Don’t you know that there’s nothing I can’t achieve if I set my mind to it!” Ijapa was thinking.

“You’d be surprised. I’m not only fast, but I’m strong”

“Strong? What does that have to do with it?”

“You’ll see”

“I know you’re trying to side Erin, but I challenge you and your friend to a footrace, and see if I’d not beat you hollow. Then I can shut you up once and for all”

“Being fast is not enough, Ehoro. You need to be strong and wise.

“Strong and wise? We all know that you’re wise in your own eyes, but strong? A creature in a cracked shell?”

Ehoro’s behaviour was becoming more and more unbearable for Ijapa, and he started to rack his brains as to how to outwit him – to teach him a lesson, even though he knew that Ehoro could run much faster than him. After all, Ijapa had done the same thing to Erin and Erinmilokun, at sea, whom he considered his best friends, at the time.

Ijapa was known to be wise in his own eyes, known to boast that he could find solutions to problems that defied others, and had been known to do so mainly through ruse. He was indeed a wily creature, full of pranks and mischief.
Ijapa always felt at a disadvantage when it came to who the fastest was in racing, because everyone knew him to move very slowly – second to snail.

However, he was always saying to himself:

“I may not be the fastest – Ehoro, Igala/Ẹgbin and Owawa obviously are. I may move slowly, but I’m the wisest.”

“What do I know of Ehoro, apart from his being full of himself?” Ijapa asked himself, as he racked his brains as to how to teach Ehoro a lesson.

Ehoro was overconfident when it came to running fast, but was he vigilant? Ehoro was known to run with his eyes tightly closed, his ears flat on the side of his face, and to care about nothing else as he ran. He believed that if he looked back, right or left, he would be distracted, and that that would slow him down.

“If I were to have a race with him with no other animals present, I could let him run and run and run, and get tired.” Ijapa thought. “So, the distance for the race must be far longer than what’s covered under the usual footrace… I’m not the wisest for nothing! I must find a way of teaching this animal a lesson.” He continued to rack his brains. Suddenly an idea came to him.

“Do you think I’m joking when I said that I could run faster than all the other animals put together?” he asked Ehoro,

“Not joking but being stupid. You, who’re known to be one of the slowest animals on this earth” Ehoro replied.

“For a long time now, I’ve been looking for ways of moving fast, and have developed some techniques.” Ijapa started, and Ehoro burst out laughing, with the other animals joining in.

“What nonsense! What techniques? No techniques would make you run faster than me”

“The race will have to be a long distance one though” Ijapa continued, ignoring Ehoro’s remarks. “You see the techniques require strength and, contrary to what you may think, I’m strong. I may start off slowly to begin with but by the time I put my arms and legs into full action, carrying myself upright in a certain way, and lifting myself completely up and down again, I’d have put speed into my limbs. All it requires is strength, and luckily, I’m strong.

“No matter what you say you can’t run faster than me!”

“Just wait and see. I challenge you to a race – you and I alone. Some animals can be present at the starting point and end point, but not throughout the race. I don’t want to be laughed at. I’m ready to put the techniques to the test. I’ve not done so up till now because nobody knows about this or has challenged me to a race before. This is perhaps the time to show you all that I’m capable of running fast – faster than you all!”

“Name the day” Ehoro replied haughtily. “I challenge you! There’s no way you can win a race against me! Stop boasting and put your techniques to the test, and we’ll all know if they work!”

“All right, I’ll name the day in due course” Ijapa conceded. “But let me explain again the ins and outs of the race. There’d be no need to appoint referees or judges or make markings on the ground like we did for the footrace. This race is going to be just between you and me, and will be long, because my techniques has to work gradually. I don’t want any of the us to be present, except at the start and at the end, because – like I’ve said – I don’t want them to laugh at me. Those at the end must gather inside that huge barn we use for relaxation, at the nearby farm, close to the finish line, and whoever arrives at the finish line first – Ehoro or I – will go and alert them.

“It ‘ll be a long distant race, with stops mapped out at every mile. The first animal to reach each stop must call out: “How’re you doing?” to the other, and the other must reply “I’m right behind you, or in front of you, or beside you.”

“Sooner or later we’ll know who’s the master” Ehoro said mockingly, when Ijapa finished what he was saying, and the other animals laughed at the two of them.

Ijapa knew that he could take his time to prepare for the race. The following day he started putting his plans into action. He asked some of his relatives to come and see him.

“I’m going to have a footrace with Ehoro, and I’m going to win!”

“With Ehoro? Win? How? Are you serious?” They were all surprised, throwing one question after the other at him.

“This is where you all come in. I need your help. I want you to listen very carefully to what I have to say. You’ve all seen Ehoro running before – how fast he runs, how oblivious he’s to his surrounding, with his ears stuck to the two sides of his face, and how he closes his eyes tight. We also know that any being who does that is likely to get tired on a long distant race. So, this is what I want us to do…”
Ijapa went on to tell them step by step what he had in mind, and they could not help but marvel at it.

“Ijapa ọlọgbọn ewe. You and your tricks. Supposing it doesn’t work out?” one of them said.

“I’m positive it will. Besides I’ve nothing to lose from trying, even if it doesn’t, and a lot to gain if it does. Ehoro must be cut to size once and for all. His treatment of Erin the other day was appalling, and his boasting even to Igala and Owawa.

After the meeting with his relatives Ijapa went and chose a location for the footrace: a quiet area in the forest – a long stretch of land, lined with palm trees and coconut trees on both sides. This was an unusual and beautiful area in the forest – an ideal place for the kind of footrace Ijapa had in mind. A stream ran parallel to the long stretch of land, and in between the stream and the land were bushes – high enough for any being to be hidden away from sight and yet see what was going on, on the stretch of land.

Ijapa and Ehoro agreed on a day for the race. As the day approached all the other animals talked about it. They all thought that the idea of a race between Ijapa and Ehoro was ridiculous. Ehoro was much faster, and would definitely win. However, some animals were on Ijapa’s side because they thought Ehoro was too boastful. Some others supported Ehoro, and there were bets. There was excitement in the air – far more than on the day of the first footrace trial.

“I hope Ijapa wins, although I don’t quite see how he could. Look at how short his legs are…”

“Well, he says he has some techniques…”

“Do you really believe that?”

“Anything is possible”

“Ehoro is too boastful. Will serve him right if Ijapa does win…”

“Ehoro is a simple soul, despite his being boastful, and the way he’s behaved towards Erin. He’s always been confident about running fast, once he shuts his eyes tight, and pushes his ears flat on the two sides of his face.”

“Is he strong to withstand a long race though – running in this manner…?”

“Surely it’s even worse for Ijapa.”

“Hum! It’s strange. Why does the race have to be so long?”

“Supposing Ijapa is right that when it comes to running a long distance, he has a way of carrying himself – his hands and legs – manoeuvring them…”

“Nonsense! I don’t believe all that”

“Anyway, seeing is believing!”

Ijapa started to ‘train’ for the race – to run around every day, giving the impression that he was putting his techniques into action. He also started to make some preparations.

Very early on the day of the race when no one was around, Ijapa took his relatives to the racing location. They were dressed alike. Ijapa hid them in the bush at a mile apart from each other. They were close to each demarcated spot, but hidden from sight. The two contestants, Ijapa and Ehoro, would see each stop on their left without knowing that Ijapa’s relatives were hiding behind the bushes. Those hiding would be able to hear Ehoro and Ijapa.

“Listen out for Ehoro’s ‘How’re you doing, Ijapa?’ at every stop, and also to his movements in case he fails to see that he’s reached the stop. You know, of course, that Ehoro always has his eyes shut tight when he’s running.”

“As soon as you hear Ehoro approaching, rush out quickly from your hiding place one by one, and place yourself either in front, behind or beside Ehoro (depending on if Ehoro has his eyes open or not), and if you hear him ask ‘How’re you doing Ijapa?’ you’ll answer that you’re doing well. I’ll be at the last post, and as soon as I hear Ehoro’s movements or his ‘How’re you doing Ijapa?’ I’ll just say “I’m already there! I’m the winner!”.

The tortoises planted at each stop had been told to look out for Ehoro. As soon as the latter’s movements were heard, the tortoise should move quickly away from his hiding place, and run ahead of Ehoro – or on his right or left, or just behind him – depending on Ehoro’s level of awareness of his surroundings.

“The race will start early in the morning – at six o’clock. All the animals will gather at the starting line to watch the beginning. When Kiniun, the Ọba arrives, and the whistle is blown, at say, 7 o’clock, the race will begin. Every animal will go about their own business until two hours later, when they’ll gather at the finish line”

The race started the following morning as planned, and every animal went about their business.
As expected, Ehoro sped off, saying “We’ll know today once and for all, whether Ehoro can run faster than Ijapa or Ijapa can run faster than Ehoro. Ijapa, you can’t compete with me!” Ehoro had never run as fast as this before in his life. As he ran, he shut his eyes tight, and flattened his ears against the two sides of his face, as usual, without bothering about anything else.

One of Ijapa’s cousins started the race. The other animals who were waiting well behind the track at the starting line thought it was Ijapa racing.

After a while Ehoro decided to rest a short while thinking that Ijapa was well behind him, and that he would have rested before Ijapa put in an appearance. He had no idea that he had covered two stops already, and of course, being oblivious to everything around (with his eyes shut, and so on), he had not remembered to say “How’re doing, Ijapa?” at each stop.

As he put his head on a tree to rest, he was startled to see Ijapa racing ahead of him. It was one of Ijapa’s cousins, but of course Ehoro did not know this.

“What on earth is this? Is it Ijapa I can see ahead of me, or am I dreaming? What exactly are these techniques he’s using to make him run fast? Whatever it is, I’d better go past him before I stop to rest. I’m sure he’ll soon lag far behind me! Just as well it’s a long race!”

Ehoro ran past Ijapa’s cousin thinking it was Ijapa himself running. To lend more speed to his feet he stuck his ears to the sides of his face, as usual, running at an alarming speed. When Ijapa’s cousin, who had put in an appearance from his post, running ahead for a while, saw the speed at which Ehoro was going, he headed for home. Ehoro continued to run at a break-neck speed, oblivious of his surroundings, and forgetting to say “How’re you doing, Ijapa?” at every stop. After running about two kilometres more, the idea of resting for a while came to him again. He had run and run, and was almost exhausted. As soon as he sat down, he caught sight of another of Ijapa’s cousins racing ahead of him, mistook him for Ijapa, and was startled.

This was no laughing matter. Was he, Ehoro, slacking and was he going to become a laughing stock? By now he had run as he had never done in his life before, and it was as if life was being squeezed out of him. So, he stuck his ears against his face one more, and ran at a break-neck speed.

Unfortunately, no matter how fast he ran, anytime Ehoro looked up, and remembered to call out “How’re you doing, Ijapa?” he would always see Ijapa running ahead of him at an incredibly slow and steady pace, and this was how it continued. After a while Ehoro collapsed and immediately fell asleep, not knowing that he was almost at the finish line, and that he was being observed by the other animals. Ehoro slept as he had never slept before, and as he slept, he snored very loudly.

As he drifted in and out of sleep continuously, he remembered that he was on a footrace. He covered his face with his hands (perhaps to wake him up), and started to run. When he got to the finish line, Ijapa was already there waiting for him. So were the other animals who had initially gathered inside the big barn at the nearby farm, as agreed upon.

Ijapa, who unknown to them all, had been hiding close to the finish line, had gone on to alert them that he had arrived at the finish line, that he was the winner. They had all come out of the barn to wait for Ehoro to arrive. Then they saw him coming, collapsing, and falling into deep sleep, oblivious of their presence or of anything else.

They observed him snoring loudly, drifting in and out of sleep. Ehoro had not even noticed a single one of them, being completely out of it, until he arrived at the finish line. They were all talking about the race, laughing at him, and among them was Erin. They were also cheering Ijapa on – hailing him as the winner, showering him with flowers, etc. Those who had made bets were sorting things out.

“Oh, my God! I don’t believe this is happening to me. I must be dreaming” Ehoro said to himself, covering his face with his hands, to wake him up. As realization set in, he felt deeply ashamed. To save face, he pretended that he did not know what was happening. He got up and dashed for the finish line.

“Not so fast! Ijapa has already crossed the line. He’s the winner and you have lost the race!” some of the animals were saying, sneering at Ehoro.

“Welcome Ehoro. I’ve been here for a long time before I alerted the others. I waited and waited, and there was no sign of you. I rested as I waited for you. When I got tired of waiting, I looked around, and slept a little – just to give you the time to catch up. Then I went to get the others…” Ijapa was telling all of them, to make matters worse.

The other animals burst into further laughter – more loudly than before, mocking Ehoro.

“Ijapa has not only won but has done so with little sweat, it seems, whilst his opponent can hardly lift himself up”

“We’d better help him up, in case he collapses again!”

“Ijapa has beaten Ehoro hollow!”

“What a shame!”

“I’ve made a laughing stock of myself!” Ehoro was thinking, and could not look at any of the other animals in the face, especially Igala and

Owawa whom he had boasted to about being the fastest (of the three), especially when he heard one of the animals saying:

“If Ehoro can’t beat even Ijapa, how can he expect to beat Igala and Owawa. So, he’s not as fast as he claims to be. It’s just mouth, and show.

He just appears to run fast because of the way he runs – with his eyes shut tightly and his ears flat against his face. He doesn’t even know how ridiculous he looks when he does this”

Since all tortoises were very much alike – and dressed alike for this race – Ehoro and the rest could not tell that one of Ijapa’s cousins, the one who started the race, was not Ijapa, who ended it. They did not know about the others who were planted at each post, either. They did not know that Ijapa had won the race only with the help of his cousins whom he had planted along the route, and who had popped up as soon as they saw Ehoro coming, and run ahead of him. With his eyes tightly shut Ehoro was oblivious to everything around him.

Ehoro tried to gather himself together, and completely defeated asked Ijapa:

“What kind of techniques and strength do you have, Ijapa, to go on a long race with me, Ehoro, and win?”
“It’s not speed and strength that count when one in racing. It’s wisdom” Ijapa answered.

Ehoro did not understand one word of what Ijapa was saying, and neither did the other animals. It appeared to them that Ijapa was not only faster than Ijapa, since Ehoro had seen him several times ahead of him, but also stronger than him, because Ehoro was more tired than Ijapa at the end of the race.

Seeing a puzzled expression on their faces, Ijapa was tempted to give the game away.

“Slow and steady wins the day/race” he added.

“What on earth do you mean?” Ehoro asked, bewildered.

Suddenly some animals who had not been convinced about Ijapa’s new techniques, and knowing how boastful Ijapa had always been about being the wisest, started to wonder about the whole thing. Something was not quite right here, but what?

“To Ijapa, being wise is often the same as playing pranks – being cunning and devious. He must have, without doubt, resorted to his usual tricks, but what and how?” some of them were now thinking, casting their minds back to the episode between Ijapa, Erin and Erinmilokun. They could not make out what had happened, and it continued to puzzle them.
Ijapa was laughing now. He laughed and laughed, and that increased the unease the others felt.

“Ha! Ha! Ha!”

This time it was not only Ehoro who felt ashamed, but also the other animals as well. They knew that Ijapa had made fools of them. From then on, to get their own back, they started to say:

“Ijapa thinks he’s the wisest of us all. Let’s just say he’s certainly the most cunning and devious”

They would eventually discover the truth, of course, some of them knew – as was usually the case.

That was how Ijapa won the race between Ehoro and him and became known as the most cunning in the animal kingdom!