The Tortoise's Tug-of-War

Ijapa the Tortoise boasted that he was stronger than both the Elephant and the Hippopotamus. He went to the Elephant and challenged him to a tug-of-war, giving him one end of a very long, strong vine and telling him to pull when he felt a tug. He then went to the river and made the same challenge to the Hippopotamus, giving him the other end of the vine. Ijapa hid in the bushes in the middle and gave the vine a sharp pull. The Elephant and the Hippopotamus began a mighty struggle, each believing they were pulling against the small tortoise. They pulled for hours, tearing up the forest and churning the river, but neither could defeat the other because their strength was equally matched. Exhausted, they both let go and later discovered Ijapa's trick. They searched for the tortoise to punish him, but he had already hidden himself away, having made fools of the two strongest animals in the land through his cunning.