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How Ol' Hyena Saved da Menfolk

Old Granny rocked back and forth on her rocking chair, as her grandchildren begged to be told a story. The old woman had wrinkled chocolate skin, and bright, brown, dancing eyes. She leaned forward. "Aint's yo momma never done told you 'bout ol' Hyena? Tha' ol' trickster who done stoled the sun ri' from unda th' ol' gods' noses?" The children shook their heads from side to side. "She ain't?" continued the old woman, "Well shoo-- Ah'ma gonna tell ya da story den." She sat back in her chair, beginning a steady rock.

"Inda beginnin' o' time, back when mens still walked 'round on dere han's an' knees, da onleh laite came fromed da moon, and man, man wuz ina awful lotta trouble. Mens couldin seeh tuh walk up straight. Menfolks had to feels 'round wiff dered han's tuh make shuh deys wasn't 'bout to fall off a cliff or nothin'." One of her grandchildren, the oldest boy, broke out into laughter. "Wha?" inquired the old woman, "Yo don' believe meh chile? Boy, how long yo ol' grannie been alive nah?" The boy's eyes widened, and he shrugged. "Humph," said granny, "Tha's wha' Ah thunked.-- As Ah wuz sayin' fo' Ah wuz so rudely interup'ed, da folks wuz havin' trouble. Deys couldin' see tuh hunt, deys couldin' see tuh pick no berries oft no trees, and deys cert'ly couldin' see no forks infront dey's faces to eat nothin'.

"On' dah, ol' Hyena wuza sittin' an'a laughin' at de mens as dey try'd to hunt fo' some meats. Unlike de mens, ol' Hyena coul' see in da dark. Da mens wuza getting' awful ang'y as da ol' Hyena kepta laughin' an'a laughin'.

"Ah bet yo couldin' even hunt none if' yos eyes wuz as good as mih eyes is.' Ol' Hyena was a'rollin' by dis time. Da mens wuz a getting' even madder, an' deys wuza tryin' tuh find ol' Hyena so's dey could skin 'im up, an' hang 'im on on'na dere houses as decorations. Deys jus' scramble'n 'round on da groun' which sen' ol' hyena intuh hysterics.

"If yo thinks yo so smarts, why don'yo makes our eyes good a'yo's,' onna de menfolks yell'd at ol' Hyena.

"Ol' Hyena, goo' natured a' he wuz, had tuh take dis asa challenge. Dem menfolks knew he'da hasta help dere eyes now. Ol' Hyena thunked long an' hard. How could he help de mens see better? Dere eyes wern' as 'cusstomed to de dark as 'is wuz. Dat wuz ih! He'd bring dem mens some laite! Hyena 'membered seein' dem gods who done lived on dem ol' hills o'er 'cross da way. He 'membered dat Skyel, da sky goddess, had done recived onna dem shinny boxes dem godfolk called presents on huh birfday. Ol' Hyena 'membered watchin huh open de firs' box she done got. Ih was a long string o' de shinniest beads yuh eva done seen. He fig'red dat 'ud be enuff for dem menfolk to see betta.

"Oft ol' Hyena runned, lickity split, for da place where da gods live'. Dis wuz, o'corse, back whens da gods still lived on da earf, an' befo' da One God comed an' cleaned e'rybody's clocks an' sent dem packin' outta Jerusalem an' to some udder place.

"Hyena made ih tuh da gods' place. He didn' wan tuh ge' caught dere cuz da gods ain't never let no one survive who done came intuh dey's home. Hyena was awfulsome cerful. He snucked intuh da room whe' Skyel sleeped an' kept heh hogs, an' pretended to be a hog fo' awhil' tuh snoop 'round da gods' place. On' ni', when da gods were goo' an' sleepin', Hyena noticed a box hidded undaneef da sky princess's bed. A great jewl'y box wuz hid unda dere nice a tight, but Hyena managed tuh push da ol' jewl'y box oud from unda dere. Hyena wuz very quiet as he li'ted da top o' da box to peer in at da bright liate dat wuz Skyel's jewl'ys. Da necklass Hyena done seen early wuz jus' as brigh' as eva, buh dere wuz anodder box unda da bed. Hyena opened dat box tuh see da brightest crown eva'--perty as duh sun is bright, chile. Hyena thunked to himself, "Ah'll win dat wager wiff dese." He closed da boxes, den begand runnin' back tuh da peoples.

"Alluh dis woulda been wells an' goo', 'cept fo' da princess' hogs that done woked up wiff da liate. Deys seen Hyena very well, an' dey knowed we weren't none o' dere brovers. Da hogs started tuh squeal, an' tuh run. Dey chased po' ol' Hyena up an' down. Hyena wuz really racein' now. Dose dogs wuz so close at his tale, dey coulda n** at it, an', infact, dey did. Po' Hyena jumped in de aire, dropped dat jewl'y box, an' broked dat sky princess' necklass. Da beads sprawled out cross da sky, givin' da hogs a bit mo' liate to chase po' ol' Hyena betta. Po' Hyena runned like lightnin' nah. He still carried dat box which held da Sky Princess's crown. He opened da box, an' throwed it at da menfolks.

"Da menfolks could see so much betta now, an dey coul' see Hyena a'runnin' from dem hogs. Da menfolks thought dey'd do somfin tuh help ol' Hyena. Dey hunted the hogs, an' ate well dat ni'." The old woman smiled at her grandchildren. "Well," said she, "Wha' yo think?" The children all smiled to say, Excellent story Granny.