A chameleon was walking down the road
He was dragging a piece of salt
Along came a lizard and jumped on the load
Making old Hambakahle halt

Why are you sitting upon my load
Said the angry chameleon
Cause the salt is mine, said Umpangwa
And you'll have to prove me wrong

Ha, ha said the Hadeda
Laughing in the skies of Africa
Laughing at the pain of Umpangwa
But the lizard had the very best laugh by far

The chameleon said to settle this
A good judge we must find
So the lizard said let's ask the crocodile
He's the biggest of our kind

So off to the lake, the two of them went
And the croc's judgement was passed
The verdict was that the piece of salt
Must be shared and be cut in half

The chameleon wasn't pleased with this
And thought it wasn't fair
For he had dug that salt himself
Which now he had to share

Well a few days later the chameleon
Was walking without his load
And he came across Umpangwa's tail
Lying across the road

Ha, ha said the Hadeda
Laughing in the skies of Africa
Laughing at the pain of Umpangwa
But the lizard had the very best laugh by far

So he jumped on the tail of Umpangwa
And said "It belongs to me"
And the lizard said that is quite absurd
Let's go to the croc and see

And the crocodile said all is fair
My judgement is always true
The tail must be cut in half my friends
And shared between the two of you

So the Hadeda said that's why you often see
Lizards without a tail
And that's why an old chameleon
Walks slowly down the trail

But the lizard says that the hadeda
Caught him by the tail one day
And he dropped his tail on purpose
And that's how he gets away

Ha, ha said the Hadeda
Laughing in the skies of Africa
Laughing at the pain of Umpangwa
But the lizard had the very best laugh by far