by Kevin Odiwuor  (This has been slightly edited for clarity.)

A long time ago it became very cold in the land of animals.  Hare shivered terribly.  He needed a blanket to keep warm and went to tortoise who was the blanket maker.

“Make me a heavy warm blanket,” Hare said.
“Come next year.  I have five blankets to make for other people,” Tortoise said as he happily threaded a blanket at a snail’s pace.
“At that rate,” Hare said impatiently, “I might as well make the blanket myself.  Give me the thread.”
“Please yourself,” Tortoise said calmly.

Hare grabbed a ball of yarn and ran off.  When he returned home he realized he had no idea how to make a blanket.  As he wondered what to do, he remembered he had seen Leopard’s wife making blankets for her children.  So he thought of a plan.

He went and hid in a thicket near Leopards house and kept watch.  When Leopard and his wife were not at home, Hare walked into the compound.  He gave Leopard’s child the yarn and thundered, “Tell your mother the King wants her to make a blanket for him in three days.”

When Leopard and his wife came home the child cried, “Mother, mother you must make the blanket very quickly.”
“Which blanket?  Whose blanket?” she asked.
“The Kings blanket,”the child said excitedly.  “The King himself brought this yarn.  He wants the blanket made very quickly.”

Leopard’s wife wondered how King Lion could have come to her home instead of sending one of his many subjects.  However, being the obedient woman that she was known to be she immediately started making the most beautiful blanket she had ever made.  When she finished, she waited for the King to come for it.  After waiting a long time she decided to venture into a nearby forest to look for food.

“Immediately, when the King appears,” she instructed her child, “whistle loudly and I will rush back to give him his blanket.”

Leopard’s wife had hardly stepped out of the compound when Hare jumped right in front of the child and demanded, “Give me the blanket!”

The child fearfully ran into the house and brought the blanket.  Just then, Leopard’s wife, who had seen Hare jump into the compound, grabbed Hare as he tried to escape with the blanket.  Hare managed to escape, but he was without the blanket and without one ear.