The Great Tug of War

Mmutla is a mischievous trickster hare who gets what he wants by using his wits. When he doesn’t get the respect he deserves from Tlou the elephant and Kubu the hippo, he tricks them both with a cunning plan that makes them look foolish; when he discovers that lovesick King Lion is carrying a sack full of baby hares as a dowry for Man’s daughter, he finds a way of freeing the little creatures; and when left hanging upside down as punishment for crashing a party he knows just how to persuade Thakadu the aardvark into taking his place. Yet Mmutla’s cockiness is also his undoing, as Khudu the tortoise knows when he suggests a race to see who’s faster. The stories, set within the grassy landscapes of southern Africa, are filled with a wry and gentle humour and richness of language. The author’s note at the back of the book, though brief, is invaluable. It sets the stories in context as ancestor of the African American Brer Rabbit tales and shows the power of storytelling as an expression of freedom.