"
The negroes caught Half-a-Cock and threw him into the middle of the
cow-pen. As soon as it reached there, it took the lion's hair and put it
into the fire. The lion came, roaring, and said:
"Why do you burn my hair? I smelled from my cave the odor of burning hair,
and came running to learn the motive of your action."
Half-a-Cock answered: "You see my situation. Help me out of it."
The lion went out and roared to call his brothers. They came in great haste
and said to him, "Why do you call us now?"
"Take the Half-a-Cock from the ox-yard, for it has one of my hairs, which
it can put into the fire. If you don't rescue Half-a-Cock, it will burn the
hair, and I don't want to smell the odor of burning hair while I am alive."
His brothers obeyed. They at once killed all the cattle in the pen. The
King saw that his animals were all dead, and he fell into such a rage that
he nearly strangled. He looked for Half-a-Cock to kill it with his own
hands. He searched a long time without finding it, and finally went home to
rest. At sunset Half-a-Cock came to his usual place and crowed as on the
former occasions.
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