Why the warthog goes on his knees

(A Zulu story, from the book When Hippo was hairy)

Warthog had made himself a lovely, spacious home in an old anteater hole. He had built it up and made a wide entrance, and thought it was quite the grandest hole in the area. But one day, warthog looked out and was horrified to see a lion stalking stealthily towards his cave.

Thinking quickly, he pretended to be supporting the roof of his hole with his strong back, pushing up with his tusks. “Help!” he cried to the lion, “I am going to be crushed! The roof is caving in! Perhaps you had better flee, o lion!”.

However, the lion had been caught out once before with a trick like this by the jackal, and he was not going to be fooled a second time. He roared so fiercely that warthog dropped to his knew, trembling, and begged for mercy. Luckily for him, lion was not really that hungry. Also, he was amused to think the slow-witted warthog would try to copy jackal´s trick. So, he pardoned the warthog and left, saying “Stay on your knees, you foolish beast!”. Warthog took this to be an order and that is why, even today, you will see warthog feeding on his knees, in a very undignified position, with his bottom up in the air and his snout snuffling in the dust.