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Season followed season and for many years Tsuro travelled the wide world and beyond with his friends, playing his tricks on animals and people alike. Some wise people said that such a clever animal could only be a messenger of Musikavanhu the creator but if this was true Tsuro would not say.

But there are powers in the forest that are unknown to man and never spoken of by animals.

One such was Danhamakatu the snake, she whose passing is like the whisper of death in the grass. It was she that put her mark on the Leopard and sent her into the forest to do her bidding.

The tale of how Tsuro and his companions rescued the Leopard from a trap is too long for this day's telling but rescue her he did and Danhamakatu was so angry that she slithered through the forest to confront him. When she came to the clearing in which Tsuro was resting she lay her belly on the ground and silently approached.

'Do not think that I cannot hear you, Danhamakatu, as you slither on your belly,' said Tsuro, preening his long ears. 'Show yourself and explain why you have come from the secret places of the Forest to trouble me.'

'You are too full of pride, Tsuro,' hissed the snake, 'to think that I must answer to you.'

'That may be,' said Tsuro. 'Just tell me what it is you want and be about your business. I am sure that you have nests to rob and children to frighten.'

'I am angry with you, Tsuro,' hissed Danhamakatu. 'You have robbed me of my servant the Leopard and now you must heed my words, for I have come to claim my price.'

'What words are those?' said Tsuro. 'I hear nothing but the sound of the wind in the trees and perhaps the flatulence of a passing elephant.'

These words angered Danhamakatu so much that she reared up before the hare and spread her terrible hood so wide that darkness covered the clearing. But Tsuro was not afraid for he had made the snake angry on purpose knowing that it was better to face a snake in the open than to step on one in the grass.

'You have given the Leopard a heart and have tricked me out of her services,' hissed the snake.

'All I ask for in return is the life of one of your friends.'

'The lives of my friends are not mine to give,' said Tsuro.

'What do I care for that,' hissed the snake. 'I am Danhamakatu, she who strikes without warning. I do not ask permission first.'

When he heard these words Tsuro became afraid, for he loved his friends above all other things. 'Take me instead,' he pleaded with the snake. 'Spare the life of my friend.'

Danhamakatu was sorely tempted by this offer, for the clever hare had tricked and lied his way out of her grasp many times in the past. But she had grown so angry with him that she felt his death would not be punishment enough.

'No,' hissed the snake, 'I have sat in council with my sisters and they have agreed on this price.'

'Then please be quick,' pleaded Tsuro, 'and kill my friend now. It would be better that they die now than live in fear of your awful vengeance. I beg of you, show mercy just this once.'

Danhamakatu laughed to see the clever hare humbled in this way. How sweet to see him bury his face in his paws, his long ears all drooping and downcast.

'No,' hissed the snake, 'I will not show you mercy. I will wait a while to collect my prize so that you may live in fear of my coming.'

Hearing that, Tsuro buried his face further in his paws and spoke no more. Satisfied that at last she had taught the hare a lesson Danhamakatu got back down on her belly and slithered away into the forest.

Tsuro the hare waited patiently until he was sure that the snake was far away. When he was sure that it was too far away to hear he lifted his face from his paws and began to laugh.

The clearing, which had remained silent throughout the encounter, was amazed. 'Why do you laugh, Tsuro the hare?' asked the clearing. 'Surely you must lose one of your friends.'

'But not today,' said the hare and set to preening his ears. 'I have tricked Danhamakatu the snake once again. Tricked her into giving me time and with that time