{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_58900/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_58900","id":"gutenberg_58900","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/58900","summary":null,"tags":["Animals -- Folklore","Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Tales -- Africa, West"],"text":"Produced by Jeroen Hellingman and the Online Distributed\nProofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net/ for Project\nGutenberg (This file was produced from images generously\nmade available by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries)\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n WHERE ANIMALS TALK\n\n West African Folk Lore Tales\n\n By\n\n ROBERT H. NASSAU\n\n Author of \"Fetichism in West Africa,\"\n \"The Youngest King,\" etc.\n\n\n\n RICHARD G. BADGER\n THE GORHAM PRESS\n BOSTON\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPREFACE\n\n\nThe typical native African Ekano or legend is marked by repetition. The\nsame incidents occur to a succession of individuals; monotony being\nprevented by a variation in the conduct of those individuals, as they\nreveal their weakness or stupidity, artifice or treachery.\n\nNarrators, while preserving the original plot and characters of a Tale,\nvary it, and make it graphic by introducing objects known and familiar\nto their audience. These inconsistencies do not interfere with belief\nor offend the taste of a people with whom even the impossible is not\na bar to faith; rather, the inconsistency sharpens their enjoyment\nof the story.\n\nSurprise must not be felt at the impossibility of some of the\nsituations; e.g., the swallowing by an animal of his wife, baggage\nand household furniture, as a means of hiding them. The absurdity of\nsuch situations is one of the distinctive attractions to the minds\nof the excited listeners.\n\nVariations of the same Tale, as told in different Tribes, were\ninevitable among a people whose language was not written until within\nthe last hundred years; the Tales having been transmitted verbally,\nfrom generation to generation, for, probably, thousands of years. As to\ntheir antiquity, I believe these Tales to be of very ancient origin. No\nargument must be taken against them because of the internal evidence of\nallusion to modern things, or implements, or customs of known modern\ndate; e.g., \"cannon,\" \"tables,\" \"steamships,\" etc., etc. Narrators\nconstantly embellish by novel additions; e.g., where, in the original\nstory, a character used a spear, the narrator may substitute a pistol.\n\nAlmost all these Tales locate themselves in supposed pre-historic\ntimes, when Beasts and Human Beings are asserted to have lived together\nwith social relations in the same community. An unintended concession\nto the claims of some Evolutionists!\n\nThe most distinctive feature of these Tales is that, while the actors\nare Beasts, they are speaking and living as Human Beings, acting as\na beast in human environment; and, instantly, in the same sentence,\nacting as a human being in a beast's environment. This must constantly\nbe borne in mind, or the action of the story will become not only\nunreasonable but utterly inexplicable.\n\nThe characters in the stories relieve themselves from difficult or\ndangerous situations by invoking the aid of a powerful personal\nfetish-charm known as \"Ngalo\"; a fetish almost as valuable as\nAladdin's Lamp of the Arabian Nights. And yet, with inconsistency,\nnotwithstanding this aid, the actors are often suffering from many\nsmall evils of daily human life. These inconsistencies are another\nfeature of the Ekano that the listeners enjoy as the spice of the\nstory.\n\nFrom internal evidences, I think that the local sources of these Tales\nwere Arabian, or at least under Arabic, and perhaps even Egyptian,\ninfluences. (Observe the prefix, Ra, a contraction of Rera equals\nfather, a title of honor, as \"Lord,\" or \"Sir,\" or \"Master,\" in names\nof dignitaries; e.g. Ra-Mar\u00e2nge, Ra-Mborakinda, Ra-Meses.)\n\nThis is consistent with the fact that there is Arabic blood in the\nBantu Negro. The invariable direction to which the southwest coast\ntribes point, as the source of their ancestors, is northeast. Such an\nethnologist as Sir H. H. Johnston traces the Bantu stream southward on\nthe east coast to the Cape of Good Hope, and then turns it northward\non the west coast to the equator and as far as the fourth degree of\nnorth latitude, the very region from which I gathered these stories.\n\nOnly a few men, and still fewer women, in any community, are noted\nas skilled narrators. They are the literati.\n\nThe public never weary of hearing the same Tales repeated; like our\nown civilized audiences at a play running for a hundred or more\nnights. They are made attractive by the dramatic use of gesture,\ntones, and startling exclamations.\n\nThe occasions selected for the renditions are nights, after\nthe day's works are done, especially if there be visitors to be\nentertained. The places chosen are the open village street, or, in\nforest camps where almost all the population of a village go for a\nweek's work on their cutting of new plantations; or for hunting; or\nfor fishing in ponds. The time for these camps is in one of the two\ndry seasons: where the booths erected are not for protection against\nrain, but for a little privacy, for the warding off of insects, birds\nand small animals, and for the drying of meats. At such times, most\nof the adults go off during the day for fishing; or, if for hunting,\nonly the men; the children being guarded at their plays in the camp\nby the older women, who are kept occupied with cooking, and with\nthe drying of meats. At night, all gather around the camp-fire;\nand the Tales are told with, at intervals, accompaniment of drum;\nand parts of the plot are illustrated by an appropriate song, or by\na short dance, the platform being only the earth, and the scenery\nthe forest shadows and the moon or stars.\n\nThe Bantu Language has very many dialects, having the same grammatical\nconstruction, but differing in their vocabulary. The name of the\nsame animal therefore differs in the three typical Tribes mentioned\nin these Tales; e.g., Leopard, in Mpongwe, equals Njeg\u00e2; in Benga,\nequals Nj\u00e2; and in Fang, equals Nze.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPRONUNCIATION\n\n\nIn all the dialects of the Bantu language, consonants are pronounced,\nas in English; except that g is always hard.\n\nThe vowels are pronounced as in the following English equivalent:--\n\n\n a as in father e.g., Kabala\n \u00e2 as in awe e.g., Nj\u00e2.\n e as in they e.g., Ekaga.\n e as in met e.g., Njeg\u00e2.\n i as in machine e.g., Njina.\n o as in note e.g., Kombe.\n u as in rule e.g., Kuba.\n\n\nA before y is pronounced ai as a diphthong, e.g., Asaya. Close every\nsyllable with a vowel, e.g., Ko-ngo. Where two or more consonants\nbegin a syllable, a slight vowel sound may be presupposed, e.g.,\nNgweya, as if iNgweya.\n\nNg has the nasal sound of ng in \"finger,\" as if fing-nger, (not as in\n\"singer,\") e.g., Mpo-ngwe.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCONTENTS\n\n\nPART FIRST\n\nMpongwe Tribe\n\n TALE PAGE\n\n 1 Do not Trust your Friend 13\n 2 Leopard's Hunting-Camp 18\n 3 Tests of Death: 1st Version 25\n 2nd Version 27\n 4 Tasks done for a Wife; and, The Giant Goat 30\n 5 A Tug-of-War 37\n 6 Agenda: Rat's Play on a Name 41\n 7 \"Nuts are Eaten Because of Ang\u00e2ngwe\": A Proverb 49\n 8 Who are Crocodile's Relatives? 53\n 9 Who is King of Birds? and, Why Chickens live with\n Mankind 54\n 10 \"Njiwo Died of Sleep:\" A Proverb 58\n 11 Which is the Fattest:--Manatus, Hog, or Oyster? 60\n 12 Why Mosquitoes Buzz 62\n 13 Unkind Criticism 63\n 14 The Suitors of Princess Gorilla 65\n 15 Leopard of the Fine Skin 68\n 16 Why the Plantain-Stalk Bears but One Bunch 76\n\n\nPART SECOND\n\nBenga Tribe\n\n 1 Swine Talking 81\n 2 Crocodile 82\n 3 Origin of the Elephant 82\n 4 Leopard's Marriage Journey 85\n 5 Tortoise in a Race 95\n 6 Goat's Tournament 99\n 7 Why Goats Became Domestic 100\n 8 Igwana's Forked Tongue 103\n 9 What Caused their Deaths? 106\n 10 A Quarrel about Seniority 109\n 11 The Magic Drum 113\n 12 The Lies of Tortoise 121\n 13 \"Death Begins by Some One Person\": A Proverb 126\n 14 Tortoise and the Bojabi Tree 129\n 15 The Suitors of Njambo's Daughter 134\n 16 Tortoise, Dog, Leopard, and the Njabi Fruit 140\n 17 A Journey for Salt 145\n 18 A Plea for Mercy 149\n 19 The Deceptions of Tortoise 153\n 20 Leopard's Hunting Companions 159\n 21 Is the Bat a Bird or a Beast? 163\n 22 Dog, and his Human Speech, 1st Version 165\n 2nd Version 168\n 23 The Savior of the Animals 173\n 24 Origin of the Ivory Trade, 1st Version 177\n 2nd Version 184\n 25 Dog and his False Friend Leopard 189\n 26 A Trick for Vengeance 192\n 27 Not My Fault! 195\n 28 Do not Impose on the Weak 196\n 29 Borrowed Clothes 198\n 30 The Story of a Panic 200\n 31 A Family Quarrel 201\n 32 The Giant Goat 202\n 33 The Fights of Mbuma-Tyetye; and, An Origin of\n Leopard 208\n 34 A Snake's Skin Looks like a Snake 226\n\n\nPART THIRD\n\nFang Tribe\n\n 1 Candor 233\n 2 Which is the Better Hunter, an Eagle or a\n Leopard? 234\n 3 A Lesson in Evolution 234\n 4 Parrot Standing on One Leg 235\n 5 A Question of Right of Inheritance 237\n 6 Tortoise Covers His Ignorance 238\n 7 A Question as to Age 239\n 8 Abundance: A Play on the Meaning of a Word 240\n 9 An Oath: With a Mental Reservation 242\n 10 The Treachery of Tortoise 243\n 11 A Chain of Circumstances 245\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPART FIRST\n\nMPONGWE\n\n\nFOREWORD\n\n\nThe following sixteen Tales were narrated to me, many years ago, by two\nmembers of the Mpongwe tribe (one now dead) at the town of Libreville,\nGaboon river, equatorial West Africa. Both of them were well-educated\npersons, a man and a woman. They chose legends that were current in\ntheir own tribe. They spoke in Mpongwe; and, in my English rendition,\nI have retained some of their native idioms. As far as I am aware\nnone of these legends have ever been printed in English, excepting\nTale 5, a version of which appeared in a British magazine from a\nwriter in Kamerun, after I had heard it at Gaboon. Also, excepting\nTale 14. It appeared, in another form, more than fifty years ago,\nin Rev. Dr. J. L. Wilson's \"Western Africa.\" But my narrator was not\naware of that, when he told it to me.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 1\n\nDO NOT TRUST YOUR FRIEND\n\n\nPlace\n\n Country of the Animals\n\nPersons\n\n Njeg\u00e2 (Leopard)\n Ntori (Wild Rat)\n Ra-Mar\u00e2nge (Medicine Man)\n Nyare (Ox)\n Ngowa (Hog)\n Nkambi (Antelope)\n Leopard's Wife; and others\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nA story of the treachery of the Leopard as matched by the duplicity\nof the Rat.\n\nIn public mourning for the dead, it is the custom for the nearest\nrelative or dearest friend to claim the privilege of sitting closest\nto the corpse, and nursing the head on his or her lap.\n\n\n\nAt a time long ago, the Animals were living in the Forest\ntogether. Most of them were at peace with each other. But Leopard\nwas discovered to be a bad person. All the other animals refused to\nbe friendly with him. Also, Wild Rat, a small animal, was found out\nto be a deceiver.\n\nOne day, Rat went to visit Leopard, who politely gave him a chair, and\nRat sat down. \"Mbolo!\" \"Ai, Mbolo!\" each saluted to the other. Leopard\nsaid to his visitor, \"What's the news?\" Rat replied, \"Njeg\u00e2! news is\nbad. In all the villages I passed through, in coming today, your name\nis only ill-spoken of, people saying, 'Njeg\u00e2 is bad! Njeg\u00e2 is bad!'\"\n\nLeopard replies, \"Yes, you do not lie. People say truly that Njeg\u00e2 is\nbad. But, look you, Ntori, I, Njeg\u00e2, am an evil one: but my badness\ncomes from other animals. Because, when I go out to visit, there is no\none who salutes me. When anyone sees me, he flees with fear. But, for\nwhat does he fear me? I have not vexed him. So, I pursue the one that\nfears me. I want to ask him, 'Why do you fear me?' But, when I pursue\nit, it goes on fleeing more rapidly. So, I become angry, wrath rises\nin my heart, and if I overtake it, I kill it on the spot. One reason\nwhy I am bad is that. If the animals would speak to me properly, and\ndid not flee from me, then, Ntori, I would not kill them. See! you,\nNtori, have I seized you?\" Rat replied, \"No.\" Then Leopard said,\n\"Then, Ntori, come near to this table, that we may talk well.\"\n\nRat, because of his subtlety and caution, when he took the chair\ngiven him on his arrival, had placed it near the door.\n\nLeopard repeated, \"Come near to the table.\" Rat excused himself,\n\"Never mind; I am comfortable here; and I came here today to tell\nyou that it is not well for a person to be without friends; and, I,\nNtori, I say to you, let us be friends.\" Leopard said, \"Very good!\"\n\nBut now, even after this compact of friendship, Rat told falsehoods\nabout Leopard; who, not knowing this, often had conversations with him,\nand would confide to him all the thoughts of his heart. For example,\nLeopard would tell to Rat, \"Tomorrow I am going to hunt Ngowa, and next\nday I will go to hunt Nkambi,\" or whatever the animal was. And Rat,\nat night, would go to Hog or to Antelope or the other animal, and say,\n\"Give me pay, and I will tell you a secret.\" They would lay down to him\nhis price. And then he would tell them, \"Be careful tomorrow. I heard\nthat Njeg\u00e2 was coming to kill you.\" The same night, Rat would secretly\nreturn to his own house, and lie down as if he had not been out.\n\nThen, next day, when Leopard would go out hunting, the Animals were\nprepared and full of caution, to watch his coming. There was none of\nthem that he could find; they were all hidden. Leopard thus often went\nto the forest, and came back empty-handed. There was no meat for him to\neat, and he had to eat only leaves of the trees. He said to himself,\n\"I will not sit down and look for explanation to come to me. I will\nmyself find out the reason of this. For, I, Njeg\u00e2, I should eat flesh\nand drink blood; and here I have come down to eating the food of goats,\ngrass and leaves.\"\n\nSo, in the morning, Leopard went to the great doctor Ra-Mar\u00e2nge, and\nsaid, \"I have come to you, I, Njeg\u00e2. For these five or six months I\nhave been unable to kill an animal. But, cause me to know the reason of\nthis.\" Ra-Mar\u00e2nge took his looking-glass and his harp, and struck the\nharp, and looked at the glass. Then he laughed aloud, \"Ke, ke, ke--\"\n\nLeopard asked, \"Ra-Mar\u00e2nge, for what reason do you laugh?\" He replied,\n\"I laugh, because this matter is a small affair. You, Njeg\u00e2, so big\nand strong, you do not know this little thing!\" Leopard acknowledged,\n\"Yes: I have not been able to find it out.\" Ra-Mar\u00e2nge said, \"Tell me\nthe names of your friends.\" Leopard answered \"I have no friends. Nkambi\ndislikes me, Nyare refuses me, Ngowa the same. Of all animals, none\nare friendly to me.\" Ra-Mar\u00e2nge said, \"Not so; think exactly; think\nagain.\" Leopard was silent and thought; and then said, \"Yes, truly,\nI have one friend, Ntori.\" The Doctor said, \"But, look! If you find a\nfriend, it is not well to tell him all the thoughts of your heart. If\nyou tell him two or three, leave the rest. Do not tell him all. But,\nyou, Njeg\u00e2, you consider that Ntori is your friend, and you show him\nall the thoughts of your heart. But, do you know the heart of Ntori,\nhow it is inside? Look what he does! If you let him know that you are\ngoing next day to kill this and that, then he starts out at night,\nand goes to inform those animals, 'So-and-so, said Njeg\u00e2; but, be\nyou on your guard.' Now, look! if you wish to be able to kill other\nanimals, first kill Ntori.\" Leopard was surprised, \"Ng\u00e2! (actually)\nNtori lies to me?\" Ra-Mar\u00e2nge said, \"Yes.\"\n\nSo, Leopard returned to his town. And he sent a child to call\nRat. Rat came.\n\nLeopard said, \"Ntori! these days you have not come to see me. Where\nhave you been?\" Rat replies, \"I was sick.\" Leopard says, \"I called you\ntoday to sit at my table to eat.\" Rat excused himself, \"Thanks! but\nthe sickness is still in my body; I will not be able to eat.\" And he\nwent away.\n\nWhenever Rat visited or spoke to Leopard, he did not enter the house,\nbut sat on a chair by the door. Leopard daily sent for him; he came;\nbut constantly refrained from entering the house.\n\nLeopard says in his heart, \"Ntori does not approach near to me,\nbut sits by the door. How shall I catch him?\" Thinking and thinking,\nhe called his wife, and said, \"I have found a plan by which to kill\nNtori. Tomorrow, I will lie down in the street, and you cover my body\nwith a cloth as corpses are covered. Wear an old ragged cloth, and take\nashes and mark your body, as in mourning; and go you out on the road\nwailing, 'Njeg\u00e2 is dead! Njeg\u00e2, the friend of Ntori is dead!' And,\nfor Ntori, when he shall come as a friend to the mourning, put his\nchair by me, and say, 'Sit there near your friend.' When he sits on\nthat chair, I will jump up and kill him there.\" His wife replies,\n\"Very good!\"\n\nNext morning, Leopard, lying down in the street, pretended that he\nwas dead. His wife dressed herself in worn-out clothes, and smeared\nher face, and went clear on to Rat's village, wailing \"Ah! Njeg\u00e2 is\ndead! Ntori's friend is dead!\" Rat asked her, \"But, Njeg\u00e2 died of\nwhat disease? Yesterday, I saw him looking well, and today comes word\nthat he is dead!\" The wife answered, \"Yes: Njeg\u00e2 died without disease;\njust cut off! I wonder at the matter--I came to call you; for you were\nhis friend. So, as is your duty as a man, go there and help bury the\ncorpse in the jungle.\" Rat went, he and Leopard's wife together. And,\nbehold, there was Leopard stretched out as a corpse! Rat asked the\nwife, \"What is this matter? Njeg\u00e2! is he really dead?\" She replied,\n\"Yes: I told you so. Here is a chair for you to sit near your friend.\"\n\nRat, having his caution, had not sat on the chair, but stood off,\nas he wailed, \"Ah! Njeg\u00e2 is dead! Ah! my friend is dead!\"\n\nRat called out, \"Wife of Njeg\u00e2! Njeg\u00e2, he was a great person: but\ndid he not tell you any sign by which it might be known, according to\ncustom, that he was really dead?\" She replied, \"No, he did not tell\nme.\" (Rat, when he thus spoke, was deceiving the woman.) Rat went\non to speak, \"You, Njeg\u00e2, when you were living and we were friends,\nyou told me in confidence, saying, 'When I, Njeg\u00e2, shall die, I will\nlift my arm upward, and you will know that I am really dead.' But,\nlet us cease the wailing and stop crying. I will try the test on Njeg\u00e2,\nwhether he is dead! Lift your arm!\"\n\nLeopard lifted his arm. Rat, in his heart, laughed, \"Ah! Njeg\u00e2 is not\ndead!\" But, he proceeded, \"Njeg\u00e2! Njeg\u00e2! you said, if really dead,\nyou would shake your body. Shake! if it is so!\" Leopard shook his\nwhole body. Rat said openly, \"Ah! Njeg\u00e2 is dead indeed! He shook\nhis body!\" The wife said, \"But, as you say he is dead, here is the\nchair for you, as chief friend, to sit on by him.\" Rat said, \"Yes:\nwait for me; I will go off a little while, and will come.\" Leopard,\nlying on the ground, and hearing this, knew in his heart, \"Ah! Ntori\nwants to flee from me! I will wait no longer!\" Up he jumps to seize\nRat, who, being too quick for him, fled away. Leopard pursued him\nwith leaps and jumps so rapidly that he almost caught him. Rat got\nto his hole in the ground just in time to rush into it. But his tail\nwas sticking out; and Leopard, looking down the hole, seized the tail.\n\nRat called out, \"You have not caught me, as you think! What you are\nholding is a rootlet of a tree.\" Leopard let go of the tail. Rat\nswitched it in after him, and jeered at Leopard, \"You had hold of my\ntail! And you have let it go! You will not catch me again!\" Leopard,\nin a rage, said, \"You will have to show me the way by which you will\nemerge from this hole; for, you will never come out of it alive!\"\n\n\n\nSome narrators carry the story on, with the ending of Tale No. 6,\nthe story of Rat, Leopard, Frog and Crab.\n\nLeopard's pretence of death appears also in Tale No. 3.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 2\n\nLEOPARD'S HUNTING CAMP\n\n\nPersons\n\n Ntori (A very large forest Rat)\n Njeg\u00e2 (Leopard)\n And other Animals\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nBesides the words for \"hunger\" and \"famine,\" the Bantu languages have\na third word meaning, \"longing for meat.\" In this story, Leopard's\ngreed is matched by the artifice of Rat:--It was a practice of African\nnatives to hide their ivory tusks in streams of water until a time\nconvenient for selling them.\n\nPolite natives will neither sit uninvited in the presence of their\nsuperiors, nor watch them while eating. If need be, to secure privacy,\na temporary curtain will be put up, and the host will retire, leaving\nthe guest alone. Rude or uncivilized tribes are offensive in their\npersistent effort to see a white foreigner's mode of eating.\n\nOne of the tricks of native sorcerers is to jump into a fire.\n\n\n\nIt was a time of ngwamba (meat-hunger) among the Animals in Njambi's\nKingdom.\n\nLeopard, being the eldest in his tribe, said to Rat,\n\"Ntori! child! this is a hard time for meat. I think we better go\nto the forest, and make a olako (camp) for hunting.\" Rat replied\n\"Good! come on!\"\n\nSo they began to arrange for the journey. The preparation of food,\nnets, baskets, and so forth, occupied several days. When all was\nready, they started. Having come to a proper place in the forest, they\nselected a site where they would build up their booths. Leopard was\nto have his own separate camp with his wives and his children and his\npeople; and Rat his, with his wives and his children, and his people.\n\nSo they began to make two camps. Leopard said, \"Ntori! child! I\nhave mine here. You go there yonder.\" So they built their booths\nfor sleeping-places; and rested another day; and then built their\narala (drying frames) over their fire-places for smoke-drying the\nmeat that they hoped to obtain. Next day, they prepared their guns,\nand started out on the hunt. On that very first day, they met game,\nand, ku! (bang) went their guns, killing an Elephant, and, ku! a wild\nOx. Then Leopard said, \"Ntori! child! we are successful! Let us begin\nthe work of cutting up!\"\n\nAfter all the carcasses had been cut up, came the time to divide the\nmeat between the two companies. So, Leopard said, \"As I am your Uncle,\nI precede; I will choose first, and will give you the remainder.\" So\nLeopard chose, taking out all the best pieces. When Rat saw that most\nof the meat was going to Leopard's side, he thought it time to begin to\nget his share. But when Rat laid hold of a nice piece, Leopard would\nsay, \"No! child! do not take the best: that belongs to your Uncle\"--\nand Leopard would claim the piece, and hand it over to his women. So it\nwent on in the same way; to every nice piece that Rat chose, Leopard\nobjected that it belonged to him. After Leopard had taken all he\nwanted, there were left only the bowels and the heads and legs for Rat.\n\nThen they each went to their own camping-place, to spread the meat\non their arala, and to cook their dinner. But, all the while that\nRat was spreading bones and bowels on his orala, he was vexed; for,\nthere was very little meat on those bones; while Leopard's people's\narala were full of meat, and savory portions were simmering on their\nfires tied in bundles (agewu) of plantain leaves. At the noon meal,\nLeopard sat down with his family, and Rat with his. But Rat had only\npoor food; while Leopard and his people were rejoicing with rich meat.\n\nThe second day was very much the same as the first. It was Rat who\ndid most of the hunting. With him it was, ku! (bang!), and some beast\nwas down; and, ku! and some other beast was down. Whenever Rat fired,\nLeopard would shout out, \"Ntori! child! what have you got?\" And it was\nRat who would shout in reply, \"Nyare\" (ox), or \"Nj\u00e2ku\" (elephant),\nor \"Nkambi!\" (antelope), or whatever the game might be. And it was\nLeopard who offensively patronized him, saying, \"That is a good boy,\nTata! (Little Father); bring it here to your Uncle.\" Then Rat and\nall the servants would carry the carcass to Leopard. So that day,\nthe cutting and dividing was just like the first day; Leopard claiming\nand taking the best, and leaving the skeleton and scraggy pieces and\nthe bowels for Rat.\n\nAfter that second day's hunt, Rat was tired of this way of dividing,\nin which he got only the worthless pieces. So he decided to get back\nsome of Leopard's meat by artifice, for his own table, even if he\nhad to take it from Leopard's orala itself. He began to devise what\nhe should do. As he was out walking, he came to a brook in which were\nsunken logs of hard heavy wood. They had lain there a long time, and\nwere black with outside decay. With his machete in hand, he dived;\nand remaining under the water, he scraped the logs till he had removed\nthe dark outside, and exposed the white inner wood. He kept on at\nthe job scraping and scraping until the logs appeared white like\nivory. Then he went back to Leopard's camp, and, with pretence of\nexcitement, exclaimed, \"Mwe Njeg\u00e2! I think we will be going to be\nrich. You don't know what I've found! Such a big ivory-tusk hidden\nin the water! I think we better leave off hunting meat, and go to\nget this fine ivory.\" Leopard replied, \"Good! come on!\"\n\nThe next day, they first arranged their fires so that the smoke-drying\nof their meat might continue during their absence; and then started\nfor the ivory. They all prepared themselves, for diving, by taking\noff their good clothing, and wearing only a small loin-cloth. Their\nentire companies went, men, women, and children, leaving not a single\nperson in the camps.\n\nLeopard says, \"You, Ntori, go first, as you know where the place\nis.\" Rat says, \"Good! come on!\" And they went on their way.\n\nArrived at the brook, Rat says, \"You all come on, and dive.\" Leopard\nasks, \"My son! is it still there?\" Rat, pointing, answers, \"Yes! my\nivory is there.\" Leopard, looking down in the water says, \"I see no\nivory!\" Rat, still pointing, replies, \"There! Those white things! Don't\nyou see them?\" Leopard says, \"I never saw ivory look like logs.\" Rat\nanswered, \"No? But this is a new kind. I assure you they are ivory! I\nhave been down there, and I cleaned the mud off of them.\" Leopard\nwas satisfied, and said, \"Good! come on!\" And they all dived. They\nlaid hold of the supposed ivory, and pulled, and pushed, and lifted,\nand worked. But it was stuck fast, and they could not move it.\n\nWhile they were thus working, Rat suddenly cried out, \"Njeg\u00e2! O! I\nforgot something! I must go quickly back to the olako. I will not be\ngone long. I shall return soon.\"\n\nRat came out of the brook; ran to the camp; took of his own bundles of\nbones and scraggy pieces, and put them on Leopard's drying-frames,\nand took the same number of bundles of good meat from Leopard's\nframes. Then he ran back to the brook, to continue the work at the\nso-called ivory.\n\nSoon after that, Rat says, \"Mwe Njeg\u00e2! it is time to return to the\nolako; we have worked long; I am hungry.\" Leopard says, \"Good! come\non!\" So they returned to the camp to eat.\n\nRat says, \"Njeg\u00e2! as I am so hungry, I will not wait with you, but\nwill go to my own olako at once. And I will put up a curtain between\nus, as it is a shame for one to eat in the presence of his elder.\"\n\nSo Rat put up a curtain; and opened a bundle of nice meat; and he\nand his people began to eat.\n\nWhen Leopard took down one of his bundles, and opened it to share\nwith his women, he was amazed, and said, \"See! only bones and mean\npieces! Ah! what is this matter!\" And he called out to the other camp,\n\"Ntori! Tata!\" Rat responds, \"Eh! Mwe Njeg\u00e2?\" Leopard inquires,\n\"What kind of meat are you eating?\" Rat answers, \"My own, from\nmy own bundles. But what kind have you, Mwe Njeg\u00e2?\" Leopard says,\n\"My women prepared meat that was nice; but now I have only bones. I\nam surprised at that.\"\n\nThe next, the fourth day, Rat said to Leopard, \"I think we better\nchange from the hard work on the ivory. Let us go hunting today;\nand tomorrow we will resume the ivory.\" Leopard assented \"Good! come\non!\" And they started out to hunt. They were successful again as on\nthe previous days. At the time of the division of the meat, Rat showed\nno displeasure at Leopard's taking the best pieces; as he had now his\nown artifice to get them back. And the meats of the day were placed\non their owners' respective drying-frames. By this day's doings,\nmany of Leopard's baskets were full, ready to be taken to town,\nwhile most of Rat's were still empty.\n\nOn the fifth day, they went to the brook again, to their fruitless\nwork of pulling at the so-called ivory. The same things happened as\nbefore; Rat remembers that he has forgotten something; has to go in\nhaste to the camp; rapidly changes the bundles on his and Leopard's\nframes; returns to the brook; they all come back to the camp to eat;\nand there were repeated Leopard's surprise, and his questions to\nRat about the kinds of meat they were eating. Thus they continued;\non alternate days hunting, and working at the ivory that was stuck\nimmovably fast in the mud; and Rat stealing; and Leopard complaining.\n\nFinally, Leopard became tired of his losses; and, one day, without\nletting anyone know what he intended doing, he said, \"I will take a\nlittle walk.\" Rat says, \"You go alone? May I accompany you?\" Leopard\nsaid, \"No! I go alone; I won't be long away; and I do not go far.\"\n\nSo Leopard went to the wizard Ra-Mar\u00e2nge, whom as soon as he saw him,\nexclaimed, \"What are you come for? Are you in trouble?\" Leopard told\nhim the matter of the losses of the meat. Then Ra-Mar\u00e2nge jumped into\nhis fire, and emerged powerful and wise. And he said, \"I will make\nfor you something that will find out for you who it is that takes\nyour meat.\"\n\nSo Ra-Mar\u00e2nge made a little image of a man, and conferred on it\nwisdom and power, and gave it to Leopard, who took it to his camp,\nand hid it in his hut.\n\nThe next day they all resumed the work at the brook, with the\nivory. There was the same diving, the same fruitless pulling,\nRat's same need of going back to the camp, and his same attempts at\nstealing. While he was doing this, he sees something like a little\nman standing near him. Rat puts out his hand to take from Leopard's\nbundles as usual, and the image catches him by the wrist of that\nhand. Rat indignantly says, \"You! this little fool! leave me! What do\nyou catch me for?\" But the image was silent; nor did it let go its\nhold. So Rat struck at it with his other hand. And the image caught\nthat hand with its other hand. Then Rat was angry and kicked with one\nfoot at a leg of the image. And that foot was retained by that leg of\nthe image. Rat kicked with his remaining foot; it also was retained\nby the image's other leg. He was thus held in the power of the image.\n\nRat, in desperation, said, \"Let me go!\" The image spoke, and simply\nsaid, \"No!\" Rat felt he was in a bad situation; but he put on a bold\nface. He knew that, by his long delay, the others must have given up\nthe work at the brook, and would by now be returning to the camp;\nand, in a little while, he would be discovered. To forestall that\ndiscovery, he shouted out, \"Mwe Nejg\u00e2, come quickly! I've found\nthe person who changes your bundles!\" Leopard, on the path, heard\nhis voice, and replied, \"My child, is that so? Hold him fast!\" Rat\nstill daringly said, \"Come quickly! He wants to get away from my\ngrasp!\" Leopard replied, \"Hold fast! I am coming!\" They all came\nhastily, both of Rat's people, and of Leopard's people; and there they\nsaw Rat held fast by the hands and legs of the image. Leopard asked,\n\"Where is he?\" Rat, daring to the last, said, \"This little man here\nthat I am holding.\" Leopard said, \"Now that I am here, let go of him,\nfor I will take charge of him.\" Rat struggled, but in vain. Leopard\nseveral times repeated his direction to Rat, \"Let go of him!\" But\nRat was utterly unable to withdraw his limbs from the power of the\nimage. And he gave up the effort, in shame. Then Leopard had to help\nrelease Rat; the conferred power of the image being subservient to\nhim. He did not strike Rat, he being his relative. But rebuked him,\n\"Ah! Ntori! now I know it was you who made all the trouble about my\nmeat!\" And he took back all his fine bundles, and returned Rat his\npoor bundles. Rat went to his own camp ashamed, but still angry at\nthe unjust division of the meat.\n\nAs Leopard's baskets were now full, he announced that they should\nprepare to break camp, and return to town. Rat's women murmured,\n\"Ah! all going away, and our baskets almost empty!\" Rat comforted them,\n\"Yes; it is so; but, we will find a way to fill them!\"\n\nSo, the next day, while the others were gone to get leaves and vines\nwith which to tie up their baskets, Rat took his empty ones to the\nbrook and filled them with stones, and tied them up with leaves,\nas if they contained meat.\n\nOn the following day, as they were about to start on their journey,\nRat said to Leopard, \"As you are the elder, go you first, and I will\nfollow.\" Leopard said, \"Good! come on!\" And they went on the path,\nRat keeping close behind Leopard's people. (Baskets being carried\ntied on the back with a strap over the forehead, the bearer leans\nheavily forward, and cannot see what is happening behind.) Rat had\nprepared a hook with a handle. From time to time, as they came to\nnarrow places in the path where thorny branches met, he would strike\nthe hook into some basket before him, and in pretence, would say,\n\"Wait! a thorn on this branch has caught your basket! Let me unfasten\nit.\" While the carrier would stand still for Rat to release the branch,\nthe latter seized the chance to take pieces of meat from the basket,\nand substitute stones from his own baskets. The way was long; and,\nat every obstructed place, Rat kept on at his pretence of helping\nto free some basket of Leopard's from the thorns that caught it,\nand changed pieces of good meat for his stones.\n\nBefore they reached Leopard's town, darkness began to fall, and\nboth companies were very tired, especially that of Leopard; for,\ntheir baskets seemed to have grown heavier. Rat said, \"Njeg\u00e2! All\nthis hard day's walk! Hide our baskets, yours in one place, and mine\nin another, and let us go on to town and sleep; and we will send\nback our women for the baskets in the morning.\" Leopard assented,\n\"Good! come on!\" So they left their baskets, and all went to town.\n\nThe next morning, Rat sent his people very, very early. Leopard sent\nhis later, at the usual time of morning business. When his people\nwere going they met Rat's people coming back with their loads, and\nexclaimed, \"You are loaded already!\"\n\nWhen Leopard's people brought their baskets to the town, and opened\nthem, they were amazed to find that they had little else than stones\nand bones. Leopard was very angry; and, going to Rat, he began to\nscold, \"You have taken away my meat!\" \"No I have my own. Look! these\nbaskets, you know them, they are mine! Perhaps some one stole your meat\nin the night and put the stones in place. But, as you are in such a\ntrouble, I will share with you of mine.\" So he called to his women,\n\"Give Njeg\u00e2 a few pieces of meat.\" Leopard took the meat, and Rat\nand his people went away to their own town.\n\nBut Leopard was not satisfied. He was sure that Rat had played him\na trick. He had forgiven Rat his stealing at the camp; but, for this\nlast trick, he meditated revenge.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 3\n\nTESTS OF DEATH--1ST VERSION\n\n\nPersons\n\n Njeg\u00e2 (Leopard)\n Ntori (Wild-Rat)\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nIt is the proper and most friendly mode, that relatives and friends\nshould hasten to visit their sick, on the very first information,\nwithout waiting to be invited or summoned.\n\n\n\nLeopard told his head-wife, \"Ntori has taken our meat and deceived\nme in all these ways; I will kill him and eat him.\"\n\nSo he pretended to be sick.\n\nThe next day, news was sent to Rat that his Uncle Leopard was sick\nof a fever.\n\nThe following day, word was again sent that he was very sick indeed,\nand that he wanted a parting word with Rat. Rat sent back a message,\n\"I hear; and I will come tomorrow.\"\n\nRat suspected some evil, and did not believe that Leopard was sick. So\nhe went to the forest, and collected all kinds of insects that sting,\nand tied them into five little bundles.\n\nNext day, word came to him, \"Njeg\u00e2 is dead.\" Rat went quickly, taking\nthe five little bundles with him.\n\nWhen he reached Leopard's town, he joined the crowd of mourners in\nthe street, and lifted up his voice in wailing. Leopard's head-wife\nwent to him, and said, \"Come into the house, and mourn with me, at\nyour Uncle's bed-side.\" Rat went with her; but he did not take the\nseat that was offered him, as a near relative, at the supposed dead\nman's head. He first explained, \"After a person is reported dead,\nit is proper to make five tests to prove whether he is really dead,\nbefore we bury him.\"\n\nSo he stood by the bed, at a point safe from Leopard's hands, and\nopened a bundle, and lifting the shroud, quickly laid the bundle on\nLeopard's naked body. The insects, infuriated by their imprisonment,\nflew out and attacked Leopard's body, as it was the object nearest\nto them, and they were confined under the shroud. Leopard endured,\nand did not move.\n\nRat opened a second bundle, and thrust it also on another part of\nLeopard's body. Leopard could scarcely refrain from wincing.\n\nRat opened a third, and laid it in the same way on another\npart. Leopard's face began to twitch with the torture. Rat opening a\nfourth, used it in the same way; and Leopard in pain began to twist\nhis body; but, when Rat opened the fifth bundle, Leopard could endure\nthe stings no longer. He started up from the bed, holding a dagger\nhe had hidden under the bed-clothing.\n\nBut Rat was too agile for him, and ran out before Leopard could fully\nrise from his supposed death-bed, and escaped to his own place. The\nmourners fled from the furious insects, and Leopard was left in agony\nunder the poison of their stings.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 3\n\nTESTS OF DEATH--SECOND VERSION\n\n\nPersons\n\n Njeg\u00e2 (Leopard)\n Ib\u00e2b\u00e2 (Jackal)\n With Ngomba (Porcupine)\n Nkambi (Antelope)\n Nj\u00e2gu (Elephant)\n Iheli (Gazelle)\n Ekaga (Tortoise)\n With Ndongo (Pepper)\n Hako (Ants)\n And Nyoi (Bees)\n And Others\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nAll of a neighborhood go to a mourning for a dead person. Failure to\ngo would have been regarded, formerly, as a sign of a sense of guilt\nas the cause of the death. Formerly, at funerals, there was great\ndestruction. Some of a man's wives and slaves were buried with him,\nwith a large quantity of his goods; and his fruit trees adjacent to\nthe houses were ruthlessly cut down. All, as signs of grief; as much\nas to say, \"If the beloved dead cannot longer enjoy these things,\nno one else shall.\"\n\nThe ancestor of the leopards never forgave the ancestor of the\ngazelles, but nursed his wrath at the trick which the latter had\nplayed on him with the insects. Unable to catch gazelles, because of\ntheir adroitness, the leopard wrecks his anger on all other beasts\nby killing them at any opportunity.\n\nThese two beasts, Leopard and Jackal, were living together in the same\ntown. Leopard said to Jackal, \"My friend! I do not eat all sorts of\nfood; I eat only animals.\" So, one day, Leopard went to search for\nsome beast in the forest. He wandered many hours, but could not find\nany for his food.\n\n\n\nOn another day, Leopard said to Jackal, \"My friend! let us arrange\nsome plan, by which we can kill some animal. For, I've wandered into\nthe forest again and again, and have found nothing.\" Leopard made\nthese remarks to his friend in the dark of the evening. So they sat\nthat night and planned and, after their conversation, they went to\nlie down in their houses. And they slept their sleep.\n\n\n\nThen soon, the daylight broke. And Leopard, carrying out their plan,\nsaid to Jackal, \"Take up your bedding, and put it out in the open air\nof the street.\" Jackal did so. Leopard laid down on that mattress,\nin accordance with their plan, and stretched out like a corpse lying\nstill, as if he could not move a muscle. He said to Jackal, \"Call\nNgomba, and let him come to me.\" So Jackal shouted, \"Come! Ngomba,\ncome! That Beast that kills animals is dead! Come!\"\n\nSo Porcupine came to the mourning, weeping, and wailing, as if he\nwas really sorry for the death of his enemy. He approached near the\nsupposed corpse. And he jeered at it. \"This was the person who wasted\nus people; and this is his body!\" Leopard heard this derision. Suddenly\nhe leaped up. And Porcupine went down under his paw, dead. Then Leopard\nsaid to his friend Jackal, \"Well! cut it up! and let us eat it.\" And\nthey finished eating it.\n\nOn another day, Leopard, again in the street, stretched himself on the\nbedding. At his direction, Jackal called for Antelope. Antelope came;\nand Leopard killed him, as he had done to Porcupine.\n\nOn another day, Ox was called. And Leopard did to Ox the same as he\nhad done to the others.\n\nOn another day, Elephant was called in the same way; and he died in\nthe same way.\n\nIn the same way, Leopard killed some of almost all the other beasts\none after another, until there were left only two.\n\nThen Jackal said, \"Njeg\u00e2! my friend! there are left, of all the beasts,\nonly two, Iheli and Ekaga. But, what can you do with Iheli? for,\nhe has many artifices. What, also, can you do against Ekaga? for,\nhe too, has many devices.\" Leopard replied, \"I will do as I usually\nhave done; so, tomorrow, I will lie down again, as if I were a corpse.\"\n\nThat day darkened into night.\n\nAnd another daylight broke.\n\nAnd Leopard went out of the house to lie down on the bedding in the\nstreet. Each limb was extended out as if dead; and his mouth open,\nwith lower jaw fallen, like that of a dead person.\n\nThen Jackal called, \"Iheli! come here! That person who wastes the\nlives of the beasts is dead! He's dead!\"\n\nGazelle said to himself, \"I hear! So! Njeg\u00e2 is dead? I go to the\nmourning!\" Gazelle lived in a town distant about three miles. He\nstarted on the journey, taking with him his spear and bag; but, he\nsaid to himself, \"Before I go to the mourning, I will stop on the\nway at the town of Ekaga.\"\n\nHe came to the town of Tortoise, and he said to him, \"Chum! have you\nheard the news? That person who kills Beasts and Mankind is dead!\" But\nTortoise answered, \"No! go back to your town! that person is not\ndead. Go back!\" Gazelle said, \"No! For, before I go back to my town,\nI will first go to Njeg\u00e2's to see.\" So Tortoise said, \"If you are\ndetermined to go there, I will tell you something.\" Gazelle exclaimed,\n\"Yes! Uncle, speak!\"\n\nThen Tortoise directed him, \"Take ndongo.\" Gazelle took some. Tortoise\nsaid, \"Take also Hako, and take also Nyoi. Tie them all up in a bundle\nof plantain leaves.\" (He told Gazelle to do all these things, as a\nwarning.) And Tortoise added, \"You will find Njeg\u00e2 with limbs stretched\nout like a corpse. Take a machete with you in your hands. When you\narrive there, begin to cut down the plantain-stalks. And you must cry\nout 'Who killed my Uncle? who killed my uncle?' If he does not move,\nthen you sit down and watch him.\"\n\nSo Gazelle went, journeyed and came to that town of mourning. He\nasked Jackal, \"Ib\u00e2b\u00e2! This person, how did he die?\" Jackal replied,\n\"Yesterday afternoon this person was seized with a fever; and today,\nhe is a corpse.\" Gazelle looked at Leopard from a distance, his eyes\nfixed on him, even while he was slashing down the plantains, as he\nwas told to do. But, Leopard made no sign, though he heard the noise\nof the plantain-stalk falling to the ground. Presently, Jackal said\nto Gazelle, \"Go near to your Uncle's bed, and look at the corpse.\"\n\nLeopard began in his heart to arrange for a spring, being ready\nto fight, and thinking, \"What time Iheli shall be near me, I will\nkill him.\"\n\nGazelle approached, but carefully stood off a rod distant from the body\nof Leopard. Then Gazelle drew the bundle of Ants out of his bag, and\nsaid to himself, \"Is this person, really dead? I will test him!\" But,\nGazelle stood warily ready to flee at the slightest sign. He quickly\nopened the bundle of insects; and he joined the three, the Ants,\nthe Bees, and the Pepper, all in one hand; and, standing with care,\nhe threw them at Leopard.\n\nThe bundle of leaves, as it struck Leopard, flew open. Being released,\nthe Bees rejoiced, saying, \"So! I sting Njeg\u00e2!\" Pepper also was glad,\nsaying, \"So! I will make him perspire!\" Ants also spitefully exclaimed,\n\"I've bitten you!\"\n\nThe pain of all these made Leopard jump up in wrath; and he leaped\ntoward Gazelle. But he dashed away into the forest, shouting as\nhe disappeared, \"I'm not an Iheli of the open prairie, but of the\nforest wilderness!\"\n\nSo, he fled and came to the town of Tortoise. There he told Tortoise,\n\"You are justified! Njeg\u00e2 indeed is not dead! He was only pretending,\nin order to kill.\"\n\nAnd Tortoise, remarked, \"I am the doyen of Beasts. Being the eldest,\nif I tell any one a thing, he should not contradict me.\"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 4\n\nTASKS DONE FOR A WIFE\n\n\nPlace\n\n In Njambi's Kingdom\n\nPersons\n\n A Rich Merchant and his Daughter\n Nj\u00e2gu (Elephant)\n Njeg\u00e2 (Leopard)\n Njina (Gorilla)\n Nguvu (Hippopotamus)\n Ekaga (Tortoise)\n Mbodi (An Enormous Goat)\n Servants, and Townspeople\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nThe artifices of Tortoise compete with the strength of Leopard. The\nstory of the Giant Goat is a separate Tale in No. 32, of Part Second.\n\n\n\nIn the time when Mankind and all other Animals lived together, to all\nthe Beasts the news came that there was a Merchant in a far country,\nwho had a daughter, for whom he was seeking a marriage. And he had\nsaid, \"I do not want money to be the dowry that shall be paid by a\nsuitor for my daughter. But, whosoever shall do some difficult works,\nwhich I shall assign him, to him I will give her.\"\n\nAll the Beasts were competing for the prize.\n\nFirst, Elephant went on that errand. The merchant said to him, \"Do\nsuch-and-such tasks, and you shall have my daughter. More than that,\nI will give you wealth also.\" Elephant went at the tasks, tried,\nand failed; and came back saying he could not succeed.\n\nNext, Gorilla stood up; he went. And the merchant told him, in the\nsame way as to Elephant, that he was to do certain tasks. Gorilla\ntried, and failed, and came back disgusted.\n\nThen, Hippopotamus advanced, and said he would attempt to win the\nwoman. His companions encouraged him with hopes of success, because\nof his size and strength. He went, tried, and failed.\n\nThus, almost all beasts attempted, one after another; they tried to\ndo the tasks, and failed.\n\nAt last there were left as contestants, only Leopard and\nTortoise. Neither was disheartened by the failure of the others; each\nasserted that he would succeed in marrying that rich daughter. Tortoise\nsaid, \"I'm going now!\" But Leopard said, \"No! I first!\" Tortoise\nyielded, \"Well, go; you are the elder. I will not compete with you. Go\nyou, first!\" Leopard went, and made his application. The merchant\nsaid to him, \"Good! that you have come. But, the others came, and\nfailed. Try you.\" Leopard said, \"Very well.\" He tried, and failed,\nand went back angry.\n\nTortoise then went. He saluted the merchant, and told him he had come\nto take his daughter. The merchant said, \"Do so; but try to do the\ntasks first.\"\n\nTortoise tried all the tasks, and did them all. The first was that of\na calabash dipper that was cracked. The merchant said to him, \"You take\nthis cracked calabash and bring it to me full of water all the way from\nthe spring to this town.\" Tortoise looking and examining, objected,\n\"This calabash! cracked! how can it carry water?\" The merchant replied,\n\"You yourself must find out. If you succeed, you marry my daughter.\"\n\nTortoise took the calabash to the spring. Putting it into the water,\nhe lifted it. But the water all ran out before he had gone a few\nsteps. Again he did this, five times; and the water was always\nrunning out. Sitting, he meditated, \"What is this? How can it\nbe done?\" Thinking again, he said, \"I'll do it! I know the art\nhow!\" He went to the forest, took gum of the Okume (mahogany tree)\nlighted a fire, melted the gum, smeared it over the crack, and made\nit water-tight; then, dipping the calabash into the spring, it did\nnot leak. He took it full to the father-in-law, and called out,\n\"Father-in-law! this is the calabash of water.\" The merchant asked,\n\"But what did you do to it?\" He answered \"I mended it with gum.\" The\nfather said, \"Good for you! The others did not think of that easy\nsimple solution. You have sense!\"\n\nTortoise then said, \"I have finished this one task; today has\npassed. Tomorrow I will begin on the other four.\"\n\nThe next morning, he came to receive his direction from the merchant,\nwho said, \"Ekaga! you see that tall tree far away? At the top are\nfruits. If you want my daughter, pluck the fruits from the top,\nand you shall marry her.\"\n\nTortoise went and stood watching and looking and examining the\ntree. Its trunk was all covered with soap, and impossible to be\nclimbed. He returned to the merchant, and asked, \"That fruit you\nwish, may it be obtained in any way, even if one does not climb the\ntree?\" He was answered, \"Yes, in any way, except cutting down the\ntree. Only so that I get the fruit, I am satisfied.\"\n\nTortoise had already tried from morning to afternoon to climb\nthat tree, but could not. So, after he had asked the merchant his\nquestion, he went back to the tree; and from evening, all night and\nuntil morning, he dug about the roots till they were all free. And\nthe tree fell, without his having \"cut\" the trunk at all. So he took\nthe fruit to the Merchant, and told him that he had not \"cut down\"\nthe tree, but that he had it \"dug up.\" The merchant said, \"You have\ndone well. People who came before you failed to think of that. Good\nfor you!\"\n\nOn the third day, the merchant said to the spectators, \"I will not\nname the other three tasks. You, my assistants, may name them.\" So\nthey thought of one task after another. But one and another said, \"No,\nthat is not hard; let us search for a harder.\" Finally, they found\nthree hard tasks. Tortoise was ready for and accomplished them all.\n\nThen the merchant announced, \"Now, you may marry my daughter; and\ntomorrow you shall make your journey.\" They made a great feast;\nan ox was killed; and they had songs and music all night, clear on\ntill morning.\n\nBut, while all this was going on, Leopard, who was left at his town,\nwas saying to himself, \"This Ekaga! He has stayed five days! Had he\nfailed, he would not have stayed so long! So! he has been able to do\nthe tasks! Is that a good thing?\" (On the day that Tortoise started\non the journey to seek the merchant's daughter, Leopard had been\nheard to say, \"If Ekaga succeeds in getting that wife, I will take\nher from him by force.\")\n\nWhen Tortoise was ready to start on his return journey with his wife,\nthe father-in-law gave him very many things, slaves and goats and a\nvariety of goods, and said, \"Go, you and your wife and these things. I\nsend people to escort you part of the way. They are not to go clear\non to your town, but are to turn back on the way.\"\n\nTortoise and company journeyed. When the escort were about to turn\nback, Tortoise said, \"Day is past. Make an olako (camp) here. We sleep\nhere; and, in the morning, you shall go back.\" That night he thought,\n\"Njeg\u00e2 said he would rob me of my wife. Perhaps he may come to meet me\non the way!\" So, he swallowed all of the things, to hide them,--wife,\nservants, and all.\n\nWhile Tortoise was thus on the way, Leopard had planned not to wait his\nreturn to town, but had set out to meet him. So, in the morning, the\ntwo, journeying in opposite directions, met. Tortoise gave Leopard a\nrespectful \"Mbolo!\" and Leopard returned the salutation. Leopard asked,\n\"What news? That woman, have you married her?\" Tortoise answered,\n\"That woman! Not at all!\" Leopard looking at Tortoise's style and\nmanner as of one proud of success, said, \"Surely you have married;\nfor you look happy, and show signs of success.\" But Tortoise swore\nhe had not married.\n\nLeopard only said, \"Good.\" Then Tortoise asked, \"But, where are you\ngoing?\" Leopard answered, \"I am going out walking and hunting. But\nyou, where are you going?\" Tortoise replied, \"I did not succeed in\nmarrying the woman; so I am going back to town. I tried, but I failed.\"\n\n\"But,\" said Leopard, \"what then makes your belly so big?\" Tortoise\nreplied, \"On the way I found an abundance of mushrooms, and I ate\nheartily of them. If you do not believe it, I can show you them by\nvomiting them up.\" Leopard said, \"Never mind to vomit. Go on your\njourney.\"\n\nAnd Leopard went on his way. But, soon he thought, \"Ah! Ekaga has lied\nto me!\" So he ran around back, and came forward to meet Tortoise again.\n\nTortoise looked and saw Leopard coming, and observed that his face\nwas full of wrath. He feared, but said to himself, \"If I flee,\nNjeg\u00e2 will catch me. I will go forward and try artifice.\" As he\napproached Leopard, the latter was very angry, and said, \"You play\nwith me! You say you have not married the woman I wanted. Tell me\nthe truth!\" Tortoise again swore an oath, \"No! I have not married\nthe woman! I told you I ate mushrooms, and offered to show you;\nand you refused.\" So Leopard said, \"Well, then, vomit.\" Tortoise\nbent over, and vomited and vomited mushrooms and mushrooms; and then\nsaid triumphantly, \"So! Njeg\u00e2 you see!\" Leopard looked, and said,\n\"But, Ekaga, your belly is still full,--go on vomiting.\" Tortoise\ntried to excuse himself, \"I have done vomiting.\" Leopard persisted,\n\"No! keep on at it.\" Tortoise went on retching; and a box of goods fell\nout of his mouth. Leopard still said, \"Go on!\" and Tortoise vomited\nin succession a table and other furniture. He was compelled to go on\nretching; and slaves came out. And at last, up was vomited the woman!\n\nLeopard shouted, \"Ah! Ekaga! you lied! You said you had not married! I\nwill take this woman!\" And he took her, sarcastically saying, \"Ekaga,\nyou have done me a good work! You have brought me all these things,\nthese goods, and slaves, and a wife! Thank you!\"\n\nTortoise thought to himself, \"I have no strength for war.\" So, though\nanger was in his heart, he showed no displeasure in his face. And they\nall went on together toward their town. With wrath still in his heart,\nhe went clear on to the town, and then made his complaint to each of\nthe townspeople. But they all were afraid of Leopard, and said nothing,\nnor dared to give Tortoise even sympathy.\n\nThere was in that country among the mountains, an enormous Goat. The\nother beasts, all except Leopard, were accustomed to go to that Goat,\nwhen hungry, and say, \"We have no meat to eat.\" And the Goat allowed\nthem to cut pieces of flesh from his body. He could let any part of\nthe interior of his body be taken except his heart. All the Animals\nhad agreed among themselves not to tell Leopard where they got their\nmeat, lest he, in his greediness, would go and take the heart. So\nthey had told him they got their meat as he did, hunting.\n\nTortoise, angry because Leopard has taken his wife, said to himself,\n\"I will make a cause of complaint against Njeg\u00e2 that shall bring\npunishment upon him from our King. I will cause Njeg\u00e2 to kill that\nGoat.\" On another day, Tortoise went and got meat from the Goat, and\ncame back to town, and did not hide it from Leopard. Leopard said to\nhim, \"Ekaga! where did you get this meat?\" Tortoise whispered, \"Come\nto my house, and I will tell you.\" They went. And Tortoise divided\nthe meat with him, and said, \"Do not tell on me: but, we get the meat\noff at a great Goat. Tomorrow, I go; and you, follow behind me.\"\n\nSo, the next day, they went, Tortoise as if by himself, and Leopard\nfollowing, off to the great Goat. Arrived there, Leopard wondered\nat the sight, \"O! this great Goat! But, from where do you take its\nmeat?\" Tortoise replied, \"Wait for me! You will see!\" He went, and\nLeopard followed. Tortoise said to the Goat, \"We have meat-hunger:\nwe come to seek meat from you.\" The Goat's mouth was open as usual;\nTortoise entered, and Leopard followed, to get flesh from inside. In\nthe Goat's interior was a house, full of meat; and they entered\nit. Leopard wondered at its size; and Tortoise told him, \"Cut where\nyou please, but not from the heart, lest the Goat die.\" And they began\nto take meat. Leopard, with greediness, coveting the forbidden heart,\nwent with knife near to it.\n\nTortoise exclaimed, \"There! there! be careful.\" But Leopard, though he\nhad enough other flesh, longed for the heart, and was not satisfied. He\nagain approached with the knife near it: and Tortoise warned and\nprotested. These very prohibitions caused Leopard to have his own\nway, and his greediness overcame him. He cut the heart: and the Goat\nfell dying.\n\nTortoise exclaimed, \"Eh! Njeg\u00e2! I told you not to touch the\nheart! Because of this matter I will inform on you.\" And he added,\n\"Since it is so, let us go.\"\n\nBut Leopard said, \"Goat's mouth is shut. How shall we get out? Let us\nhide in this house.\" And he asked, \"Where will you hide?\" Tortoise\nreplied, \"In the stomach.\" Leopard said, \"Stomach! It is the very\nthing for me, Njeg\u00e2, myself!\" So Ekaga consented, \"Well! take it! I\nwill hide in the gall-bladder.\" So they hid, each in his place.\n\nSoon, as they listened, they heard voices shouting, \"The Goat is\ndead! A fearful thing! The Goat is dead!\"\n\nThat news spread, and all who had been accustomed to get flesh there,\ncame to see what was the matter. They all said that, as the Goat was\ndead, it was best to cut and divide him. They slit open the belly,\nand said, \"Lay aside this big stomach; it is good; but throw away the\nbitter gall-sac.\" They looked for the heart; but there was none! A\nchild, to whom had been handed the gall-bladder to throw it away,\nwas flinging it into some bushes. As he did so, out jumped something\nfrom among the bushes; and the child asked, \"Who are you?\" The thing\nreplied, pretending to be vexed, \"I am Ekaga; I come here with the\nothers to get meat, and you, just as I arrived, throw that dirty thing\nin my face!\" The other people pacified him, \"Do not get angry. Excuse\nthe child. He did not see you. You shall have your share.\"\n\nThen Tortoise called out, \"Silence! silence! silence!\"\n\nThey all stood ready to listen, and he said, \"Do not cut up the Goat\ntill we first know who killed it. That stomach there! What makes\nit so big?\" Leopard, in the stomach, heard; but he did not believe\nthat Tortoise meant it, and thought to himself, \"What a fool is this\nEkaga, in pretending to inform on me, by directing attention to the\nstomach!\" Tortoise ordered, \"All you, take your spears, and stick\nthat stomach! For the one who killed Goat is in it!\" And they all\ngot their spears ready.\n\nLeopard did not speak or move; for, he still thought Tortoise\nwas only joking. Tortoise began with his spear, and the others all\nthrust in. And Leopard holding the heart, was seen dying! All shouted,\n\"Ah! Njeg\u00e2 killed our Goat! Ah! he's the one who killed it.\" Tortoise\ntaunted Leopard, \"Asai! (shame for you) you took my wife; and now\nyou are dead!\" Leopard died. They divided the Goat, and returned\nto town. Tortoise took again his wife and all his goods, now that\nLeopard was dead. And he was satisfied that his artifice had surpassed\nLeopard's strength.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 5\n\nA TUG-OF-WAR\n\n\nPersons\n\n Ekaga (Tortoise)\n Nj\u00e2gu (Elephant)\n Ngubu (Hippopotamus)\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nAfrican natives are sensitive about questions of equality and\nseniority. A certain term, \"Mwera\" (chum) may be addressed to other\nthan an equal, only at risk of a quarrel.\n\nA story of the trick by which Tortoise apparently proved himself the\nequal of both Elephant and Hippopotamus.\n\nObserve the preposterous size of Elephant's trunk! But everything,\nto the native African mind, was enormous in the pre-historic times.\n\n\n\nLeopard was dead, after the accusation against him by Tortoise for\nkilling the great Goat. The children of Leopard were still young;\nthey had not grown to take their father's power and place. And\nTortoise considered himself now a great personage. He said to people,\n\"We three who are left,--I and Nj\u00e2gu and Ngubu, are of equal power;\nwe eat at the same table, and have the same authority.\" Every day\nhe made these boasts; and people went to Elephant and Hippopotamus,\nreporting, \"So-and-so says Ekaga.\" Elephant and Hippopotamus laughed,\nand disregarded the report, and said, \"That's nothing, he's only to\nbe despised.\"\n\nOne day Hippopotamus met Elephant in the forest; salutations were made,\n\"Mbolo!\" \"Ai, mbolo!\" each to the other. Hippopotamus asked Elephant\nabout a new boast that Tortoise had been making, \"Have you, or have\nyou not heard?\" Elephant answered, \"Yes, I have heard. But I look\non it with contempt. For, I am Nj\u00e2gu. I am big. My foot is as big as\nEkaga's body. And he says he is equal to me! But, I have not spoken of\nthe matter, and will not speak, unless I hear Ekaga himself make his\nboast. And then I shall know what I will do.\" And Hippopotamus also\nsaid, \"I am doing so too, in silence. I wait to hear Ekaga myself.\"\n\nTortoise heard of what Elephant and Hippopotamus had been threatening,\nand he asked his informant just the exact words that they had used,\n\"They said that they waited to hear you dare to speak to them; and\nthat, in the meanwhile, they despised you.\"\n\nTortoise asked, \"So! they despise me, do they?\" \"Yes,\" was the\nreply. Then he said, \"So! indeed, I will go to them.\" He told his wife,\n\"Give me my coat to cover my body.\" He dressed; and started to the\nforest. He found Elephant lying down; his trunk was eight miles long;\nhis ears as big as a house, and his four feet beyond measure.\n\nTortoise audaciously called to him, \"Mwera! I have come! You don't\nrise to salute me? Mwera has come!\" Elephant looked, rose up and\nstared at Tortoise, and indignantly asked, \"Ekaga! whom do you call\n'Mwera'?\" Tortoise replied, \"You! I call you 'Mwera.' Are you not,\nNj\u00e2gu?\" Elephant, with great wrath, asked, \"Ekaga! I have heard you\nsaid certain words. It is true that you said them?\"\n\nTortoise answered, \"Nj\u00e2gu, don't get angry! Wait, let us first have a\nconversation.\" Then he said to Elephant, \"I did call you, just now,\n'Mwera'; but, you, Nj\u00e2gu, why do you condemn me? You think that,\nbecause you are of great expanse of flesh, you can surpass Ekaga,\njust because I am small? Let us have a test. Tomorrow, sometime in the\nmorning, we will have a lurelure (tug-of-war).\" Said Elephant, \"Of what\nuse? I can mash you with one foot.\" Tortoise said, \"Be patient. At\nleast try the test.\" So, Elephant, unwilling, consented. Tortoise\nadded, \"But, when we tug, if one overpulls the other, he shall be\nconsidered the greater; but, if neither, then we are Mwera.\"\n\nThen Tortoise went to the forest, and cut a very long vine, and coming\nback to Elephant, said \"This end is yours. I go off into the forest\nwith my end to a certain spot, and tomorrow I return to that spot;\nand we will have our tug, and neither of us will stop, to eat or sleep\nuntil either you pull me over or the vine breaks.\" Tortoise went far\noff with his end of the vine to the town of Hippopotamus, and hid\nthe vine's end at the outskirts of the town. He went to Hippopotamus\nand found him bathing, and going ashore, back and forth, to and from\nthe water. Tortoise shouted to him, \"Mwera! I have come! You! Come\nashore! I am visiting you!\" Hippopotamus came bellowing in great\nwrath with wide open jaws, ready to fight, and said, \"I will fight\nyou today! For, whom do you call 'Mwera'?\"\n\nTortoise replied, \"Why! you! I do not fear your size. Our hearts are\nthe same. But, don't fight yet! Let us first talk.\" Hippopotamus\ngrunted, and sat down; and Tortoise said, \"I, Ekaga, I say that\nyou and I and Nj\u00e2gu are equal, we are Mwera. Even though you are\ngreat and I small, I don't care. But if you doubt me, let us have a\ntrial. Tomorrow morning let us have a lurelure. He who shall overcome,\nshall be the superior. But, if neither is found superior, then we\nare equals.\" Hippopotamus exclaimed that the plan was absurd; but,\nfinally he consented.\n\nTortoise then stood up, and went out, and got his end of the vine,\nand brought it to Hippopotamus, and said, \"This end is yours. And I\nnow go. Tomorrow, when you feel the vine shaken, know that I am ready\nat the other end; and then you begin, and we will not stop to eat or\nsleep until this test is ended.\"\n\nHippopotamus then went to the forest to gather leaves of Medicine\nwith which to strengthen his body. And Elephant, at the other end,\nwas doing the same, making medicine to give himself strength; and at\nnight they were both asleep.\n\nIn the morning, Tortoise went to the middle of the vine, where at its\nhalf-way, he had made on the ground a mark; and he shook it towards\none end, and then towards the other. Elephant caught his end, as he\nsaw it shake, and Hippopotamus did the same at his end. \"Orindi went\nback and forth\" (a proverb of a fish of that name that swims in that\nway), Elephant and Hippopotamus alternately pulling. \"Nkendinli was\nborn of his father and mother\" (a proverb, meaning distinctions in\nindividualities). Each one, Hippopotamus and Elephant, doing in his\nown way. Tortoise smiled at his arrangement with each, that, in the\ntug, if one overcame, it would be proved by his dragging the other;\nbut, if neither overcame, they were not to cease, until the vine broke.\n\nElephant holding the vine taut, and Hippopotamus also holding it taut,\nTortoise was laughing in his heart as he watched the quivering vine.\n\nHe went away to seek for food, leaving those two at their tug,\nin hunger. He went off into the forest and found his usual food,\nmushrooms. He ate his belly full, and then took his drink; and then\nwent to his town to sleep.\n\nHe rose in late afternoon, and said to himself, \"I'll go and see about\nthe tug, whether those fools are still pulling.\" When he went there,\nthe vine was still stretched taut; and he thought, \"Asai! shame! let\nthem die with hunger!\" He sat there, the vine trembling with tensity,\nand he in his heart mocking the two tired beasts. The one drew the\nother toward himself; and then, a slight gain brought the mark back;\nbut neither was overcoming.\n\nAt last Tortoise nicked the vine with his knife; the vine parted; and,\nat their ends, Elephant and Hippopotamus fell violently back onto\nthe ground. Tortoise said to himself, \"So! that's done! Now I go to\nElephant with one end of the broken vine; tomorrow to Hippopotamus.\" He\nwent, and came on to Elephant, and found him looking dolefully, and\nbathing his leg with medicine, and said, \"Mwera! How do you feel? Do\nyou consent that we are Mwera?\" Elephant admitted, \"Ekaga, I did not\nknow you were so strong! When the vine broke, I fell over and hurt\nmy leg. Yes, we are really equal. Really! strength is not because\nthe body is large. I despised you because your body was small. But\nactually, we are equal in strength!\"\n\nSo they ate and drank and played as chums; and Tortoise returned to\nhis town.\n\nEarly the next morning, with the other end of the broken vine, he went\nto visit Hippopotamus, who looked sick, and was rubbing his head,\nand asked, \"Ngubu! How do you feel, Mwera?\" Hippopotamus answered,\n\"Really! Ekaga! so we are equals! I, Ngubu, so great! And you,\nEkaga, so small! We pulled and pulled. I could not surpass you,\nnor you me. And when the vine broke, I fell and hurt my head. So,\nindeed strength has no greatness of body.\" Tortoise and Hippopotamus\nate and drank and played; and Tortoise returned to his town.\n\nAfter that, whenever they three and others met to talk in palaver\n(council) the three sat together on the highest seats. Were they\nequal? Yes, they were equal.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 6\n\nAGENDA: RAT'S PLAY ON A NAME\n\n\nPersons\n\n Njeg\u00e2 (Leopard)\n Ntori (Rat)\n R\u00e2ngi (Frog)\n Ig\u00e2mb\u00e2 (Crab)\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nIn native African etiquette, a company of persons is saluted with the\nuse of the verb in the plural; but only the oldest, or the supposed\nleader, if his name is known, is mentioned by name.\n\nThe native custom among polite tribes, is to leave a guest to eat\nwithout being watched.\n\nThe twitching of a muscle of an arm, or any other part of the body\n(called okalimambo) is regarded as a sign of coming evil. Compare\nMacbeth, Act 4, Scene 1.\n\n\n \"By the pricking of my thumb\n Something wicked this way comes.\"\n\n\nThe absurd and the unreasonable (e.g., the swallowing of a wife,\ngoats, servants, etc.) are a constant feature of the native legends\nin their use of the impossible.\n\nAll native Africans have more than one name, and often change their\nnames to suit circumstances. But, while all their names have a meaning\n(just as our English names, \"Augustus,\" \"Clara,\" etc.) those meanings\nare not thought of when denominating an individual; e.g., \"Bwalo\"\nwhich means canoe.\n\nLeopards do not like to wet their feet.\n\n\n\nLeopard wanted a new wife. So he sought for a young woman of a far\ncountry, of whom he heard as a nice girl, a daughter of one of the\nKings of that country. He did not go himself, but sent word, and\nreceived answer by messenger. Neither the woman nor her father had\never seen Leopard. They knew of him only by reputation.\n\nThe King was pleased with the proposed alliance, and assented,\nsaying, \"Yes! I am willing. Go! get yourself ready, and come with\nyour marriage company.\" So Leopard went around and invited many\nother beasts, \"Come! and help me get a new one!\" They all replied,\n\"Yes!\" And they all started together for the King's town.\n\nWhen they had gone half-way, one of their number, a big forest Rat\nsaid, \"Brothers! let us begin here to change our names, so that when\nwe get to the town, we shall not be known by our usual names.\" But\nLeopard refused, \"No! I won't! I stick by my old name. My name is\nNjeg\u00e2.\" All the others said the same, and retained their own names.\n\nBut Rat insisted for himself, \"I will not be called Ntori. I will be\ncalled 'Strangers.' My name is Agenda,\" (the plural of ogenda which\nmeans \"stranger\").\n\nWhen they approached the town, the inhabitants, with great\npoliteness, ran out to welcome them, shouting, \"Agenda! Saleni,\nSaleni!\" (Strangers! Welcome ye! welcome ye!) Rat turned to the\ncompany and said, \"Hear that! you see they are saluting me as the\nleader of this company.\"\n\nUpon their entering the town, they were shown to the large public\nReception-House; and the people said to them, \"Now! strangers\n(Agenda!), march in!\" Rat turned again to his companions, and said,\n\"You see! they have again addressed me specially by name, asking me\nto take possession of this room.\"\n\nThey all went in feeling uncomfortably; but Rat said to them, \"Never\nmind! though this room was evidently prepared specially for me,\nI am not selfish, and I invite you to share it with me.\"\n\nAfter the visitors had all been seated, the people came to give them\nthe formal final salutation, saying \"Strangers (Agenda), mbolani! (long\nlife to ye).\" Rat promptly whispered to his companions, saying,\n\"This mbolo is to me for you, I alone will respond to it.\" So, only\nhe replied, \"Ai Mbolani! Ai.\" (Mbolani is the second person plural\nof the irregular defective verb Mbolo equal to \"live long.\")\n\nThe day passed. In the evening, the people brought in an abundant\nsupply of food, and set it down on the table, saying, \"Strangers\n(Agenda!), eat! Here is your food!\" And they went out, closing the\ndoor, so that the guests in their eating should not be annoyed by\nspectators. Then Rat said, \"You see! All this food is mine, though I\nam not able to eat it all.\" He alone began to eat of it. When he had\nsatisfied his appetite, he said, \"Truly this food is my own, but I\nam sorry for you, and I will give you of it.\" So he gave out to each,\none by one, very small pieces of fish and plantain.\n\nIn the morning, the people thoughtfully sent water for the usual\nmorning washing of hands and face. Rat hasted to open the door; and\nthe slaves carrying the vessels of water, said to him, \"These are\nsent to the strangers (Agenda).\" So Rat took the water and used it\nall for himself.\n\nThis second day was a repetition of the first. The townspeople\ncontinued their hospitality, sending food and drink and tobacco and\nfruits; and making many kind inquiries of what \"the Agenda\" would like\nto have. Rat, received all these things as for himself; while the rest\nof the company felt themselves slighted, and were hungry and disgusted.\n\nOn the third day, the company said among themselves, \"Njeg\u00e2 told us\nthat our visit was to last the usual five days; but we cannot stand\nsuch treatment as this!\" And they began to run away, one by one. Even\nLeopard himself followed them, provoked at his expected father-in-law's\nsupposed neglect of him. But, before Leopard had gone, Rat went to\nthe bride elect, and said, \"I never saw such a party as this! They\ndo not eat, and are not willing to await the Marriage Dance for the\nBride on the fifth day.\"\n\nWhen they were all secretly gone, leaving Rat alone, he said to the\nwoman, \"I will tell them all to go, even my friend Njeg\u00e2 whom I brought\nto escort me. But I will not go without you, even if we have not had\nthe dance; for, I am the one who was to marry you.\" And the father\nof the girl said to Rat, \"Since they have treated you so, never mind\nto call them again for the Dance. You just take your wife and go.\"\n\nSo the King gave his daughter farewell presents of boxes of clothing,\nand two female servants to help her, and a number of goats, and\nmen-servants to carry the baggage.\n\nRat and wife and attendants set out on their journey. When they were\nfar away from the King's town, Rat exclaimed, \"I feel okalimambo\n(premonition).\" (He suspected that Leopard was somewhere near.) So\nhe dismissed the men-servants, and sent them back to the King. And\nthen quickly, in order to hide them, he swallowed the woman and the\ntwo maid-servants and all the boxes of clothing, and the goats.\n\nRat then went on, and on, and on, with his journey, until at a\ncross-roads, he saw Leopard coming cross-ways toward him; and he\ncalled out, \"Who are you?\" The reply came, \"I am Njeg\u00e2. And who are\nyou?\" Rat answered, \"Ntori.\"\n\nThen Leopard called to him, \"Come here!\" \"No!\" said Rat, \"I am in a\nhurry, and want to get home--\" And he went on without stopping. So\nLeopard said, \"Well, I pass on my way too!\" \"Good!\" said Rat, \"Pass\non!\" And they went on their separate ways.\n\nBut Leopard, at a turn in his road, rounded back, and hasted by\nanother path to get in front of Rat. When Leopard again saw Rat a\nshort distance before him, he calls out, \"Who are you?\" The reply was\n\"Ntori; and who are you?\" Leopard answered, \"I'm Njeg\u00e2. Stop on your\nway, and come here to me!\" Rat replied, \"No! you asked me once before\nto stop, and I refused. And I refuse now; I must pass on.\"\n\nBecause of Rat's unwillingness to stop, Leopard began to chase him,\nand to shout at him, \"You have my wife!\" Rat answered back, \"No! I\nhave no wife of yours!\" \"You lie! You have the woman with you. What\nmakes your body so big?\"\n\nRat ran as fast as he could, with Leopard close after him. Rat's home\nis always a hole in the ground; and, as he was hard pressed in his\nflight, he dashed into the first hole he came to, which happened to\nbe a small opening into a cave. But his tail was not yet drawn in and\nLeopard was so near that he seized it. Projecting from the mouth of\nthe hole there was also the small root of a tree. Rat called out,\n\"Friend Njeg\u00e2! what do you think you have caught hold of?\" \"Your\ntail!\" said Leopard. Said Rat, \"That is not my tail! this other thing\nnear you is my tail!\" So Leopard let go of the tail, and seized the\nroot. Rat slid quickly to the bottom of the hole, and called out,\n\"O! Njeg\u00e2! I did not think you were so silly! You had hold of my\ntail, and you let me go! You just look at your hand; you will see my\ntail-hairs clinging to it!\"\n\nLeopard went away in wrath; and, finding Frog at a near-by brook, he\nsaid to him, \"R\u00e2ngi! you just watch. I do not want Ntori to escape\nfrom that hole. Watch, while I go to get some fire, with which to\nburn him out.\"\n\nShortly after Leopard had gone, Rat began to creep out. Seeing Frog\nstanding on guard, he said, \"Good R\u00e2ngi! let me pass!\" But Frog\nreplied, \"No! I have my orders to watch you here.\" Then said Rat,\n\"If that is so, why don't you come close here, and attend to your\nduty? You are too far from this hole. If a person is set to watch,\nhe should be near the thing he watches. As far as you are there, I\ncould, if I tried, get out without your catching me. So, it is better\nfor you to have a good look down this hole.\" While Rat was saying\nall this, he was near the mouth of the hole; but, as Frog approached,\nhe receded to the bottom, and went to the back end of the cave, where\ncayenne pepper bushes were growing. Frog came to the edge of the hole,\nand looking down, saw nothing.\n\nDuring this while, Rat was plucking pepper-pods and chewing them,\nretaining them in his mouth. Returning again to the entrance, he\nsaw Frog still watching, and he said, \"R\u00e2ngi! get out of my way,\nand let me pass. Let me out!\" Frog replied, \"I will not!\" Rat asked,\n\"Do you know me?\" Frog replied, \"Not very well.\" Then Rat said, \"Come\nnear! Open your eyes wide, and take a good look at me!\" As soon as\nFrog's eyes were wide open, Rat blew the pepper into them. This so\nstartled Frog that he fell back, his eyes blinded by the smarting;\nand Rat jumped out and ran away. Frog, heedless of his prisoner,\nwas jumping about in pain; and, abandoning his post, crawled to the\nwater of the brook not far away, and tumbled into it to wash his eyes.\n\nNow, by this time, Leopard had returned with his fire. Seeing no\none on guard, he called out, \"R\u00e2ngi! R\u00e2ngi! where are you?\" Frog, at\nthe bottom of the brook, was still in agony with his eyes. He knew\nwell that Rat was gone; but, in his vexation, he answered, \"Ntori\nis there! Put in your fire!\" So, Leopard put fire into the hole,\nand made a great smoke, but there was no sign of Rat.\n\nAfter a long time, Leopard became tired at not finding Rat, and\ncalled out, \"R\u00e2ngi! R\u00e2ngi! Where indeed is Ntori? He has not come\nout by this fire!\" Then Frog answered, \"Ntori is not there. I just\nlied to you in vexation of the pain I got through serving you.\" So,\nLeopard was very angry and said to Frog, \"You have deceived and fooled\nme! I will just come and eat you up!\" Said Frog, \"Good! come on!\"\n\nLeopard ran to the brook, but, as Frog was at the bottom, Leopard\nhad first to drink all the water, before he could reach him. Leopard\ndrank and drank. But, as soon as the water was nearly drunk up,\nFrog jumped out, and hopped away to an adjacent pond. There Leopard\nfollowed, and began to drink up that water also. He drank, and drank,\nand drank, until he became so full and his belly so swollen that\nhis feet no longer touched the ground; and he fell over on his back,\nbefore he had entirely emptied the pond. He was in such great pain, in\nhis swollen belly, that he was helpless, and cried out to passersby,\n\"Please, open a little hole in my body, and let out this water!\" But\neach of the passersby said, \"No! I am afraid that after I have helped\nyou, then you will eat me.\"\n\nAt last, among those who passed by, came Crab. Leopard pleaded with\nhim, \"Ig\u00e2mb\u00e2! please! open my skin. Let out this water, so that I may\nlive!\" At first, Crab replied as the others, \"No! I fear that after I\nhelp you, you will eat me.\" But Leopard begged so piteously that Crab\nconsented, and scratched Leopard's skin with one of his claws. And\nthe water spurted out! It came in so fast a current that it began\nto sweep Crab away. So Leopard cried out, \"Ig\u00e2mb\u00e2! Please! do not\nlet yourself be taken away! Catch hold on some root or branch!\" Crab\ndid so, holding on to a projecting root. When the water had subsided,\nand Crab was safe, Leopard was able to rise; and he said, \"Ig\u00e2mb\u00e2! you\nhave been kind to me; let me take you home, and I will be good to you;\nI will cook dinner, so we can eat together.\" Crab agreed, and they\nwent together.\n\nLeopard began to cook a kind of yam called nkwa, making a pot full\nof it. (When it is thoroughly cooked, it is soft and sticky.) The\nyam being finally ready to be eaten, Leopard said, \"We do not put\nthis food out on plates, but we bring the entire pot, and every one\nwill help himself from it with his hands.\" Leopard thereupon began\nto take out handfuls of the nkwa, and to eat it. Crab tried to do\nthe same, putting a claw into the sticky mass. But its heat burned\nhis tender skin, and, in jerking his claw away, it stuck fast in the\nnkwa, and broke off. As soon as that happened, Leopard snatched up\nthe claw and ate it. Crab protested, \"Ah! Njeg\u00e2! you are eating my\nclaw!\" Said Leopard, \"Excuse me! No, I thought it was nkwa.\" So the\ndinner went on; Leopard greedily eating, Crab trying in vain to eat,\nand losing claw after claw, which Leopard in succession promptly ate.\n\nNow, when Leopard had finished eating all the food, Crab's claws\nwere all gone, and he had not been able to eat at all, and was left\nhungry. So Leopard says to Crab, \"Now, as you are so helpless, what\nmust I do for you?\" He hoped that Crab, in despair, would tell him\nto eat him. But Leopard really was not hungry just then; and, when\nCrab said, \"If you will just put me into some shallow water for two\nmonths, then all my claws will grow all right again,\" Leopard replied,\n\"Good!\" and he took Crab and placed him in a small stream of water.\n\nThe next day, Leopard, being now hungry to eat Crab, came to the water\nand called out, \"Ig\u00e2mb\u00e2! Ig\u00e2mb\u00e2! have you your claws grown now?\" The\nreply was, \"Why! No! I told you two months yesterday, when you put\nme in here.\"\n\nOn the third day, Leopard came again to the water, and cried out to\nCrab, \"Have your claws sprouted? Have they grown again?\" \"No!\" said\nCrab curtly.\n\nLeopard continued thus day by day, vexing Crab with inquiries, as if\nanxious about his health, but really desirous of an excuse to eat him,\nyet ashamed to do so by violence, because of Crab's kindness to him\nwhen he had the water-colic.\n\nAt last, Crab became tired of Leopard's visits. Hopeless to defend\nhimself if Leopard should finally use force, he gave up in despair,\nand said, \"So! I see why you ask me every day. You know that I told\nyou two months. If you are determined to eat me, come on, and end\nthe trouble at once!\" With this permission as an excuse, Leopard was\nglad. He stepped to the edge of the water and took away Crab for his\ndinner. That was the return for Crab's kindness to him. After this,\nLeopard went out again to try to find Rat, but he never found him.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 7\n\n\"NUTS ARE EATEN BECAUSE OF ANG\u00c2NGWE\"; A PROVERB\n\n\nPlaces\n\n Kingdom of the Hogs; The Forest; and Towns\n\nPersons\n\n Ang\u00e2ngwe, King of Hogs\n A Hunter\n Ingowa (Hogs; singular Ngowa)\n Njina (Gorilla)\n Nyare (Ox)\n Nkambi (Antelope)\n Nj\u00e2gu (Elephant)\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\n\"Inkula si nyo o'k\u00e2ng\u00e2 'Ng\u00e2ngwe.\"\n\nThis is a proverb expressing the obligation we all owe to some superior\nprotecting powers.\n\n\n\nThe Hogs had cleared a space in the forest, for the building of their\ntown. They were many; men and women and children.\n\nIn another place, a Hunter was sitting in his town. Every day, at\ndaybreak, he went out to hunt. When he returned in the afternoons with\nhis prey, he left it a short distance from the town, and entering his\nhouse, would say to his women and children, \"Go to the outskirts of\nthe town, and bring what animal you find I have left there.\"\n\nOne day, having gone hunting, he killed Elephant. The children went\nout to cut it up and bring it in.\n\nAnother day, he killed Gorilla.\n\nAnd so, each day, he killed some animal. He never failed of obtaining\nsomething.\n\nOne day, his children said to him, \"You always return with some animal;\nbut you never have brought us Ngowa.\" He replied, \"I saw many Ingowa\ntoday, when I was out there. But, I wonder at one thing; that, when\nthey are all together eating, and I approach, they run away. As to\nIngowa, they eat nkula nuts and I know where the trees are. Well, then,\nI ambush them; but, when I go nearer, I see one big Ngowa not eating,\nbut going around and around the herd. Whether it sees me or does not\nsee, sure when I get ready to aim my gun, then they all scatter. The\nreason that Ingowa escape me, I do not know.\"\n\nThe Hogs, when they had finished eating, and were returning to their\nown town, as they passed the town of Elephant, heard mourning; and\nthey asked, \"Who is dead?\" The answer was, \"Nj\u00e2gu is dead! Nj\u00e2gu is\ndead!\" They inquired, \"He died of what disease?\" They were told, \"Not\ndisease; Hunter killed him.\" Then another day, when Ox was killed,\nhis people were heard mourning for him. Another day, Antelope was\nkilled; and his people were mourning for him. All these animals were\ndying because of Hunter killing them.\n\nAt first, the Hogs felt pity for all these other Beasts. But, when\nthey saw how they were dying, they began to mock at them, \"These are\nnot people! They only die! But, as to us Ingowa, Hunter is not able\nto kill us. We hear only the report that there is such a person as\nHunter, but he is not able to kill us.\"\n\nWhen Hogs were thus boasting, their King, Ang\u00e2ngwe, laughed at them,\nsaying, \"You don't know, you Ingowa! You mock others, that Hunter kills\nthem?\" They answered, \"Yes, we mock at them; for, we go to the forest\nas they do, but Hunter does not touch us.\" Ang\u00e2ngwe asked, \"When you\nthus in the forest eat your inkula-nuts, you each one eat them by his\nown strength and skill?\" They answered, \"Yes; ourselves we go to the\nforest on our own feet; we ourselves pick up and eat the inkula. No one\nfeeds us.\" Ang\u00e2ngwe said, \"It is not so. Those inkula you eat si nyo\no'k\u00e2ng\u00e2 wa oma (they are eaten because of a person).\" They insisted,\n\"No, it is not so. Inkula have no person in particular to do anything\nabout them.\" Thus they had this long discussion, the Hogs and their\nKing; and they got tired of it, and lay down to sleep.\n\nIn the morning, when daylight came, the King said, \"A journey for\nnuts! But, today, I am sick. I am not able to go to gather nuts with\nyou. I will stay in town.\" The Hogs said, \"Well! we do not mistake\nthe way. It is not necessary for you to go.\"\n\nWhen they went, they were jeering about their King, \"Ang\u00e2ngwe said,\n'Inkula si nyo o'k\u00e2ng\u00e2 w' oma'; but we will see today without\nhim.\" They went to the nkula trees, and found great abundance fallen\nto the ground during the night. The herd of Hogs, when they saw all\nthese inkula, jumped about in joy. They stooped down to pick up the\nnuts, their eyes busy with the ground. They ate and ate. No one of\nthem thought of Hunter, whether he was out in the forest.\n\nBut, that very morning, Hunter had risen, taken his gun and\nammunition-box, and had gone to hunt. And, after awhile, he had\nseen the Hogs in the distance. They were only eating and eating,\nnot looking at anything but nuts.\n\nHunter said in his heart, \"These Hogs, I see them often, but why\nhave I not been able to kill them?\" He crept softly nearer and\nnearer. Creeping awhile then he stood up to spy; and again stooping,\nand again standing up to spy. He did not see the big Hog which,\non other days, he had always observed going around and around the\nherd. Hunter stooped close to the ground, and crept onward. Then,\nas he approached closer, the Hogs still went on eating. He bent his\nknee to the earth, and he aimed his gun! Ingowa still eating! His\ngun flashed! and ten Hogs died!\n\nThe Hogs fled; some of them wounded. Those who were not wounded,\nstopped before they reached their town, and said, \"Let us wait for\nthe wounded.\" They waited. When the hindmost caught up and joined\nthe others, they showed them their wounds, some in the head, some in\nthe legs. These wounded ones said, \"As we came, we saw none others\nbehind us. There are ten of us missing; we think they are dead.\" So,\nthey all returned toward their Town; and, on their way, began to mourn.\n\nWhen they had come clear on to the town, Ang\u00e2ngwe asked, \"What news,\nfrom where you come?\" They answered, \"Ang\u00e2ngwe! evil news! But we\ndo not know what is the matter. Only we know that the words you\nsaid are not really so, that 'nuts are eaten because of a certain\nperson.' Because, when we went, each one of us gathered by his\nown skill, and ate by his own strength, and no one trusted to any\none else. And when we went, we ate abundantly, and everything was\ngood. Except that, Hunter has killed ten of us. And many others\nare wounded.\"\n\nThe King inquired, \"Well! have you brought nuts for me who was left\nin Town?\" They replied, \"No; when Hunter shot us, we feared, and could\nno longer wait.\" Then Ang\u00e2ngwe said, \"I told you that inkula are eaten\nbecause of a person, and you said, 'not so.' And you still doubt me.\"\n\nAnother day, the Hogs went for inkula; and the King, remained in\ntown. And, as on the other day, Hunter killed them. So, for five\nsuccessive days, they went, the King staying in town; and Hunter\nkilling them.\n\nFinally, Ang\u00e2ngwe said to himself, \"Ingowa have become great\nfools. They do not consent to admit that nuts are eaten by reason\nof a certain person. They see how Hunter kills them; and they still\ndoubt my words. But, I pity them. Tomorrow, I will go with them to\nthe nuts. I will explain to them how Hunter kills them.\"\n\nSo, in the morning, the King ordered, \"Come all to nuts! But when\nwe go for the nuts, if I say, 'Ngh-o-o!' then every one of you who\nare eating them must start to town, and not come back, because then I\nhave seen or smelt Hunter; and I grunt to let you know.\" All the Hogs\nagreed. They went on clear to the nkula trees, and ate, they stooping\nwith eyes to the ground. But Ang\u00e2ngwe, not eating, kept looking here\nand there. He sniffed wind from south to north, and assured them,\n\"Eat you all! I am here!\" He watched and watched; and presently he\nsaw a speck far away. He passed around to sniff the wind. His nose\nuplifted, he caught the odor of Hunter. He returned to the herd,\ngrunted \"Ngh-o-o.\" And he and they all fled. They arrived safely\nat town.\n\nThen he asked them, \"Who is dead? who is wounded?\" They assured,\n\"None.\" He said, \"Good!\"\n\nThus they went nutting, for five consecutive days, they and their King,\nAng\u00e2ngwe only keeping watch. And none of them died by Hunter.\n\nThen Ang\u00e2ngwe said to them, \"Today let us have a conversation.\" And\nhe began, \"I told you, inkula si nyo o'k\u00e2ng\u00e2 w' oma; you said, 'Not\nso!' But, when you went by yourselves to eat nuts, did not Hunter\nkill you? And these five days that we have gone, you and I together,\nand you obeyed my voice, who has died?\"\n\nThey then replied, \"No one! no one! Indeed, you spoke truly. You are\njustified. Inkula si nyo o'k\u00e2ng\u00e2 wa 'Ng\u00e2ngwe. It is so!\"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 8\n\nWHO ARE CROCODILE'S RELATIVES?\n\n\nPersons\n\n Ngando (Crocodile)\n Sinyani (Birds)\n Sinyama (Beasts)\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nAn Argument in Evolution--When and How does Life begin?\n\n\n\nCrocodile was very old. Finally he died. News of his death spread\nabroad among the Beasts; and his relatives and friends came to the\nMourning. After a proper number of days had passed, the matter of\nthe division of the property was mentioned. At once a quarrel was\ndeveloped, on the question as to who were his nearest relatives.\n\nThe tribe of Birds said, \"He is ours and we will be the ones to\ndivide the property.\" Their claim was disputed, others asking, \"On\nwhat ground do you claim relationship? You wear feathers; you do not\nwear plates of armor as he.\" The Birds replied, \"True, he did not wear\nour feathers. But, you are not to judge by what he put on during his\nlife. Judge by what he was in his life's beginning. Look you! In his\nbeginning, he began with us as an egg. We believe in eggs. His mother\nbore him as an egg. He is our relative, and we are his heirs.\"\n\nBut the Beasts said, \"Not so! We are his relatives, and by us shall\nhis property be divided.\"\n\nThen the Council of Animals demanded of the Beasts on what ground\nthey based their claim for relationship, and what answer they could\nmake to the argument of the birds as to Crocodile's egg-origin.\n\nThe Beasts said, \"It may be true that the mark of tribe must be found,\nin a beginning, but not in an egg. For, all Beings began as eggs. Life\nis the original beginning. Look you! When life really begins in the\negg, then the mark of tribe is shown. When Ngando's life began, he\nhad four legs as we have. We judge by legs. So we claim him as our\nrelative. And we will take his property.\"\n\nBut, the Birds answered, \"You Beasts said we were not relatives because\nwe wear feathers, and not ngando-plates. But, you, look you! Judge\nby your own words. Neither do you wear ngando-plates, you with your\nhair and fur! Your words are not correct. The beginning of his life\nwas not, as you say, when little Ngando sprouted some legs. There was\nlife in the egg before that. And his egg was like ours, not like what\nyou call your eggs. You are not his relatives. He is ours.\"\n\nBut the Beasts disputed still. So the quarrel went back and forth. And\nthey never settled it.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 9\n\nWHO IS KING OF BIRDS?\n\n\nPlaces\n\n The Country of Birds in Njambi's Kingdom\n Njambi's Town\n\nPersons\n\n Ra-Njambi (Lord or Master of all)\n Nj\u00e2g\u00e2ni (Chicken)\n Ngozo (Parrot)\n Ngwany\u00e2ni (Eagle)\n Ugulungu (Schizorhis, Plantain-Eater)\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\n1st--Ability to Speak a greater gift than ability in Walking, Flying,\nor any other Force.\n\n2nd--Why Chickens live with Mankind.\n\n\n\nAll the Birds had their dwelling-place in a certain country of\nNjambi's Kingdom. The pelicans, chickens, eagles, parrots and all\nother winged kinds all lived together, separated from other animals,\nin that country under the Great Lord Njambi.\n\nOne day, they were discussing together on the question, \"Who is King of\nthe Birds?\" They all, each one, named himself, e.g., the Chicken said,\n\"I!;\" the Parrot, \"I!\" the Eagle \"I!\" and so on. Every day they had\nthis same discussion. They were not able to settle it, or to agree to\nchoose any one of their number. So, they said, \"Let us go to Ra-Njambi,\nand refer the question to him.\" They agreed; and all went to him so\nthat he might name who was the superior among them. When they all had\narrived at Njambi's Town, he asked, \"What is the affair on which you\nhave come?\" They replied, \"We have come together here, not to visit,\nbut for a purpose. We have a discussion and a doubt among ourselves. We\nwish to know, of all the Birds, who is Head or Chief. Each one says\nfor himself that he is the superior. This one, because he knows how\nto fly well; that one because he can speak well; and another one,\nbecause he is strong. But, of these three things,--flight, speech,\nand strength, we ask you, which is the greatest?\"\n\nImmediately all the Birds began a competition, each one saying,\n\"Choose me; I know how to speak!\" Njambi silenced them, and bade them,\n\"Well, then, come here! I know that you all speak. But, show me,\neach one of you, your manner of speaking.\"\n\nSo Eagle stood up to be examined. Njambi asked him, \"How do you\nspeak? What is your manner of talking?\" Eagle began to scream,\n\"So-o-we! so-o-we! so-o-we!\" Njambi said, \"Good! Now call me your\nwife!\" The wife of Eagle came, and Njambi said to her, \"You are\nthe wife of Ngwany\u00e2ni, how do you talk?\" The wife replied, \"I say,\n'So-o-we! So-o-we! So-o-we!'\" Ra-Njambi said to Eagle, \"Indeed! you\nand your wife speak the same kind of language.\" Eagle answered, \"Yes;\nI and my wife, we speak alike.\" They were ordered, \"Sit you aside.\"\n\nThen Ra-Njambi directed, \"Bring me here Ngozo.\" And he asked, \"Ngozo,\nhow do you talk? What is your way of speaking?\" Parrot squawked,\n\"I say, 'Ko-do-ko!'\" Ra-Njambi ordered, \"Well, call me your wife!\" She\ncame; and he asked her, \"How do you talk? Talk now!\" The wife replied,\n\"I say, 'Ko-do-ko!'\" Njambi asked Parrot, \"So! your wife says,\n'Ko-do-ko?'\" Parrot answered \"Yes; my wife and I both say, 'Ko-do-ko.'\"\n\nNjambi then ordered, \"Call me here, Ugulungu.\" He came,\nand was asked, \"And how do you talk?\" He shouted, \"I say,\n'Mbru-k\u00e2-k\u00e2! mbru-k\u00e2-k\u00e2! mbru!'\" Njambi told him, \"Call me your\nwife!\" She came, and, when asked, spoke in the same way as her\nhusband. Njambi dismissed them, \"Good! you and your wife say the same\nthing. Good!\"\n\nSo, all the Birds, in succession, were summoned; and they all,\nhusband and wife, had the same mode of speaking, except one who had\nnot hitherto been called.\n\nNjambi finally said, \"Call Nj\u00e2g\u00e2ni here!\" The Cock stood up, and\nstrutted forward. Njambi asked him, \"What is your speech? Show\nme your mode of talking!\" Cock threw up his head, stretched his\nthroat, and crowed, \"K\u00e2-k\u00e2-re-k\u00e2\u00e2.\" Njambi said, \"Good! summon\nyour wife hither.\" The wife came; and, of her, Njambi asked,\n\"And, what do you say?\" She demurely replied, \"My husband told me\nthat I might talk only if I bore children. So, when I lay an egg,\nI say 'Kwa-ka! Kwa-ka!'\" Njambi exclaimed, \"So! you don't say,\n'K\u00e2-k\u00e2-re-k\u00e2\u00e2,' like your husband?\" She replied, \"No, I do not talk\nas he.\"\n\nThen Njambi said to Cock, \"For what reason do you not allow your\nwife to say, 'K\u00e2-k\u00e2-re-k\u00e2\u00e2?'\" Cock replied, \"I am Nj\u00e2g\u00e2ni, I respect\nmyself. I jeer at all these other birds. Their wives and themselves\nspeak only in the same way. A visitor, if he comes to their towns,\nis not able to know, when one of them speaks, which is husband and\nwhich is wife, because they both speak alike. But I, Nj\u00e2g\u00e2ni, as to\nmy wife, she is unable to speak as I do. I do not allow it. A husband\nshould be at the head; and in his wife it is not becoming for her to\nbe equal with him or to talk as well as he does.\"\n\nNjambi listened to this long speech; and then inquired, \"Have you\nfinished?\" Chicken answered, \"Yes.\"\n\nNjambi summoned all the Birds to stand together in one place near\nhim, and he said, \"The affair which you brought to me, I settle it\nthus:--Nj\u00e2g\u00e2ni is your Head; because you others all speak, husband and\nwife, each alike. But, he speaks for himself in his own way, and his\nwife in her way; to show that a husband has priority and superiority\nover a wife. Therefore, as he knows how to be Head of his family,\nit is settled that Nj\u00e2g\u00e2ni is Head also of your Tribe.\"\n\nBut, Njambi went on to say, \"Though this is true, you, Nj\u00e2g\u00e2ni, don't\nyou go back again into the Forest, to your Kingship of the Birds. For\nthe other birds will be jealous of you. You are not strong, you cannot\nfight them all. Lest they kill you, stay with me in my Town.\"\n\nCock went to get his wife and children, and returned and remained\nthere with Ra-Njambi. Therefore, the original bird to dwell among\nMankind was the chicken.\n\nWhen the other Birds scattered and went back to their own forest\ncountry without their king, they said, \"Let it be so! We will not\nchoose another King. Our King has left us, and has emigrated to\nanother country, and has sat down in Njambi's Town.\"\n\nSo, the Birds have lived in the forest without any King.\n\n\n\nThere is another story which gives a different explanation of chickens\nbeing the first of birds to dwell among Mankind.\n\n\n\nThe Birds had no fire. They had to eat their food raw, and to shiver\non cold days. In flying over the other countries, they saw Mankind\nusing, in the preparation of their food, a thing which birds did\nnot have. They observed that that thing seemed to add much to the\ncomfort of Mankind. So, they chose Chicken, not as their King, but,\nbecause he knew so well how to speak, to go as their messenger, to\nask Mankind to share that thing with them. Chicken left the Forest,\nand started on his journey, and came to the towns of Men.\n\nHe found so much food lying around, and it tasted so good because\nit had been touched by that bright thing which he heard people\ncall \"Fire,\" that he delayed the delivery of his message. And Men\nwere pleased with his usefulness in awaking them in the morning,\nas he called them to get up and make their fires. The situation was\nso comfortable, as Mankind allowed him to walk in and out of their\nhouses at will, that he forgot his errand, and chose to stay with Men,\nand never went back to the Forest.\n\nThe birds, having no one else who united both audacity to act and\nability to speak, never sent another messenger on that errand, and\nthey remain without fire to this day.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 10\n\n\"NJIWO DIED OF SLEEP\": A PROVERB\n\n\nPersons\n\n Njiwo (A Species of Antelope)\n Nyare (Ox)\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nAn event (the supposed death of the red antelope) is traced to its\nfirst cause (sleep) back of the immediate causes (the people who\nactually sought to kill him). Whence the proverb, \"Eziwo a juwi na\nAnty\u00e2vin\u00e2.\" \"Eziwo\" is a familiar way of pronouncing Njiwo.\n\n\n\nAntelope and Ox went to a town to dance Bweti (a certain\nspirit-dance). After the dance, Antelope, exhausted with the exercise,\nfell asleep in the Bweti-house. While he was there, certain persons\nmade a plot to kill him. Ox heard of it, and came to warn him,\ncalling gently, (lest he should be overheard and himself seized),\n\"Njiwo! Eziwo!\" But antelope did not hear, and Ox made no further\neffort, and ran away to his home in fear for his own life.\n\nThen came Antelope's wife, while he still slept, and loudly called\nhim. He, only half-awake, grumbled, \"What do you call me for? Let me\nrest. I'm tired by the dancing.\" She persisted, \"I call you because\ncertain persons want to kill you.\" But, he, still heavy with sleep, did\nnot understand, and was not willing to rise, and went on sleeping. Then\nhis wife, unable to arouse him, went to call other people to help her.\n\nWhile she was away, his enemies came and tied him with ropes, and\nleft him there tied, still sleeping, alone in the house. They locked\nthe house, and went away, intending to return and kill him when he\nshould awake. Before they came back, his wife returned with aid; and,\nwith machetes and knives, they cut open the door, and found him with\nhis limbs tied, and still sleeping. They roughly shook him, and he,\nhalf-conscious, asked, \"What do you want here?\" His wife replied,\n\"I have come to carry you away.\" So, she untied the ropes, and they\nlifted him and carried him away, still too sleepy to walk himself.\n\nWhile all this was going on, the people of the town to which Ox had\nfled, asked him, \"There were two of you who went to dance Bweti. You\nare here, but where is the other?\" Ox, assuming that Antelope was dead,\nand not knowing what Antelope's wife had done, told how he had been\nunable to waken him, and said, \"Eziwo was killed while asleep.\" Then\nthe village people said regretfully, \"Eh! Eziwo! Sleep has killed him!\"\n\nIn the meantime, Antelope and his wife had reached the town, where the\nnews of his death had preceded them; and the people wondered, saying,\n\"Nyare reported that you were cut to pieces!\" Then Antelope's wife\nexplained that he would have been killed, because Ox had not made\nevery effort to arouse him from his deep sleep.\n\nSo the friendship of Ox and Antelope ended. And the proverb came, that,\n\"Eziwo died of sleep.\"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 11\n\nWHICH IS THE FATTEST?\n\n\nPersons\n\n King Ra-Mborakinda\n Manga (Manatus)\n Ngowa (Hog; Pl. Ingowa)\n Arandi (Oyster)\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nAccept no challenge whose test you know you cannot endure. Oyster,\nwithout fat, accepted the challenge of the fat Hog and the fatter\nManatus.\n\nThe fat of the Manatus, or dugong seal, is delicious and very abundant.\n\n\n\nRa-Mborakinda was dwelling in his Town, with his people and the glory\nof his Kingdom. There were gathered there the Manatus, the Oyster\nand the Hog, waiting to be assigned their kingdoms. To pass the time,\nwhile waiting until the King should summon them for their assignments,\nOyster said, \"You, Manga, and Ngowa, let us have a dance!\" And they\nwent to exhibit before the King. They danced and danced, each one\ndancing his own special dance.\n\nAfter that they made a fire, each one at his own fire-place, and sat\ndown to rest. Then Hog proposed a new entertainment. He said, \"You,\nArandi, and Manga, we all three shall test ourselves by fire, to see\nwho has the most fat.\" And they all three went into their respective\nfire-places, Hog into his, and Manatus into his, and Oyster into\nits. Under the influence of the heat, the fat in their bodies began\nto melt.\n\nThen the King announced, \"To the one who shall prove to have the most\nfat, I will give a great extent of country as its kingdom.\" So, they\nall three tried to show much fat, in their effort to win the prize.\n\nPresently, the fat of Hog began to cease exuding, for he had not a\ngreat deal. As to Oyster, it had no fat. What it produced was not\nfat at all, but water; and that was in such quantity that it put out\nits fire.\n\nThese facts about the Hog and Oyster were reported to the King,\nand when he inquired how Manatus was getting on, lo! it was found\nthat she had such abundance of fat, that the oil flowing from her\nhad burst into flame and had set the town on fire.\n\nAt this, the King wondered, and exclaimed, \"This Manga, that lives\nin the water, has yet enough fat to set the town afire!\"\n\nThen Manatus with Hog and Oyster went and sat together in the\nopen court before the King's house, to await what would be his\ndecision. When he was ready, he sent two heralds to summon not only\nthose three, but all the Tribes of the Beasts of the Forest, and of\nthe Fishes of the Sea; and the town was full of these visitors. But,\nHog and all his tribe had become impatient of waiting, and had gone\noff for a walk. All the other animals that had been summoned, came\ninto the King's presence, and he, having ascended his throne, said,\n\"I am ready now to speak with these three persons; but, I see that\nthe Ingowa are not here. So, because of their disrespect in going off\nto amuse themselves with a walk instead of waiting for me, I condemn\nthat they shall no longer wear any horns.\"\n\nThen the King announced that, as Manatus had the most fat, her promised\nterritory should be the Sea, and of it she should be ruler. But,\nManatus said, \"I do not want to live in the Sea, lest I be killed\nthere.\" The King asked, \"Then, where will you prefer to live?\" She\nanswered, \"In such rivers as I shall like.\"\n\nThat is the reason that the Manatus lives only in rivers and bays. For,\none day she and her children had floated with the tide to the mouth\nof a river and into the Sea; and some of them had been killed there\nby sharks and other big fish. So, the Manatus is never now found near\nthe Sea on ordinary tides, but only when high tides have swept it down.\n\nJust as the King had made his announcement, the company of Hogs\nreturned and entered the Assembly. They explained, \"We have just come\nback from our walk, and we wish to resume our horns which we left\nhere.\" But the King refused, and kept possession of the horns. Hog\nbegged, \"Please! let me have my horns!\" But the King swore an oath,\nsaying, \"O savi! (By the Blessing!) wherever you go, and whatever\nyou be, you shall have no horns.\" So the Hogs departed.\n\nNow Oyster stood up, and said, \"I wish to go to my place. Where shall\nit be?\" The King said, \"I will give you no other place than what you\nalready have had. I do not wish to put you into the fresh-water springs\nand brooks with Manga. You shall go into the salty waters.\" So Oyster\nwent; and its race lives on the edge of the rivers, near the Sea,\nin brackish waters. And the King said to Oyster, \"All the tribes of\nMankind, by the Sea, when they fail to obtain other fish, shall be\nallowed to eat you.\"\n\nAll knew that this was a punishment given by the King to Oyster,\nfor having dared the test by fire, pretending that it had fat, the\nwhile it had none.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 12\n\nWHY MOSQUITOES BUZZ\n\n\nPersons\n\n Mbo (Mosquito)\n Oroi (Ear)\n Aga (Hands)\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nIt is a practice of African natives, after taking a bath, to anoint\ntheir bodies with some oil or grease.\n\n\n\nIn the time of Long-ago, in Njambi's Town, Mosquito and Ear went\nout to take a bath together. After taking her bath, Ear began to rub\nan oily substance over herself; while Mosquito did not. So Ear said\nto Mosquito, \"Why do you leave your skin so rough? It is better to\nrub on a little oil.\" Mosquito replied, \"I have none.\" So Ear said,\n\"Indeed! I did not know that. I will give you part of mine, as I have\nplenty.\" Mosquito had to wait the while that Ear was rubbing the soft\nwax over herself. But, as soon as Ear had finished, she put back the\nwax into her ear where she usually kept it, and did not fulfill her\npromise to Mosquito.\n\nWhen Mosquito saw this, that the wax was put away, he came near to\nthe door, and said, \"I want the oil you promised for rubbing on my\nbody.\" But Ear took no notice of him, except to call on Hands to\ndrive Mosquito away.\n\nSo, to this day, Mosquito is not willing to cease making his claim\nfor the unfulfilled promise; and is always coming to our ears, and\nbuzzing and crying. Always Mosquito comes and says, \"I want my oil,\nBz-z-z-z.\" But Ear remains silent, and gives no answer. And Mosquito\nkeeps on grumbling and complaining, and gets angry and bites.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 13\n\nUNKIND CRITICISM\n\n\nPersons\n\n Tyema (A Black Monkey)\n Ekaga (Tortoise)\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nThis story is probably of comparatively recent origin though known at\nleast fifty years ago. It seems to point to the time when white men\nbegan to taunt negroes because of their color, the common insult by an\nangry white master being \"You black monkey!\" The tale cannot antedate\nthe first coming of white men to West Africa three hundred years ago;\nfor, no native would have invented this insult, though they do now\nimitate white men, when, in a quarrel, they wish to taunt an opponent.\n\n\n\nThe Black Monkey, up a tree, saw Tortoise passing beneath, slowly and\nawkwardly moving step by step. Monkey laughed at the dull manner\nand appearance of Tortoise; and, to tease one whom he thought\nstupid and unable to resent insult, he jumped down onto the back\nof Tortoise. There, safely perched, he jeered at Tortoise, saying\nmany unkind things. Tortoise was unable to throw off his tormentor;\nnor could he reach him. His short hands and feet could not touch\nMonkey. So, Tortoise was compelled to carry Monkey on the way,\nthe while that the latter was taunting him. Finally, the patience of\nTortoise was exhausted, and, his indignation being aroused, he stopped,\nand said angrily, \"Get off of my back, you black monkey!\"\n\nMonkey was sensitive about his color; and, at that word \"black,\"\nhe slipped off, and went away ashamed. But he was angry also, and\ndetermined to have some revenge.\n\nSome time after this, Monkey made a feast, and invited a number of\nbeasts, among the rest Tortoise. But Monkey purposely placed all\nthe dishes up high, so that Tortoise, unable to reach to them, could\nget no food, as he vainly went around and around the table. All the\nwhile, Monkey was sarcastically urging him to come and help himself\nand eat. Tortoise bore it without complaint; and at the end of the\nfeast, he went away hungry. But he also determined to have his revenge.\n\nOn another day, Tortoise made a feast, and invited the same persons\nwho had seen his humiliation at the house of Monkey. Monkey came\nto the feast. But Tortoise had prepared the food in only one dish,\naround which the company were to sit on the ground, and from which\nthey were to eat with their hands. Before calling them to eat,\nTortoise had provided water and soap for them to wash their hands\nprevious to their putting them into the same dish. As Monkey was\nabout to put his, Tortoise reminded him that it was black, and that\nhe should first wash it. He said, \"Here is water, and the soap by\nwhich white people keep their hands from getting black.\"\n\nMonkey was ashamed, and lathered the soap over his hands until they\nwere white with foam. \"Now,\" said Tortoise, \"put your hand into\nthe water to remove the foam.\" Monkey did so; and his hands were\nstill black.\n\nThe rest of the company objected to his black hand going into their\nfood. And he went away ashamed and hungry.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 14\n\nTHE SUITORS OF PRINCESS GORILLA\n\n\nPlace\n\n Njambi's Country\n\nPersons\n\n King Njina (Gorilla) and His Daughter\n Nj\u00e2gu (Elephant)\n Nguwu (Hippopotamus)\n Bejaka (Fishes: Sing. Ejaka)\n Ngowa (Hog)\n Njeg\u00e2 (Leopard)\n Telinga (a very small Monkey)\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nThis story evidently dates back to the first introduction of Rum into\nAfrica. Gorilla's \"new kind of water\" was Rum.\n\nTelinga's cheating did not finally succeed in obtaining him the wife;\nbut was the cause of his now living only in trees; whereas formerly\nhe lived in the long grass. The Telinga are very numerous, and they\nall look so alike that one cannot be distinguished from another. In\nthe story, he had arranged with all his companions to help him drink.\n\nIn the Gorilla Country there are no lions, and there he is readily\ncalled the King of Beasts, because of the fearful length and strength\nof his arms.\n\nHow absurd that so horribly ugly a caricature of a human being should\nbe supposed to have a beautiful daughter!\n\n\n\nKing Gorilla had a daughter, whose beauty had been much praised. She\nbeing of marriageable age, he announced to all the tribes that he\nwould give her in marriage to any one who could accomplish a certain\ntask. He said he would not take any of the goods usually given in\npayment for a wife, as dowry. But, that he had a new kind of water,\nsuch as had never before been seen; and, whoever could drink an entire\nbarrelful of it, should have the prize that had been coveted by many.\n\nSo, all the tribes came together one day in the forest country of the\nKing, to compete for the young woman, and the paths were crowded with\nthe expectant suitors on their way to the King's Court.\n\nFirst, because of his size, Elephant stepped forward. He walked\nwith his solemn dignity, his ponderous feet sounding, tubu, tubu,\nas he strode toward where the barrel stood. He could, however,\nscarcely suppress his indignation, in the presence of the King,\nat what he considered the insultingly small test to which he was\nabout to be subjected. He thought in his heart, \"That barrelful of\nwater! Why! I, Nj\u00e2gu, when I take my daily bath, I spurt from my trunk\nmany barrelfuls over my whole body, and I drink half a barrelful at\nevery meal. And this! Why! I'll swallow it down in two gulps!\" He\nthrust his proboscis into the barrel to draw up a big mouthful. But,\nhe instantly withdrew it, before he began to suck up any of it. \"The\nnew water\" stung him. He lifted his trunk, and trumpeting with rage,\ndeclared that the task was impossible.\n\nMany in the company, who had feared that the big elephant would leave\nno chance for them, secretly rejoiced at his failure; and began to\nhope for themselves.\n\nThen Hippopotamus blundered forward. He was in haste, for he was sure\nhe would succeed. He was not as big or heavy as Elephant, though he\nwas more awkward. But he did not hesitate to boast aloud what he could\ndo. \"You, Nj\u00e2gu, with your big body, afraid of that little barrel of\nwater! Why! I live in water half of the time. And when I begin to\ndrink in a river, I cause the Bejaka to be frightened.\" So he came\nbellowing and roaring, in order to impress the young woman with his\nimportance. But his mouth had not sunk into the barrel as he thrust\nhis nose in, before he jerked his head up with a bigger bellow of pain\nand disgust at the new water. Without making even a bow to the King,\nhe shambled off to a river to wash his mouth.\n\nNext came Hog. He said to Gorilla, \"King Gorilla, I do not boast like\nthose two other fellows, nor will I insult you as they have done, even\nif I fail. But, I do not think I shall fail. I am accustomed to putting\nmy nose into all sorts of dirty places; so I shall try.\" He did try,\nslowly and carefully. But, even he, used to all sorts of filth and\nbad smells, turned from the barrel in disgust, and went away grunting.\n\nThen Leopard came bounding forward, boasting and jumping from side\nto side to show his beautiful skin to the young woman. He derided the\nother three who had preceded him. \"O! you fellows! You had no chance\nat all, even if you had drunk up that water. The woman would not look\nat you, nor live with such blundering, awkward gawks as you. Look at\nmy graceful body and tail! These strong but soft paws of mine! And,\nas to that barrel, you shall see in a few minutes. Though we of the\nCat Tribe do not like to wet our feet, I will do it for the sake of\nthe woman. I'm the dandy of the Forest, and I shall go at it more\ngracefully than you.\" He leaped onto the barrel. But, its very fumes\nsickened him. He made one vain effort. And with limp tail between\nhis legs he crawled away to hide his shame.\n\nOne after another of the various Beasts attempted. And all\nfailed. Finally, there crept forward the little Telinga. He had\nleft the hundreds of his Tribe of little Monkeys hidden out in the\ngrass field. As he advanced, there was a murmur of surprise from the\nunsuccessful spectators. Even King Gorilla could not refrain from\nsaying, \"Well! my little fellow! what do you want?\" Telinga replied,\n\"Your Majesty, did not you send word to all the Tribes that any one\nmight compete?\" \"Yes, I did,\" he answered. And Telinga said, \"Then I,\nTelinga, small as I am, I shall try.\" The King replied, \"I will keep\nmy royal word. You may try.\" \"But, Your Majesty,\" asked Telinga, \"is\nit required that the barrel must be drank at one draught? May I not,\nbetween each mouthful, take a very short rest out in the grass?\" Said\nGorilla, \"Certainly, just so you drink it today.\"\n\nSo Telinga took a sip, and leaped off into the grass. And, apparently,\nhe immediately returned, and took another sip and leaped back\ninto the grass; and, apparently, immediately returned again. And\napparently--(They were his companions who had come one by one to help\nhim!) Thus the barrelful of firewater was rapidly sipped away.\n\nKing Gorilla announced Telinga as the winner of the prize.\n\nWhat the young woman thought of the loss of her graceful lovers,\nthe Antelopes and others, is not known. For, when Telinga advanced to\ntake her, Leopard and others dashed at him, shouting, \"You miserable\nlittle snip of a fellow! You've won her; but if we can't have her you\nshan't. There! take that! and that! and that!\" as they began to beat\nand kick and bite him.\n\nIn terror, he jumped into the trees, abandoning his bride.\n\nAnd he and his tribe have remained in the trees ever since, afraid\nto come down to the ground.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 15\n\nLEOPARD OF THE FINE SKIN\n\n\nPlace\n\n Town of King Mborakinda\n\nPersons\n\n King Mborakinda\n Il\u00e2mbe, His Daughter\n Ra-Mar\u00e2nge, A Doctor\n And Other People\n Njeg\u00e2 (Leopard)\n Kabala (A Magic Horse)\n Ogula-Ya-Mpazya-Vazya, A Sorcerer\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nLeopards can swim if compelled to, but they do not like to enter water,\nor wet their feet in any way.\n\n\n\nAt the town of Ra-Mborakinda, where he lived with his wives and his\nchildren and his glory, this occurred.\n\nHe had a beloved daughter, by name Il\u00e2mbe. He loved her much; and\nsought to please her in many ways, and gave her many servants to\nserve her. When she grew up to womanhood, she said that she did not\nwish any one to come to ask her in marriage; that she herself would\nchoose a husband. \"Moreover, I will never marry any man who has any,\neven a little bit of, blotch on his skin.\"\n\nHer father did not like her to speak in that way; nevertheless,\nhe did not forbid her.\n\nWhen men began to come to the father and say, \"I desire your daughter\nIl\u00e2mbe for a wife,\" he would say, \"Go, and ask herself.\" Then when the\nman went to Il\u00e2mbe's house, and would say, \"I have come to ask you in\nmarriage,\" her only reply was a question, \"Have you a clear skin, and\nno blotches on your body?\" If he answered, \"Yes,\" Il\u00e2mbe would say,\n\"But, I must see for myself; come into my room.\" There she required\nthe man to take off all his clothing. And if, on examination, she saw\nthe slightest pimple or scar, she would point toward it, and say,\n\"That! I do not want you.\" Then perhaps he would begin to plead,\n\"All my skin is right, except--.\" But she would interrupt him,\n\"No! for even that little mark I do not want you.\"\n\nSo it went on with all who came, she finding fault with even a small\npimple or scar. And all suitors were rejected. The news spread abroad\nthat Ra-Mborakinda had a beautiful daughter, but that no one was able\nto obtain her, because of what she said about diseases of the skin.\n\nStill, many tried to obtain her. Even animals changed themselves to\nhuman form, and sought her, in vain.\n\nAt last, Leopard said, \"Ah! this beautiful woman! I hear about her\nbeauty, and that no one is able to get her. I think I better take my\nturn, and try. But, first I will go to Ra-Mar\u00e2nge.\" He went to that\nmagic-doctor, and told his story about Ra-Mborakinda's fine daughter,\nand how no man could get her because of her fastidiousness about\nskins. Ra-Mar\u00e2nge told him, \"I am too old. I do not now do those\nthings about medicines. Go to Ogula-ya-mpazya-vazya.\"\n\nSo, Leopard went to him. As usual, the sorcerer Ogula jumped into\nhis fire; and coming out with power, directed Leopard to tell what\nhe wanted. So he told the whole story again, and asked how he should\nobtain the clean body of a man. The sorcerer prepared for him a great\n\"medicine\" by which to give him a human body, tall, graceful, strong\nand clean. Leopard then went back to his town, told his people his\nplans, and prepared their bodies also for a change if needed. Having\ntaken also a human name, Ogula, he then went to Ra-Mborakinda, saying,\n\"I wish your daughter Il\u00e2mbe for wife.\"\n\nOn his arrival, at Ra-Mborakinda's, the people admired the stranger,\nand felt sure that Il\u00e2mbe would accept this suitor, exclaiming,\n\"This fine-looking man! his face! and his gait! and his body!\" When\nhe had made his request of Ra-Mborakinda, he was told, as usual,\nto go to Il\u00e2mbe and see whether she would like him. When he went to\nher house, he looked so handsomely, that Il\u00e2mbe was at once pleased\nwith him. He told her, \"I love you; and I come to marry you. You have\nrefused many. I know the reason why, but I think you will be satisfied\nwith me.\" She replied, \"I think you have heard from others the reason\nfor which I refuse men. I will see whether you have what I want.\" And\nshe added, \"Let us go into the room; and let me see your skin.\"\n\nThey entered the room; and Ogula-Njeg\u00e2 removed his fine\nclothing. Il\u00e2mbe examined with close scrutiny from his head to his\nfeet. She found not the slightest scratch or mark; his skin was like\na babe's. Then she said, \"Yes! this is my man! truly! I love you,\nand will marry you!\" She was so pleased with her acquisition, that\nshe remained in the room enjoying again a minute examination of her\nhusband's beautiful skin. Then she went out, and ordered her servants\nto cook food, prepare water, etc., for him; and he did not go out of\nthe house, nor have a longing to go back to his town, for he found\nthat he was loved.\n\nOn the third day, he went to tell the father, Ra-Mborakinda, that\nhe was ready to take his wife off to his town. Ra-Mborakinda\nconsented. All that day, they prepared food for the\nmarriage-feast. But, all the while that this man-beast, Ogula-Njeg\u00e2\nwas there, Ra-Mborakinda, by his okove (a magic fetish) knew that\nsome evil would come out of this marriage. However, as Il\u00e2mbe had\ninsisted on choosing her own way, he did not interfere.\n\nAfter the marriage was over, and the feast eaten, Ra-Mborakinda called\nhis daughter, and said, \"Il\u00e2mbe, mine, now you are going off on your\njourney.\" She said, \"Yes; for I love my husband.\" The father asked,\n\"Do you love him truly?\" She answered \"Yes.\" Then he told her,\n\"As you are married now, you need a present from me, as your ozendo\n(bridal gift).\" So, he gave her a few presents, and told her,\n\"Go to that house,\" indicating a certain house in the town; and\nhe gave her the key of the house, and told her to go and open the\ndoor. That was the house where he kept all his charms for war, and\nfetishes of all kinds. He told her, \"When you go in, you will see\ntwo Kabala, standing side by side. The one that will look a little\ndull, with its eyes directed to the ground, take it; and leave the\nbrighter looking one. When you are coming with it, you will see\nthat it walks a little lame. Nevertheless, take it.\" She objected,\n\"But, father, why do you not give me the finer one, and not the weak\none?\" But he said, \"No!\" and made a knowing smile, as he repeated,\n\"Go, and take the one I tell you.\" He had reason for giving this\none. The finer-looking one had only fine looks; but this other one\nwould some day save her by its intelligence.\n\nShe went and took Horse, and returned to her father; and the journey\nwas prepared. The father sent with her, servants to carry the baggage,\nand to remain with and work for her at the town of her marriage. She\nand her husband arranged all their things, and said good-bye, and\noff they went, both of them sitting on Horse's back.\n\nThey journeyed and they journeyed. On the way, Ogula-Njeg\u00e2, though\nchanged as to his form and skin, possessed all his old tastes. Having\nbeen so many days without tasting blood or uncooked meats, as they\npassed through the forest of wild beasts, the longing came on him. They\nemerged onto a great prairie, and journeyed across it toward another\nforest. Before they had entirely crossed the prairie, the longing for\nhis prey so overcame him that he said, \"Wife, you with your Kabala\nand the servants stay here while I go rapidly ahead; and wait for me\nuntil I come again.\" So he went off, entered the forest, and changed\nhimself back to Leopard. He hunted for prey, caught a small animal,\nand ate it; and another, and ate it. After being satisfied, he washed\nhis hands and mouth in a brook; and, changing again to human form,\nhe returned on the prairie to his wife.\n\nShe observed him closely, and saw a hard, strange look on his face. She\nsaid, \"But, all this while! What have you been doing?\" He made an\nexcuse. They went on.\n\nAnd the next day, it was the same, he leaving her, and telling her\nto wait till he returned; and hunting and eating as a Leopard. All\nthis that was going on, Il\u00e2mbe was ignorant of. But Horse knew. He\nwould speak after awhile, but was not ready yet.\n\nSo it went on, until they came to Leopard's town. Before they reached\nit, Ogula-Njeg\u00e2, by the preparations he had first made, had changed\nhis mother into a human form in which to welcome his wife. Also the few\npeople of the town, all with human forms, welcomed her. But, they did\nnot sit much with her. They stayed in their own houses; and Ogula-Njeg\u00e2\nand his wife stayed in theirs. For a few days, Leopard tried to be\na pleasant Ogula, deceiving his wife. But his taste for blood was\nstill in his heart. He began to say, \"I am going to another town;\nI have business there.\" And off he would go, hunting as a leopard;\nwhen he returned, it would be late in the day. So he did on other days.\n\nAfter a time, Il\u00e2mbe wished to make a food-plantation, and sent her\nmen-servants to clear the ground. Ogula-Njeg\u00e2 would go around in the\nforest on the edge of the plantation; and catching one of the men,\nthere would return that day one servant less.\n\nOne by one, all the men-servants were thus missing; and it was not\nknown what became of them, except that Leopard's people knew. One\nnight Ogula-Njeg\u00e2 was out; and, meeting one of the female servants,\nshe too was reported missing.\n\nSometimes, when Ogula-Njeg\u00e2 was away, Il\u00e2mbe, feeling lonesome,\nwould go and pet Horse. After the loss of this maid-servant, Horse\nthought it was time to warn Il\u00e2mbe of what was going on. While she\nwas petting him, he said, \"Eh! Il\u00e2mbe! you do not see the trouble\nthat is coming to you!\" She asked, \"What trouble?\" He exclaimed,\n\"What trouble? If your father had not sent me with you, what would\nhave become of you? Where are all your servants that you brought with\nyou? You do not know where they go to, but I know. Do you think that\nthey disappear without a reason? I will tell you where they go. It\nis your man who eats them; it is he who wastes them!\" She could not\nbelieve it, and argued, \"Why should he destroy them?\" Horse replied,\n\"If you doubt it, wait for the day when your last remaining servant\nis gone.\"\n\nTwo days after that, at night, another maid-servant\ndisappeared. Another day passed. On another day, Ogula-Njeg\u00e2 went\noff to hunt beasts, with the intention that, if he failed to get any,\nat night he would eat his wife.\n\nWhen he had gone, Il\u00e2mbe, in her loneliness, went to fondle Horse. He\nsaid to her, \"Did I not tell you? The last maid is gone. You\nyourself will be the next one. I will give you counsel. When you\nhave opportunity this night, prepare yourself ready to run away. Get\nyourself a large gourd, and fill it with ground-nuts; another with\ngourd-seeds; and another with water.\" He told her to bring these\nthings to him, and he would know the best time to start.\n\nWhile they were talking, Leopard's mother was out in the street,\nand heard the two voices. She said to herself, \"Il\u00e2mbe, wife of my\nson, does she talk with Kabala as if it was a person?\" But, she said\nnothing to Il\u00e2mbe, nor asked her about it.\n\nNight came on; and Ogula-Njeg\u00e2 returned. He said nothing; but his face\nlooked hard and bad. Il\u00e2mbe was troubled and somewhat frightened at\nhis ugly looks. So, at night, on retiring, she began to ask him,\n\"But why? Has anything displeased you?\" He answered, \"No; I am\nnot troubled about anything. Why do you ask questions?\" \"Because I\nsee it in your face that your countenance is not pleasant.\" \"No;\nthere's no matter. Everything is right. Only, about my business,\nI think I must start very early.\" Ogula-Njeg\u00e2 had begun to think,\n\"Now she is suspecting me. I think I will not eat her this night,\nbut will put it off until next night.\"\n\nThat night, Il\u00e2mbe did not sleep. In the morning, Leopard said that\nhe would go to his business, but would come back soon. When he was\ngone away to his hunting work, Il\u00e2mbe felt lonesome, and went to\nHorse. He, thinking this a good time to run away, they started at\nonce, without letting any one in the village know, and taking with\nthem the three gourds. Horse said that they must go quickly; for,\nLeopard, when he discovered them gone, would rapidly pursue. So they\nwent fast and faster, Horse looking back from time to time, to see\nwhether Leopard was pursuing.\n\nAfter they had been gone quite a while, Ogula-Njeg\u00e2 returned from\nhis business to his village, went into his house, and did not\nsee Il\u00e2mbe. He called to his mother, \"Where is Il\u00e2mbe?\" His mother\nanswered, \"I saw Il\u00e2mbe with her Kabala, talking together; they have\nbeen at it for two days.\" Ogula-Njeg\u00e2 began to search; and, seeing\nthe hoof-prints, he exclaimed, \"Mi asaiya (shame for me). Il\u00e2mbe has\nrun away. I and she shall meet today!\"\n\nHe instantly turned from his human form back to that of leopard, and\nwent out, and pursued, and pursued, and pursued. But, it took some time\nbefore he came in sight of the fugitives. As Horse turned to watch,\nhe saw Leopard, his body stretched low and long in rapid leaps. Horse\nsaid to Il\u00e2mbe, \"Did I not tell you? There he is, coming!\" Horse\nhasted, with foam dropping from his lips. When he saw that Leopard\nwas gaining on them, he told Il\u00e2mbe to take the gourd of peanuts from\nhis back, and scatter them along behind on the ground. Leopards like\npeanuts; and when Ogula-Njeg\u00e2 came to these nuts, he stopped to eat\nthem. While he was eating, Horse gained time to get ahead. As soon\nas Leopard had finished the nuts, he started on in pursuit again,\nand soon began to overtake. When he approached, Horse told Il\u00e2mbe to\nthrow out the gourd-seeds. She did so. Leopard delayed to eat these\nseeds also. This gave Horse time to again get ahead. Thus they went on.\n\nLeopard, having finished the gourd-seeds, again went leaping in\npursuit; and, for the third time, came near. Horse told Il\u00e2mbe to throw\nthe gourd of water behind, with force so that it might crash and break\non the ground. As soon as she had done so, the water was turned to a\nstream of a deep wide river, between them and Leopard. Then he was\nat a loss. So, he shouted, \"Ah! Il\u00e2mbe! Mi asaiya! If I only had a\nchance to catch you!\" So, he had to turn back.\n\nThen Horse said, \"We do not know what he may do yet; perhaps he may\ngo around and across ahead of us. As there is a town which I know\nnear here, we had better stay there a day or two while he may be\nsearching for us.\" He added to her, \"Mind! this town where we are\ngoing, no woman is allowed to be there, only men. So, I will change\nyour face and dress like a man's. Be very careful how you behave\nwhen you take your bath, lest you die.\" Il\u00e2mbe promised; and Horse\nchanged her appearance. So, a fine-looking young man was seen riding\ninto the street of the village. There were exclamations in the street,\n\"This is a stranger! Hail! stranger; hail! Who showed you the way to\ncome here?\" This young man answered, \"Myself; I was out riding; I saw\nan open path; and I came in.\" He entered a house, and was welcomed;\nand they told him their times of eating, and of play, etc. But, on\nthe second day, as this young man went out privately, one of the men\nobserved, and said to the other, \"He acts like a woman!\" The others\nasked, \"Really! you think so?\" He asserted, \"Yes! I am sure!\" So,\nthat day Il\u00e2mbe was to meet with some trouble; for, to prove her,\nthe men had said to her, \"Tomorrow we all go bathing in the river,\nand you shall go with us.\" She went to ask Horse what she should\ndo. He rebuked her, \"I warned you, and you have not been careful. But,\ndo not be troubled; I will change you into a man.\"\n\nThat night, Il\u00e2mbe went to Horse; and he changed her. He also told her,\n\"I warn you again. Tomorrow you go to bathe with the others, and you\nmay take off your clothes; for, you are now a man. But, it is only\nfor a short time, because we stay here only a day and a night more,\nand then we must go.\"\n\nThe next morning all the town went to play, and after that to\nbathe. When they went into the water, the other men were all\nexpecting to see a woman revealed; but they saw that their visitor\nwas a man. They admired his wonderfully fine physique. On emerging\nfrom the water, the men said to the one who had informed on Il\u00e2mbe,\n\"Did you not tell us that this was a woman? See, how great a man he\nis!\" As soon as they said that, the young man Il\u00e2mbe was vexed with\nhim, and began to berate him, saying, \"Eh! you said I was a woman?\" And\nshe chased him and struck him. Then they all went back to the town.\n\nIn the evening, Horse told Il\u00e2mbe, \"I tell you what to do tomorrow. In\nthe morning, you take your gun, and shoot me dead. After you have\nshot me, these men will find fault with you, saying 'Ah! you shoot\nyour horse, and did not care for it?' But, do not say anything in\nreply. Cut me in pieces, and burn the pieces in the fire. After\nthis, carefully gather all the black ashes; and, very early in the\nfollowing morning, in the dark before any one is up, go out of the\nvillage gateway, scatter the ashes, and you will see what will happen.\"\n\nThe young man did all this. On scattering the ashes, he instantly\nfound himself changed again to a woman, and sitting on Horse's back;\nand they were running rapidly away.\n\nThat same day, in the afternoon, they came to the town of the father\nRa-Mborakinda. On their arrival there, they (but especially Horse)\ntold their whole story. Il\u00e2mbe was somewhat ashamed of herself; for,\nshe had brought these troubles on herself by insisting on having a\nhusband with a perfectly fine skin. So, her father said, \"Il\u00e2mbe,\nmy child, you see the trouble you have brought on yourself. For you,\na woman, to make such a demand was too much. Had I not sent Kabala\nwith you, what would have become of you?\" The people gave Il\u00e2mbe a\nglad welcome. And she went to her house, and said nothing more about\nfine skins.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 16\n\nWHY THE PLANTAIN-STALK BEARS BUT ONE BUNCH\n\n\nPersons\n\n Oyila (Oil-Palm Tree)\n Mbindi (Wild Goat)\n Ak\u00e2nd\u00e2 (Plantain-Stalk)\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nAccording to native law of hospitality, duty to a guest requires almost\nany sacrifice. This is oriental. (See Genesis Chap. 19, vs. 8.) A\nplantain-stalk bears but one bunch. Therefore, to gather the fruit,\nthe stalk with apparent ruthlessness is cut down. But, there are always\nfrom two to five young sprouts at the base, from 2 feet to 5 feet in\nheight, which, in succession, take the place of the parent stem.\n\nObserve the Cannibalism. All African tribes were formerly\nCannibals. Many interior tribes still are. This story is a marked\nillustration of the characteristic impossibilities in native tales,\n\"Plantain\" being at one and the same time a plant and a human being!\n\n\n\nPalm-tree produced Plantain tree.\n\nThen there stood up an animal called Wild Goat, and it went to seek\nmarriage with Palm-tree's daughter Plantain. It was so arranged;\nand the marriage was held.\n\nAs Goat and his wife were about departing to his own town, Palm-tree\ngave some parting advice to her daughter Plantain; \"When you shall\nbe about to become a mother, come back and stay with me.\"\n\nNot long after this, Plantain was to become a mother; and people went\nto Palm-tree to inform her of the fact. This daughter Plantain did not\nobey her mother's directions, but remained in the town until her child\nwas born. This was told to mother Palm-tree, who was dissatisfied,\nand said, \"Eh! I told Ak\u00e2nd\u00e2 to have her child born with me!\"\n\nThe reason that Palm-tree had given this direction to Plantain was,\nthat, as her own custom, in bearing her palm-nuts, was to have several\nbunches in sight at one time, and ripening in succession, she wished\nher daughter to have the same habit.\n\nAfter Plantain had borne her child, it grew well and became very\nstrong. One day, strangers came to the town on a visit; and, when\nthe villagers looked for food for the visitors, to their shame,\nthey found they had none. Then one of the women of the village said,\n\"Well! let us cut down this Ak\u00e2nd\u00e2, and cook it and eat it.\" So, a\nmachete was seized, and Plantain's stalk was slashed, and Palm-tree's\nchild Plantain was taken and cooked and eaten. At this, people went\nand told Palm-tree, saying, \"Your child is cut down, and is cooked\nand eaten.\" The mother Palm-tree helplessly replied, \"What can I do?\"\n\nAll this while, the husband Goat had been away on a journey. When he\nreturned, and came to his town, and found that his wife, Palm-tree's\nchild, was not there, he asked, \"My wife; is she dead?\" The people\nanswered him, \"Yes!\" \"But,\" he asked, \"for what reason did she\ndie?\" They answered, \"Because the people of the town had no food for\ntheir guests.\" Mbindi complained further, saying, \"So! when Ak\u00e2nd\u00e2 was\ncooked, you gave your guests only plantains; were you so inhospitable\nas to give them also no meat or fish?\"\n\nAt this the people were vexed, and they said, \"Well then! let this\nhusband be killed and eaten as the meat!\" So they killed and ate him.\n\nThis news, people also carried to Palm-tree, telling her that\nPlantain's husband was also killed and eaten.\n\nThen Palm-tree came to the town to speak about the death of\nPlantain. The people justified themselves, saying, \"But, what else\ncould we do? It was necessary to provide for the guests.\"\n\nPalm-tree submitted, \"Truly, had Ak\u00e2nd\u00e2 obeyed me and come to me\nand borne her child in my presence, she would have had abundance,\nand would not have died.\"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPART SECOND\n\nBENGA TRIBE\n\n\nFOREWORD\n\n\nThe tales of this second part had their source with narrators of\nBenga-speaking tribes of Corisco Island, the region of the Bonito\nRiver, and Batanga. Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4 were written in Benga by\nthe pioneer missionaries, Rev. Messrs. Mackey and Clemens, from the\ndictation in Benga by natives of Corisco, more than 40 years ago; and\nwere printed as reading-lessons in the Primer used in their schools.\n\nI have translated them into English. They having thus passed twice\nthrough foreign thought, have lost most of their native idioms. Tale\n4 was independently re-told me at Batanga within the past few years,\nby a narrator living there. It differs from the version printed in\nthe Primer, and I have combined the two.\n\nThe remaining thirty tales were given me at Batanga; by three adult\nnarrators, all of them civilized men. They spoke them with me alone,\nor in the presence of one or two silent attendants, sentence by\nsentence, in their Bapuku dialect of the Benga language. I rapidly\nmade notes in an English translation of their principal words. This\nwas always at night, in order to leave the narrator at that ease which\nhe would naturally feel if he was telling the story to an audience\nin the street, as he is accustomed to do in the evenings. For that\npurpose also, I shaded my lamp, using its light only for my pencil;\nhe therefore spoke unrestrainedly. Next morning, with my memory still\nfresh of the night's story, I filled out the sentences. This set of\nthe tales therefore is more native, in the preservation of its idioms,\nthan any other part.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 1\n\nSWINE TALKING\n\n\nPersons\n\n Ingowa (Hogs)\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nUnlike other native legends based on \"they say,\" the native narrator,\nnow more than 40 years ago, gave the name and family name of the\nman who is stated to have reported that he heard Swine talking with\nhuman speech.\n\n\n\nThere was a certain man in the time long ago, by name Bokona, whose\nfamily name was Bodikito. He went to the depths of the forest to do\nsome business. When he was about to return in the afternoon to go to\nhis village, he heard in advance of him, a noise of conversation. He\nthought that perhaps they were people (of whose presence he was not\naware; for, there were no villages in that part of the forest). But,\nwhen he had approached the spot, he did not see people; but only a\nherd of Hogs speaking with the voices of people. He was thus perfectly\nsure that they speak the language of Mankind.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 2\n\nCROCODILE\n\n\nPersons\n\n Ngando (Crocodile)\n Two Children, and Towns-People\n\n\n\nTwo children were bathing in a river; and a crocodile came where they\nwere. It seized one, and, grasping it with its teeth, went with it\nto its hole in the river bank. It did not kill him, but said to him,\n\"I leave you here, and I go straight back to bring the other one who\nremained.\" After the crocodile had left, the one thus put into the\nhole, turning his eyes about, saw it full of living fish (kept on\nhand by the crocodile as its food-supply). He saw also that there was\nanother opening in the cavity, above, just over his head. Climbing\nup and jumping through it, he rapidly went straight away to his\nvillage. He related all this incident to the people. Then they gladly\nfired guns, for welcome of the child.\n\nWhen the crocodile reached the bathing-place on its return, it did\nnot see the one whom it had left there; and it was angry. While it\nwas thus angry, the people shot at it with guns, but their shots\ncould not even wound it; and it went back again to its hole to seek\nfor and eat the child whom it had seized.\n\nWhen it again entered into the hole and searched, and did not find\nhim, it was very angry, and pursued him, going up to the very middle\nof the village. For three days it was there barking in the village,\nand trying to kill some one.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 3\n\nORIGIN OF THE ELEPHANT\n\n\nPersons\n\n Uh\u00e2dwe, Bokume and Nj\u00e2ku Sons of Njambi the Creator\n Towns-People, Sailors and Others\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nI have never seen the place; but, intelligent natives, (though they\ndid not believe in the legend itself) told me there was the likeness\nto a human foot-print in a rock on the beach of the north shore of\nCorisco Bay. Doubtless a fossil.\n\n\n\nUh\u00e2dwe, Bokume, and Nj\u00e2ku were human beings, all three born of one\nmother. (Afterwards Bokume was called \"Nj\u00e2pe.\")\n\nAs time went on, Uh\u00e2dwe called his brethren, Bokume and Nj\u00e2ku, and\nsaid, \"My brothers! Let us separate; myself, I am going to the Great\nSea; you, Bokume go to the Forest; you, Nj\u00e2ku, also go to the Forest.\"\n\nBokume went to the forest and grew up there, and became the valuable\nmahogany tree (Okume).\n\nNj\u00e2ku departed; but he went in anger, saying, \"I will not remain\nin the forest, I am going to build with the towns-people.\" He came\nstriding back to the town. As he emerged there from the forest, his\nfeet swelled and swelled, and became elephant feet. His ear extended\n'way down. His teeth spreading, this one grew to a tusk, and that\none grew to a tusk. The towns-people began to hoot at him. And he\nturned back to the forest. But, as he went, he said to them, \"In my\ngoing now to the Forest, I and whatever plants you shall plant in the\nforest shall journey together,\" (i.e., that their plantations should\nbe destroyed by him). So Nj\u00e2ku went; and their food went.\n\nWhen Uh\u00e2dwe had gone thence and emerged at the Sea, from the place\nwhere he emerged there grew the stem of \"bush-rope\" (the Calamus palm);\nand the staff he held became a mangrove forest. The footprints where\nhe and his dog trod are there on the beach of Corisco Bay until this\nday. He created a sand-bank from where he stood, extending through the\nocean, by which he crossed over to the Land of the Great Sea. When he\nreached that Land, he prepared a ship. He put into it every production\nby which white people obtain wealth, and he said to the crew, \"Go ye\nand take for me my brother.\"\n\nThe ship came to Africa and put down anchor; but, for four days the\ncrew did not find any person coming from shore to set foot on the\nship, or to go from the ship to set foot ashore, the natives being\ndestitute of canoes.\n\nFinally, Uh\u00e2dwe came and appeared to the towns-people in a dream,\nand said, \"Go ye to the forest and cut down Nj\u00e2pe, dig out a canoe,\nand go alongside the ship.\"\n\nEarly next morning they went to the forest, and came to the Okume\ntrees; they cut one down, and hacked it into shape. They launched it on\nthe sea, and said to their young men, \"Go!\" Four young men went into\nthe canoe to go alongside the ship. When they had nearly reached it,\nlooking hither and thither they feared, and they stopped and ceased\npaddling. The white men on the ship made repeated signs to them. Then\nthe young men, having come close, spoke to the white men in the native\nlanguage. A white man answered also in the same language. That white\nman said, \"I have come to buy the tusks of the beast which is here\nin the forest with big feet and tusks and great ears, that is called\nNj\u00e2ku.\" They said, \"Yes! a good thing!\" When they were about leaving,\nthe white man advancing to them, deposited with them four bunches of\ntobacco, four bales of prints, four caps, and other things.\n\nWhen they reached the shore, they told the others, \"The white men want\nNj\u00e2ku's tusks; and also they have things by which to kill his tribe.\"\n\nThe next morning, they went to the white men; they were trusted with\nguns and bullets and powder; they went to the forest, and fought with\nthe elephants. In two days the ship was loaded, and it departed.\n\nThis continues to happen so until this day, in the Ivory-Trade.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 4\n\nLEOPARD'S MARRIAGE JOURNEY\n\n\nPersons\n\n Njambi (Chief of a Town)\n Nj\u00e2 (Leopard)\n Etoli (House-Rat)\n Mbindi (Wild Goat)\n Vy\u00e2du (Antelope)\n Ehibo (Red Antelope)\n Iheli (Gazelle)\n Ekwedikwedi (Fire-Fly)\n\n\n\nLeopard wanted to marry, and he sought a betrothal at Njambi's\ntown. Secretly, Njambi had arranged with Leopard that he should bring\nhim no goods in payment of the \"Dowry,\" but only the bodies of animals.\n\nLeopard agreed, and said to Njambi's daughter, \"I will dowry you\nonly with animals.\" He returned to his home for a few days; and\nthen he called Rat to escort him to the town of his prospective\nfather-in-law. Rat consented. And they started on their journey.\n\nOn their way, they came to a wide river; and Leopard said to Rat,\n\"Before one crosses this river, he must throw his knife into it.\" Rat\nthrew his knife; and so (apparently) did Leopard. They crossed; went\non their way, and came to a Kuda tree; and they stopped, and began to\ngather the nuts. Leopard drew his knife from its sheath, and splitting\nthe nut-shells and eating the kernels, said derisively to Rat, \"One who\nhas no knife will not be able to eat kuda.\" Rat, in his helplessness,\nmade no protest. And they went on. They came to a certain \"Medicine\"\ntree; and Leopard said, \"Etoli, if I shall fall sick on the way, and I\ntell you to go back and get the bark of a certain tree for medicine,\nsee! this is the tree.\" Finally, they came to the town of the woman\nwhom Leopard was to marry. There, food was cooked for them. Just\nbefore they were to sit down to eat, Leopard exclaimed, \"Etoli! I am\nsick! Go, and get that medicine for me!\" While Rat was gone, Leopard\nate up almost all the food, leaving only a few scraps for Rat.\n\nAt night, inside of the entrance of the house where the two strangers\nwere to sleep, was a pit already dug. Leopard knew of it, and jumped\nover it; but Rat fell into it. Leopard shouted to the town's-people,\n\"This is the animal I brought to pay on my Dowry! Come, and take\nhim!\" The people came, caught Rat, and ate him.\n\nThe next morning, Leopard's father-in-law had food prepared for him; he\nate; and returned to his town. There, the relatives of Rat asked him,\n\"Where is the little one you took to escort you?\" Leopard replied,\n\"He refused to return, staying there with the woman.\"\n\nAgain, Leopard prepared gifts of dried fish and tobacco for his\nmother-in-law, and arranged for another journey. He called to his\nrelative, \"Brother\" Wild-Goat, \"Come, escort me to the town of my\nmarriage.\" Wild Goat consented; and they started. They came to the\nRiver; and, as in the case of Rat, Leopard said to Goat, \"You will\nfirst throw away your knife, before you can cross this river.\" Goat\nactually did so; Leopard pretending to do so. Continuing their\njourney, they came to that Kuda tree. Leopard was careful to stand on\na side of the tree opposite to Goat, as they gathered the nuts. But,\nhe said provokingly, \"One can not eat kuda without a knife.\" Wild\nGoat innocently replied, \"But, you, Nj\u00e2, you are eating nuts! Did\nyou bring two knives?\" They journeyed on, and came to the Medicine\ntree. And Leopard gave to Goat the same directions about it as he\nhad given to Rat.\n\nWhen they reached the marriage town, food was set before them. But\nLeopard immediately began to groan and scream, \"I'm dead! I'm\ndead! I'm dead with pain!\" Wild Goat sympathisingly inquired, \"What\nshall I do to help you?\" Leopard replied, as in the case of Rat,\n\"Go back to that tree, and get its bark as a medicine for me.\" Wild\nGoat went; and while he was away, Leopard ate the food, leaving very\nlittle of it. On his return, Wild Goat protested at so little being\ngiven him. Leopard explained, \"In my great suffering from tooth-ache,\nI ate nothing. Perhaps it was the town's-people who ate up the food,\nleaving you only these pieces.\"\n\nAfter they had eaten, they were called to the reception-house, and\nspent the evening in conversation with the people of the town. Then,\nthey were shown to the house in which they were to sleep. It was\nthe one with the pit-fall inside the door-way. Leopard, of course,\njumped over it; but Wild Goat fell into it. And, as in the case of Rat,\nLeopard called out, \"People of the town! This is your dowry-goods! I\nhave brought it to you!\" The next morning, Leopard took his journey,\nand came back home. When the people of his town asked him, as in the\ncase of Rat, \"Where is the friend you took with you?\" he made the\nsame reply, \"Don't ask me! He is entangled off there with women.\"\n\nOn a third journey, Leopard called Antelope to accompany him. Antelope\nagreed. They came to the River; and as before Leopard told how that\nriver could not be crossed by travelers unless their knives were\nthrown away. This, Antelope did.\n\nThen, they came to the Kuda tree. There, Antelope heard Leopard\nsplitting the nuts, and asked him. \"Did you not throw away your\nknife? Do you travel with two?\" Leopard answered, \"Yes! I always\ntravel with two.\" Then, they came to the Medicine tree. And Leopard\nexplained about its bark being the cure for his frequent tooth-aches,\nwhen eating at his father-in-law's town.\n\nThey came to the town. And when food was brought to them, Leopard\ncried out, \"O! my tooth! my tooth!\" Antelope asked, \"Where is your\nmedicine that you said you use?\" Leopard answered, \"At the tree\nwhich I showed you on the way. Go, and get it.\" While Antelope was\ngone, Leopard ate up almost all the food. On returning, Antelope\nexclaimed \"What! only this little food for me?\" Leopard explained,\n\"With my great tooth-ache, I ate none. Nothing happened, except\nthat the town's-people came, and were eating up the food; and I,\nin my kindness for you, begged them to leave at least a little for\nyou.\" Antelope handed him the medicine, and Leopard said, \"Put it\ndown there\"; and he threw it away, while Antelope's back was turned.\n\nAfter they had eaten, they went to their room for the night. Leopard,\nas usual, jumped over the pit; but Antelope fell in. And Leopard\ngave his shout to the people to come and take the Dowry-goods he had\nbrought. The next morning, after breakfast, Leopard again started on\nhis home journey. There, again he was anxiously asked, \"But, those\nwhom you take with you don't come back! Why?\" He made the same reply,\n\"They know why! Off there are damsels and dancing; and they were\nunable to return.\"\n\nFor his next journey, Leopard asked Red Antelope, who heartily\nreplied, \"Yes, come on! There is nothing to prevent my going on a\njourney!\" They journeyed, and they came to the River. There, Leopard\nmade his statement about the necessity of throwing their knives into\nthe river. Red Antelope wondered a little, but he consented saying,\n\"Yes, but what is that to me?\" Said Leopard, \"Well, then, shut your\neyes, and I will be the first to throw, lest you say I am deceiving\nyou.\" Said Red Antelope, \"Yes.\" And he shut his eyes tightly. Then\nLeopard, having a stone in his hand, flung it into the water, saying,\n\"I've thrown mine; throw also yours!\" Red Antelope demanded, \"But,\nyou must shut your eyes also.\" Leopard half-closed his eyes, and Red\nAntelope, knife in hand, flung it into the water. Then, wading across,\nthey went on and on to the base of the Kuda tree. Said Leopard,\n\"Mr. Ehibo, this Kuda is eaten of here only by each person on his\nown side of the trunk.\" Red Antelope assented; and they turned,\nthis one to one side, and that one to the other side. There, as Red\nAntelope was vainly trying to crack the nuts with his teeth, Leopard\nwas deriding him while himself was comfortably using his knife.\n\nThen, Leopard said, \"Let us go on; for, the day is declining.\" Red\nAntelope agreed. As they went, they came to an Ebwehavu tree. And\nLeopard said, \"Let us climb for Bebwehavu fruits. But, when we\nclimb this particular tree, it is the practice here, to climb, one\nby one. While the one is climbing, the other has his eyes shut; and,\nthe climbing is done, not by the trunk, but by this adjoining Bongo\ntree which you see here. But, first, close your eyes, and I will\ngo up.\" (The Bongo's trunk is covered with hard sharp thorns.) Red\nAntelope stood, with his eyes tightly closed. Leopard grasped a vine;\nand, with one swing, he at once was up the tree. Red Antelope began\nclimbing that Bongo, creeping slowly to the top, his whole body\nspoiled, and nothing on him but blood and blood.\n\nSaid Leopard, \"This Ebwehavu is accustomed to be plucked only the green\nunripe, but the dark ripe ones are to be left.\" That seemed strange to\nRed Antelope, nevertheless he said, \"Yes.\" But Leopard was plucking\nthe ripe and leaving the green. When they had finished plucking,\nLeopard said, \"Ehibo! shut eyes! that I may descend!\" Red Antelope\nshut his eyes. Leopard grasped the vine; and, with one spring, was on\nthe ground. Then, he said, \"Now, Ehibo, descend.\" Red Antelope began\ndescending by the Bongo, down, down, landing finally on the ground.\n\nLeopard waited for him; and then said, \"Having no fire, how shall we\ncook those green bebwehavu?\" Just then, he saw a Fire-fly passing;\nand he said. \"Mr. Ehibo! Pursue! That's fire passing there!\" Red\nAntelope bent in rapid pursuit. Leopard turned to the base of the tree,\ngathered dried fire-wood, struck his flint, lighted a fire, cooked\nhis fruits, ate them, finished, and put out his fire. Red Antelope,\nback again, said, \"I did not reach it, I'm tired.\" Leopard said,\n\"Well, let it go. I chewed mine uncooked. But, let us journey; and,\nas you go, you chew yours.\" They went on, and came to the town of the\nmarriage. Food was cooked and set for them in their room. Said Leopard,\n\"Ehibo, sit you on the floor, while I eat at the table. And, while I\neat the flesh, you eat the bones.\" Red Antelope had become so utterly\nwearied and humiliated that he did not resent this indignity. They\nate. And then Leopard said, \"Ehibo, sweep up the scraps, and go and\nthrow them into the back yard.\" (Immediately on his arrival at the\ntown, Leopard had gone alone to his father-in-law, and said, \"I have\nbrought you an animal. But, let another pit, this time, be dug in\nthe back yard of the room where we shall be. And, do you put spears\nand daggers and all kinds of sharp sticks there. When I shall send\nhim to throw away the sweepings, and he shall fall in, kill ye him.\")\n\nRed Antelope swept, and scraped up the sweepings, and threw them into a\nbasket. He turned with them to the back yard, to fling them away. As he\nwas about to do so, he slipped down to the bottom of the pit. Impaled\non the spears, he was unable to jump out. When the town's-people\narrived, they thrust him through with sharp poles; and he lay dead.\n\nWhen Leopard returned home, Red Antelope's people asked, \"Where is\nEhibo?\" Leopard made his former answer, \"Ehibo was hindered by the\nhospitality of that marriage town, with its food and its women; and,\nhe said, 'I won't go back!'\"\n\nThus, with each journey, Leopard called for another animal. They went,\nover the same route; and the same things happened each time. So,\nmatters went on for a long while. But, Gazelle, a very smart beast,\nbegan to suspect, observing that none of Leopard's travel-companions\never came back. In his heart, he thought to himself, \"Leopard deceives\npeople!\" He determined to find out, by offering to go, and watch for\nhimself. At last, he said, \"Uncle Nj\u00e2, let me go to escort you to the\ntown of your marriage. When next you go on your journey, call me to go\nwith you.\" Said Leopard, \"I don't want you.\" (He suspected Gazelle's\nsmartness.) Gazelle insisted, \"Uncle, as to these others whom you\nhave invited to go with you, and not the rather me, your relative?\"\n\nSo, Leopard agreed, \"Yes, let us go.\" By the next morning they started\non their journey, going on and on, clear to the big River. There,\nas usual, Leopard told about knives to be thrown into the river; and\nhe said, \"Nephew Iheli, you first throw your knife.\" Said Gazelle,\n\"First, you throw yours, then I will throw mine also.\" Said Leopard,\n\"Well! shut your eyes!\" Gazelle half-closed his hands on his eyes, and\nwas peeping. He saw Leopard seize a chunk of wood and fling it in the\nwater. Then he said, \"Shut eyes! Let me also throw mine!\" Leopard's\neyes shut tight. Gazelle, seizing a stick, flung it into the\nwater. Then, they crossed the river, and went on and on, until they\ncame to the base of the Kuda tree. Leopard made his usual statement\nabout parties eating the nuts on opposite sides of the tree. Gazelle,\nwith apparent obedience, said, \"Yes.\" Leopard, with knife drawn,\nbegan to hack and split the nuts, throwing the kernels into his mouth,\nand making his usual derisive remark, \"By the truth! a person without\na knife can not eat the kernels of kuda.\" Gazelle also, hacking his,\nand throwing them into his mouth, said, \"Just exactly so! a person\nwithout a knife can not eat the kernel of kuda-nut!\" Leopard exclaimed,\n\"What are you doing? Have you two knives?\" Gazelle replied, \"But,\nwhat are you doing? Had you two knives?\" Leopard answered, \"Yes,\nfor, I am the senior.\" Gazelle responded, \"And I also carry two\nknives; for, I also am an adult.\" Leopard only said, \"Iheli! Come\non!\" They went on, until they came to the Ebwehavu tree. There,\nLeopard made his usual explanation of climbing only by means of the\nBongo tree. Gazelle agreed, and said, \"Yes; climb you first.\" Leopard\nsaid, \"Shut your eyes.\" Gazelle stood, with eyes apparently tightly\nclosed. With one swing on a vine, Leopard is up the tree. Said Gazelle,\n\"You also, shut your eyes. Let me go up.\" Leopard pretended to shut\nhis eyes. And Gazelle, with one swing, was also up the tree. Leopard\nmade his usual statement about plucking only the green fruit. To which,\nGazelle seemed to assent.\n\nAnd they descended the tree, without Leopard attempting to deceive\nGazelle about the Bongo tree.\n\nBut, Leopard seeing the sun going down, said, \"Iheli! Pursue! that's\nfire that's going there!\" But, Gazelle showed he was not deceived,\nby simply saying, \"That's not fire!\" So, Leopard gathered fire-wood;\nand they cooked and ate their bebwehavu.\n\nThen, they resumed their journey, and came to the Medicine tree. There\nLeopard told his usual story about the bark of that tree being his\ngreat cure-all. Gazelle quietly said, \"Yes.\" But, when they left\nthe tree, and had gone a short distance farther, he exclaimed, \"O! I\nforgot my staff! I must go back and get it!\" He went back to the tree,\nstripped bark from it, put it into his traveling-bag, and overtook\nLeopard. And they came on together to the town. After they had entered\ntheir house, Gazelle remarked to Leopard, \"Let me go out and see the\nother fellows, who came with you on your previous journeys, and who,\nyou said, had stayed here with the women.\" He went out; and returned,\nsaying, \"I saw the women, but none of those fellows.\" Food was cooked\nfor them, and they sat down to eat. But, suddenly, Leopard broke out\nin groans, \"Iheli! I feel a pain in my stomach; go, get bark of that\ntree I showed you. The medicine! Get the medicine!\" Gazelle answered\n\"Yes, but just wait until I finish my plate;\" and he continued eating\nrapidly. Leopard was distressed to see the food disappearing; but,\nas he had pretended sickness, he did not dare begin to eat. When,\nfinally there was but little food left, Gazelle introduced his\nhand into his bag, and, handing out the pieces of bark, said,\n\"Here's your medicine! That's it!\" Leopard said, \"Yes, just leave\nit there. I do not need the medicine now. The pain has ceased. Let\nus first eat. We will eat together.\" After finishing their eating,\nGazelle swept up the scraps, and placed them in a basket. Said Leopard,\n\"Come, I will go with you to show you the place where sweepings are\nto be thrown.\" Gazelle was about to fling the basket, as Leopard came\nto push him into the pit. But, Gazelle lightly leaped across to the\nother side of it, and cried out, \"Uncle! what do you want to do to\nme?\" Leopard said, \"That's nothing!\"\n\nIt being night, they went to their sleeping-room, Leopard accompanied\nby his wife. He and she carefully jumped over the other pit that was\ninside of the door-way of that house. Gazelle also jumped, with careful\nobservation, the while that people stood outside expecting him to fall\ninto it. They retired for the night, Leopard and his wife on the bed;\nGazelle on a mat on the floor. Said Gazelle, \"Uncle, if you hear me\nstertorously snoring, then I am awake; but, if silently, then I am\nasleep.\" In a little while, Gazelle feigned gentle snoring. Leopard\nthinking Gazelle was asleep, took an iron rod, and thrust it into the\nfire. Gazelle saw what he was doing. When it was red-hot, he removed\nit, and, stepping softly, was about to stab Gazelle with it; who,\nquickly moving aside, exclaimed, \"Eh! what are you doing?\" Leopard\ncoolly replied, \"Nothing; I was only brushing away an insect that was\nbiting you.\" Gazelle thought within himself, \"Nj\u00e2 will surely kill\nme to-night.\" So, he took chalk, and secretly marked circles around\nhis eyes, making himself look as if his eyes were open and he awake,\neven if he should actually be asleep. After a while, Leopard slept,\nsound asleep with his wife. Then Gazelle passed over to Leopard's bed,\nand lifting the woman (unconscious in her sleep) to his mat on the\nfloor, laid down in her place, beside Leopard in the bed. During the\nnight, Leopard awoke, and, not noticing, in the darkness, the change\nat his side, went with the rod, to the mat where he supposed Gazelle\nwas sleeping, and stabbed the woman to death.\n\nThen Gazelle (who had remained awake) cried out, \"Eh! you kill\nanother person? You are killing your wife!\" Leopard exclaimed,\n\"Umph! Is that you? I said to myself that this was you!\" Gazelle said,\n\"Yes! what did you go to my bed for? So, then! I am the one you wanted\nto kill!\" Leopard confessed, \"It is true that I came here to kill you,\nthinking this was you. But, as the matter is thus, say no more about\nit. Let us cut up and eat this woman. Come, cut up!\" But, Gazelle said,\n\"I? When the town's-people hear the chopping, then won't they say,\n'What animal has Iheli killed in his brother-in-law's town, that he\nis cutting it up at night?' Yourself, cut her to pieces.\"\n\nSo, Leopard said, \"Well, leave the work on the body of the woman to\nme; but, do you attend to the cooking.\" Said Gazelle, \"I? When the\ntown's people shall hear the kettle boiling, then will they say,\n'Whom has Iheli killed in the town of his brother-in-law, that he\ncooks at night?'\"\n\nLeopard boiled the kettle. It was cooked; and he said to Gazelle, \"Go,\ncut down a bunch of plantains, out there in the back-yard.\" (This he\nsaid, hoping that Gazelle would fall into that pit, either in going\nout or coming in.) But, Gazelle said, \"I? When the town's people hear\nthe strokes of the machete, and the crash of the fall of the bunch,\nthen, will they not suspect me, and say, 'What meat has Iheli killed,\nthat he is cutting down a plantain at night?' Cut it yourself.\" Leopard\nwent and cut down a bunch of plantains, and said to Gazelle, \"Now,\ncome and peel the plantains, and cook them.\" Gazelle refused, \"No;\ndo you peel and cook. I'm in bed. I'll eat only greens.\" Then Leopard\nsaid (making a last effort to get Gazelle into the pit), \"Well, go to\nthe back-yard, and pluck pepper for the soup.\" Gazelle again refused,\n\"No; when the town's-people hear the plucking of the pods, will they\nnot say, 'What animal has Iheli killed that he is gathering pepper\nfor the soup?'\"\n\nFinally, Leopard, having done all the work, and finished cooking,\nand set the table, said, \"Come, Iheli, I have finished all. Come, and\neat.\" Gazelle came, but said, \"First, put out all the lights.\" Leopard\ndid so. And Gazelle added, \"We will understand that whichever, at the\nclose of the meal, has the largest pile of bones by his plate, shall\nbe known as the one who killed the woman.\" Leopard agreed. The light\nhaving been extinguished, they ate in darkness. But, while they were\neating, Gazelle chose only the bony pieces that had little meat; and,\nhaving picked them, he quietly laid the bones by Leopard's plate. When\nthey had finished eating, the torches were re-lighted, and Gazelle\ncried out at Leopard's big pile of bones. They were counted. And\nGazelle said, \"Did you not say that whoever had the most bones would\nprove himself the murderer? So! indeed! you are the one who killed\nanother person's child!\"\n\nLeopard evaded, and said, \"But, Iheli, take a broom and sweep up the\nscraps from the floor, and throw them into the yard.\" (Making thus a\nfinal effort to get Gazelle into that pit.) But, Gazelle, refused,\n\"No; yourself do it. When the town's-people hear the bones falling\nas they are thrown in the yard, will they not suspect me, and say,\n'What animal has Iheli killed at night, that he is clearing away the\nscraps?'\" Leopard swept up the floor and table, and threw the pieces\ninto the backyard. As they were finishing, day began to dawn. Gazelle\nsaid, \"Nj\u00e2, the day is breaking; let us seek hiding-places; for, when\nthe people come in, in the morning, and find that their daughter\nis dead, lest they kill us.\" So, they began to look around for\nhiding-places. Gazelle said, \"I shall hide in this big box on the\nfloor.\" But, Leopard objected, \"No; that traveling-box befits me;\nand, as the elder, I shall take it.\" Gazelle said, then, \"Well,\nI'll hide under the bed.\" But, Leopard again objected (hoping to\nleave Gazelle without a place). \"No; that also is my place; it suits\nme.\" Gazelle protested, \"You are claiming this and that place! Where\nshall I go? Well! I see! I'll hide over the door.\" \"Yes\" said Leopard,\n\"that's the hiding-place for a young person like you.\" (This he said,\nstill thinking of the pit near the door.) Gazelle agreed, saying,\n\"I am here, by the door. You get into that box, and I'll tie it\nwith a string, as if no one was in it.\" Leopard objected, \"But,\nthe string will hinder my breaking out.\" \"No,\" replied Gazelle,\n\"it shall be a weak twine. You can easily burst it, when you fling\nup the lid, and jump out, and run away.\"\n\nLeopard got into the box, and Gazelle began to tie it with a heavy\nchain. Leopard hearing the clanking, exclaimed, \"With a chain,\nIheli?\" Gazelle had the chain fast; and he coolly replied, \"It's only\na little one.\" Then he piled heavy stones on the box. As day broke,\nhe took his stand among a bundle of dried plantain-leaves that was\nover the door-way. The towns-people sent a child to open the door\nof the strangers' house, to call them to eat. As the child was about\nto enter, Gazelle struck him a blow on the head; and the child went\naway wailing with pain. The child's father said to his family that\nhe would go to see what was the matter. As he pushed wide open the\ndoor of the strangers' house, Gazelle slid down, sprang out, and ran\nrapidly away, shouting, \"Nj\u00e2 is there! Nj\u00e2 is in that box! He it is\nwho has killed your woman!\" And the towns-people shouted after him,\n\"Is that so? Well, you're off, Iheli! Go!\"\n\nLeopard, when he heard that, made desperate efforts to get out of the\nbox. The town's-men entered the house and found the box with Leopard\ntied in it. They fired their guns at him, and killed him. As they did\nso, they reproached him, \"Why did you kill our daughter, whom you came\nto marry?\" Then they gathered together a great pile of fire-wood in\nthe street, thrust on to it the dead body of Leopard, and burned him\nthere. Gazelle went back to the town of Beasts, and they asked him,\n\"Where is he with whom you went on your journey?\" Gazelle told them,\n\"He is dead. He it was who killed the other Beasts who went with\nhim. And he is now killed by the relatives of the woman whom he was\nto marry, but whom also he had murdered.\"\n\nFor this reason, that Gazelle informed on Leopard in the box, the\nrelatives of Leopard since then have no friendship with Gazelle, and\nalways pursue and try to kill him. The entire Leopard tribe have kept\nup that feud with the Gazelle tribe, saying, \"You caused our father's\ndeath.\" And they carry on their revenge.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 5\n\nTORTOISE IN A RACE\n\n\nPersons\n\n Kudu (Tortoise)\n Mbalanga (Antelope)\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nDiscussions about seniority are common causes of quarrel in Africa. The\nreason assigned why tortoises are so spread everywhere is that the\nantelope tribe, in public-meeting, recognized their superiority. At\nBatanga, Gaboon, Ogowe, and everywhere on the equatorial west coast,\nthere are tortoises even in places where there are no other animals. On\naccount of this, the tortoise is given many names; and has many\nnicknames in the native tribes, e.g., \"Manyima,\" and \"Evosolo.\"\n\n\n\nTortoise had formerly lived in the same town with several other\nanimals. But, after awhile, they had decided to separate, and each\nbuilt his own village.\n\nOne day, Tortoise decided to roam. So he started, and went on an\nexcursion; leaving his wife and two children in the village. On his\nway, he came to the village of Antelope. The latter welcomed him,\nkilled a fowl, and prepared food for him; and they sat at the table,\neating.\n\nWhen they had finished eating, Antelope asked, \"Kudu! My friend,\nwhat is your journey for?\"\n\nTortoise answered, \"I have come to inquire of you, as to you and me,\nwhich is the elder?\" Antelope replied, \"Kudu! I am older than you!\" But\nTortoise responded, \"No! I am the elder!\" Then Antelope said, \"Show\nme the reason why you are older than I!\" Tortoise said, continuing the\ndiscussion, \"I will show you a sign of seniority. Let us have a race,\nas a test of speed.\" Antelope replied derisively, \"Aiye! how shall\nI know to test speed with Kudu? Does Kudu race?\" However, he agreed,\nand said, \"Well! in three days the race shall be made.\"\n\nTortoise spoke audaciously, \"You, Mbalanga, cannot surpass me in a\nrace!\" Antelope laughed, having accepted the challenge; while Tortoise\npretended to sneer, and said, \"I am the one who will overcome!\"\n\nThe course chosen, beginning on the beach south of Batanga, was more\nthan seventy miles from the Campo River northward to the Balimba\nCountry.\n\nThen Tortoise went away, going everywhere to give directions, and\nreturned to his village. He sent word secretly to all the Tortoise\nTribe to call them. When they had come very many of them together,\nhe told them, \"I have called my friend Mbalanga for a race. I know\nthat he can surpass me in this race, unless you all help me in my\nplan. He will follow the sea-beach. You all must line yourselves\namong the bushes at the top of the beach along the entire route all\nthe way from Campo to Balimba. When Mbalanga, coming along, at any\npoint, looks around to see whether I am following, and calls out,\n'Kudu! where are you?' the one of you who is nearest that spot must\nstep out from his place, and answer for me, 'Here!'\"\n\nThus he located all the other tortoises in the bushes on the entire\nroute. Also, he placed a colored mark on all the tortoises, making\nthe face of every one alike. He stationed them clear on to the place\nwhere he expected that Antelope would be exhausted. Then he ended,\ntaking his own place there.\n\nAntelope also arranged for himself, and said, to his wife, \"My\nwife! make me food; for, Kudu and I have agreed on a race; and it\nbegins at seven o'clock in the morning.\"\n\nWhen all was ready, Antelope said, to (the one whom he supposed was)\nKudu, \"Come! let us race!\" They started. Antelope ran on and on,\nand came as far as about ten miles to the town of Ubenji, among the\nIgara people. At various spots on the way Tortoise apparently was lost\nbehind; but as constantly he seemed to re-appear, saying, \"I'm here!\"\n\nAt once, Antelope raced forward rapidly, pu! pu! pu! to a town named\nIpenyenye. Then he looked around and said, \"Where is Kudu?\" A tortoise\nstepped out of the bushes, saying \"Here I am! You haven't raced.\"\n\nAntelope raced on until he reached the town of Bey\u00e2. Again looking\naround, he said, \"Where is Kudu?\" A tortoise stepped out, replying,\n\"I'm here!\"\n\nAntelope again raced, until he reached the town Lolabe. Again he\nasked, \"Where is Kudu?\" A tortoise saying to himself, \"He hasn't\nheard anything,\" replied, \"Here I am!\"\n\nAgain Antelope raced on as far as from there to a rocky point by the\nsea named Ilale-ja-moto; and then he called, \"Wherever is Kudu?\" A\ntortoise ready answered, \"Here I am!\"\n\nFrom thence, he came on in the race another stretch of about ten\nmiles, clear to the town of Bongaheli of the Batanga people. At each\nplace on the route, when Antelope, losing sight of Tortoise, called,\n\"Kudu! where are you?\" promptly the tortoise on guard at that spot\nreplied, \"I'm here!\"\n\nThen on he went, steadily going, going, another stretch of about twenty\nmiles to Plantation Beach. Still the prompt reply to Antelope's call,\n\"Kudu, where are you?\" was, \"I'm here!\"\n\nAs he started away from Plantation, the wearied Antelope began to\nfeel his legs tired. However, he pressed on to Small Batanga, hoping\nfor victory over his despised contestant. But, on his reaching the\nedge of Balimba, the tortoise was there ready with his, \"I'm here!\"\n\nFinally, on reaching the end of the Balimba settlement, Antelope\nfell down, dying, froth coming from his mouth, and lay dead, being\nutterly exhausted with running. But, when Tortoise arrived, he took\na magic-medicine, and restored Antelope to life; and then exulted\nover him by beating him, and saying, \"Don't you show me your audacity\nanother day by daring to run with me! I have surpassed you!\"\n\nSo, they returned separately to their homes on the Campo\nRiver. Tortoise called together the Tortoise Tribe; and Antelope\ncalled all the Antelope Tribe. And they met in a Council of all the\nAnimals. Then Tortoise rose and spoke--\"All you Kudu Tribe! Mbalanga\nsaid I would not surpass him in a race. But, this day I have\nsurpassed!\"\n\nSo the Antelope Tribe had to acknowledge, \"Yes, you, Kudu, have\nsurpassed our champion. It's a great shame to us; for, we had not\nsupposed that a slow fellow such as we thought you to be, could\npossibly do it, or be able to out-run a Mbalanga.\"\n\nSo the Council decided that, of all the tribes of animals, Tortoise\nwas to be held as greatest; for, that it had out-run Antelope. And\nthe Animals gave Tortoise the power to rule.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 6\n\nGOAT'S TOURNAMENT\n\n\nPersons\n\n Tomba (Goat)\n Nj\u00e2 (Leopard)\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nThe reason why leopards wander everywhere, and fight all other animals,\nis their shame at being overcome by a goat. Their ancestor had said,\n\"I did not know that a Goat could overcome me.\"\n\n\n\nThe Tribe of Goats sent a message to the Tribe of Leopards, saying,\n\"Let us have a Wrestling Match, in an effort to see which is the\nstronger.\" Then Leopard took counsel with his Tribe, \"This Tribe of\nGoats! I do not see that they have any strength. Let us agree to the\ncontest; for, they can do nothing to me.\"\n\nSo, the Goat Tribe gathered all together; and the Leopard Tribe\nall together; and they met in a street of a town, to engage in the\ndrumming and dancing and singing usually preceding such contests.\n\nFor the wrestling, they joined in thirty pairs, one from each\ntribe. The first pair wrestled; and the representative of the\nLeopards was overcome and thrown to the ground. Another pair joined;\nand again the Leopard champion was overcome. A third pair joined and\nwrestled, contesting desperately; the Leopard in shame, and the Goat\nin exultation. Again the Leopard was overcome.\n\nThere was, during all this time, drumming by the adherents of both\nparties. The Leopard drum was now beaten fiercely to encourage their\nside, as they had already been overcome three times in succession.\n\nThen, on the fourth effort, the Leopard succeeded in overcoming. Again\na pair fought; and Leopard overcame a second time. The sixth pair\njoined; and Leopard said, \"Today we wrestle to settle that doubt as\nto which of us is the stronger.\"\n\nSo, pair after pair wrestled, until all of the thirty arranged pairs\nhad contested. Of these, the Leopard tribe were victors ten times;\nand the Goat Tribe twenty times.\n\nThen the Leopard tribe said, \"We are ashamed that the report should\ngo out among all the animals that we beat only ten times, and the\nTomba twenty times. So, we will not stay any longer here, with their\nand our towns near together:\" for they knew that their Leopard tribe\nwould always be angry when they should see a company of Goats passing,\nremembering how often they were beaten. So, they moved away into the\nforest distant from their hated rivals. In their cherished anger at\nbeing beaten, and to cover their shame, Leopard attacks a Goat when\nhe meets him alone, or any other single beast known to be friendly\nto the Goats, e.g., Oxen or Antelopes.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 7\n\nWHY GOATS BECAME DOMESTIC\n\n\nPersons\n\n Tomba-Ya-Taba (Goat)\n With Etoli, plural Betoli (Rat)\n Vy\u00e2du (Antelope, plural L\u00e2du)\n Nj\u00e2 (Leopard)\n Ko (Wild-Rat)\n Nj\u00e2ku (Elephant)\n Mankind\n Nyati (Ox)\n\n\n\nGoat and his mother lived alone in their village. He said to her,\n\"I have here a magic-medicine to strengthen one in wrestling. There\nis no one who can overcome me, or cast me down; I can overcome any\nother person.\"\n\nThe other Beasts heard of this boast; and they took up the\nchallenge. First, house-Rats, hundreds of them, came to Goat's village,\nto test him. And they began the wrestling. He overcame them, one by\none, to the number of two hundred. So, the Rats went back to their\nplaces, admitting that they were not able to overcome him.\n\nThen, forest-Rat came to wrestle with Goat. He overcame them also,\nall of them. And they went back to their own place defeated.\n\nThen, the Antelope came to wrestle with Goat. He overcame all the\nAntelopes, every one of them; not one was able to withstand him. And\nthey also went back to their places.\n\nAlso, Elephant with all the elephants, came on that same\nchallenge. Goat overcame all the Elephants; and they too, went back\nto their place.\n\nThus, all the Beasts came, in the same way, and were overcome in the\nsame way, and went back in the same way.\n\nBut, there still remained one Beast, only one, Leopard, who had not\nmade the attempt. So he said he would go; as he was sure he could\novercome. He came. Goat overcame him also. So, it was proved that\nnot a single beast could withstand Goat.\n\nThen the Father of All-the-Leopards said, \"I am ashamed that this Beast\nshould overcome me. I will kill him!\" And he made a plan to do so. He\nwent to the spring where Mankind got their drinking-water. And he\nstood, hiding at the spring. Men of the town went to the spring to get\nwater; Leopard killed two of them. The people went to tell Goat, \"Go\naway from here, for Leopard is killing Mankind on your account.\" The\nMother of Goat said to him, \"If that is so, let us go to my brother\nVy\u00e2du.\" So they both went to go to Uncle Antelope. And they came\nto his village. When they told him their errand, he bravely said,\n\"Remain here! Let me see Nj\u00e2 come here with his audacity!\"\n\nThey were then at Antelope's village, about two days. On the third\nday, about eight o'clock in the morning, Leopard came there as if for\na walk. When Antelope saw him, Goat and his mother hid themselves;\nand Antelope asked Leopard, \"What is your anger? Why are you angry\nwith my nephew?\"\n\nAt that very moment while Antelope was speaking, Leopard seized him\non the ear. Antelope cried out, \"What are you killing me for?\" Leopard\nreplied, \"Show me the place where Tomba-Taba and his mother are.\" So,\nAntelope being afraid said, \"Come tonight, and I will show you where\nthey sleep. And you kill them; but don't kill me.\"\n\nWhile he was saying this, Goat overheard, and said to his mother,\n\"We must flee, lest Nj\u00e2 kill us.\" So, at sun-down, that evening, Goat\nand his mother fled to the village of Elephant. About midnight, Leopard\ncame to Antelope's village, according to appointment, and looked for\nGoat, but did not find him. Leopard went to all the houses of the\nvillage, and when he came to Antelope's own, in his disappointment,\nhe killed him.\n\nLeopard kept up his search, and followed to find where Goat had\ngone. Following the tracks, he came to the village of Elephant. When\nhe arrived there, Elephant demanded, \"What's the matter?\" And the same\nconversation was held, as at Antelope's village, and the incidents\nhappened as at that village, ending with Elephant's being killed\nby Leopard. For, Goat and his mother had fled, and had gone to the\nvillage of Ox.\n\nLeopard followed, and came to Ox's village. There all the same things\nwere said and done, as in the other villages, and ending with Goat\nand his mother fleeing, and Ox being killed.\n\nThen, the mother, wearying of flight, and sorry at causing their\nentertainers to be killed, said, \"My child! if we continue to flee to\nthe villages of other beasts, Nj\u00e2 will follow, and will kill them. Let\nus flee to the homes of Mankind.\"\n\nSo, they fled again, and came to the town of Man, and told him their\nstory. He received them kindly. He took Goat and his mother as guests,\nand gave them a house to live in.\n\nOne time, at night, Leopard came to the town of Man, in pursuit\nof Goat. But Man said to Leopard, \"Those Beasts whom you killed,\nfailed to find a way in which to kill you. But, if you come here,\nwe will find a way.\" So, that night, Leopard went back to his village.\n\nOn another day, Mankind began to make a big trap, with two rooms\nin it. They took Goat and put him in one room of the trap. Night\ncame. Leopard left his village, still going to seek for Goat; and\nhe came again to the town of Man. Leopard stood still, listened, and\nsniffed the air. He smelled the odor of Goat, and was glad, and said,\n\"So! this night I will kill him!\"\n\nHe saw an open way to a small house. He thought it was a door. He\nentered, and was caught in the trap. He could see Goat through the\ncracks in the wall, but could not get at him. Goat jeered at him,\n\"My friend! you were about to kill me, but you are unable.\"\n\nDaybreak came. And people of Man's town found Leopard in the trap,\ncaught fast. They took machetes and guns, and killed him. Then Man said\nto Goat, \"You shall not go back to the Forest; remain here always.\"\n\nThis is the reason that Goats like to live with mankind, through fear\nof Leopards.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 8\n\nIGWANA'S FORKED TONGUE\n\n\nPersons\n\n Ng\u00e2mbi (Igwana)\n Nj\u00e2 (Leopard)\n Betoli (Rats)\n Vy\u00e2du (Antelope)\n Iheli (Gazelle)\n Ehibo (Red Antelope)\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nNatives believe that the Igwana kills with its long tongue. This story\nassigns the fear of leopards as a reason why Igwanas like to live near\nwater. Igwanas swim readily, while leopards (as all the cat-tribe)\ndo not like even to wet their feet.\n\n\n\nThere were two friends, Igwana and Leopard, living in the same\nvillage, one at each end. Igwana had six wives; Leopard also had\nsix. Leopard begot twenty children; Igwana had eight. One time, at\nnight, they were sitting with their wives and children in the street,\nin a conversation. Leopard said to Igwana, \"Ng\u00e2mbi! I have a word to\nsay to you.\" Igwana said, \"Speak.\"\n\nThen Leopard said, \"I wish you and me to have our food\ntogether.\" Igwana agreed, \"Well.\" And Leopard arranged, \"For two\nmonths, you shall come and eat in my house; and then, for two months,\nI at your house.\"\n\nAnd they separated, to go to their houses for sleep.\n\nSoon the night passed, and day broke.\n\nLeopard went to the forest and killed an Antelope. He and Igwana and\ntheir families spent four days in eating it.\n\nOn another day, Leopard went to the forest and killed a Gazelle. It\nalso was finished in four days.\n\nAnd again, Leopard went to the forest, and killed a Red Antelope. They\nwere occupied in eating it also four days.\n\nSo, they continued all the two months. Then Leopard said, \"Ng\u00e2mbi! it\nis your time to begin the food.\" Igwana replied, \"I have no wild meat,\nonly vegetables.\"\n\nOn the following day, Igwana got ready his food and sent word for\nLeopard to come to eat. He came and ate, there being on the table only\nvegetables and salt. Then the day darkened; and, in the evening they\nall came together in one place, as usual. Leopard said to Igwana,\n\"I began my turn with meats in my house, and you ate them. I cannot\neat only vegetables and salt.\" Igwana explained, \"I do not know the\narts for killing beasts.\" Leopard told him, \"Begin now to try the\nart of how to catch beasts.\" Igwana replied, \"If I begin a plan for\ncatching Beasts, that plan will be a dreadful one.\" Leopard exclaimed,\n\"Good! begin!\"\n\nIgwana promised, \"Tomorrow I will begin.\"\n\nAnd they all went to their houses to sleep their sleep. The night\npassed, and day broke.\n\nIgwana started out very early in the morning. On the way, he came to\na big tree. He stood at its base, and, with a cord, he loosely tied\nhis own hands and feet around the tree. Then he began to squeak as\nif in pain, \"Hwa! hwa! hwa!\" three times.\n\nAt that same time, a child of Leopard had gone wandering out into the\nforest. He found Igwana tied to the tree and crying. Igwana said to\nhim, \"Ah! my child! come near me, and untie me.\"\n\nThe child of Leopard came near to him; and then Igwana thrust\nhis forked tongue into the nostrils of young leopard, and pulled\nhis brains out, so that the child died. Then Igwana untied himself,\nskinned the young leopard, divided it, tied the pieces in a big bundle\nof leaves, and took them and the skin to the village. There he gave\nthe meat to his wife, who put it in a pot. And he went to his house,\nand left the skin hanging in his bedroom.\n\nThen when the meat was cooked, he sent word for Leopard to come and\neat. Leopard came and sat down at the table, and they ate. As they\nwere eating, Leopard said, \"Ah! my friend! You said you did not know\nhow to catch beasts! What is this fine meat?\"\n\nIgwana replied, \"I am unable to tell you. Just you eat it.\" So, they\nate, and finished eating. Igwana continued that way for two weeks,\nkilling the young leopards.\n\nAt that Leopard said to himself, \"I had begotten twenty children, but\nnow I find only ten. Where are the other ten?\" He asked his children\nwhere their brothers were. They answered that they did not know,\n\"Perhaps they were lost in the forest.\" The while that Igwana was\nkilling the young leopards, he had hidden their skins all in his\nbedroom.\n\nOn another day, Leopard and Igwana began a journey together to a\nplace about forty miles distant. Before he started, Igwana closed his\nhouse, and said to his children, \"Nj\u00e2 and I are going on a journey;\nwhile I am away, do not let any one enter into my bedroom.\" And they\ntwo went together on their journey. They reached their journey's end,\nand were there for the duration of seven days. While they were gone,\nthere was no one to get meat for their people, and there came on\ntheir village a great njangu (hunger for meat).\n\nOne of those days, in the village, so great was that famine that the\nchildren of Leopard were searching for rats for food. The rats ran\naway to the house of Igwana that was shut up; and the children of\nLeopard pursued. But the children of Igwana said to them, \"Do not\nenter the house! Our father forbade it! Stop at the door-way!\"\n\nBut the young leopards replied, \"No! all the Betoli have run in\nthere. We must follow.\" So, they broke down the door. There they found\nskins of young leopards, and they exclaimed, \"So! indeed! Ng\u00e2mbi\nkills our brothers!\" And two days later, the two fathers came back\nto the village.\n\nThe young igwanas told their father that the young leopards had broken\nthe door, and found leopard-skins hanging inside. Igwana asked them,\n\"Really? They saw?\" The young igwanas answered, \"Yes! they saw!\" Then\nIgwana said, \"Be on your guard! For, Nj\u00e2 will be angry with me.\"\n\nAlso, the young leopards said to their father, \"Paia! so it is that\nNg\u00e2mbi killed our brothers. We saw their skins in his bedroom.\" Leopard\nasked, \"Truly?\" They answered, \"Yes! we saw!\" He said only, \"Well,\nlet it be.\"\n\nOn another day, Leopard said, \"This night I will go to Ng\u00e2mbi to kill\nhim and all his children.\" The wife of Igwana heard this, and told\nhim, \"Tonight, Nj\u00e2 will come to kill you and our children.\" At this,\nIgwana said to himself \"But! we must flee, I, and my children, and\nmy wives!\" So, they all went and hid in the water of a small stream.\n\nLeopard came, in the dark of the morning, to Igwana's house, and\nentered it; but he saw no people, only the skins of his children. So\nhe exclaimed, \"At whatever place I shall see Ng\u00e2mbi, I will kill and\neat him. We, he and I, have no more friendship!\"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 9\n\nWHAT CAUSED THEIR DEATHS?\n\n\nPersons\n\n Mbwa (Dog)\n Kudu (Tortoise)\n Mbala (Squirrel)\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nDog and squirrel were of the same age, and they met with the same\nend. They each had an object of their special liking, the excessive\nuse of which finally was the cause of their death.\n\n\n\nDog, Squirrel, Tortoise and others were living in one town. They all,\nat that time, ate of the same kind of food. But, they were at peace\nin that village during only two weeks. Then Squirrel and Dog said\nto Tortoise, \"Let us divide, and have peace each at our separate\nvillages. You, Kudu, and the others can stay at this spot if you like.\"\n\nSquirrel said he would remove to a place about three miles distant\nnorth. Dog went about three miles in the opposite direction. So,\neach had his own little hamlet.\n\nOn another day, Squirrel said to his wife, \"I am going on a journey\nto see my friend Mbwa.\" He started, came to Dog's place, and entered\nthe house. Dog welcomed him, played with him, and killed a fowl for\ntheir dinner. With Squirrel had come one of his wives.\n\nWhile the women were cooking inside the house, Dog and Squirrel\nwere sitting in the ikenga (reception-room). They were conversing\nthere. After awhile, Dog said to Squirrel \"Excuse me, I will go to\nsee about the food.\" He went inside, and lay down near the fire,\nand Squirrel was left alone.\n\nDog stayed there inside the house, until the food was cooked. Then\nhe came out to his friend, and began to set the table, while the\nwomen came in with the food, and put it on the table. Dog drew up\nby the table ready to eat; and Squirrel also; and Squirrel's wife,\nand Dog's wife also, making four at the table.\n\nDuring the eating, Squirrel said to Dog, \"My friend! when you left me\nhere in the ikenga, where did you go to, the while that the women were\ncooking the food?\" Dog answered, \"Ah! my friend, you know that I like\nfire very much. While we were talking here, you and I, cold seized me.\"\n\nThen Squirrel said, \"Ah! my friend, you like fire too much; I think\nyou will die of fire some day.\"\n\nThey finished the food; and after that, Squirrel prepared his return\njourney to his village. And he said to Dog, \"My friend Mbwa, how many\ndays before you shall come to my place?\" Dog answered, \"In two days,\nthen will I come.\"\n\nSo, Squirrel returned to his village. His wives and children told\nhim the daily news of what had occurred in the village while he was\naway. And he told them about what he had seen at Dog's. And he added,\n\"But, there is one thing I noticed; my friend Mbwa likes fire very\nmuch.\"\n\nHe waited the two days; Dog came on his visit; and Squirrel killed\na fowl for his guest. And he bade his woman cook the fowl. In the\nmeanwhile, Dog and Squirrel sat in the ikenga conversing. Presently\nSquirrel said to Dog, \"Excuse me, I am going. I will return.\"\n\nSquirrel went out into his garden, and climbed up a banana stalk,\nand began eating the ripe fruit at the top of the bunch. After awhile,\nhe came down again. And he went into the ikenga to prepare the table\nfor the food. When it was ready, Dog sat up at the table. With him\nwere his wife, and Squirrel and Squirrel's wife.\n\nPresently, Dog inquired of Squirrel, \"My friend! when you left\nme sitting here alone, where did you go to?\" Squirrel answered,\n\"My friend! you know I like to eat bananas. So, I was up the tree,\"\nThen Dog said, \"My friend! you love bananas too much; some day,\nyou will die with them.\"\n\nWhen they had finished their food, Dog said, \"I am on my return to\nmy village.\" So he returned thither. But he was arrived there only\ntwo days when he happened to fall into the fire-place. And he died\nin the fire. The news was carried to his friend Squirrel, \"Your\nfriend Mbwa is dead by fire.\" Squirrel replied, \"Yes, I said so;\nfor he loved fire too much.\"\n\nOn another day, in Man's town, a person went to look for food at his\nbanana tree. And he saw that the fruit was eaten at the top, by some\nanimal. So, that Man made a snare at the Banana tree. On the next day,\nSquirrel said to himself, \"I'm going to eat my banana food wherever\nI shall find it.\"\n\nHe came to the town of Man, and climbed the tree. The snare caught\nand killed him; and he died there. The Man came and found the body\nof Squirrel; and he exclaimed \"Good!\"\n\nThe news was carried to the village of Squirrel's children, \"Your\nfather is dead, at a banana tree.\"\n\nAnd they said, \"Yes; for our father loved bananas very much. He had\nsaid that Mbwa would die by fire because he loved fire. And himself\nalso loved bananas.\"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 10\n\nA QUARREL ABOUT SENIORITY\n\n\nPersons\n\n Ihendi (Squirrel)\n And 2 children\n Ikundu (Vengeance)\n Ihana (Help)\n Pe (Viper)\n A Hunter\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nThis story suggests that when a neighbor flatters another, suspicion is\nraised that he is plotting some evil. Squirrel and the Adder professed\ngreat friendship; but their friendship was soon broken.\n\nClaims of seniority are a constant cause of native quarrels.\n\nA certain fetish-charm or \"medicine\" (generally poisonous) is supposed\nto be able to decide, on its being drunk by accused parties, as to\ntheir guilt or innocence.\n\nThere is a common belief in premonitions by unusual beats of the heart,\nor twitching of any muscle.\n\n\n\nSquirrel and Adder were great friends, living in the same town. Each\nof them had two wives.\n\nOne day, in the afternoon, Squirrel and one of his wives went into the\nhouse of Adder. The latter said to his wife, \"Make ready food.\" So,\nshe made a great deal of food. Then he said to his friend Squirrel,\n\"Come, eat!\" But Squirrel said, \"I won't eat alone without my wife.\" So\nhe called his wife to eat. His wife came and ate at the table. Then\nhe said to Adder, \"Also, you call your wife to eat with us.\" So\nAdder's wife came. And Squirrel said to Adder, \"Now let us eat; for,\neverything is right.\" So they began to eat.\n\nWhile they were eating, Adder said, \"I have a word to say about you,\nIhendi.\" Squirrel replied, \"Speak your word; I will listen.\" Then Adder\nasked, \"You, Ihendi, and I, Pe; which is the elder? And your wife\nand my wife; also which is the elder?\" Squirrel replied, \"I am the\nelder, and my wife is older than your wife.\" But Adder said, \"No! I\nam the elder; and my wife is older than yours.\" Squirrel responded,\n\"I will give you my answer tomorrow in my own house.\" This occurred\nin the evening.\n\nThen the day darkened, and Squirrel went to his house to lie\ndown. Adder also went to lie down in his bedroom.\n\nIn the night, Squirrel remarked to his wife, \"My wife! what sort of\na word is this that Pe has spoken about so to me? I don't know about\nhis birth, and he does not know of mine. We have no other person in\nthe town who is able to decide which of us is the elder, and which the\nyounger. This question has some affair behind it.\" His wife replied\n\"I think that Pe wants to get up a quarrel in order to kill you or our\nchildren.\" Squirrel had two children, one named Vengeance and the other\nHelp. Squirrel replied to his wife, \"No! I will have no discussion\nwith Pe; but tomorrow there shall be only a test of Medicine.\"\n\nSoon the day broke. Squirrel sent word to Pe, \"Chum! you and I will\nhave today nothing else but a medicine-test and no quarrel. For, you\nand I profess to love each other. I do this to prove both yourself\nand myself, lest you get up some affair against me, even though we\nlove each other very much.\" Adder consented, \"Yes; get the Medicine. I\nwill know then what I shall say.\"\n\nSquirrel went to the forest to get leaves and bark of a certain\ntree for the kwai (test). On his return, he said to Adder, \"Here is\nthe test; let us drink of it.\" Adder replied, \"The Medicine is of\nyour getting. You first drink of it.\" Squirrel agreed, \"Yes, I will\ndrink first.\"\n\nSo, Squirrel, conscious of his innocence, drank the test and swore\nan oath, \"If I meet Pe's mother, it shall be only in peace. Or his\nfather, only peace; or his children, only peace.\" Squirrel added,\n\"I have finished speaking for my part.\" And he sat down on the ground.\n\nThen Adder arose from his seat and stood up. And he exclaimed,\n\"Yes! let it be so!\" He took up the medicine from the ground; and he\ndrank of it greedily. And he swore, \"If I meet with the children of\nIhende, it will be only to swallow them. Or, father of Ihende, only\nto eat him; or mother of Ihende, only to eat her!\" Then he sat down.\n\nBut, Squirrel exclaimed, \"Ha! my friend! you saw how I drank my share\nof the medicine, and I have not spoken thus as you. For what reason\nhave you thus spoken?\" Adder answered, \"Yes! I said so; and I will\nnot alter my words.\"\n\nThey dispersed from the medicine ordeal, and went each to his\nhouse. Then that day darkened into night. And they all went to\ntheir sleep.\n\nSoon the next day broke. Squirrel and his wife prepared for a journey\nto the forest to seek food. He said to his wife, \"Leave the children in\nthe house.\" So the woman shut them in, and closed the doors tight. And\nhe and she went off to the forest.\n\nLater on in the morning, Adder arose from his place, and he said\nto himself, \"I'm going to stroll over to the house of my friend\nIhende.\" So he came to Squirrel's house, and found no one there. He\ntried to break in the door; finally, he succeeded in opening it;\nand he entered the house. He found the two children of Squirrel\nlying together asleep. He shook them, and they awoke. He asked them,\n\"Where is my friend?\" They answered, \"Our father and mother have gone\nto the forest.\"\n\nThen Adder suddenly joined the two children together and swallowed\nthem. (They were both of them lads.) Then he went out of the house,\nand closed the door. His stomach being distended with what he had\nswallowed, he went back to his house, and laid down on his bed.\n\nOff in the forest, Squirrel said to his wife, \"My heart beats\nso strangely! I have eaten nothing here; what should disturb my\nheart?\" His wife replied, \"Well! let us hasten back to town. Perhaps\nsome affair has happened in our house!\"\n\nThey hastily gathered their food, to go back rapidly to town. On\ntheir arrival, they went at once to their house. Looking at the door,\nthe wife exclaimed, \"I did not leave this door so! Who has been at\nit?\" Her husband urged, \"Quickly! Open the door! Let us enter at\nonce!\" They opened the door; and found no one in the house.\n\nThen Squirrel, fearing evil, said to her, \"Stay you here! I will go\nover to Pe's house. I know that fellow!\" He came to Adder's house, and\nfound him distended with this stomach. Squirrel asked him, \"Chum! have\nyou been at my house?\" Adder answered, \"Yes, I went to your house; but\nI have done nothing there.\" Squirrel asked him, feeling sure of his\nguilt, \"But, where then are my children? Why did you not leave even\none of them? Ah! my friend!\" Adder replied, \"When we drank the Test,\ndid I not swear the truth that if I met with your children, I would\nswallow them?\" Squirrel answered, \"Yes! and you have kept your word\nwell! But you shall see something just now and here!\" Adder laughed,\nand said, \"What can you do? You have no strength like mine.\"\n\nClose by the house of Adder (which was only a hole in the ground)\nwas a large tree. Squirrel went out of the house, and climbed to the\ntop of the tree. There he began to wail for his dead, and cried out,\n\"Ikundu ja m\u00e2! Ikundu ja m\u00e2!\" (A play on words: either an apostrophe to\nthe name of one of his children, or a prayer for vengeance.) Another\nsquirrel, that was a mile or two away, heard the wailing; and it came\nto where Squirrel was. Also his wife followed Squirrel to that tree;\nand she wailed too. And other squirrels came; about twenty.\n\nA hunter, living in the town of Mankind, started from his town to go\nhunting. Coming along the path, he heard Squirrel crying. Looking\nup, he exclaimed, \"O! how many squirrels!\" He thought to himself,\n\"Why do these animals make this noise, and keep looking down at the\nfoot of this big tree?\"\n\nHe approached near to the tree; and they dispersed among the\nbranches. He then said to himself, \"I will look around here at the\nbottom; for, as those squirrels continue their cry, they keep looking\ndown here.\" Searching at the foot of the tree, he saw a hole, like\nthe home of some beast. Looking in, he saw the Adder sluggish in his\ndistention. The hunter killed it with his machete. And he took the\ndead adder with him to the town of Mankind.\n\nSquirrel, from the tree-top, shouted after dead Adder, \"You have\nseen my promised Ikundu.\" (Another play on words; either--\"You saw\nmy child;\" or, \"You see my Vengeance.\")\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 11\n\nTHE MAGIC DRUM\n\n\nPersons\n\n Kudu (Tortoise)\n King Maseni, A Man\n Nj\u00e2 (Leopard)\n Ng\u00e2m\u00e2 (A Magic Drum)\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nThe reason is here given why the turtle tribe of tortoises likes\nto live only in water; viz., their fear of the vengeance of the\ndescendants of Leopard the King, because of the whipping to which he\nwas subjected by the trick of the ancestor of the tortoises.\n\n\n\nIn the Ancient days, there were Mankind and all the Tribes of the\nAnimals living together in one country. They built their towns,\nand they dwelt together in one place. In the country of King Maseni,\nTortoise and Leopard occupied the same town; the one at one end of\nthe street, and the other at the other.\n\nLeopard married two women; Tortoise also his two.\n\nIt happened that a time of famine came, and a very great hunger fell\non the Tribes covering that whole region of country. So, King Maseni\nissued a law, thus:--\"Any person who shall be found having a piece of\nfood, he shall he brought to me.\" (That is, for the equal distribution\nof that food.) And he appointed police as watchmen to look after that\nwhole region.\n\nThe famine increased. People sat down hopelessly, and died of\nhunger. Just as, even today, it destroys the poor; not only of Africa,\nbut also in the lands of Manga-Manene (White Man's Land). And, as\nthe days passed, people continued sitting in their hopelessness.\n\nOne day, Tortoise went out early, going, going and entering into\nthe jungles, to seek for his special food, mushrooms. He had said\nto his wife, \"I am going to stroll on the beach off down toward the\nsouth.\" As he journeyed and journeyed, he came to a river. It was\na large one, several hundred feet in width. There he saw a coco-nut\ntree growing on the river-bank. When he reached the foot of the tree,\nand looked up at its top, he discovered that it was full of very many\nnuts. He said to himself. \"I'm going up there, to gather nuts; for,\nhunger has seized me.\" He laid aside his traveling-bag, leaving it on\nthe ground, and at once climbed the tree, expecting to gather many\nof the nuts. He plucked two, and threw them to the ground. Plucking\nanother, and attempting to throw it, it slipped from his hand, and\nfell into the stream running below.\n\nThen he exclaimed, \"I've come here in hunger; and does my coco-nut\nfall into the water to be lost?\" He said to himself, \"I'll leave here,\nand drop into the water, and follow the nut.\" So, he plunged down,\nsplash! into the water. He dove down to where the nut had sunk, to get\nit. And he was carried away by the current. Following the nut where the\ncurrent had carried it, he came to the landing-place of a strange Town,\nwhere was a large House. People were there in it. And other people\nwere outside, playing. They called to him. From the House, he heard a\nVoice, saying \"Take me! take me! take me!\" (It was a Drum that spoke.)\n\nAt the landing-place was a woman washing a child. The woman said\nto him, \"What is it that brought you here? And, Kudu, where are you\ngoing?\" He replied, \"There is great hunger in our town. So, on my way,\nI came seeking for my mushrooms. Then it was that I saw a coco tree;\nand I climbed it; for, I am hungry and have nothing to eat. I threw\ndown the nuts. One fell into the river. I followed it; and I came\nhither.\" Then the woman said, \"Now then, you are saved.\" And she added,\n\"Kudu! go to that House over there. You will see a Thing there. That\nThing is a Drum. Start, and go at once to where the Drums are.\"\n\nOthers of those people called out to him, \"There are many such Things\nthere. But, the kind that you will see which says, 'Take me! take\nme!' do not take it. But, the Drum which is silent and does not speak,\nbut only echoes, 'wo-wo-wo,' without any real words, you must take\nit. Carry it with you, and tie it to that coco tree. Then you must\nsay to the Drum, 'Ng\u00e2m\u00e2! speak as they told to you!'\" So, Tortoise\nwent on, and on, to the House, and took the Drum, and, carrying it,\ncame back to the river bank where the Woman was. She said to him,\n\"You must first try to learn how to use it. Beat it!\" He beat it. And,\na table appeared with all kinds of food! And, when he had eaten,\nhe said to the Drum, \"Put it back!\" And the table disappeared.\n\nHe carried the Drum with him clear back to the foot of the coco\ntree. He tied it with a rattan to the tree, and then said to the Drum,\n\"Ng\u00e2m\u00e2! do as they said!\" Instantly, the Drum set out a long table,\nand put on all sorts of food. Tortoise felt very glad and happy for\nthe abundance of food. So he ate and ate, and was satisfied. Again\nhe said, \"Ng\u00e2m\u00e2! do as they said!\" And Drum took back the table and\nthe food to itself up the tree, leaving a little food at the foot;\nand then came back to the hand of Tortoise. He put this little food\nin his traveling-bag, and gathered from the ground the coco-nuts\nhe had left lying there in the morning, and started to go back to\nhis town. He stopped at a spot a short distance in the rear of the\ntown. So delighted was he with his Drum that he tested it again. He\nstood it up, and with the palm of his hand struck it, tomu! A table\nat once stood there, with all kinds of food. Again he ate, and also\nfilled his traveling-bag. Then he said to a tree that was standing\nnear by, \"Bend down!\" It bowed; and he tied the Drum to its branch;\nand went off into the town. The coco-nuts and the mushrooms he handed\nto his women and children. After he had entered his house, his chief\nwife said to him, \"Where have you been all this long while since\nthe morning?\" He replied evasively, \"I went wandering clear down\nto the beach to gather coco-nuts. And, this day I saw a very fine\nthing. You, my wife, shall see it!\" Then he drew out the food from\nthe bag, potatoes, and rice, and beef. And he said, \"The while that\nwe eat this food, no one must show any of it to Nj\u00e2.\" So, they two,\nand his other wife and their family of children ate.\n\nSoon day darkened; and they all went to go to sleep. And soon another\nday began to break. At day-break, Tortoise started to go off to the\nplace where was the Drum. Arrived there, he went to the tree, and said\nto the Drum, \"Ng\u00e2m\u00e2! do as they said!\" The Drum came rapidly down to\nthe ground, and put out the table all covered with food. Tortoise took\na part, and ate, and was satisfied. Then he also filled the bag. Then\nsaid he to the Drum, \"Do as you did!\" And Drum took back the things,\nand went up the tree. On another day, at day-break, he went to the\ntree and did the same way.\n\nOn another day, as he was going, his eldest son, curious to find\nout where his father obtained so much food, secretly followed\nhim. Tortoise went to where the Drum was. The child hid himself, and\nstood still. He heard his father say to the tree, \"Bend!\" And its top\nbent down. The child saw the whole process, as Tortoise took the Drum,\nstood it up, and with the palm of his hand, struck it, ve! saying,\n\"Do as you have been told to do!\" At once a table stood prepared,\nat which Tortoise sat down and ate. And then, when he had finished,\nsaying, \"Tree! bend down,\" it bent over for Drum to be tied to it. He\nreturned Drum to the branch; and the tree stood erect.\n\nOn other days, Tortoise came to the tree, and did the same way, eating;\nand returning to his house; on all such occasions, bringing food for\nhis family. One day, the son, who had seen how to do all those things,\ncame to the tree, and said to it, \"Bow down.\" It bowed; and he did\nas his father had done. So Drum spread the table. The child ate, and\nfinished eating. Then said he to Drum, \"Put them away!\" And the table\ndisappeared. Then he took up the Drum, instead of fastening it to the\ntree, and secretly carried it to town to his own house. He went to call\nprivately his brothers, and his father's women, and other members of\nthe family. When they had come together in his house, at his command,\nthe Drum did as usual; and they ate. And when he said to the Drum,\n\"Put away the things!\" it put them away.\n\nTortoise came that day from the forest where he had been searching\nfor the loved mushrooms for his family. He said to himself, \"Before\ngoing into the town, I will first go to the tree to eat.\" As he\napproached the tree, when only a short distance from it, the tree\nwas standing as usual, but the Drum was not there! He exclaimed,\n\"Truly, now, what is this joke of the tree?\" As he neared the foot\nof the tree, still there was no Drum to be seen! He said to the tree,\n\"Bow down!\" There was no response! He passed on to the town, took his\naxe, and returned at once to the tree, in anger saying, \"Lest I cut\nyou down, bend!\" The tree stood still. Tortoise began at once with his\naxe chopping, Ko! ko! The tree fell, toppling to the ground, tomu! He\nsaid to it, \"You! produce the Drum, lest I cut you in pieces!\" He split\nthe tree all into pieces; but he did not see the Drum. He returned to\nthe town; and, as he went, he walked anxiously saying to himself, \"Who\nhas done this thing?\" When he reached his house, he was so displeased\nthat he declined to speak. Then his eldest son came to him, and said,\n\"O! my father! why is it that you are silent and do not speak? What\nhave you done in the forest? What is it?\" He replied, \"I don't want\nto talk.\" The son said, \"Ah! my father! you were satisfied when you\nused to come and eat, and you brought us mushrooms. I am the one who\ntook the Drum.\" Tortoise said to him, \"My child, now bring out to us\nthe Drum.\" He brought it out of an inner room. Then Tortoise and the\nson called together all their people privately, and assembled them in\nthe house. They commanded the Drum. It did as it usually did. They\nate. Their little children took their scraps of potatoes and meat\nof wild-animals, and, in their excitement, forgot orders, and went\nout eating their food in the open street. Other children saw them,\nand begged of them. They gave to them. Among them were children of\nLeopard, who went and showed the meat to their father.\n\nAll suddenly, Leopard came to the house of Tortoise, and found\nhim and his family feasting. Leopard said, \"Ah! Chum! you have\ndone me evil. You are eating; and I and my family are dying with\nhunger!\" Tortoise replied, \"Yes, not today, but tomorrow you shall\neat.\" So, Leopard returned to his house.\n\nAfter that, the day darkened. And they all went to lie down in\nsleep. Then, the next day broke.\n\nEarly in the morning, Tortoise, out in the street, announced, \"From my\nhouse to Nj\u00e2's there will be no strolling into the forest today. Today,\nonly food.\"\n\nTortoise then went off by himself to the coco tree (whither he had\nsecretly during the night carried the Drum). Arrived at the foot of the\ntree, he desired to test whether its power had been lost by the use of\nit in his town. So, he gave the usual orders; and they were, as usually\nobeyed. Tortoise then went off with the Drum, carrying it openly on his\nshoulder, into the town, and directly to the house of Leopard, and said\nto him, \"Call all your people! Let them come!\" They all came into the\nhouse; and the people of Tortoise also. He gave the usual commands. At\nonce, Drum produced abundance of food, and a table for it. So, they all\nate, and were satisfied. And Drum took back the table to itself. Drum\nremained in the house of Leopard for about two weeks. It ended its\nsupply of food, being displeased at Leopard's rough usage of itself;\nand there was no more food. Leopard went to Tortoise, and told him,\n\"Drum has no more food. Go, and get another.\" Tortoise was provoked\nat the abuse of his Drum, but he took it, and hung it up in his house.\n\nAt this time, the watchmen heard of the supply of food at Leopard's\nhouse, and they asked him about it. He denied having any. They asked\nhim, \"Where then did you get this food which we saw your children\neating?\" He said, \"From the children of Kudu.\" The officers went at\nonce to King Maseni, and reported, \"We saw a person who has food.\" He\ninquired, \"Who is he?\" They replied, \"Kudu.\" The King ordered\n\"Go ye, and summon Kudu.\" They went and told Tortoise, \"The King\nsummons you.\" Tortoise asked, \"What have I done to the King? Since\nthe King and I have been living in this country, he has not summoned\nme.\" Nevertheless, he obeyed and journeyed to the King's house. The\nKing said to him, \"You are keeping food, while all the Tribes are\ndying of hunger? You! bring all those foods!\" Tortoise replied,\n\"Please excuse me! I will not come again today with them. But,\ntomorrow, you must call for all the tribes.\"\n\nThe next morning, the King had his bell rung, and an order announced,\n\"Any person whatever, old or young, come to eat!\" The whole community\nassembled at the King's house. Tortoise also came from his town,\nholding his Drum in his hand. The distant members of that Tribe,\n(not knowing and not having heard what that Drum had been doing)\ntwitted him, \"Is it for a dance?\"\n\nEntering into the King's house, Tortoise stood up the Drum; with his\npalm he struck it, ve! saying, \"Let every kind of food appear!\" It\nappeared. The town was like a table, covered with every variety\nof food. The entire community ate, and were satisfied; and they\ndispersed. Tortoise took the Drum, and journeyed back to his town. He\nspoke to his hungry family, \"Come ye!\" They came. They struck the\nDrum; it was motionless; and nothing came from it! They struck it\nagain. Silent! (It was indignant at having been used by other hands\nthan those of Tortoise.) So, they sat down with hunger.\n\nThe next day, Tortoise went rapidly off to the coco tree, climbed it,\ngathered two nuts, threw one into the river, dropped into the stream,\nand followed the nut as he had done before. He came as before to that\nlanding-place, and to the Woman, and told her about the failure of\nthe Drum. She told him that she knew of it, and directed him to go\nand take another. He went on to that House, and to those People. And\nthey, as before, asked him, \"Kudu! whither goest thou?\" He replied,\n\"You know I have come to take my coco-nut.\" But they said, \"No! leave\nthe nut, and take a Drum.\" And, as before, they advised him to take a\nsilent one. So, he came to the House of Drums. These called to him,\n\"Take me! take me!\" Then, he thought to himself, \"Yes! I'll take\none of those Drums that talk. Perhaps they will have even better\nthings than the other.\" So, he took one, and came out of the House,\nand told those People \"I have taken. And, now, for my journey.\"\n\nHe started from the landing-place, and on up the river, to the foot of\nthe coco-tree. He tied the Drum to the tree with a cord, as before,\nset it up, and gave it a slap, ve! And a table stood there! He said,\n\"Ng\u00e2m\u00e2! do as you usually do!\" Instantly, there were thrown down on\nthe table, mbw\u00e2! whips instead of food. Tortoise, surprised, said,\n\"As usual!\" The Drum picked up one of the whips, and beat Tortoise,\nve! He cried out with pain, and said to the Drum, \"But, now do also\nas you do. Take these things away.\" And Drum returned the table and\nwhips to itself. Tortoise regretfully said to himself, \"Those People\ntold me not to take a Drum that talked; but my heart deceived me.\"\n\nHowever, a plan occurred to him by which to obtain a revenge on\nLeopard and the King for the trouble he had been put to.\n\nSo, taking up the Drum, he came to his own town, and went at once to\nthe house of Leopard. To whom he said, \"To-morrow come with your people\nand mine to the town of King Maseni.\" Leopard rejoiced at the thought,\n\"This is the Drum of food!\"\n\nThen Tortoise journeyed to the King's town, and said, \"I have found\nfood, according to your order. Call the people tomorrow.\"\n\nIn the morning, the King's bell was rung, and his people, accompanied\nby those of Tortoise and Leopard, came to his house. Tortoise privately\nspoke to his own people, \"No one of you must follow me into the\nhouse. Remain outside of the window.\"\n\nTortoise said to the King, \"The food of today must be eaten only\ninside of your house.\" So, the King's people, with those of Leopard,\nentered into the house. There, Tortoise said, \"We shall eat this food\nonly if all the doors and windows are fastened.\" So, they were fastened\n(excepting one which Tortoise kept open near himself). Then, the Drum\nwas sounded, and Tortoise commanded it, \"Do as you have said.\" And,\nthe tables appeared. But, instead of food, were whips. The people\nwondered, \"Ah! what do these mean? Where do they come from?\" Tortoise\nstationed himself by the open window, and commanded the Drum, \"As\nusual!\" Instantly the whips flew about the room, lashing everybody,\neven the King, and especially Leopard. The thrashing was great,\nand Leopard and his people were crying with pain. Their bodies were\ninjured, being covered with cuts.\n\nBut, Tortoise had promptly jumped out of the window. And, standing\noutside, he ordered, \"Ng\u00e2m\u00e2! do as you do!\" And the whips and tables\nreturned to it, and the whipping ceased. But, Tortoise knew that the\nangry crowd would try to seize and kill him. So, taking advantage\nof the confusion in the house, he and his people fled to the water\nof the river, and scattered, hiding among the logs and roots in the\nstream. As he was disappearing, Leopard shouted after him, \"You and I\nshall not see each other! If we do, it will be you who will be killed!\"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 12\n\nTHE LIES OF TORTOISE\n\n\nPersons\n\n Nj\u00e2 (Leopard)\n Kudu (Tortoise)\n Etoli (Rat)\n Embonda (Prairie Antelope)\n Iheli (Gazelle)\n Ngando (Crocodile)\n Ngomba (Porcupine)\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nAfrican natives climb the palm-tree, cut out a cavity in the heart\nat the leafy top, and fasten a vessel below the cavity, to catch\nthe sweet, milky juice that exudes. This is unintoxicating. But,\nlike cider, it becomes intoxicating if kept a few days. The cutting\ndestroys the tree in two or three months.\n\n\n\nThe beginning of this tale is that Leopard went to the forest, to cut\nan itutu tree (bamboo-palm) for palm-wine. After he had fastened the\nbowl at the cavity he had cut at the top in the heart of the tree,\nthen he came back to town.\n\nTortoise came along to that palm-wine tree; and he climbed to the\ntop. There he found that the sap had already collected in the bowl. And\nhe drank three tumblerfuls. Excited by his success, he shouted out\naloud, \"I'm drunk! I'm drunk!\"\n\nOff in the forest, Wild Rat heard his voice, and, following the\nsound, came to the place. To Tortoise, Rat said, \"Whose wine-tree is\nthis?\" Tortoise replied, \"My own!\" So, Rat begged of him, \"Give me a\nglassful!\" Tortoise told him \"Climb up! Of what are you afraid?\" So,\nRat climbed up the tree. He also drank two glassfuls.\n\nPresently, Tortoise heard Leopard coming, and he said to Rat. \"Await me\nhere, I'm just going down to the ground.\" When he reached the ground,\nTortoise hid his body in a hole at the base of the tree.\n\nIn a very little while, Leopard arrived at the tree. He lifted up his\neyes to the top and saw Rat there. To him Leopard said, \"Who owns\nthis palm-tree?\" Rat replied, \"My Chum, Kudu.\" But, Leopard asked,\n\"This Kudu, where is he?\" Then Leopard flung one of his claws at\nRat. It stuck in him, and Rat fell dead.\n\nLeopard took Rat's body and went away with it to his town. And he\nsaid to his wife, \"Cook this; this is our meat.\"\n\nSoon after Leopard had gone from the tree, Tortoise came out of his\nhiding, and climbed the tree a second time. Then, having drank again,\nhe shouted, as before, \"I'm drunk! I'm drunk!\"\n\nIn his hole off among the rocks, Porcupine heard Tortoise shouting;\nand he came to the tree, and asked for a drink. Tortoise told him\nto climb; adding, \"What are you afraid of?\" So, Porcupine followed\nTortoise up the tree, and drank two glassfuls of the wine.\n\nAgain Tortoise heard Leopard coming, recognizing the thud of his\nsteps as he leaped on the way. So, Tortoise cried out, as if in pain,\n\"O! my stomach hurts me! I'm going down!\" At the base, he hid himself\nagain in the cavity of the tree.\n\nIn a little while, Leopard appeared standing at the foot of\nthe tree. Looking up, he saw Porcupine there. And he inquired,\n\"Ngomba! who owns this tree?\" Porcupine answered, \"Chum Kudu!\" Leopard\nasked, \"This Kudu, who is he? I want to see him.\" Porcupine replied,\n\"Kudu has gone off, his stomach paining him.\" Then Leopard exclaimed,\n\"So! indeed! you are the ones who use up all my wine here!\" And he\nadded, \"What day I shall meet Kudu I do not know. But, that day we\nwill meet in fight.\" While he was saying all this, Tortoise, in the\nhole at the tree, heard.\n\nThen Leopard threw a claw at Porcupine. Porcupine fell down to the\nground a corpse. Leopard taking it, went away with it to his town,\nand said to his wife, \"Cook this meat, and let us eat it.\"\n\nAfter Leopard had left the tree, Tortoise emerged from his\nhiding-place. He climbed the tree a third time, and took a cup, and\ndrank two glassfuls. Again he shouted, \"I, Kudu, I'm drunk! I, Kudu,\nI'm drunk!\"\n\nOut on a prairie, Antelope heard the shouting; and he came to\nthe tree. Seeing Tortoise, he said, \"Chum, give me a glass of\nwine!\" Tortoise directed him, \"Climb up! Of what are you afraid?\" So,\nAntelope went up the tree, and drank.\n\nSoon Tortoise heard Leopard coming, bounding through the forest. And\nTortoise said to Antelope, \"Chum! my bowels pain me; I'll soon\nreturn.\" He descended, and hid his body as before. Leopard arrived as\nbefore. And he spoke to Antelope; and then killed it with another of\nhis claws. He took its carcass to his town, and bade his wife cook it,\nas had been done with the others.\n\nAfter Leopard had gone from the tree, Tortoise climbed the tree a\nfourth time, again he drank; and again he shouted, changing his words\nslightly, \"I've drank! I've drank!\"\n\nIn the jungle, Gazelle heard, and came to the base of the tree,\nbut said nothing. Tortoise spoke first, \"O! my nephew! the wine is\nfinished!\" Gazelle asked, \"Who owns this tree?\" Tortoise answered,\n\"It's my own, and not another's.\"\n\nWhen he came from the jungle, Gazelle had brought with him a bag. As\nGazelle still stood at the foot of the tree, Tortoise said to him,\n\"Come up here! What do you fear?\" So, Gazelle climbed; but went up\nonly half-way.\n\nWhile the two were thus apart, and before Gazelle had drunk any of the\nwine, Tortoise heard Leopard coming, leaping through the bushes. Then\nTortoise said to Gazelle, \"Ah! nephew! let me pass! My stomach hurts\nme!\" But Gazelle said, \"No! uncle, let us stay and drink.\" Tortoise\nheard Leopard nearing the tree; and he said to Gazelle, \"Ah! Hurry! Let\nme pass! How my stomach hurts!\" Gazelle said, \"No! uncle, we'll go\ndown together.\"\n\nWhile they were thus talking, Leopard reached the foot of the\ntree. Then Gazelle took Tortoise and hid him in the bag. Leopard\nexclaimed, \"Iheli! who owns this tree?\" Gazelle replied, \"This\nis the palm-wine tree of my uncle.\" Leopard asked, \"Who is your\nuncle?\" Gazelle answered, \"Kudu.\"\n\nSo, Leopard began to prepare to climb the tree, in order to fight\nwith Gazelle. Then Gazelle put his hand into the bag, and drew out\nTortoise, tightly grasped in his hand. And he flung Tortoise violently\ninto Leopard's face. Leopard fell to the ground, dazed with the blow,\nwhile Gazelle leaped to the ground, and fled off in the forest.\n\nWhen Leopard rose from the earth, he found Tortoise sprawling helpless\non its back. Leopard tied a string to him, and went away with him\nto town. And he said to his wife, \"My wife! this is the person who\ndrinks at my wine-tree!\" So he suspended him by the string, waiting\nto kill him next day.\n\nThe day began to darken towards night; and they went to their sleep.\n\nThen came the daylight of next morning.\n\nLeopard said to his wife, \"I'm going to a palaver (council) at a\nplace three miles distant. Take Kudu and cook him with udika (gravy\nof kernels of wild mango). When I come back, let me find the food\nall ready to be eaten at once.\"\n\nSo, Leopard went on his journey. And his wife remained to do\nher work. But, she exclaimed, \"Ah! I forget what my husband told\nme!\" Tortoise, overhearing her said, \"Your husband said, 'Take the\ndried Etoli from the shelf, and cook it with udika; give it to Kudu,\nand let him eat it; and then take Kudu and wash him in the water\nof the brook.'\" The woman gladly listened, and said, \"Eh! Kudu! you\nremember well what my husband said to me!\"\n\nSo, she did about the food as Tortoise had reported, and gave it to\nhim to eat. When Tortoise had finished eating, the woman went with\nhim to wash him in the water at the edge of the brook. While she was\ndoing this, Tortoise asked, \"Throw me off into the water where it\nis deep.\" The woman did so. And Tortoise shouted, \"So! you will die\nthis day by your husband's hands!\" The woman began to see her mistake,\nand she begged Tortoise, \"Come! let us go back to town.\" But Tortoise\nsaid, \"I shan't come! I'm here safe in my place down in the bottom\nof the stream.\"\n\nThen the woman went back to her town; and as she went, she went crying.\n\nLate in the day, Leopard returned from the discussions of the\nCouncil. And he said to his wife, \"O! my wife! I'm just dying of\nhunger!\" She told him, \"Ah! my husband! Kudu has run away!\" Leopard,\nin his anger, flung a claw at her; and she died on the spot.\n\nTortoise, in the meanwhile, went as fast as he could under the\nwater of the stream. And he came to the house of Crocodile, and\ncrept into the doorway. Crocodile, in tears, met him with the words,\n\"Ah! Kudu! I'm just dying here with grief and crying.\" Tortoise asked\nher, \"What is the matter?\" She told him, \"I've laid a hundred eggs,\nbut none of them had children in them.\" Tortoise replied, \"That's my\nwork, the causing of eggs to have children. Shall I do it?\" Crocodile\nconsented, \"Yes, I've here three hundred other eggs; you may make\nthem have children.\" Tortoise told her, \"I'm the only one to do that\nthing.\" So, Crocodile said, \"Go into this room, and do it.\"\n\nTortoise went into the room, found the eggs there; and said to\nCrocodile, \"Give me here a kettle, also firewood and water. Give me my\nfood here. For, I will not go out of this house; I will go out only at\nthe time when I shall have caused the eggs to have children.\" Crocodile\nagreed, saying, \"Yes, I am willing. It is well.\" And she gave direction\nto her people, \"Give Kudu all the things he has asked for there.\"\n\nThen Tortoise locked all the doors, and stayed inside the room. He\nbegan to arrange the fire-wood, and set the kettle and put water in\nit. In the afternoon, he took twenty eggs, and cooked, and ate them\nwith his food.\n\nAt night, all went to sleep.\n\nAt daybreak, he cooked twenty more eggs, and ate them; at noon he\ncooked and ate more; and at evening supper, he cooked and ate some\nmore. So, he spent about seven days in eating all the eggs. Then he\ncalled out to Crocodile \"Do you want to hear the little crocodiles\ntalk?\" Crocodile replied, \"Yes! I want to hear!\" Tortoise took\ntwo pieces of broken plates, and scraped one across the other,\nmaking a rasping sound. Crocodile and the people of the town heard\nthe squeaking sounds, and they exclaimed in joy. \"So! So, So!\" They\nreplied to Tortoise, \"We hear the little ones talking!\" Tortoise\nalso told them, \"Tomorrow, then, I will make a Medicine to cause\nthem to talk loudly.\" But Crocodile began to have some doubts. And\nday darkened to night.\n\nVery early in the next morning, Crocodile's doubts having increased,\nshe rose up without calling her people. And she went slowly alone to\npeep through a crack into the room of Tortoise. She saw only the piles\nof egg-shells; and she wondered, \"Where are the little ones?\" Then\nshe went softly back to her own room; and she told the townspeople,\n\"Get up! Let us open the room of Kudu!\"\n\nThey all got up, and they went to the house. They broke the room\ndoor by force; and they found Tortoise sitting among the scattered\nshells of the eggs. The Crocodile exclaimed, \"Kudu! have you deceived\nme? Your life too ends today!\"\n\nThey tied Tortoise, and put him in the kettle; and they killed him\nthere. They divided his flesh onto their plates. And Crocodile and\nher people ate Tortoise.\n\nThis is the end of the lies of Tortoise.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 13\n\n\"DEATH BEGINS BY SOME ONE PERSON\": A PROVERB\n\n\nPersons\n\n K\u00e2 (A Very Big Snail)\n Ng\u00e2mbi (Igwana)\n Kudu (Tortoise)\n Lon\u00e2ni (Birds)\n Kema (Monkeys)\n A Man\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nTrouble came to all these animals, even to the innocent, through\nthe noise of some of them. Igwanas are supposed, by the natives,\nto be deaf.\n\n\n\nSnail, Igwana and Tortoise all lived together in one village. One day,\nTortoise went to roam in the forest. There he found a large tree called\nEvenga. He said to himself, \"I will stay at the foot of this tree, and\nwait for the fruit to fall.\" During two days, he remained there alone.\n\nOn the third day, Igwana said to Snail, \"I must go and search for our\nChum Kudu, wherever he is.\" So, Igwana went; and he found Tortoise in\na hole at the foot of that tree. Igwana said to him, \"Chum! for two\ndays I haven't seen you!\" Tortoise replied, \"I shan't go back to the\nvillage; I will remain here.\" Then Igwana said to him, \"Well, then;\nlet us sit here together in the same spot.\" Tortoise objected, \"No!\" So\nIgwana climbed up the trunk a very short distance, and clung there.\n\nAfter two days, Snail, who had been left alone, said to himself,\n\"I must follow my friends, and find where they are.\"\n\nSo, Snail journeyed, and found Tortoise and Igwana there at that\ntree. Looking at the tree, he exclaimed, \"Ah! what a fine tree under\nwhich to sit!\" The others replied, \"Yes; stay here!\" So Snail said\nto Igwana, \"I will stay near you, Chum Ng\u00e2mbi, where you are.\" But\nIgwana objected, \"No!\"\n\nThere was a vine hanging down from the treetop to the ground, and\nSnail climbed up the vine. Thus the three friends were arranged;\nTortoise in the hole at the foot of the tree, Igwana up the trunk a\nshort way, and Snail on the vine half-way to the top.\n\nIgwana held on where he was, close to the bark of the tree. He was\npartly deaf, and did not hear well.\n\nAfter two days, the tree put forth a great abundance of fruit. The\nfruit all ripened. Very many small Birds came to the tree-top to\neat the fruit. And very many small Monkeys too, at the top. Also big\nmonkeys. And also big birds. All crowded at the top. They all began\nto eat the fruit. As they ate, they played, and made a great deal\nof noise.\n\nTortoise hearing this noise, and dreading that it might attract the\nnotice of some enemy, called to Igwana, \"Ng\u00e2mbi! tell K\u00e2 to say to\nthose people there at the top of the tree, to eat quietly, and not\nwith so much noise.\"\n\nTortoise himself did not call to Snail, lest his shout should add to\nthe noise. He only spoke in a low voice to Igwana. But, to confirm\nhis words, he quoted a proverb, \"Iwedo a yalakendi na moto umbaka\"\n(death begins by one person). This meant that they all should be\nwatchful, lest Danger come to them all by the indiscretion of a\nfew. But Igwana did not hear; and was silent.\n\nTortoise called again, \"Ng\u00e2mbi! tell K\u00e2 to tell those people to eat\nquietly, and without noise.\" Igwana was silent, and made no answer. A\nthird and a fourth time, Tortoise called out thus to Igwana; but he\ndid not hear. So, Tortoise said to himself, \"I won't say any more!\"\n\nA man from Njambo's Town had gone out to hunt, having with him bow\nand arrow, a machete, and a gun. In his wandering, he happened to\ncome to that tree. Hearing the noise of voices, he looked up and\nsaw the many monkeys and birds on the tree. He exclaimed to himself,\n\"Ah! how very many on one tree, more than I have ever seen!\"\n\nHe shot his arrow; and three monkeys fell. He fired his gun, and\nkilled seven birds. Then the Birds and the Monkeys all scattered\nand fled in fear. The Man also looked at the foot of the tree, and\nsaw Tortoise in the hole. He drew him out, and thrust him into his\nhunting-bag. Then he looked on the other side of the tree, and saw\nIgwana within reach. He rejoiced in his success, \"Oh! Igwana here\ntoo!\" He struck him with the machete; and Igwana died.\n\nObserving the vine, the Man gave it a pull. And down fell Snail! The\nMan exclaimed, \"So! this is Snail!\"\n\nAs the Man started homeward carrying his load of animals, Tortoise\nin the bag, mourning over his fate, said to the dead Igwana and the\nothers, \"I told you to call to K\u00e2 to warn Kema and Lonani; and, now\ndeath has come to us all! If you, Kema and Lonani, in the beginning,\non the tree-top, had not made such a noise, Man would not have come\nto kill us. This all comes from you.\"\n\nAnd Man took all these animals to his town, and divided them among\nhis people.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 14\n\nTORTOISE AND THE BOJABI TREE\n\n\nPlace\n\n Country of All-The-Beasts\n\nPersons\n\n Mb\u00e2m\u00e2 (Boa Constrictor)\n Kudu (Tortoise)\n Etoli (House Rat)\n Vy\u00e2du (Antelope)\n Nj\u00e2ku (Elephant)\n Iheli (Gazelle)\n Ngomba (Porcupine)\n Nyati (Ox)\n And the Bojabi Tree\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nAfrican natives hesitate to eat of an unknown fruit or vegetable,\nunless they see it first partaken of by some lower animal.\n\n\n\nAll the tribes of Beasts were living in one region, except one\nbeast, which was staying in its separate place. Its name was Boa\nConstrictor. His place was about thirty miles away from the others.\n\nIn the region of all those Beasts, there was a very large tree. Its\nname was Bojabi. But none of those beasts knew that that was its name.\n\nThere fell a great famine on that Country-of-all-the-Beasts. In their\nsearch for food, they looked at that tree; and they said, \"This tree\nhas fine-looking fruit; but, we do not know its name. How then shall we\nknow whether it is fit to be eaten?\" After some discussion, they said,\n\"We think our Father Mb\u00e2m\u00e2 will be able to know this tree's name.\" So\nthey agreed, \"Let us send a person to Mb\u00e2m\u00e2 to cause us to know the\nname of the tree.\" They selected Rat, and said to him, \"You, Etoli,\nare young; go you, and inquire.\" They also decided that, \"Whoever goes\nshall not go by land along the beach, but by sea.\" (This they said,\nin order to prove the messenger's strength and perseverance; whether\nhe would dally by the way ashore, or paddle steadily by sea.) Also,\nthey told Rat that, in going, he should take one of the fruits of the\ntree in his hand, so that Boa might know it. So, Rat took the Bojabi\nfruit, stepped into a canoe, and began to paddle. He started about\nsun-rise in the morning. In the middle of the afternoon, he arrived\nat his journey's end.\n\nHe entered into the reception-room of Boa's house, and found him\nsitting there. Boa welcomed him, and said to his wife, \"Prepare food\nfor our guest, Etoli!\" And he said to Rat, \"Stranger! eat! And then\nyou will tell me what is the message you have brought.\"\n\nRat ate and finished, and began to tell his message thus:--He said,\n\"In our country we have nothing there but hunger. But there is there\na tree, and this is its fruit. Whether it is fit to be eaten or not,\nyou will tell us.\" Boa replied, \"That tree is Bojabi; this fruit is\nNjabi; and it is to be eaten.\"\n\nThen the day darkened to night. And they slept their sleep.\n\nAnd then the next day broke.\n\nAnd Boa said to Rat, \"Begin your journey, Etoli! The name of the tree\nis Bojabi. Do not forget it!\"\n\nRat stepped into his canoe, and began to paddle. He reached his country\nlate in the afternoon. He landed. And he remained a little while on the\nbeach, dragging the canoe ashore. So occupied was he in doing this,\nthat he forgot the tree's name. Then he went up into the town. The\ntribes of All-the-Beasts met him, exclaiming, \"Tell us! tell us!\" Rat\nconfessed, \"I have forgotten the name just this very now.\" Then,\nin their disappointment, they all beat him.\n\nOn another day, they said to Porcupine, \"Ngomba! go you!\" But they\nwarned Rat, \"If Ngomba brings the name, you, Etoli, shall not eat of\nthe fruit.\"\n\nPorcupine made his journey also by sea, and came to the town of\nBoa. When Porcupine had stated his errand, Boa told him, \"The tree's\nname is Bojabi. Now, go!\"\n\nPorcupine returned by sea, and kept the name in his memory, until he\nwas actually entering the town of his home; and, then, he suddenly\nforgot it. The tribes of All-the-Beasts called out to him, as they\nsaw him coming, \"Ngomba! tell us! tell us!\" When he informed them\nthat he had forgotten it, they beat him, as they had done to Rat.\n\nThey had also in that country, another plant which was thought not\nproper to be eaten. They did not know that its leaves were really\ngood for food.\n\nOn another day, they said to Antelope, \"Go you; and tell Mb\u00e2m\u00e2, and\nask him which shall we eat, this fruit or these leaves. What shall\nwe Beasts do?\"\n\nAntelope went by sea; and came to Boa's town. And he asked Boa,\n\"What do you here eat? Tell us.\" Boa replied, \"I eat leaves of the\nplants, and I drink water; that is all I do. And the name of the tree\nthat bears that fruit is Bojabi. You, all the Beasts, what are you\nto eat? I have told you.\"\n\nAntelope slept there that night. And the next day, he started on\nhis return journey. At his journey's end, as he was about to land on\nthe beach, a wave upset the canoe, and he fell into the sea. In the\nexcitement, he forgot the name. The anxious tribes of All-the-Beasts\nhad come down to the beach to meet him, and were asking, \"What is the\nname? Tell us!\" He replied, \"Had I not fallen into the water, I would\nnot have forgotten the name.\" Then, in their anger, they beat him.\n\nAlmost all the beasts were thus tried for that journey; and they all\nfailed in the same way, with the name forgotten, even the big beasts\nlike Ox and Elephant. There was no one of them who had succeeded in\nbringing home the name.\n\nBut there was left still, one who had not been tried. That was\nTortoise. So, he said, \"Let me try to go.\" They were all vexed with\nhim, at what they thought his audacity and presumption. They began to\nbeat him, saying, \"Even the less for us, and more so for you! You will\nnot be able!\" But Gazelle interposed, saying, \"Let Kudu alone! Why\ndo you beat him? Let him go on the errand. We all have failed; and\nit is well that he should fail too.\"\n\nTortoise went to his mother's hut, and said to her, \"I'm going! How\nshall I do it?\" His mother told him, \"In your going on this journey,\ndo not drink any water while at sea, only while ashore. Also, do not\neat any food on the way, but only in the town. Do not perform any call\nof Nature at sea, only ashore. For, if you do any of these things on\nthe way, you will be unable to return with the name. For, all those who\ndid these things on the way, forgot the name.\" So Tortoise promised,\n\"Yes, my mother, I shall not do them.\"\n\nOn another day, Tortoise began his journey to Boa, early. He paddled\nand he paddled, not stopping to eat or drink, until he had gone\nabout two-thirds of the way. Then hunger and thirst and calls of\nNature seized him. But he restrained himself, and went on paddling\nharder and faster. These feelings had seized him about noon; and\nthey ceased an hour later. He continued the journey; and, before\nfour o'clock in the afternoon, had arrived at Boa's. There Tortoise\nentered Boa's house, and found him sitting. Boa saluted, and said,\n\"Legs rest; but the mouth will not. Wife! bring food for Kudu!\" The\nwife brought food, and Tortoise ate.\n\nThen Boa said to Tortoise, \"Tell me what the journey is\nabout.\" Tortoise told him, \"A great hunger is in our place. There also\nwe have two plants; the one,--this is its fruit; and this grass,--the\nleaves. Are they eaten?\" Boa replied, \"The tree of this fruit, its\nname is Bojabi; and it is eaten. But, I, Mb\u00e2m\u00e2, here, I eat leaves\nand drink water; and that is enough for me. These things are the food\nfor All-us Beasts. We have no other food. Go and tell All-the-Beasts\nso.\" Tortoise replied, \"Yes; it is well.\"\n\nThen the day darkened, and they slept.\n\nAnd another day came. And Tortoise began his journey of return\nto his home. As he went, he sang this song, to help remember the\nname:--\"Nj\u00e2ku! Jaka Njabi. De! De! De!\" (Elephant! eat the Bojabi\nfruit. Straight! Straight! Straight!) The chorus was \"Bojabi,\" And,\nin each repetition of the line, he changed the name of the animal,\nthus:--\"Nyati! jaka njabi. De! De! De. Bojabi\" (Ox! eat the Bojabi\nfruit. Straight! straight! straight! Bojabi!)\n\nHe thus nerved himself to keep straight on in his journey. And,\nas he went, he kept repeating the chorus. \"Bojabi, bojabi! bojabi!\"\n\nHe had gone about one-third of the way, when a large wave came and\nupset the canoe, and threw him, pwim! into the water. He clung to the\ncanoe, and the wave carried it and him clear ashore, he still repeating\nthe word, \"Bojabi! bojabi!\" Ashore, he began to mend the canoe; but,\nall the while, he continued singing, \"Bojabi!\" When he had repaired\nthe canoe, he started the journey again, and went on his way, still\ncrying out, \"Bojabi!\"\n\nBy that time, All-the-Beasts had gathered on the beach to wait\nthe coming of Tortoise. He came on and on, through the surf near\nto the landing-place of the town. As he was about to land, a great\nwave caught him, njim! and the canoe. But, he still was shouting,\n\"Bojabi!\" Though All-the-Beasts heard the word, they did not know\nwhat it meant, or why Tortoise was saying it. They ran into the\nsurf, and carried the canoe and Tortoise himself up to the top of\nthe beach. And they, all in a hurry, begged, \"Tell us!\" He replied,\n\"I will tell you only when in the town.\" In gladness, they carried\nhim on their shoulders up into the town. Then he said, \"Before I\ntell you, let me take my share of these fruits lying out there in the\nyard.\" They agreed; and he carried a large number, hundreds of them,\ninto his house. Then he stated, \"Mb\u00e2m\u00e2 said, 'Its name is Bojabi.'\" And\nAll-the-Beasts shouted in unison, \"Yes! Bojabi!\"\n\nThen they all began to scramble with each other in gathering the fruit;\nso that Tortoise would have been unable to get any, had he not first\ntaken his share to his mother, whose advice had brought him success.\n\nHe also reported to them, \"Mb\u00e2m\u00e2 told me to tell you that himself\neats leaves and grass, and drinks water, and is satisfied. For,\nthat is the food of All-the-Beasts.\"\n\nHad it not been for Boa, the Beasts would not have known about\neating leaves. But, though that is so, the diligence and skill,\nin this affair, was of Tortoise.\n\nSo, All-the-Beasts agreed:--\"We shall have two Kings, Kudu and Mb\u00e2m\u00e2,\neach at his end of the country. For, the one with his wisdom told what\nwas fit to be eaten; and, the other, with his skill, brought the news.\"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 15\n\nTHE SUITORS OF NJAMBO'S DAUGHTER\n\n\nPlace\n\n In Njambo's Town\n\nPersons\n\n Njambo and His Daughter Ndenga\n Etoli (House Rat)\n Nj\u00e2 (Leopard)\n Ko (Forest Rat)\n Nyati (Ox)\n Kudu (Tortoise)\n Nj\u00e2ku (Elephant)\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nAfricans cut down trees, not at the base, but some 12 or 20 feet up\nwhere the diameter is less. They sit in the circle of a rope enclosing\nthe tree and their own body, the rope resting against their backbone\nat the loins, and their feet braced against the tree trunk.\n\nThe reason why Tortoise lives in brooks is his fear of Leopard.\n\n\n\nAll the Beasts were living long ago in one place, separate from\nthe towns of Mankind; but they had friendship for and married with\neach other.\n\nAmong the towns of Mankind was living a man named Njambo. There was\nborn to him a female child named Ndenga. In the town, at one end of\nit, there was a very large tree.\n\nNjambo said of his daughter, \"This child shall be married only with\nBeasts.\" So when the Beasts heard of that one of them, House-Rat,\nsaid, \"I'm going to marry that woman!\" So he went to the father to\narrange what things he should pay on the dowry. Njambo said to him,\n\"I do not want goods. But, if any one shall be able to hew down this\ntree, he shall marry my child.\"\n\nAt once, Rat took the axe that Njambo handed him, and began to hack at\nthe Tree. He tried and tried, but was not able to make the axe enter\nat all. At last, he wearied of trying and stopped. He said to himself,\n\"If I go to Njambo, and tell him I am unable to do the task, he will\nkill me.\" So, he left the axe, at the foot of the tree, and fled to\nhis town.\n\nNjambo waited a while, but seeing no signs of Rat's coming to him to\nreport, himself came to the Tree, and found only the axe, but saw no\nperson. He took up the axe, and went with it back to his house.\n\nOff in the Forest, all-Beasts saw Rat returning, and were surprised\nthat he came alone. They asked him, \"Where is the woman?\" Rat answered,\n\"I wearied of trying to get the woman, by reason of the greatness of\nthe task of cutting down a tree. So, I gave up the work, and fled,\nand have come home.\"\n\nThen all the Beasts derided him, saying, \"You like to live in another\nperson's house, and scramble around, and nibble at other people's food,\nbut you are not able to marry a wife!\"\n\nThen Forest-Rat said, \"I will marry that woman!\" So he went to\nNjambo for the marriage, and came to the town. Njambo said to him,\n\"I do not object to anybody for the marriage, but, I will only test\nyou by that Tree off yonder. If you are willing to hew the Tree,\nyou may marry this woman!\"\n\nThis Forest-Rat replied, \"Yes! I shall wait here today; and will\ncut down the Tree early tomorrow morning.\" That day darkened. And\nNjambo's people cooked food for Forest-Rat as their guest. They all\nate; and then they went to lie down to sleep.\n\nThen after awhile, the light of another day began to break.\n\nThey arose. And they gave Forest-Rat an axe. He took it, and went to\nthe foot of the Tree. He fastened two cords, with which to climb up\nto where the Tree was at half its thickness. There he tried to cut\nthe Tree. But he was unable to cut away even the smallest chip. At\nlast he exclaimed, \"Ah! brother Etoli is justified! I am not able to\ncut this tree, because of its hardness.\"\n\nSo, he came down the Tree, and left the axe at the foot, saying, \"If\nI go back to the house of this Man, he will kill me. No! I am fleeing.\"\n\nWhen he arrived at his town, the other people asked him, \"Where's\nthe woman?\" He answered, \"The woman is a thing easy to marry, but\nthe Tree was a hard thing to cut.\"\n\nAfter waiting awhile for the Forest-Rat, Njambo came to the foot of\nthe Tree; and, seeing the axe lying, took it, and went with it to\nhis House.\n\nThen Leopard tried for the woman; and failed in the same way as the\ntwo who preceded him.\n\nNext, Elephant tried, and failed in the same way.\n\nSo did Ox in the same way.\n\nAnd all the other Beasts, one after another, in the same way, wearied\nof the task for obtaining this woman.\n\nBut, there was left still one Beast, Tortoise, that had not made\nthe attempt at the marriage. He stood up, and said, \"I will go;\nand I shall marry that woman at Njambo's town!\" Ox heard Tortoise\nsay that; and struck him, saying, \"Why! even more so we; and the\nless so you, to attempt to obtain her!\" But Elephant said to Ox,\n\"Let Kudu alone! Let us see him marry the woman!\"\n\nSo, Tortoise made his journey to Njambo's town, and came there late\nin the afternoon. He said to Njambo, \"I have come to marry your\nchild.\" Njambo replied, \"Well! let it be so!\"\n\nTortoise said to Njambo, \"First, call your daughter, to see if she\nshall like me.\" When she entered the room, Tortoise asked her, \"Do you\nlove me?\" She answered, \"Yes! I love you with all my heart.\" This made\nTortoise glad; for the woman was very beautiful to look upon. Then\nNjambo told him, \"Kudu, I want no goods for her; only the cutting of\nthe Tree.\" Tortoise assented, \"Yes! I will try.\"\n\nSo they all went to sleep that night.\n\nAnd then the next day broke.\n\nAn hour after sunrise, Njambo called Tortoise, and, showing him the\naxe, said, \"This is the axe for the tree.\" Tortoise took the axe,\nand went to the foot of the Tree. He looked at its sides closely,\nand saw there was a difference in them. He also looked very steadily\nat the top of the tree. Then he took rattan ropes, and mounted to the\nmiddle of the thickness of the Tree. He chose also the side opposite\nthat at which the others had cut. He found it soft when he began to\ncut; and, at once the chips began to fall to the ground. He had begun\nthe chopping early, and by the middle of the morning, the Tree began\nto fall. And it fell to the ground with a great crash, nji-i!\n\nNjambo heard the fall of the tree, and he came to see it. And he\nsaid to Tortoise, \"You have done well, because you have cut down\nthe Tree. But, finish the job by cutting off the top end with its\nbranches. That will leave the trunk clear.\" Tortoise asked Njambo,\n\"What will you do with the log?\" Njambo answered him, \"To make\na canoe.\"\n\nSo, Tortoise cut off also the end of the Tree with its branches.\n\nThen Njambo told him, \"Come on, into the town, to take your wife;\nbecause you have cut down the tree; that is the price I asked.\" The\ntwo came to the house in the town; and Njambo brought his daughter\nto Tortoise, saying, \"This is your wife. And I give with the woman\nthese other things.\" Those things were only different kinds of food.\n\nTortoise made his journey with his wife towards his town. He journeyed,\ngoing, going on, until he had reached half of the way. Then he said\nto his wife, \"What shall I do? For, Nj\u00e2 is ahead in the way?\" The\nwife replied, \"No! go on! I think Nj\u00e2 will do nothing to us.\"\n\nShortly afterward, they met with Leopard in the path. Leopard said\nto Tortoise, \"Ah! Chum! this wife is not proper for you to marry,\nonly with me, Nj\u00e2.\" Tortoise said \"No!\" But Leopard insisted, \"No! I\ntake this one! I will give you another wife in her place.\" So, he\nsnatched the woman from Tortoise, and ran away with her to his town.\n\nTortoise went on his way, as he went, crying, till he came to his\nown village. There Elephant asked him, \"Why do you cry as you go? Has\nNjambo struck you about the affair of the marriage? For, we had heard\nthe news that you had cut down the tree, and had taken the woman. What\nthen is the reason?\"\n\nTortoise answered, \"Yes! I married the woman, because I had cut down\nthe Tree. But Nj\u00e2 took the woman away.\"\n\nThen Elephant called all the Beasts together to take counsel. He said\nto them, \"What shall we do, because Nj\u00e2 has taken away the wife of\nKudu?\" They all replied, \"We are all afraid of Nj\u00e2. None of us can dare\nto say anything to him. For, he kills us people. So, our decision is:\nLet Kudu give up his wife to Nj\u00e2.\"\n\nBut Tortoise said, \"I am unable to leave her. If it be death, I will\ndie because of my wife.\"\n\nSo, they all dispersed from the house of Tortoise, and went to their\nown houses.\n\nAt that time, Leopard had eight wives.\n\nTortoise removed from the Town-of-all-the-Beasts, and built a village\nfor himself, about one-and-a-half miles away. He built on the public\nhighway, where passed by all people. He put a very large stone in\nfront of his door-yard, large enough for one to sit down on it. He\nmade also a bench near the stone. And he put a plate with water in it\non the ground by the stone. Then he placed a certain magic-medicine\non the seat of the bench. And he uttered a Charm: \"Let any one else\nwho sits on this seat go free from it. But, if it be Nj\u00e2, let him\nnot go from it.\"\n\nHe finished all these things late in the afternoon. The day darkened,\nand he went to his house, and slept his sleep.\n\nSoon the day broke.\n\nThat day, Elephant said, \"I'm going to the forest, and my wives with\nme.\" As he came on his way, he passed by the street of Tortoise's\nHouse. He observed the stone and the bench and the water. He exclaimed,\n\"Ah! I'll sharpen my machete here!\" So, he sat down on the bench,\nand sharpened his machete. Then, went on his way into the forest with\nhis wives.\n\nAfter a while, Ox came on his journey, and saw the stone and water. He\nalso sat down on the bench, and sharpened his machete. And then went\non his way into the forest with his wives.\n\nSoon afterward, Leopard journeyed along with all his eight, and the\nnew one, the ninth, the wife of Tortoise. He came to the house of\nTortoise. Looking into the door-yard, he exclaimed, \"Ah! good! and\nfine! that Kudu has prepared these things.\"\n\nTortoise was in the house; he saw Leopard coming, and he rejoiced,\n\"Very good! indeed! for the coming of this person.\" Leopard sat down\non the bench, and sharpened his machete on the stone with the water\nof the plate. His women standing by, waited for him to finish the\nsharpening. When he had finished, he said, \"I will get up, and start\nthe journey again.\" But, he stuck fast to the bench. He exclaimed,\n\"My women! I am unable to rise! What shall I do?\"\n\nThe \"medicine\" on the bench began to sting him like bees. And he\ncried out, \"Ah! I'm dead! For, I am unable to rise!\"\n\nTortoise, coming out into the yard, said to Leopard, \"I am the one\nwho caused you this. You will not move thence until you give me\nback my wife. If you do not, you will remain there a whole month,\na whole year.\"\n\nAt this, Leopard felt very much grieved; and he inquired of his women,\n\"The wife of Kudu is here in this company?\" The woman answered,\n\"Yes! I'm here.\" Then Leopard said, \"Please, Kudu, take your wife,\nand remove me from this bench. It hurts me.\" So, Tortoise took his\nwife. And he added, \"I want also my food you took from us in the path.\"\n\nLeopard sent a child back to his town in haste to cut plantains. The\nchild went; and the plantains were brought. Tortoise took them, and\nsaid, \"Nj\u00e2! you are done, for your part. I have taken all I owned. But,\nif I release you, you will kill me, and take again my wife. You shall\nbe released only after I have fled.\"\n\nSo, Tortoise fled with his wife and all his goods into a stream of\nwater. When safely there, he shouted, \"Let Nj\u00e2 remove from that seat!\"\n\nAt once, Leopard stood up, and was free. And he went back to his town,\ngiving up his intended journey into the forest.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 16\n\nTORTOISE, DOG, LEOPARD AND THE NJABI FRUIT\n\n\nPersons\n\n Nj\u00e2 (Leopard)\n Mbwa (Dog)\n Kudu (Tortoise)\n In\u00e2ni (A Bird)\n And Other Beasts\n\n\n\nNote: Observe the cannibalism of the human-animals.\n\n\n\nAt first, all Animals were living in one region. Of these, Tortoise and\nDog lived together in one place, and built a town by themselves. But,\nall the others, Leopard, Hippopotamus, Elephant, Ox, etc., lived\ntogether in another place.\n\nAfter some time, a great famine fell on the part of the country where\nTortoise and Dog lived; and they had to seek for any kind of food.\n\nOne day Tortoise said to Dog, \"I'm going awalking into the forest.\" So,\nearly at daybreak, he started off to seek for mushrooms. All those\nother Beasts that were living together had a kind of tree called\nBojabi, bearing a very large heavy fruit called Njabi. And they had\nall agreed, \"There are no other Animals, but our own companies, who\nshall eat of the fruit of this Tree.\" They were accustomed, whenever\nthey had eaten of this fruit, to go to an adjacent prairie, to play.\n\nSo that day, on his journey, Tortoise happened to come to the foot of\nthat Tree. The ripe fruit were falling from it, and quantities were\nlying on the ground. He exclaimed \"Eme! (indeed!), Ibele! (splendid),\nEme! Abundance of food!\" He gathered, and ate, and stayed a while\ngathering others, which he would carry back to his town.\n\nWhile doing this, a fruit fell from the branch above, and struck him\nhard on the back. The blow hurt him; but he only said, \"Ah! the back\nof an aged person!\" (My back feels like that of an aged person.) This\nhe said because of the pain it gave him; but he made no out-cry.\n\nHe had with him a bag, into which he put food on a journey. So,\nhe filled it with the fruits, and resumed his journey to go back\nto his town. On his arrival at his house, his wife said to him,\n\"Why did you delay so long?\" He replied, \"I found a Tree belonging\nto the Tribes-of-All-the-Beasts. Had they seen me, they would have\nkilled me.\" And, he drew the fruits from the bag, and gave his wife\nand children, saying, \"Eat ye!\" But, he added, \"While you eat of it,\ndo not allow Mbwa to see it.\"\n\nOne of the children ran out into the street, with the fruit grasped\nin his hand. Just then, Dog happened to meet the child in the street,\nand asked him, \"Who gave you this fruit, child of Kudu?\" The child\nanswered, \"My father came from the forest, and brought this fruit\nwith him.\" In the evening, when the day had darkened, Dog came and\nsaid to Tortoise, \"My friend! you are a bad fellow; for, we live\ntogether in one place, and you do not share with me! Chum! is it\npossible that you eat such good things here? Where did you discover\nthem?\" Tortoise then gave Dog and his children a share. But, he was\nnot willing to tell the place of that Tree. He evaded, by saying,\n\"As I went, I forced my way through the jungle of the forest. But,\nI did not find any mushrooms; they are about done. Also, we are not\nallowed to go to the place where this fruit grows.\" So it went on\nfor some time.\n\nOn another evening, Tortoise remarked, in conversation with Dog,\nthat he would be going into the forest next day. Dog said nothing,\nbut went back to his house, as if to sleep; while Tortoise remained\nin his house, and went to bed.\n\nTortoise had left his hunting-bag hanging in the public\nreception-room by his house. At night, Dog arose from his house,\nand slowly and stealthily went to the house of Tortoise, clear into\nthat room. Entering it secretly, and finding the bag, he threw ashes\ninto its mouth and then, with his knife, made holes in it at the lower\nend. For, he said to himself, \"When Tortoise shall go out early, then I\nwill follow him.\" Then he went back to his house, and laid down again.\n\nWhen day-light began to break, early in the morning, Tortoise arose,\ntook the bag, and started on a journey to that forest tree which\nbelonged to the Beasts. As he went the ashes sifted through the holes\nin the bottom of the bag, and fell on the path. He finally arrived\nat the tree.\n\nDog also arose early, and found which way Tortoise had gone, by the\ndropping of the ashes; for, as he went, Dog was looking out for the\nmarks on the way; and, following the signs, they clearly showed him\nthe route, until he reached the tree, soon after Tortoise had arrived.\n\nTortoise exclaimed, \"Ah! Chum! What have you come here to do? Who\ncalled you, you with your loud howling? Do you know who own this\nTree? Can you endure if one of these fruits should fall down on\nyou? For, if you cry out in pain, then the owners of this Tree will\ncatch both you and me. If they seize me, who am Kudu, what shall I\ndo? For, I, Kudu, do not know how to run rapidly.\" Then Dog said, \"If\nthey come to seize you, I will come to take you from their hands.\" At\nthis, Tortoise laughed out aloud, \"Those beasts of strength! When\nthey seize me, you will come and take me from them? Really?\"\n\nJust then while they were thus speaking, two of the fruits fell on\nTortoise's back, at the same time, with a thud, ndu! ndu! Though in\npain, he only unconcernedly remarked, \"The hardened skin of an aged\nperson! Ah! the back of an old man!\" and went on eating.\n\nDog exclaimed, \"O! Chum! that big thing struck you, and you were able\nto refrain from crying!\" Tortoise replied, \"Wait till yours also!\"\n\nPresently a very small fruit thus fell, and hit Dog on the head. He\nhowled lustily, \"Ow! ow! ow! ow!\" Tortoise said to him, \"Did I not\ntell you so!\"\n\nThere came down another fruit, and fell on Tortoise; he quietly\ndisregarded it. Another then fell on Dog with a thump, ngomu! And he\nran off howling, \"mw\u00e2! mw\u00e2!\"\n\nAll this while, Leopard had been up the Tree. It was he who had flung\nthe fruit at Dog and Tortoise.\n\nWhen Dog ran, Leopard instantly descended the Tree, and, disregarding\nTortoise, chased Dog; but could not overtake him. Had he caught Dog,\nseizing him tightly, he would have killed him with one blow of his paw,\nndi! and would have eaten him on the spot. While Leopard was away,\nTortoise was in fear and did not know what to do, for he knew that he\ncould not run from Leopard. A Bird whistled, \"Pu! pu! pu! Chum Kudu,\nHide! hide!\" So Tortoise went into a hole at the base of the tree,\nand hid there.\n\nLeopard, on his return, sought for Tortoise, but could not find\nhim. So, he climbed the Tree again, and gathered his fruits, and\nwent off towards the town of the Beasts. But, he met those Beasts\ncoming; for, they had heard the howls of Dog, and had shouted at him,\n\"He! e. e.! Wait for us! Don't be afraid!\"\n\nAll those People-of-the-Tree came and gathered about its trunk. They\nsearched; and presently they saw Tortoise. They exclaimed, \"So! you\nare the one who eats for us the fruit of this tree! You shall die!\"\n\nThey tied him, and took him with them to their town. There they\nsuspended him from the roof of a house, saying, \"To-morrow, you will\nbe eaten!\" Off at his town, the wife of Tortoise asked Dog, \"Where is\nmy husband?\" Dog answered, \"I think that the Tribes-of-all-the-Beasts\nhave caught him.\" After a while, Dog, thinking, said to himself,\n\"I remember my word that I said to Kudu, 'If they seize you, I will\ncome to take you.'\" So, Dog went and gathered shells of a very large\nsnail named K\u00e2. He took a large number, pierced each one with a hole,\nand strung them all on a string. These he placed about his neck;\nand, as he went along, he wriggled his body, and the shells struck\ntogether like little bells. Then said he to himself, \"The time is\nfulfilled for taking away my friend.\" So, he went rapidly to where\nthe Tribes-of-the-Beasts had a spring for their drinking-water. Those\nBeasts had sent one of their lads to get water with which to cook\nTortoise. The lad came to the spring. Dog jingled the shells; and,\nthe lad ran back to town screaming, \"There's some Thing at the spring,\nwhich kills!\"\n\nThen the Tribes sent a young man stronger than the lad, and said to\nhim, \"Go you, and get water at the spring.\" When the young man came\nnear the spring, Dog jingled the shells, as before. And, the young\nman fled in fear. So, the people of the town said, \"Let us all go to\nthe spring together; for, that Thing can not hurt us all.\"\n\nSo they came to the spring. Dog seeing that all were coming, left the\nspring, and ran around to their town by another path, to take Tortoise\naway. Dog found Tortoise suspended by a rope. He bit through the rope,\nand, with Tortoise on his back, he ran rapidly to their town.\n\nThose of the Tribes who first arrived at the spring, searched,\ninquiring, \"Where is It? Where is It? Where is It?\" Discovering\nnothing, they returned to the town. Then, they could not find\nTortoise. And they said, \"Let be! Kudu has slipped away.\"\n\nOne day after this, the wife of Dog and the wife of Tortoise went\ninto the forest to their gardens to seek for food. And their children\nwent out on the prairie, to play. Dog and Tortoise both remained\nin the town. Notwithstanding that Dog had saved his life, Tortoise\nwas still angry at him for having spoiled their going to the Njabi\nTree. Tortoise came to Dog's end of the town and said to him, \"Let\nus shave our foreheads.\" Dog was pleased, and said, \"Kudu, you first\ndo me; then I will do you.\"\n\nSo Tortoise took the razor, and he shaved away Dog's front locks.\n\nThen Tortoise said to Dog, \"Let me shave also your neck.\" Dog bent\ndown his head. Tortoise slashed the entire neck, cutting Dog's head\noff. And Dog fell down a corpse.\n\nTortoise cut up the body, and put the pieces in a kettle of water\non the fire. Also, he gathered pepper pods, and ground them for the\nseasoning. He looked for salt, and saw it was up on top of a shelf. So,\nhe took three chairs, putting them on top of one another, by which to\nclimb up. As he was creeping up, the chairs fell over on the ground. As\nthey fell, he tumbled also down, almost into the kettle of hot water,\nwhere were boiling the pieces of Dog. But, Tortoise scrambled away,\nand went off to his end of the town.\n\nAfter a while the children of Dog came back from their play, and\nnot finding their father in his house, they came to the house of his\nfriend Tortoise, and asked, \"Where is our father?\" Tortoise replied,\n\"As for me, where I was, I did not see him. When he went from here,\nwho sent for him?\"\n\nWhen the two women returned, Dog's wife found, but did not recognize,\nthe pieces of meat in her kettle. She wailed and mourned for him as\ndead. When, by the next day, the people of Dog did not find him,\nthey said, \"He is dead.\" But they suspected Tortoise. The wife of\nTortoise also doubted him, and deserting him, returned to the house\nof her father. So, Tortoise left them all, and went to another place,\nfearing they would charge him with the death of Dog.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 17\n\nA JOURNEY FOR SALT\n\n\nPersons\n\n Nj\u00e2bu (Civet)\n Mb\u00e2m\u00e2 (Boa)\n Ngweya (Hog)\n Kudu (Tortoise)\n A Man, and Hunters\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nInterior tribes formerly obtained their salt from sea-water evaporated\nby the coast tribes in large shallow brass pans, called \"neptunes,\"\nimported by foreign traders.\n\n\n\nAll these four Beasts were neighbors, living together in one town.\n\nOne time, in the evening, about an hour after the regular six\no'clock sunset, they all, were sitting conversing in the street. Then\nTortoise said to the others, \"Here! I have something to say! I wish\nto talk with you. Tomorrow, let us go on a journey, to take a walk\nthrough the forest down to the Sea, to buy salt.\" They all assented,\n\"Yes! so let it be!\"\n\nLate at night, they dispersed to their houses, to lie down for sleep.\n\nAfter awhile, the day began to break.\n\nEarly in the morning, they prepared for their journey. And Tortoise\nsaid to them, \"I have here another thing to say; my last word. That\nis: As we go, no one of us is to start any new affair on the way; only\nsteadily down to the Seacoast.\" They all said, \"Yes! we are agreed.\"\n\nSo, they started through the forest, going on their journey. They\nwent, and they went, on and on, expecting to go a long way, until\nthey should by evening come to their camping-place for the night. But,\non the way, Civet began to say, \"Ah! my stomach aches! Ah! my stomach\naches!\" Tortoise asked, \"What do you mean by 'stomach-ache?'\" Civet\nanswered, \"'Stomach-ache' means that my bowels trouble me, and that\nI need to go.\"\n\nTortoise said, \"Well! go! step aside from the path into the bushes,\nand we will wait for you here.\" But Civet said, \"No! not in the\nbushes; for, I must go back to the kitchen-garden of my mother in our\ntown.\" Tortoise exclaimed, \"By no means! When we arranged for this\njourney, what did I say in the town?\" They all admitted, \"You said that\nnone of us should start any affair on the way.\" Therefore Tortoise\nsaid, \"But, you, Nj\u00e2bu, have begun a new matter on the way. If so,\nthis journey is going to end in trouble!\"\n\nNevertheless, Civet ran rapidly back before night to his mother's\nkitchen-garden in his town, at the place where he usually went, while\nthe three others sat down in the path to await his return. After a\nlong time, Civet, having relieved himself, came again by night to\nhis companions, saying, \"I am feeling very well.\"\n\nThe next day, they all rose, saying, \"Now! Let us resume our\njourney!\" and they started again.\n\nThey walked, and they walked, until Boa cried, \"O! my stomach! O! my\nstomach aches!\" Then Tortoise asked him, \"What is 'stomach ache'?\" Boa\nreplied, \"It means that hunger has seized me.\" So Tortoise said, \"Yes,\nthat's right. We have with us food for the journey ready. So, come, all\nof you, let us all eat.\" But Boa said, \"No! not this food. I must go\nand seek other food.\" Tortoise inquired, \"What other kind of food?\" Boa\nsaid, \"Let me go over yonder a little way; and I shall return.\"\n\nAs he was going, he came in sight of a red Antelope. Boa curled his\nbody in folds, according to his manner of crushing his prey. The\nAntelope happened along; and Boa seized and killed it. He covered it\nwith saliva very much, as is its manner in swallowing its prey. And,\ncarrying it to their camp, Boa lay down with it. Tortoise said, \"We\nwill all eat together of it.\" But Boa replied, \"We do not give each\nother in the town; shall we give each other on the journey?\" Then he\nswallowed the entire carcass. Presently he called the other three;\nand they went to him. And he said to them, \"I have finished eating,\nand I am satisfied.\"\n\nSo, Tortoise said, \"Come on, then; let us continue our journey.\" But\nBoa said, \"No! I shall leave this place only when this Beast I have\neaten dissolves.\" Tortoise expostulated, \"Indeed! Chum! I said in\nthe town, 'Let no one begin any matter on the way,' yet, first Nj\u00e2bu\nbegan his affair; and now you, Mb\u00e2m\u00e2, begin yours!\"\n\nHowever, they all sat down, and waited for Boa's food to digest. For\nan entire month they waited there, delaying while that food was\nbeing digested. Finally, Boa said, \"Now, we will journey, but first I\nwill go to the river to drink.\" He drank a very great deal of water,\nwhich acted as a purgative to relieve his bowels of the bones of the\nAntelope. Then he reported to the others, \"I am feeling very well. Let\nus go.\"\n\nThey went, and they went. And they came to a large tree so recently\nfallen across the path that its leaves were still green. Hog jumped\nover to the other side of it. Also, Boa crawled over it. And Civet\nleaped over it. They called to Tortoise, who was vainly trying to\nclimb over it, \"Come on! Let us go ahead! Jump!\"\n\nBut, Tortoise being vexed, said, \"No! I won't go! You know I have no\nlong legs. What can I do! So, I shall leave this spot only when this\ntree has rotted through, giving me an open way!\" They all wondered, and\nsaid, \"No! this tree is new and fresh. It will rot in how many days?\"\n\nTortoise replied, \"Not me! you! For, had not you two, Nj\u00e2bu and Mb\u00e2m\u00e2,\ndelayed us, we would already have passed this spot long before this\ntree fell. You, Nj\u00e2bu, first began a matter; soon, you, Mb\u00e2m\u00e2,\nbegan your matter; now, this is my matter. Now wait for me.\" So,\nthey waited and waited.\n\nBut, while waiting, the other three went out sometimes by early\ndaylight in the morning to an adjacent plantation, and found there\ncorn, yams, plantains, and all kinds of food. Civet and Hog said,\n\"We must eat!\" They ate up the corn, and finished the plantains.\n\nOne day, a Man of another town, was wandering in the forest. As he\njourneyed, he was looking from side to side on the way, peering for\nwhat he might find. And he saw many tracks of Beasts. Examining them\nclosely, he said, \"This track looks like that of a tortoise! Yes,\nand this like a hog's! And, here, O! this other is of a civet! And,\nha! ha! a trail of a boa is this!\" He exclaimed, \"How many Beasts this\nplace has! I will call the townspeople to come and kill these Beasts;\nfor, there must be many.\" So, he hurried rapidly back, and arrived\nat the town.\n\nWhen there, he shouted, \"Come on, men! Come to the forest! I've found\nmany Beasts!\" The owner of the Plantation came along. His people took\ntheir guns; and some took machetes; and some, spears and knives. Others\ntook nets. And they all went together at once. They also had with them,\ndogs, to whose necks they tied little bells.\n\nWhen they came to that place where the four Beasts were, the dogs\nbarked and shook their bells as they raced. And the men began to shout\n\"H\u00e2! h\u00e2!\" to drive the Beasts into the net. They first came upon\nHog, fired a gun at him, and he died. Next, they came upon Civet,\nand pierced him with a spear. They killed also Boa, who was lying\ndormant by the log. And they saw the other Beast, Tortoise, on one\nside of the log, trying to conceal itself among the decayed leaves,\nand seized it. Having the three dead bodies, they kept Tortoise alive,\nand tied him with a cord.\n\nThey had begun the killing of these Beasts late in the afternoon,\nand they reached their town about sunset. And they said, \"Put all\nthe carcasses in one house; but suspend Tortoise from the roof.\" They\nconsulted, \"We shall eat those Beasts only tomorrow; for, the evening\nis too late to cut them up and cook them.\" So, they all went to sleep.\n\nNear midnight, Tortoise, after a long effort, wriggled out of the\ncoils of the cord. He came to the corner of the room where were the\nbodies of the other three Beasts. He said over Civet's body, \"Did I\nnot say to you, 'Begin no new matter on the way?' And now you are a\ncorpse.\" And over Boa, he said, \"You too; I told you not to begin a\nmatter; and now you are a dead body. Had we not begun these matters\non the way, we would have finished our journey safely.\"\n\nThen he scratched a hole under the wall of the house, and escaped to\nthe forest.\n\nAfter that, the day broke. And the townspeople said among themselves,\n\"Bring the Beasts outside of the house; let us cut them up.\" They\ndid so with the three dead bodies. And they told a lad, \"Bring the\nKudu that is suspended from the rafters.\"\n\nThe lad looked and reported, \"I have seen no Kudu.\" They all went to\nlook for it, and could see nothing of it. So, they said, \"Let us eat\nthese. Let the other go; for, it has run away.\"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 18\n\nA PLEA FOR MERCY\n\n\nPersons\n\n Nj\u00e2bu (Civet)\n Uhingi (Genet)\n Kuba (Chicken)\n Vy\u00e2du (Antelope)\n Kudu (Tortoise)\n Ivenga, A Woman and Her Husband Njambo\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nThis Tale seems to be a version of No. 17. The plea of Tortoise that\nhe did not spoil the fruits of plantations is true; it does not injure\nthe gardens of the natives.\n\n\n\nThese four Beasts were living in one town; Civet, in his own house;\nTortoise in his; Antelope also in his; Genet too in his own. But\ntheir four houses opened on to one long street.\n\nOne day, in the afternoon, they all were in that street, sitting\ndown in conversation. Tortoise said to them, \"I have here a word to\nsay.\" They replied \"Well! Speak!\"\n\nAt that time, their town had a great famine. So, Tortoise said,\n\"Tomorrow, we will go to seek food.\" They replied, \"Good! just as\nsoon as the day, at its first break.\"\n\nThen they scattered, and went to their houses to lie down for\nsleep. Soon, the day broke. And they all got up, and were ready by\nsunrise at six o'clock.\n\nThey all went on their journey to find food. They searched as they\nwalked a distance of several miles. Then they came to a plantation\nof Njambo's wife Ivenga. It was distant from Njambo's town about\none hour's walk. It had a great deal of sugar-cane; also of yams\nand cassava. It had also a quantity of sweet potatoes. There also,\nthe chickens of Njambo were accustomed to go to scratch for worms\namong the plants.\n\nAt once, Civet exclaimed, \"I'll go no further! I like to eat\nsugar-cane!\" So he went to the plot of cane.\n\nAntelope also said, \"I too! I'll not go any further. I like to eat\nleaves of potato and cassava.\" So he went to the plot of cassava.\n\nAnd Genet said, \"Yes! I see Kuba here! I like to eat Kuba! I'll go\nno further!\" So, he went after the chickens.\n\nBut first, the three had asked Tortoise, \"Kudu! what will you do? Have\nyou nothing to eat?\" Tortoise answered, \"I have nothing to eat. But,\nI shall await you even two days, and will not complain.\" So, Civet\nremarked, \"Yes! I will not soon leave here, till I eat up all this\ncane. Then I will go back to town.\" Antelope also said, \"Yes! the\nsame. I will remain here with the potato leaves till I finish them,\nbefore I go back.\" Genet also said, \"Yes! I see many Kuba here. I\nwill stay and finish them.\"\n\nTortoise only said, \"I have nothing to say.\"\n\nIn that plantation was a large tree; and Tortoise went to lie down\nat its foot.\n\nThey were all there about four days, eating and eating. On the fifth\nday, Njambo's wife Ivenga in the town said to herself, \"I'll go today,\nand see about my plantation, how it is.\"\n\nShe came to the plantation, and when she saw the condition in which\nit was, she lifted up her voice, and began to wail a lamentation. She\nsaw that but little cane was left, and not much of potatoes. Looking\nin another part of the plantation, she saw lying there, very many\nfeathers of chickens.\n\nShe ran back rapidly to town to tell her husband. But, she was\nso excited she could scarcely speak. He asked her, \"What's the\nmatter, Ivenga?\" She answered, \"I have no words to tell you. For,\nthe Plantation is left with no food.\" Then, the Man called twenty\nmen of the town; and he said to them, \"Take four nets!\" They took\nthe nets, and also four dogs, with small bells tied to the necks\nof the dogs. The men had also guns and spears and machetes in their\nhands. They followed into the forest; and they came on to three of\nthe Beasts. They came first upon Antelope, with their dogs; and they\nshot him dead. Then the dogs came on Genet, and they followed him; and\nsoon he was shot with a gun. They came also on Civet, and killed him.\n\nTaking up the carcasses, they said to each other, \"Let us go back\nto town.\" On the way, they came to the big Tree, and found Tortoise\nlying at the base. They took him also, and then went on to their town.\n\nArrived there, Njambo ordered, \"Put Kudu in a house and suspend him\nfrom the roof.\" Also he ordered, \"Take off the skin of Vy\u00e2du and hang\nit in the house where Kudu is.\" He added, \"Take off also the skin of\nNj\u00e2bu.\" They did so, and they put it into that house. He directed that\nGenet should also be skinned, and his skin hung in that same house. So,\nthere was left of these beasts in the street, only the flesh of their\nbodies. These the men cut up and divided among themselves. And they\nfeasted for several days.\n\nOn the fourth day afterward, Njambo said to his wife, \"I'm going on\na visit to a town about three miles away. Do you, while I am away,\nkill Kudu, and prepare him with ng\u00e2nd\u00e2 for me, by my return.\" The\nwoman got ready the ng\u00e2nd\u00e2 seeds (gourd) for the pudding, and then\nwent into the room to take Tortoise. In the dim light, she lifted up\nher hand, and found the string that suspended Tortoise.\n\nBut, before she untied it, Tortoise said, \"Just wait a little.\" The\nwoman took away her hand, and stood waiting. Tortoise asked her,\n\"This skin there looks like what?\" The woman replied, \"A skin of\nVy\u00e2du.\" And Tortoise inquired, \"What did Vy\u00e2du do?\" The woman answered,\n\"Vy\u00e2du ate my potatoes in the Plantation, and my husband killed him\nfor it.\" Tortoise said, \"That is well.\"\n\nThen Tortoise again asked, \"This other skin is of what animal?\" The\nwoman replied, \"Of Uhingi.\" Tortoise inquired, \"What did Uhingi\ndo?\" The woman answered, \"Uhingi killed and ate my and my husband's\nKuba; and he was killed for that.\" Then Tortoise said, \"Very good\nreason!\"\n\nAgain Tortoise asked the woman, \"This other skin?\" She answered,\n\"Of Nj\u00e2bu.\" Tortoise asked, \"Nj\u00e2bu, what did he do?\" She answered,\n\"Nj\u00e2bu ate my sugar-cane, and my husband killed him.\" Tortoise said,\n\"A proper reason! But, you, you are going to kill me and cook me with\nng\u00e2nd\u00e2-pudding. What have I done?\" The woman had no reason to give. So\nshe left Tortoise alive, and began to cook the gourd-seeds with fish.\n\nSoon, Njambo himself came back, and his wife set before him the ng\u00e2nd\u00e2\nand fish. But he objected, \"Ah! my wife! I told you to cook Kudu; and\nyou have cooked me fish. Why?\" The woman told him, \"My husband! first\nfinish this food, and then you and I will go to see about Kudu.\" So,\nNjambo finished eating, and Ivenga removed the plates from the\ntable. Then they two went into the room where Tortoise was suspended.\n\nThe woman sat, but Njambo was standing ready to pluck down\nTortoise. Then Tortoise said to Njambo, \"You, Man! just wait!\" The\nwoman also said to Njambo, \"My husband! listen to what Kudu says\nto you.\"\n\nTortoise asked, \"You, Man, what skin is this?\" Njambo answered, \"Of\nVy\u00e2du. I killed him on account of this eating my Plantation.\" Then\nTortoise asked, \"And that skin?\" Njambo answered, \"Of Uhingi; and\nI killed him for eating my Kuba.\" Tortoise again asked, \"And this\nother?\" Njambo answered, \"Of Nj\u00e2bu; for eating my sugar-cane.\"\n\nThen Tortoise said, \"There were four of us in the Plantation. What\nhave I eaten? Tell me. If I have eaten, then I should die.\" Njambo\ntold him, \"I've found no reason against you.\" Tortoise then asked,\n\"Then, why should I die?\" So, Njambo untied Tortoise from the roof,\nand said to Ivenga, \"Let Kudu go; for, I find no reason against\nhim. Let him go as he pleases.\"\n\nSo, Ivenga set Tortoise free; and he hasted back to his town in peace.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 19\n\nTHE DECEPTIONS OF TORTOISE\n\n\nPersons\n\n Nj\u00e2 (Leopard)\n Kudu (Tortoise)\n Ng\u00e2mbi (Igwana)\n Mb\u00e2m\u00e2 (Boa)\n Ngando (Crocodile)\n With Men, A Woman, and Child\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nA portion of this Tale seems to be a version of No. 12.\n\n\n\nLeopard and Tortoise built together a large town. Leopard said to\nTortoise, \"I will live with you, but I shall not be able to eat with\nyou; for, I am a great man, and I eat alone.\"\n\nSome time after this, Tortoise went away, and married a wife. One day,\nhis wife being hungry, he went off into the forest to seek food for\nher. And he found mushrooms. He gathered them; took them and returned\nwith them to the town. There he said to his wife, \"Eat!\" and she ate.\n\nSome time after this, the woman was about to become a mother. And,\non another day, Tortoise went again into the forest to find food for\nhis wife. As before, he gathered mushrooms. But, when he brought them\nto his wife, she said to him, \"I don't like these things; the same\nevery day!\"\n\nSo, Tortoise went off again to seek food in the forest. He came near\na strange town, and heard voices of Mankind talking. In fear, he hid\nhimself, and watched what would happen. He observed that there were\nMen going off into the forest, with implements of search for wild\nanimals. He saw them, but kept himself closely hidden.\n\nWhen they had gone, he came out of his hiding, and went into one of\nthese houses of Men, and sat down there. Then he walked into the\nrooms. On the shelves of the kitchen, he saw a large quantity of\nwild meat drying. He took of that meat, and went away with it to his\nown town.\n\nHe found on his arrival that his wife had already borne her child,\nthe little tortoise. When Tortoise showed her the meat, she asked him,\n\"Where did you get all this meat?\" He replied evasively, \"You told\nme to get you meat; so I went; and I have come with it.\" The woman\nwas glad, and said, \"Do so every day!\"\n\nSo, another time, Tortoise again went off into the forest. And he came\nto the town of those Men. They were not there; for, they had gone off\non their hunting. He went again into their house; took of their meat,\nand returned to his place. On giving the food to his wife, he said\nto her, \"Do not show Nj\u00e2 this meat!\"\n\nAfter this, little Tortoise grew, and began to go by itself, walking\nabout the town. Tortoise told the child, \"Do not show Nj\u00e2 the things\nyou eat.\" But, the child did not obey. One day, it went off toward\nLeopard's house, having in its hand the flesh of the wild animal it\nwas eating. Tortoise saw his child going and called him back, but,\nhe ran rapidly away to Leopard's; who, seeing the child with food in\nits hand, cried out, \"Come here!\" Leopard took hold of the child's\nhand to see what meat he was eating, and said to him, \"Your father\nhas no gun; where does he get all this meat?\" The child was silent,\nnot knowing whence the meat came, and did not answer; and he returned\nto his father's house.\n\nSo, Leopard said to himself, \"Kudu and I must have a talk.\" He told\nhis wife to make ready their food. She did so. Then he told one of his\nchildren, \"Go! call Kudu to come and eat with me.\" The child went and\ntold as he was bidden. Tortoise sent word, \"I can't come.\" His wife,\nhowever, said to him, \"Go!\" Tortoise objected to her, saying, \"I'm\nafraid of that man!\" Still his wife said to him, \"Go!\" So, he went.\n\nLeopard set out the food that had been prepared. Then he asked\nTortoise, \"Where did you get the meat which I saw with your\nchild?\" Tortoise replied, \"I picked it up.\" Leopard said, \"No! don't\ntell lies!\" They changed the conversation, and went on eating. When\nthey were done, Tortoise went back to his house.\n\nNext day, Leopard said to his people, \"I'm going to visit Kudu.\" So he\nwent, and entered into the house of the wife of Tortoise. There he saw\nmuch dried wild meat. He exclaimed, \"O! Kudu! you told me falsely! You\nand I living in the same town, can't you let me know what happens?\"\n\nThen Leopard went back to his house. That evening he said to his\nchildren, \"Go to the house of Kudu. If you see a hunting-bag hanging\nthere, take hold of it; with a knife pierce holes in the bottom; and\nfill the bag with ashes.\" They did so, putting in much ashes. They\nreturned to their father, and told him what they had done. He replied,\n\"Very good!\"\n\nThat night, Tortoise said to his wife, \"Tomorrow, I shall not go\nout hunting.\" But, she said, \"Yes! Go! and kill me some animal.\" So,\nhe consented.\n\nThen day began to break. Tortoise went into the entrance-room;\nthence he took his hunting-bag; but, in the dark of the morning,\nhe saw nothing wrong about it. And he went on his way.\n\nSoon, also, Leopard came out of his house; and, going to the house of\nTortoise, he inquired, \"Kudu is in the house?\" The wife of Tortoise\nfrom her bed-room, replied, \"Kudu is not here.\" Then Leopard went\ninto the entrance-room of Tortoise; and looking about, he saw that the\nbag was not there. So, he followed after Tortoise; and, as he walked,\nhe looked out for marks of the ashes. He followed, and he followed;\nand finally overtook Tortoise.\n\nTortoise, as soon as he saw Leopard coming, said to him, \"I'm going\nback to town!\" Leopard asked, \"Why? Don't go! Why do you go?\" Tortoise,\nremembering his having said he was \"a great man,\" answered, \"Because\nyou are proud.\" But, Leopard insisted, \"No! go on where you were\ngoing.\" So, Tortoise consented, \"Well, let us go!\"\n\nThey went, and came to the town of Men. And they found that the\nmen were gone off into the forest. Tortoise observed that the house\nwas closed and locked. Leopard said to him, \"Open the house!\" But\nTortoise replied, \"You, Nj\u00e2 you open the house!\" But, Leopard said,\n\"I am a stranger here; you travel here continually; you know the\nway!\" So, Tortoise opened the house; and they both entered.\n\nLeopard saw the bodies of many wild animals drying in the\nhouse. Tortoise said to him, \"Carry the meat, and let us go!\" But,\nLeopard said, \"No! I'm staying here, and will cook some meat\nhere.\" Tortoise objected, \"No! take the meat and let us go. For,\nhere are great Men who kill us people.\"\n\nHowever, Leopard insisted, \"No! first let me eat.\" So, Tortoise said,\n\"Very well! I'll carry away my share; for, I'm going.\" But Leopard\nstill insisted, \"No! wait for me.\" So, Tortoise yielded, and waited\nfor him in the house.\n\nLeopard cooked his meat. While the pot was on the fire-place, and\nbefore he had eaten, suddenly the Men returned. Tortoise exclaimed,\n\"The Men of the Town have returned! What shall we do?\" For himself,\nTortoise said, \"I'm going to hide in the bedroom!\" But, Leopard said,\n\"No! I'm the elder; the bedroom is the place for me.\" He went into\nthe bedroom. Tortoise remained in the reception-room, and hid himself\nin a pile of the women's cassava leaves.\n\nSoon afterward, the Men also came into that room. And a woman said,\n\"I left those leaves here when I was cooking. I must throw them into\nthe back yard.\" So, she swept the leaves (with Tortoise unseen among\nthem) in a heap, and threw them out doors.\n\nIn the bedroom, where Leopard had hidden, there was a child of this\nwoman, sick with a skin-disease. The woman called out to her child,\n\"My child! are you there?\" The child replied, \"Yes!\" The Men in\nthe entrance-room, observing the pot on the fire, asked the woman,\n\"While we were away, did you leave a kettle on the fire-place?\" The\nwoman, thinking the pot belonged to someone else who had been cooking,\nanswered, \"No.\" The Men then directed her, \"Make food for us!\" So,\nshe made them food in that pot which Leopard had left, adding other\nmeat to it.\n\nThe child in the bedroom, smelling the odor of cooking, called out,\n\"Mother! I want to eat!\" So, the mother made food for him. And she\ntook the plate to him, setting it down in the doorway, (but did not\nenter the room, and so did not see Leopard).\n\nLeopard took the child's food. The child, in terror, made no\nout-cry. Leopard ate up all the food. Then the child began to\nweep. The mother, hearing, asked, \"Why do you cry?\" The child answered,\n\"For hunger.\"\n\nShe wondered that that plateful had not been sufficient; but, she made\nhim more food. And she brought it to him into the room, but she did not\nsee the Leopard; nor did the child tell her. She left the food there,\nand went out. The child was about to take the food to eat it, when\nLeopard again snatched it away. But, even then, the child, in fear,\ndid not scream out. And Leopard ate all the food.\n\nThen the child began to weep out aloud. The mother again asked,\n\"What do you want?\" The child answered, \"I want food.\" The mother\nwondered much, and, hastening into the bedroom, she saw Leopard. Then\nshe shouted, \"Men! Here's Nj\u00e2!\" The men came, and they killed Leopard.\n\nAll this while, Tortoise remained hidden in the bushes outside;\nand he heard all that was happening. He said to himself, \"I'm going\nto town to tell the children of Nj\u00e2 that he is dead.\" So, he went\nback to his town. At first, he told only his wife, \"Men have killed\nNj\u00e2.\" Then he said, \"I must now call the children of Nj\u00e2.\"\n\nSo, he called all the people of Leopard. And he said to them, \"I\nwill tell you something; but, don't kill me for my evil news. So,\nI tell you, Nj\u00e2 is dead!\" They all laughed in derision, as if it was\nnot possible, \"We will know about that matter tomorrow!\"\n\nAnd that day darkened. In the evening, Tortoise told his wife\nand children, \"We must flee to another place.\" For, he feared that\nLeopard's people would charge him with their father's death. So, that\nnight they fled. And they built their town far away at another place.\n\nWhen the children of Leopard saw that Tortoise had fled, they\nbelieved him guilty; and they said, \"The day we shall see Kudu,\nwe will kill him.\"\n\nTortoise and his family had been living at their new place only\nabout a month, when, one day, he said to his family, \"I'm going\non a journey to the town of Mb\u00e2m\u00e2.\" So he went to that town. He\nstayed there visiting about a week. While there, he said to Boa,\n\"If a child of Nj\u00e2 comes here, hide me.\" Shortly afterward, a child\nof Leopard did come. Boa took Tortoise, and set him for safety on a\nrock in the middle of the river. Tortoise sat there a long time; and,\nwhile there, he laid what looked like an egg. Surprised, he threw it\ninto the water; and it floated away. Finally it came ashore at the\nlanding-place of Crocodile's town.\n\nCrocodile saw it, and said, \"Go, and seek the person who made this\nthing.\" His children went to seek. They journeyed, and found Tortoise,\nand took him. They brought him to their father, and told him, \"This is\nthe person.\" Crocodile asked Tortoise, \"You made this Thing?\" Tortoise\nsaid \"Yes!\" Then Crocodile told him, \"Make me many of these Things.\" So\nTortoise told him, \"Bring me here a great many plantains; and arrange\nthe house in order.\" Crocodile arranged all the house nicely. Tortoise\nentered it, and was given an inside room. He remained there in that\nroom all by himself with the plantains.\n\nAt last, one day he emerged. And he said to Crocodile, \"Send me in\ncompany with one of your people across the river.\" Crocodile told\nhim, \"You yourself name the person who shall go with you.\" Tortoise\nsaid he wanted Crocodile's cousin Igwana, who was living there with\nCrocodile's people.\n\nSo Igwana and Tortoise got into a canoe, and started to cross\nthe river. Crocodile then entered the room where Tortoise had\nbeen. Searching there, he did not find any of the Things which\nTortoise had promised to make. So Crocodile shouted after Tortoise,\nwhose canoe had not yet crossed the river, to come back. Tortoise\nheard; and he asked Igwana, \"Do you hear how Crocodile is calling to\nyou? Don't you know what he is saying?\" (Natives believe the Igwana\nto be deaf.) Igwana answered, \"No! what does he say?\" Tortoise said,\n\"He tells you to paddle faster! Don't be so slow!\" So, Igwana paddled\nrapidly; and soon his work was finished; and they reached the other\nside. There, Tortoise got out of the canoe; and he told Igwana to go\nback. Igwana did so. And Tortoise went on his way.\n\nAfter a while, a child of Leopard met with Tortoise on the path. The\nchild asked him, \"Is not this Kudu?\" Tortoise replied, \"Yes, I am\nhe.\" Then the child of Leopard said to him, \"You killed my father! I\nshall also kill you!\" So, he killed Tortoise.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 20\n\nLEOPARD'S HUNTING COMPANIONS\n\n\nPersons\n\n Nj\u00e2 (Leopard) and His Nephew\n Etoli (House-Rat)\n Ngomba (Porcupine)\n Iheli (Gazelle)\n Nyati (Ox)\n Nj\u00e2ku (Elephant)\n Ko (Wild-Rat)\n Kudu (Tortoise)\n Indondobe (Wagtail)\n\n\n\nLeopard and other Beasts, with a son of Leopard's sister, were residing\nin the same town. One day, Leopard said to the others, \"I have here\na word to say.\" They replied, \"Tell it.\" \"We must go to kill Beasts\n(not of our company) for our food, at a place which I will show you\na number of miles away.\" And they made their arrangements.\n\nAfter two days, he said, \"Now, for the journey!\" So they finished\ntheir preparations. And Leopard said to his nephew, \"You stay in the\ntown. I and the others will go to our work.\"\n\nThey began their journey, and had gone only a part of the way, when\nLeopard exclaimed, \"I forgot my spear! Wait for me while I go back to\nthe town.\" There he found his nephew sitting down, waiting. Leopard\nsaid to him, \"I have come to tell you that, every day, while we\nare away, you must come early to where we are killing the animals;\nand secretly you must take away the meat and bring it here to my\nhouse.\" The nephew heard and promised.\n\nLeopard returned to the others who were awaiting him on the road,\nand told them to come on. They went, and they arrived at the spot\nwhich he had chosen. There they hastily built a small house for their\ncamp. The next day they said, \"Now, let us go and make our snares\nfor the animals.\" They began making snares; and set their traps\nearly in the afternoon. A few hours later, they returned to the\ncamp. Later still, before sunset, they said, \"Let us go to examine\nour snares.\" They found they had caught an Igwana. They killed it\nand put it on the drying-frame over the fire in the house.\n\nThen the day darkened. And they went to their sleep.\n\nAnd then the day broke.\n\nAnd Leopard said, \"While we go to the snares, who shall remain\nto take care of this house?\" They agreed, \"Let Etoli stay at the\ncamp.\" House-Rat assented, \"All right.\" So the others went away\ntogether.\n\nThe camp had been made near a small stream. At that same hour,\nLeopard's nephew came to the camp, according to his uncle's\ndirections. He had in his hands a plate and a drum. He came near to\nthe house cautiously. With the plate he twice swept the surface of the\nwater, as if bailing out a canoe. Rat heard the swish of the water,\nand called out, \"Who is splashing water there? Who is dabbling in\nthis water?\" The nephew responded, \"It is I, a friend.\" And Rat said,\n\"Well, then come.\"\n\nThe nephew came to the house. After a little conversation, he said to\nRat, \"I have here a drum, and, while I beat it, you dance for me.\" Rat\nwas pleased, and said, \"Very well.\" So, the nephew beat the drum,\nand Rat danced. After a while, the nephew said to Rat, \"Go you, out\ninto the front, and dance there, while I beat the drum here.\" As Rat\nwent out, the nephew snatched the dried meat and ran away with it,\nsuddenly disappearing around a corner of the house. He came to the\ntown, and placed the meat in his own house.\n\nRat waited a while in the front, and, not hearing the drum came back\ninto the house, and called out, \"Chum! where are you?\" He looked about,\nand his eyes falling on the drying-frame, he saw that the dried meat\nwas not there. He began to mourn, \"Ah! Leopard will kill me to day,\nbecause of the loss of his meat.\"\n\nWhile he was thus speaking, the company of trappers, together with\nLeopard, came back from their morning's work. Leopard told Rat all\nthat had occurred to them in the forest at their traps and snares;\nand then said, \"Now, tell me what you have been doing, and the\nhappenings of this camp.\" Rat told him, \"Some one has come and taken\naway the dried meat, but I did not see who it was.\" Leopard said,\n\"You are full of falsehood. Yourself have eaten it while we were away\nin the forest.\" So, Leopard gave him a heavy flogging. Then they put\non the drying-frame the animal they had trapped that day.\n\nThe next day they went again to the forest; and Wild-Rat was left\nin charge of the camp. The nephew came, as on the day before, with\nhis plate and drum, and did in the same way at the water. And he\ndeceived the Wild-Rat with his drumming, in the same way as he had\ndone to House-Rat.\n\nWhen Leopard and the others came back from the forest, Wild-Rat told\nhim of the loss of the meat; and said that he had seen no one, and\ndid not know who took it. Leopard said to him, \"You, Ko, have eaten\nthe meat, just as your relative Etoli ate his yesterday.\"\n\nThus Leopard and his company went each day to the traps. On the third\nday, Porcupine was caught; on the fourth Gazelle; on the fifth, Ox;\non the sixth, Elephant. Beast after beast was caught, killed and\ndried; and, day by day, the meat of all was stolen. The last to be\nthus caught and stolen was Tortoise.\n\nThe nephew in Leopard's town, looked with satisfaction on the pile\nof dried meat that had been collected in his own house. He said to\nhimself, \"My uncle told me to gather them; and I have done so. But,\nI will not put them in Uncle's house.\"\n\nIn the camp, there was left only one animal of Leopard's companions\nthat had not been placed on guard. It was a Bird, a water Wag-tail. It\nsaid to Leopard one day, \"While you all go on your errand today, I\nwill remain as keeper of the house.\" Leopard replied, \"No! my friend,\nI don't wish you to remain.\" (For, Leopard knew that that Bird was\nvery cautious and wise, more so than some other animals.) Nevertheless,\nthey went, leaving the Bird in charge of the house.\n\nThe nephew came, as usual, with his plate and drum. He splashed the\nwater of the stream as usual, to see whether there was anyone in\nthe house to respond. And the Bird asked, \"Who are you?\" The nephew\nanswered, in a humble voice, \"I.\" He came on through the stream, on\nhis way, catching two cray-fish. He entered the house, and he said\nto the Bird, \"Get me some salt, and a leaf in which to tie and roast\nthese cray-fish.\" When the Bird gave him the leaf, he tied them in\nit, and laid the small bundle on the coals on the fire-place. But\nhe at once took up the bundle, opened it, and ate the fish, before\nthey were really cooked. The Bird said to him, \"Those fish were not\nyet cooked. Your stomach is like your Uncle Nj\u00e2's. Both you and your\nUncle like to eat things raw.\"\n\nThe Bird at once suspected that the nephew was the thief. When the\nnephew said, \"I have here a drum,\" Bird at once, as if very willing,\nreplied, \"Drum! I want to dance.\" The nephew was standing in the front\nwith his drum, and he said to Bird, \"Come and dance out here; for,\nthe drum sounds much better outside.\" But the Bird said, \"I will not\ndance in the same place with you.\" The nephew then said, \"Well, then;\nchange places; you come here, and I go into the house.\" But the Bird\nrefused, \"No! I stay in the house.\"\n\nMost of the morning was thus spent by the nephew trying to deceive\nthe Bird, and get into the house alone. Finally, the nephew wearied,\nand gave up the effort and left.\n\nSoon the company of trappers with Leopard returned from the forest. He\ntold the Bird all the news of their forest work. Looking at the\ndrying-frames, Leopard saw that the dried meat was still there. He\nthought in his heart, \"My nephew has not come today to get this meat.\"\n\nThe Bird then told Leopard all the news of the camp, and how the nephew\nhad been acting. At the last, he exclaimed, \"So! it is your nephew\nwho has been coming here every day to take away the dried meat!\" And\nall the animals agreed, \"So! so! that's so!\" But Leopard replied,\n\"I don't believe it. But, let us adjourn and examine.\" (He supposed\nthe meat was hidden in his own house, and would not be discovered.)\n\nThey all scattered, and hastened to their town. There they entered\nthe nephew's house; and there they found a great pile of dried\nmeat. They proved the theft on Leopard himself, pointing out, \"Here\nis the very meat in the house of one of your own family. We are sure\nthat you yourself made the conspiracy with your nephew for him to do\nthe stealing for you.\" And they all denounced him, \"You are a thief\nand a liar! You shall not join with us any more in the same town.\"\n\nLeopard went away in wrath saying, \"Do you prove it on me? Well\nthen! all you beasts, whenever and wherever I shall meet you, it will\nbe only to eat you!\"\n\nSo, leopards are always enemies to all other animals, and they kill\nthem whenever they are able.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 21\n\nIS THE BAT A BIRD OR A BEAST?\n\n\nPersons\n\n Ndemi (Bat) and his Mother\n Joba (The Sun)\n Vy\u00e2du (Antelope)\n Hako (Ants)\n Other Animals and Birds\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nIn Tropical Africa, it is not usual to retain a corpse unburied as\nlong as 24 hours. Bat retained his mother's corpse too long. The\n\"Driver\" Ants of that country are natural scavengers.\n\nA reason why bats are not seen in the day time:--Also, why they make\ntheir plaintive cry at night, as if they were calling for their mother.\n\n\n\nBat lived at a place by itself, with only its mother. Shortly\nafter their settling there, the mother became sick, very near to\ndeath. Bat called for Antelope, and said to him, \"Make medicine for my\nmother.\" Antelope looked steadily at her to discern her disease. Then\nhe told Bat, \"There is no one who can make the medicine that will\ncure your mother, except Joba.\" Having given this information,\nAntelope returned to his own place.\n\nOn another day, early in the morning, Bat arose to go to call Sun. He\ndid not start until about seven o'clock. He met Sun on the road about\neleven o'clock. And he said to Sun, \"My journey was on the way to\nsee you.\" Sun told him, \"If you have a word to say, speak!\" So Bat\nrequested, \"Come! make Medicine for my mother. She is sick.\" But\nSun replied, \"I can't go to make medicine unless you meet me in my\nhouse; not here on the road. Go back; and come to me at my house\ntomorrow.\" So, Bat went back to his town.\n\nAnd the day darkened. And they all slept their sleep.\n\nAnd the next day broke. At six o'clock, Bat started to go to call\nSun. About nine o'clock, he met Sun on the path; and he told Sun what\nhe was come for. But Sun said to him, \"Whenever I emerge from my house,\nI do not go back, but I keep on to the end of my journey. Go back,\nfor another day.\" Bat returned to his town.\n\nHe made other journeys in order to see Sun at his house, five\nsuccessive days; and every day he was late, and met Sun already on\nthe way of his own journey for his own business.\n\nFinally, on the seventh day, Bat's mother died. Then Bat, in his grief,\nsaid, \"It is Joba who has killed my mother! Had he made medicine for\nme, she would have recovered.\"\n\nVery many people came together that day in a crowd, at the Kwedi\n(mourning) for the dead. The wailing was held from six o'clock in\nthe morning until eleven o'clock of the next day. At that hour, Bat\nannounced, \"Let her be taken to the grave.\" He called other Beasts to\ngo into the house together with him, in order to carry the corpse. They\ntook up the body, and carried it on the way to the grave.\n\nOn their arrival at the grave, these Beasts said to Bat, \"We have\na rule that, before we bury a person, we must first look upon the\nface.\" (To identify it). So, they opened the coffin. When they had\nlooked on the face, they said, \"No! we can't bury this person; for,\nit is not our relative, it does not belong to us Beasts. This person\nindeed resembles us in having teeth like us. And it also has a head\nlike us. But, that it has wings, makes it look like a bird. It is a\nbird. Call for the Birds! We will disperse.\" So, they dispersed.\n\nThen Bat called the Birds to come. They came, big and little; Pelicans,\nEagles, Herons and all the others. When they all had come together,\nthey said to Bat, \"Show us the dead body.\" He told them, \"Here it\nis! Come! look upon it!\" They looked and examined carefully. Then they\nsaid, \"Yes! it resembles us; for, it has wings as we. But, about the\nteeth, No! We birds, none of us, have any teeth. This person does not\nresemble us with those teeth. It does not belong to us.\" And all the\nBirds stepped aside.\n\nDuring the while that the talking had been going on, Ants had come\nand laid hold of the body, and could not be driven away. Then one of\nthe Birds said to Bat, \"I told you, you ought not to delay the burial,\nfor, many things might happen.\" The Ants had eaten the body and there\nwas no burial. And all the birds and beasts went away.\n\nBat, left alone, said to himself, \"All the fault of all this trouble\nis because of Joba. If he had made medicine, my mother would not be\ndead. So, I, Ndemi, and Joba shall not look on each other. We shall\nhave no friendship. If he emerges, I shall hide myself. I won't meet\nhim or look at him.\" And he added, \"I shall mourn for my mother\nalways. I will make no visits. I will walk about only at night,\nnot in the daytime, lest I meet Joba or other people.\"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 22\n\nDOG, AND HIS HUMAN SPEECH (1st Version)\n\n\nPersons\n\n Mbwa (Dog), and His Mother\n A Man Njambo, and Daughter Ey\u00e2le\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nIn the pre-historic times, from which these tales come, all animals,\nboth human and (what we now call) the lower animals, were supposed\nto associate together, even in marriage. This son Mbwa, in form\n(and speaking also) like what we now call a \"Dog,\" spoke also with\nhuman speech. The reason is here given why this ancestor of Dogs left\nthe country of the Beasts. But, though Dogs now live with Mankind,\nthey cannot use human speech as their ancestor did. They can only say\n\"Ow! Ow!\"\n\n\n\nDog and his mother were the only inhabitants of their hamlet. He had\nthe power to speak both as a beast and as a human being.\n\nOne day the mother said to the son, \"You are now a strong man; go,\nand seek a marriage. Go, and marry Ey\u00e2le, the daughter of Njambo.\" And\nhe said to his mother, \"I will go tomorrow.\"\n\nThat day darkened. And they both went to lie down in their places\nfor sleep.\n\nThen soon, another day began to break.\n\nDog said to his mother, \"This is the time of my journey.\" It was\nabout sun-rise in the morning. And he began his journey. He went the\ndistance of about eight miles; and arrived at the journey's end before\nthe middle of the morning.\n\nHe entered the house of Njambo, the father of Ey\u00e2le. Njambo and his\nwife saluted him, \"Mbolo!\" and he responded, \"Ai! mbolo!\" Njambo\nasked him, \"My friend! what is the cause of your journey?\" Dog, with\nhis animal language, answered, \"I have come to marry your daughter\nEy\u00e2le.\" Njambo consented; and the mother of the girl also agreed. They\ncalled their daughter, and asked her; and she also replied, \"Yes! with\nall my heart.\" This young woman was of very fine appearance in face\nand body. So, all the parties agreed to the marriage.\n\nAfter that, about sun-set in the evening, when they sat down at supper,\nthe son-in-law, Dog, was not able to eat for some unknown reason.\n\nThat day darkened; and they went to their sleep.\n\nAnd, then, the next daylight broke. But, by an hour after sunrise in\nthe morning, Dog had not risen; he was still asleep.\n\nThe mother of the woman said to her, \"Get some water ready for the\nwashing of your husband's face, whenever he shall awake.\" She also\nsaid to her daughter, \"I am going to go into the forest to the\nplantation to get food for your husband; for, since his coming,\nhe has not eaten. Also, here is a chicken; the lads may kill and\nprepare it. But, you yourself must split ng\u00e2nd\u00e2 (gourd-seeds, whose\noily kernels are mashed into a pudding).\" She handed Ey\u00e2le the dish\nof gourd-seeds, and went off into the forest. Njambo also went away\non an errand with his wife. The daughter took the dish of seeds,\nand, sitting down, began to shell them. As she shelled, she threw\nthe kernels on the ground, but the shells she put on a plate.\n\nShortly after the mother had gone, Dog woke from sleep. He rose from\nhis bed, and came out to the room where his wife was, and stood near\nher, watching her working at the seeds. He stood silent, looking\nclosely, and observed that she was still throwing away the kernels,\nthe good part, and saving the shells on the plate. He spoke to her\nwith his human voice, \"No! woman! not so! Do you throw the good parts,\nto the ground, and the worthless husks onto the plate?\"\n\nWhile he was thus speaking to his wife, she suddenly fell to the\nground. And at once she died. He laid hold of her to lift her up. But,\nbehold! she was a corpse.\n\nSoon afterwards, the father and the mother came, having returned from\ntheir errands. They found their child a corpse; and they said to Dog,\n\"Mbwa! What is this?\" He, with his own language replied, \"I cannot\ntell.\" But, they insisted, \"Tell us the reason!\"\n\nSo Dog spoke with his human voice, \"You, Woman, went to the forest\nwhile I was asleep. You, Man, you also went in company of your wife,\nwhile I was asleep. When I rose from sleep, I found my wife was\ncracking ng\u00e2nd\u00e2. She was taking the good kernels to throw on the\nground, and was keeping the shells for the plate. And I spoke and\ntold her, 'The good kernels which you are throwing on the ground are\nto be eaten, not the husks.'\"\n\nWhile he was telling them this, they too, also fell to the ground,\nand died, apparently without cause.\n\nWhen the people of the town heard about all this, they said, \"This\nperson carries an evil Medicine for killing people. Let him be seized\nand killed!\"\n\nSo Dog fled away rapidly into the forest; and he finally reached the\nhamlet of his mother. His body was scratched and torn by the branches\nand thorns of the bushes of the forest, in his hasty flight. His\nmother exclaimed, \"Mbwa! What's the matter? Such haste! and your body\nso disordered!\" He replied, using their own language, \"No! I won't\ntell you. I won't speak.\" But, his mother begged him, \"Please! my\nchild! tell me!\" So, finally, he spoke, using his strange voice,\nand said, \"My mother! I tell you! Njambo and his wife liked me for\nthe marriage; and the woman consented entirely. I was at that time\nasleep, when the Man and his wife went to the forest. When I rose\nfrom my sleep, I found the woman Ey\u00e2le cracking ng\u00e2nd\u00e2, and throwing\naway the kernels, and keeping the husks. And I told her, 'The good\nones which you are throwing away are the ones to be eaten.' And,\nat once she died.\"\n\nWhile he was speaking thus to his mother, she also fell dead on the\nground. The news was carried to the town of Dog's mother's brother,\nand very many people came to the Mourning. His Uncle came to Dog,\nand said, \"Mbwa! what is the reason of all this?\" But Dog would not\nanswer. He only said, \"No! I won't speak.\" Then they all begged him,\n\"Tell us the reason.\" But he replied only, \"No! I won't speak.\"\n\nFinally, as they urged him, he chose two of them, and said to the\ncompany, \"The rest of you remain here, and watch while I go and speak\nto these two.\" Then Dog spoke to those two men with the same voice as\nhe had to his mother. And, at once they died, as she had died. Then he\nexclaimed, \"Ah! No! If I speak so, people will come to an end!\" And\nall the people agreed, \"Yes, Mbwa! it is so. Your human speech kills\nus people. Don't speak any more.\"\n\nAnd he went away to live with Mankind.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 22\n\nDOG, AND HIS HUMAN SPEECH (2nd Version)\n\n\nPersons\n\n Njambo, His Wife Nyangwa-Mbwa, and His Son Mbwa (Dog)\n The Prophet, Totode, and a Sorcerer, Nja-Ya-Melema-Mya-Bato\n His Three Other Wives,\n Majanga,\n Inyanji,\n Mamendi; and Her Two Twins.\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nSome African ant-hills are built in upright pillars, varying in\ndiameter from 3 to 10 inches, and in height from 1 ft. to 3 ft.\n\nThe bearing of a monstrosity formerly was punished (and in some\ntribes still) by driving the mother into seclusion in the forest,\nand generally with killing of the child. In some tribes, twins were\nconsidered monstrosities.\n\nThe \"Heart-beat\" of Nyangwa-Mbwa was the commonly believed premonition\nof coming evil.\n\nThere are many kinds of food, of which women are not allowed to\npartake.\n\nThough the three sisters were daughters of the same mother, the\njealousy of two of them for the other one led them to hatred, and\nan attempt at murder. Their curse laid on Mbwa caused him to be a\nspeechless beast; for, previous to that, he was talking as a human\nbeing. \"Heart-life\" is an entity distinct from both Body and Soul.\n\n\n\nNjambu married a woman named Nyangwa-Mbwa. She bore a creature that\nlooked like no animal that existed at that time. But, because he\nspoke as a human being, he was not considered a Beast. He was given\npart of his mother's name, Mbwa.\n\nNjambu added other marriages. Among them he obtained three women,\neach one of whom had a special office. That of Majanga was to keep\nthings clean. That of Inyanji for planting. Mamendi said that her work\nshould be to bear twins. Now, these three women were sisters. The\nother two were jealous of Mamendi, because her work was greater and\nmore honorable than theirs.\n\nIn the course of time, Mamendi conceived; her pregnancy went regularly\non. And the time for her confinement came. Majanga and Inyanji went\nto deliver her. But they tied a napkin over her face, and covered her\neyes lest she should see what they would do to her. When the time of\nthe birth was at hand, she bore twins.\n\nThen Inyanji and Majanga threw the twins into the pig-pen. And they\ntook two ant-hills (slender conical structures). They smeared them\nwith blood. And they went and showed them to Njambu as the things\nwhich Mamendi had borne. Njambu said, \"Go! and throw those things\ninto the forest.\"\n\nBut Mbwa was going about; and as he went, he was scenting, till he came\nto the pig-pen; and he saw the twins. He took them, and carried them\nto his mother in their hut, which was isolated from the town. When\nthe two women had left the twins in the pig-pen, their intention was\nthat the pigs might kill them; and the women did not know that Mbwa\nhad removed them. The twins stayed with Nyangwa-Mbwa, and she fed\nthem and nursed them.\n\nBut, when Majanga and Inyanji heard that those children were in the\nhamlet of Mbwa's mother, they said, \"We will go there tomorrow.\"\n\nEarly in the morning, Nyangwa-Mbwa had gone to the forest to her\ngarden. When the two women came, they found the twins lying down. So,\nthey struck them a blow; and they died.\n\nThe while that Nyangwa-Mbwa was in the forest, her heart beat with\nanxiety. She at once picked up her basket, and came to her village,\nand found the corpses of both the twins. Then she began to cry.\n\nMbwa also came, and found the dead bodies stretched out. Right away, he\nknew what had happened. So he went to the Prophet Totode, and inquired\nwhat he should do. Totode asked him, \"Are you able to go to the town of\nDoctor Nja-ya-melema-mya-bato? (Hunger-for-the-hearts-of-people).\" He\nagreed \"Yes, I will go there.\" Then he went to the town of the Doctor.\n\nA child of the Doctor spoke to Mbwa, and asked, \"What have you come\nto do?\" He answered, \"I have come to seek heart-life; because my\nfather's wives have killed from me two children.\"\n\nAlready Nja-ya-melema-mya-bato had gone to kill people for himself. In\na little while he returned and suddenly, pieces of meat (from the dead\nbodies) began to fall, kidi! kidi! being thrown out on the ground in\nthe street. Mbwa, awaiting a chance, hid himself under a bed.\n\nThen came the Doctor bringing in the heart-lives of the men he had\nkilled. Mbwa, without permission, seized two of the hearts, and ran out\nquickly. Nja-ya-melema-mya-bato followed after him, running rapidly,\nda! da! da! But he did not overtake Mbwa.\n\nMbwa ran in haste with the hearts, on to his village. There he thrust\nthe new lives into the children. The twins arose again to life and\nstood, to show themselves, and then they sat down.\n\nThose twins went on growing, and became stout young men.\n\nOne day they said to Mbwa, \"We want guns.\" He went to his father,\nin the town, and said, \"I want two guns.\" His father produced two\nguns for him. He took them, went to his home, and handed them to the\ntwins. Then they tried the guns, and loaded them.\n\nNext day, in the morning, they went out early to hunt; they killed two\ngazelles; and they took them to their village. Mbwa cut up one of the\nbeasts; and he said to his mother, \"Cook it.\" Then he took the other\none to his father. His father cut it up; and he called Majanga and\nInyanji; and, dividing the meat, he said to them, \"Go ye, and cook\nthese in the pot, and those in a jomba.\" (Mbwa himself was still in\nthe house watching them.) They boiled, and cooked; they put in the\nsalt and pepper; and were about to taste the soup when Mbwa said,\n\"Not so! This meat is not to be eaten by women.\"\n\nThey took the food to the Reception-house, where their husband Njambu\nate; and he laid aside some for them. But, what he laid aside for\nthose women, Mbwa drew away and ate. Then he returned to his home. His\nmother made food; and they ate, all four of them.\n\nNext morning, the twins returned to their hunting. They killed also\nthree antelopes, and they carried them to take them to their home,\nand left them in the path on the way outside of the village. In the\nvillage, they said to Mbwa, \"Go, and bring the beasts from the forest.\"\n\nMbwa started, and brought them to the village. He carried two to\nhis father. His brothers exclaimed, \"Where does Mbwa kill all those\nanimals?\" His father cut up the animals, and divided one with his\nchildren. He cut up the other, saying, \"This belongs to myself.\" Then\nhe prepared some to be cooked in momba (bundles tied in plantain\nleaves), and some to be dried, and some to be boiled.\n\nThe women boiled the food (Mbwa still watching them). When it was\ncooked, they lifted up the pot from the fire, and they were about to\ntaste it, when Mbwa said, \"No! you must not taste it!\" They put it\nin bowls, and set the food before their husband; and he ate. When he\nwas about to give some to his wives, Mbwa said, \"Not so!\"\n\nThe twins continued with their hunting just the same as at the\nfirst. Almost every day they were killing some animal. And Mbwa\ncontinued also with carrying meat to the town of his father.\n\nFinally, the twins became full-grown men. Then Mbwa said to himself,\n\"Now, I'm ready to bring this matter to the ears of the people.\" When\nanother day came, he said to his father, \"Tomorrow, call all the\npeople of the town together, in the afternoon.\"\n\nOn the next day, his father did so. Mbwa dressed the twins very\nfinely; and brought out three chairs, two for the twins, and one for\nhis mother. All the people collected together. Thereupon, he brought\nforward his mother, and the twins. The people fixed their eyes on them;\nfor they had not seen them in their little hamlet in the forest. The\npeople exclaimed, \"What fine-looking persons!\"\n\nThen Mbwa stood up. He said, \"Ye people! I have called you all that\nye may recognize these two young men.\" The people said that they did\nnot know them. He continued, \"These are my father's children. For,\nmy father had married these three women. Also, they had three duties;\nMajanga, her duty of keeping the house clean; Inyanji, her duty of\nplanting; and Mamendi's was the bearing of twins. Mamendi became\na mother. On the day of her confinement, her two sisters went to\ndeliver her. They took a napkin and covered her eyes. And she bore\nthese two twins. They threw them inside the pig-pen. And they took two\nsmall earthen pillars instead, and they went and showed them to their\nhusband. Then, I entered the pig-pen; and I took these children out;\nand brought them to my mother. So, these children grew up. And they\nbegan hunting. You, my father, you remember when I brought you the\nwild meat, and you were about to give to these women; but, I went and\ntook away the food. The reason is, because they are the ones who tried\nto kill the children. I brought them up from childhood to be men as\nnow. So, this caused me to bring this case before the presence of all\npeople; for, I say that those two women were murderesses. So, then,\nmy father, these are your children; but, if you retain those women,\nthese two twins shall not be your sons.\"\n\nUpon this, the father of Mbwa said, \"Catch ye both of the women!\" And\nthey were bound in that self-same hour. (They had supposed that the\ntwins had died when they had struck them in the hamlet of Mbwa's\nmother.) They could not deny. In their anger, as they were led away,\nthey called out to Mbwa, \"Mbwa-O!\" He assented, \"Eh? What is it?\" They\nreplied in anger, for having informed on them. And they laid a curse\non him, saying, \"You will never speak again with the voice of a human\nbeing. You shall be a dumb beast.\"\n\nBut, the people took them, to be thrown into the depth of the sea.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 23\n\nTHE SAVIOR OF THE ANIMALS\n\n\nPersons\n\n Njambo and Wife and Son Utigebodi\n Ngwayi (Partridge)\n The Prophet Njambi\n Yungu (Eagle)\n Etoli (Rat)\n Nj\u00e2ku (Elephant)\n Nyati (Ox)\n Kudu (Tortoise)\n Nj\u00e2 (Leopard)\n Ngomba (Porcupine)\n In\u00e2ni (Bird)\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nThis story plays on the meaning of the name U-tige-bode. It is an\nancient word, not now used, meaning, \"He-Who-Saves-People.\" In the\nSon's given name; his saving of the unworthy, in response to their\nappeals for mercy; his bearing of his father's wrath; his punishment on\na tree; the derision of the very passers by, for whom he was to die, I\nthink the legend echoes, even though faintly, the story of the Christ.\n\n\n\nNjambo married two women. He begot twenty-three children. And they\nall died. Also one of the wives died. There were left only himself,\nand one wife.\n\nThe woman was old, and the man also was old. But, the woman was again\nto become a mother; and, at the proper time, she bore a child. The\nchild was a male. The woman called the husband, saying, \"Come! and\ngive your boy a name.\" The husband said, \"The name of the child\nis Utigebode.\"\n\nAfter this, the child grew to be a large man. One day, he said to\nhis father, \"Paia! I'm going to set snares in the forest.\" The\nfather replied, \"Yes! go! and catch me food!\" He went. And he\nreturned that morning. In the afternoon, he went back to examine the\nsnares. And he found that two Partridges were caught. He exclaimed,\n\"I'm very glad! My father shall eat one today, and the other shall\nbe kept for tomorrow.\" Then the Partridges asked him, \"What is your\nname?\" He answered, \"One-Who-Saves-People.\" Then the Partridges said,\n\"If that is so, why are you about to kill us?\"\n\nOn another day, in the morning, he went again to examine his\nsnares. And he found two Antelope (Tragelephas). He was glad; and he\nsaid, \"I feel very good! My father shall eat one; and the other can\nbe cooked for another day.\" The Antelopes asked him, \"What's your\nname?\" He answered, \"One-Who-Saves-People.\" Again, they asked, \"Why\nthen are you about to kill us?\" He replied, \"That's so! Well! go!\" And\nhe returned to town.\n\nThat afternoon he went out again, and found two Gazelles. And he said,\n\"I'll take these two to town at once; and my father shall eat one\ntoday, and the other tomorrow.\" But the Gazelles said, \"No!--you are\nthe One-Who-Saves-People! Why then should you kill us?\" So he loosed\nthem, and let them go.\n\nHe did the same way to two Elephants. And with two Oxen. At another\ntime he found two Tortoises. And the Tortoises spoke to him as had\ndone the others. And on another day, he found two Leopards. And,\nhe released the Leopards, in the same way. At another time, two\nPorcupines, in the same way.\n\nOne after another, almost all the Beasts were thus trapped and\nreleased. There was not one beast brought by Utigebode to his village;\nhe freed them all.\n\nSo, his father said to him, \"My child! since you have set your snares,\nI have not seen you bring in a single beast, even an Etoli. What\nare you doing? I shall change your name. For, now that I am old,\nit is right for you to save me, and help me with food.\"\n\nUtigebode replied evasively, \"Since I set the snares, I have not\ncaught even a In\u00e2ni.\" The father said, \"Well! if it is true that you\nhave not killed any Beast or Bird, I will know tomorrow.\"\n\nThe next day broke; and the father went to the village of Prophet\nNjambi. The Prophet saluted him, \"What have you come for?\" Njambo\nreplied, \"I come to you for you to tell me about my son, whether in\nhis hunting he kills beasts, or whether he does not.\" Njambi answered,\n\"He snares them constantly; but, because of the name you gave him,\nhe saves the lives of the people of the tribes of Beasts.\"\n\nThe prophet added, \"If there be a doubt, I will show you a way to\nprove my words. When you go back to town you will meet Iheli at the\nend of the village. When you meet with him, call for the people to\nset nets to catch him. But, yourself shall stand and watch what the\nBeast does before your eyes.\"\n\nNjambo arose to go, and bade goodbye, saying, \"This is my return\njourney to my village.\"\n\nAnd it was so that, on nearing the end of the village, he met with\nGazelle. Njambo shouted, \"Men! spread your nets! Here is a Beast! Let\nus catch it!\" His men brought their nets, and began to surround\nGazelle. And the son Utigebode came to assist. The men were shouting,\n\"H\u00e2-h\u00e2! H\u00e2-h\u00e2!\" to frighten the animal towards the nets. Gazelle\nlooked forward, watching Utigebode closely; and it said to itself,\n\"If I go toward the nets, I shall be caught; but, I will go toward\nUtigebode and shall be saved.\"\n\nSo, Gazelle ran toward Utigebode, and he caught it as if to kill\nit. But Gazelle cried out, \"Eh! Utigebode! you, the savior, will you\nbe the one to kill me?\" So, Utigebode said, \"Pass on! for, it is true\nthat I am The-One-Who-Saves.\" And Gazelle fled to the forest.\n\nThen Njambo was very angry, and said to Utigebode, \"Ah! my child! I\nhave found you in your falsehood! Was it not you who said you caught\nno Beast? So! you have been releasing them!\"\n\nThen the company all went back to their village with their nets. They\narrived there during the daytime. And the father ordered his son,\n\"Go! climb that coco tree, and bring me a nut.\" The son began to climb\nthe tree. But, as he climbed, the father, by Magic-Power, caused the\ntree to grow rapidly upward. When, finally, Utigebode reached the top,\nhe was unable to come down the excessively long tree-trunk. He began\nto call to his father for help, \"My father!\" But the father was still\nvery angry, and replied, \"Call your friends, the Beasts and Birds,\nto save you. I will not help you.\" And Njambo went to sit down in\nhis village, leaving his son in the treetop.\n\nThe son saw Eagle passing, and he called to it, \"Yungu! Help me!\" Eagle\nreplied, \"I am not able to carry a Man; you are heavy;\" so, Eagle\npassed on. Utigebode saw many Beasts one after another passing below,\nand he called to them, \"Save me!\" But, they said, \"We have no wings\nwith which to go up to you. How can we get you down? We are not Birds\nthat could let you down. We Beasts are unable to help you. Do not\nexpect us.\"\n\nHe was left there in the tree-top a period of two weeks, living only on\nthe coconuts; and then he died, and his body fell to the earth. Njambo\ncame out to see the corpse, and he said to it, \"You have died through\nlack of obedience. You disobeyed me; and your beasts did not help you.\"\n\nThe father and the mother lived another year in their village; and\nthen they died, because they had no children to help them with food\nor clothes. And the people came from other villages to bury them.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 24\n\nORIGINS OF THE IVORY TRADE (1st Version)\n\n\nPersons\n\n King Ukanak\u00e2di, and His Son Lombolokindi, and His Mother,\n With Birds and Other Animals\n Tombeseki (A Magic-Spear); An Old Woman\n Nj\u00e2ku (Elephant); An Ox (A Metamorphosed Man)\n A Foreign Vessel, and Traders\n\n\n\nUkanak\u00e2di lived in his great house, having with him his many wives. One\nof them bore him a son whom he named Lombolokindi.\n\nAs time passed on, the child grew in size, and strength, and\nskill. Because of this, his mother was treated by Ukanak\u00e2di with\nspecial favor. This aroused the jealousy of one of the other wives. She\ntook the child one day, and secretly gave him a certain evil medicine,\nwhich caused him to be constantly hungry, hungry, hungry. Even when\nhe ate enormously, no amount of food could fill his stomach or satisfy\nhis appetite.\n\nUkanak\u00e2di finally was angry at the child, and said to the mother,\n\"All the food of my plantations is finished, eaten up by your child. We\nhave no more plantains, no more cassava, no more eddoes, nor anything\nelse in our plantations or in our kitchen-gardens. You have brought\na curse upon us! Go away to your father's house!\" (He said this,\nnot knowing that a Fetish-Medicine had caused all the trouble.)\n\nSo the mother went away with her child to her father's house. But\nthere too, the boy ate up all the food of the gardens, until there\nwas none left. Then her father said to her, \"All my food is done here;\ngo with your child to your grandfather, and find food there.\"\n\nSo, she went to her grandfather's. But there the same trouble followed.\n\nAfter she had been there some time, and the child was now a stout lad,\nand she saw that they were no longer welcome, she said to herself,\n\"Alas! it is so! All my people are weary of me! I will not longer\nstay at grandfather's. I will go wandering into the forest, and,\nwith the child, will see what I can get.\"\n\nTaking with her only two ears of corn, she went far off with the lad\ninto the forest. After much wandering, and eating only wild fruits,\nshe selected a spot without having any idea of the locality, and\nbuilt a shed for a camp in which to stay. At this place, she planted\nthe corn. It quickly sprang up, and bore abundantly. And she planted\nother gardens. After a time came very many birds; and they began to\neat up the corn. She exclaimed, \"My son and I alone have come here,\nand have planted our corn. How is this that all the birds have come\nso soon to destroy it?\" And the son, who by this time had grown to\nbe almost a young man, said to her, \"Mother, why do you allow the\nbirds to eat? Why don't you do something?\" She replied, \"Why do the\nbirds thus destroy the corn? What can I do?\" So he came out of the\nshed into the yard in front of their house and shouted at the birds,\n\"You birds! who have come here to spoil my corn, with this stick I\nwill kill you all!\" But the birds jeered at him, saying, \"No! not\nall! Only one shall die!\"\n\nThe young man went into the house, took up a magic spear-head he\nowned, fitted it onto a stick as a shaft; and going out again, he\nhurled it at the birds. The spear flew at them, pursuing each one,\nand piercing every one of them in succession. Then it flew on and on,\naway out into the forest.\n\nThe young man took up another medicine-charm that he had with him, and,\ncalling to his spear by name, shouted after it, \"Tombeseki-o-o! Come\nback, back, back, Here! again, again, again, Return!\" The spear\nheard him, and obeyed, and came back. He laid hold of it, and put it\nagain in the shed. So, he and his mother lived there. She planted a\nvery large garden of plantains, cassava, and many other vegetables,\na very large quantity. And her gardens grew, and bore fruit in plenty.\n\nThen there came all kinds of small Animals, hogs, and antelopes, and\ngazelles, very many; and they spoiled the gardens, eating the fruit,\nand breaking down the stalks. The mother exclaimed, \"My son! the\nanimals have finished all my food of the gardens; everything is\nlost! Why is this?\" He replied, \"Yes, it is so! And when they come\nagain tomorrow, I know what I will do to them!\"\n\nWhen they came the next day, he went into the house, took the spear,\nflung it; and it flew from beast to beast, piercing all of them in\nsuccession. Then it went off, flying into the forest, as before. He\ncalled after it to return. The Spear heard, and obeyed, and came back\nto the house.\n\nThen he and his mother sat down in the house, complaining of their\nhunger, and how the animals had spoiled their gardens. So the mother\nwent out, and gathered up what little remained, brought it into the\nhouse, and cooked it, leaves and all.\n\nWhen the mother had planted a third garden, and it had grown, a herd\nof elephants came to destroy it. She cried out, \"Ah! Nj\u00e2ku! what\nshall I do? You have come to destroy all my gardens! Shall I die\nwith hunger?\" The son brought out his Spear, and shouting at the\nelephants, threatened to kill them all. But the herd laughed and said,\n\"When you throw that spear, only one of us shall fall.\" He threw the\nspear at the one that spoke. It struck him and all the elephants in\nsuccession; and they all died. The Spear kept on in its flight into\nthe forest. The young man cried after it, \"Spear! Spear! come back,\ncome back!\" And it came to him again.\n\nEach time that the Spear had thus gone through the forest, it had mowed\ndown the trees in its path; and thus was made the clearing which the\nmother had at once utilized for the planting of her successive gardens.\n\nAfter the elephants, mother and son sat down again in their hunger;\nthey had nothing to eat but leaves. These she cooked; and they ate\nthem all at once.\n\nThen she planted another garden, thinking that now there were no more\nbeasts who would come to ravage. But she did not know that there was\nstill left in the forest one very, very large Elephant that had not\nbeen in the company of the herd that the son had killed.\n\nThere was also, in that forest, one very, very large Ox. When the\ngardens had grown, that Ox came, and began to destroy. The young\nman hurled his Spear at the Ox. It was wounded, but did not fall;\nand it went away into the forest with the spear sticking in its\nside. The young man pursued the Ox, following, following, following\nfar away. But he did not overtake it.\n\nOn his way, he reached unexpectedly a small, lonely hut, where an\nOld Woman was living by herself. When she saw him, she said to him,\n\"Do not follow any longer. That Ox was a person like yourself. He is\ndead; and his people have hung up that Spear in their house.\"\n\nThe young man told the old woman that he was very hungry. So she cut\ndown for him an entire bunch of plantains. He was so exceedingly hungry\nthat he could not wait; and before the plantains were entirely cooked,\nhe began to eat of them, and ate them all. The old woman exclaimed,\n\"What sort of a person is this who eats in this way?\" In her wisdom,\nthinking over the matter, she felt sure it was some disease that\ncaused his voracity.\n\nThe man, being tired with his journey, fell asleep; and she, by her\nmagic power, caused him to hear or feel nothing. While he was in\nthis state, she cut him open. As she did so, his disease rushed out\nwith a whizzing sound; and she cut away, and removed a tumor, that\nlooked like a stone of glass. That was the thing that had caused his\nexcessive hunger all his life. By her Power, she closed the wound.\n\nWhen he awoke, she cooked food for him, of which he ate, and was\nsatisfied with an ordinary amount like any other person. She then told\nhim what she had done, and said, \"As you are now cured, you may pursue\nthat Ox. You will reach his town, and you will obtain your Spear. But,\nas you go there, you must make a pretense. You must pretend that you\nare mourning for the dead. You must cry out in wailing, 'Who killed\nmy Uncle-o-o! who killed my Uncle-o-o!'\" Thus he went on his way;\nand finally came to a town where was a crowd of people gathered in\nand about a house of mourning. Beginning to wail, he went among the\nmourners. They received him, with the idea that he was some distant\nrelative who had come to attend the funeral. He walked up the street\nof this town of the Ox-Man, and entering into the house of mourning,\nsaid, \"Had not the way been so long, my mother also would have come;\nbut, I have come to look at that Thing that killed my Uncle.\" They\nwelcomed him, commended his devotion, and said, \"You will not go\ntoday. Stay with us. Sleep here tonight; and tomorrow you shall see\nand take away with you, to show to your mother, that Thing.\"\n\nSo, the next day, they gave him the Spear, and said, \"Go, but do\nnot delay. Return for the closing ceremony (the \"Washing\") of the\nmourning.\" He went away, and came again to the Old Woman. She said to\nhim, when he showed her the Spear, \"I told you truly that you would\nobtain it. But, go with it and this bundle I have made of the tumor\nof your disease, and show them to your mother.\"\n\nSo he came back to his mother. She rejoiced; and, not knowing that\nhe was cured, she cooked a very large and unusually varied quantity\nof food, for his unusual hunger, two whole bunches of plantains, and\neddoes, and potatoes, and yams, etc. Of this he ate only a little,\nsufficient for an ordinary hunger. As he had not yet told her of his\nbeing cured, she cried out in surprise, \"What is this? My son will die,\nfor not eating!\" And she asked him, \"What is the matter?\" He replied,\n\"No, I have eaten, and am satisfied. And, mother, this bundle is what\nI was cured of.\" Then he told her of what that old woman had done.\n\nOn another day, that great Elephant that had remained in the forest,\ncame and began to eat in the garden. The son said, \"Mother! what shall\nI do? I thought I had killed all the elephants. I did not know there\nwas this great big one left!\" (Nor did he just then know there were\nleft a very great many more.)\n\nTaking his Spear, he hurled it, and wounded the elephant. It did not\nfall, but went away with the Spear in its side. The man followed,\nfollowed, followed, pursuing the elephant, not, as the other animals\nhad gone, into the forest, but away toward the sea; and it died on\nthe sea beach. There the man found it and his Spear.\n\nThe Sea was new to him; he had not seen it since his childhood. He\nclimbed up on the elephant's body, in order to see all around. As he\nturned his eyes seaward, he saw a ship coming on the horizon. Also,\nthe people on this ship were looking landward, and they said, \"There\nis something standing on the shore like a person. Let the vessel go\nthere, and see what is ashore.\"\n\nSo, the ship anchored, and a surf-boat was launched into the water to\ngo ashore. When the crew landed, they saw the carcass of the elephant,\nand a person standing with a spear who warned them, \"Do not approach\nnear to me!\" But they replied, \"We do not want you, nor will we\nhurt you. But we want these tusks of ivory of this elephant. We want\nelephants.\" Wondering at this wish, he cut out the tusks, and gave\nthem to the strangers, adding, \"Off in the Forest are very, very many\nmore tusks, more than I can number. You seem to like them; but they\nare of no use to me.\" They earnestly said, \"But, bring them, bring\nthem! We will buy them of you with abundance of goods.\" He agreed,\nand promised, \"I am going now; but, let your ship wait, and I will\nbring all of those things as many as it is possible for me to carry.\"\n\nSo, he went back to his mother; and he and she carried many, many\ntusks. They filled the ship full; and the crew of the ship sent\nashore an immense quantity of goods. When the vessel went away, it\nleft ashore two carpenters, with direction to build a fine house,\nand have it completed before the vessel should come again.\n\nThe man remained there awhile with the carpenters, after the ship\nhad gone.\n\nOne day, looking, on a journey down the coast, at a point of land,\nhe was surprised to recognize his father's town, where he and his\nmother had lived in his childhood. He said to himself, \"That's my\nfather's town! I want them to come to me, and live at my town!\" He\nsent word to them; they removed, and all of them came to live with\nhim. And he married one of their young women. (In the meanwhile,\nhe had brought his mother from the forest.)\n\nWhile he was living at his new home, one day looking seaward, he\nsaw the promised ship coming to get more ivory, and to give more\ngoods. And he went off to the vessel.\n\nAmong the women who were still living of his father's people who had\nknown him as a child, was the one who had given him the evil \"medicine\"\nlong ago; her object in giving it having been to kill him. After he\nhad gone off to the vessel, this woman came to his wife's home, and,\nseeing the Spear hanging tied from the roof, said, \"What is that\nThing tied there?\" His wife replied, \"It is a kind of \"medicine\"\nof my husband's. It must not be touched.\" But the woman said, \"I\nknow that Thing; and what it does.\" Then she seized it, and put into\nit its handle the man had removed. She hurled the Spear out to sea,\nand it went on and on, passing over the ship. The man sitting in the\nsaloon, said to the crew, as he recognized the Spear in its flight,\n\"I saw something pass over the ship!\" He went up on deck, and called\nafter it, \"My Spear! come back! come! come! come back!\" And he told all\nthe people of the vessel to go below lest they should be injured. The\nSpear turned and came back to him; and he took possession of it. Then\nsaid he to the crew, \"Come! escort me ashore!\" They landed him ashore,\nand waited to see what he intended doing.\n\nHe called all his father's family, and asked, \"Why is it that you have\ntried to kill me today with this Spear! For this, I will this day kill\nall of you.\" He summoned all the people to come together. When they\nhad come, he had his mother bring out that tumor bundle, and said,\n\"This is the thing of long ago with which that woman (pointing to\nthe one who in childhood had given him the evil disease) tried to\ninjure me. And, for the same reason, she threw the Spear today; thus\ntrying a second time to kill me. None of you have rebuked her. So,\nI shall kill you all as her associates.\"\n\nThough they were of his father's family, he attacked and killed them\nall. The whole town died that day, excepting himself, his wife, his\nmother, and his sister. These four, not liking to remain at that evil\nplace, went off and took passage on the ship.\n\nSo, he journeyed, and came to the country of the white people at\nManga-Manene; and never returned to Africa. But, he kept up a trade\nin Ivory with his native country. But for him, that trade would not\nhave been begun. For, besides his having brought the first elephant\nto the sea coast, he told the people of Manga-Manene beyond the Great\nSea, about the tribes of people, and about the elephants that were\nso abundant, in Africa. And that is all.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 24\n\nORIGIN OF THE IVORY TRADE (2nd Version)\n\n\nPersons\n\n King Njambu, and His Four Wives\n Ngwe-Konde (Mother-of-Queens)\n Ngwe-Lege (Mother-of-Poverty)\n Ivenga (Watching); Ngwe-Sape (Mother of a Lock)\n Njambu's Son, Savulaka (Gluttony)\n The Spirit of an Uncle; Mekuku (Spirits of the Dead)\n A Magic Spear; A Great Elephant (A Metamorphosed Man)\n Birds, and Other Beasts\n\n\n\nNjambu built a town; and married four women. This one, Ngwe-Konde,\nthat one Ngwe-Lege, another one Ivenga, another Ngwe-Sape.\n\nAfter Njambu had lived there a short time all his wives were about to\nbecome mothers. Then Ngwe-konde took a net, and (by Magic Art) threw\nit into the womb of Ngwe-lege. The net entered the belly of her child.\n\nAt the time of their confinement, they all gave birth. The infants\nwere washed. They were dressed also, and were given suck. Also, they\nwere assigned their names. That of Ngwe-lege's was Savulaka. When he\nwas given the breast, he was not satisfied, he was only crying and\ncrying; for, whoever held him, there were only cries and cries. When\nhis mother would nurse him, there was only crying. His father said,\n\"If it is like this, then, lest he die, feed him the food of adults.\"\n\nHis mother cut down a plantain bunch; she boiled it; it was cooked. The\nchild ate, and finished the plantains; and yet it was crying and\ncrying. They cut down another bunch; it was boiled, it was cooked. At\nonly one eating, he finished the food, with cries in his mouth. Two\nmore bunches were boiled; he ate. All at once, though born only\nthat day, he spoke, \"My mother! Hunger!\" Four bunches were cut down;\nthey were cooked; he ate, and finished them, but with crying.\n\nThen he was cooked for ten times; he ate; and at once finished. The\npeople cooked, and he ate. The plantains of his father's town were all\ncleared off, the entire town was left like a prairie. The father spoke\nto the mother, and said, \"No! go away with him to your father's town.\"\n\nNgwe-lege picked up her child, carrying him away. She with the child\nwent on, to the town of her father.\n\nHer father asked her, \"My child! wherefore the crying, and your\ncarrying the infant?\" She replied, \"My father! I know not! This one\nwhom you see, since he was born, is not filled. He has made an end to\nall the plantains of his father's town, leaving the town a prairie. And\nhis father said to me, 'Just go and take him to your father's.' So,\nI have brought him.\"\n\nThe towns-people all were laughing, \"Kye! kye! kye!\" They said,\n\"What? Really, food? No! it's something else, not food. But, enter\ninto the house.\" She says, \"You are talking foolishly.\" The child\nbegan to cry. They said, \"Let us see!\"\n\nThen, at once, they began to cook; the food is ready; he eats;\nand finishes it. Other food was placed; he ate it at once. Food\nwas cooked again. At once, all of it, and the dishes, and the jars,\nand the plates, were swallowed up by him. Food is cooked again, and\nhe ate; and then said, \"My mother! Hunger!\" Food is cooked again;\nhe ate until he finished all the pots. All the food of the town,\nand all the gardens were done.\n\nHer father spoke to her saying, \"My child! Just carry him to the town\nof your grandfather.\"\n\nShe then carried the child, still crying with hunger, and made her\njourney, and came to her grandfather's town.\n\nThe people there said, \"What is it; for the crying?\" She told all the\nwhole affair to them. They inquired, \"Food?\" She replied, \"Yes.\" They\ncooked, and he ate, and finished. They cooked again; and he finished\nall, even to the leaves in which the food was wrapped. They said,\n\"Such a kind of child has never been born before!\"\n\nSuddenly, the child Savulaka ceased to be a child; and, as a man,\nsaid to his mother, \"My mother! Wash me some mekima (rolls of mashed\nboiled plantains).\" So, his mother made the mekima.\n\nIn the morning, very early, Savulaka starts on a journey. He went\nstepping very quickly, on, still with his journey; and, as he went,\nhe talked to himself. He said, \"This thing which has been done to me,\nnow, what is it?\" He still went on with the journey, until, at night,\nhe lay down in the forest. Early in the morning, he starts again\nfor his journey. As he was going in the forest he met with a Person\n(a brother of his mother, who belonged to a town of the Mekuku). This\nPerson inquired, \"Where are you going to?\" (Savulaka was still eating\nthe mekima, even its leaves going into his mouth.) This Person also\nsaid to him, \"Stop at once!\" Then he stood still.\n\nThe Person said, \"I, your Uncle, the brother of your mother, am\nthe one who is inquiring of you.\" Savulaka answered him, saying,\n\"I'm not able to tell you.\" But presently he did tell all the matter\nto him. So, the Uncle said to him, \"Come, to my town.\"\n\nThen both of them returned on the path. In a moment, in the twinkling\nof an eye, they are at the town. The Uncle said, \"My child, you\nare cured!\" He put for him a medicine in a syringe, and gave him an\ninjection. When he withdrew the syringe, here, at once, a net began\nto come out quick as ever it could move from the bowels! Then his\nUncle spoke and told him, \"It is thy father's wife who put the net\ninto your bowels.\"\n\nFood was cooked for him; he began to eat a little as people usually\neat. His Uncle said unto him, \"You shall go tomorrow.\"\n\nOn the morrow, early in the morning, his Uncle took all kinds and\nsorts of vegetables; and he took also a Spear; and malagetta pepper\n(\"Guinea-grains,\" a species of cardomom), and handed them to him;\nand told him, \"When you reach home, you must plant a garden.\"\n\nThe Uncle said to him, \"Close your eyes!\" He closed his eyes tight. On\nopening his eyes, he at once found himself near his home, and his\nmother on the path, her form bent stooping down seeking for him. He\nthen entered their house, and sat down, and his mother greeted him\nto her satisfaction.\n\nThe mother took food, and boiled it; it was cooked; she removed it\nfrom the fire; she sat the food before Savulaka. And he ate only two\nfingers of plantains. His mother began to wonder.\n\nThen he said to himself, \"Now, let me try to do as my Uncle has told\nme.\" He said, \"Ngalo! (a fetish charm) I want this forest here to be\ncleared, all of it.\" (As quickly as I speak here, at once the garden\nwas finished, like the passing of yesterday.) He said to his mother,\n\"Take a list of all the plants I have brought; then let us go and\nplant them.\" So, he and his mother went to plant; that very day the\ngarden was completely finished.\n\nPreviously to that, his Uncle had warned him, \"When the plants are\nsprung up, you will see Kenene (a kind of small bird) coming to eat\nthem. When they shall arrive, they will be many. Then you take the\nSpear; fail not to use the cardomoms with it.\"\n\nThe food increased; and the small birds came in countless\nnumbers. Savulaka took up the Spear, and threw it at them; and all,\neven to the young birds, perished. Then he returned to his mother,\nand said, \"My mother! go and pick up the sele\" (another name of\nkenene). She gathered them; leaving many remaining abandoned in the\nforest. The village was filled with the sele.\n\nThe same thing happened with all other kinds of birds. The same with\nevery Beast.\n\nThen Elephants came to the garden. The man picked up the Spear and\nthe cardomoms. When he came to the garden, he lifted up the Spear,\nand threw it, and wounded the Elephants. Numbers of Elephants that\nwere eating in the garden, were killed. They were gathered, and the\nwhole village was filled with the smell of the rotting meat; so that\nhardly any one would come to the village. I am not able to tell you\nthe abundance of tusks; the mendanda (long ones), and the makubu\n(short thick ones), and the begege (\"scrivillers,\" the small ones),\nthat cannot be counted.\n\nThe next morning, other elephants came again. The man took up the\nSpear, but he forgot the cardomom-pepper. When he arrived where they\nwere, he did not wait, but hastily threw the Spear after an elephant,\nthe leader of the herd, who turned aside, and ran away with the Spear\nin its body. The man followed him, but he did not reach him. Then\nhe returned to his mother; and said to her, \"My mother! mash me some\nmekima.\" (Food for a journey.)\n\nIn the next morning, the man started on the journey, stepping\nquickly as ever, until he came to his Uncle's town. He was about to\npass his Uncle by, not seeing him (a Spirit). The Uncle said to him,\n\"Stand there!\" So he stood. The Uncle directed, \"Enter the house!\" He\nentered, and sat down; and his Uncle said to him, \"Did I not tell\nyou that when you are going to kill an animal, you must not omit the\npepper-grains? Sit down there; wait. Don't you go out. I must go and\ntake for you your Spear.\"\n\nBut, lo! it was the Chief of that very town, whom he had wounded, and\nwho had come back to the town, and died. (That chief had metamorphosed\nhimself into the form of an elephant.) The uncle passed out, and\nwent to the other end of the town; and there he found the Spear. He\ntook it, and gave it to Savulaka, and said, \"Go!\" Savulaka went;\nand met his mother on the way, waiting for him. Then they went home\nto their village.\n\nNext morning, he fastened the Spear handle. Elephants in the plantation\nshouted, \"We have come!\" The man stood up, and snatched his Spear. The\nElephants stood waiting. The man said, \"Here it is!\" and flung it at\nthem. And the carcasses of all fell in a heap. He said to the people\nof the village, \"Go ye!\" They went, and found dead bodies without\nnumber; the tusks the same, without number.\n\nAfter that, White-Man came with a quantity of goods. The Town of\nSavulaka was crowded with goods in abundance; every kind of foreign\narticle. White men came to see Ivory. The sailing-vessels and steamers\ncame any day (not only on scheduled dates). Thus it was that Ivory was\nexported, and goods imported. Business of Trading was made. Savulaka\nhad a great many traders. All his father's brothers, and mother's\nbrothers, all their dwelling was in the town of Savulaka. Rum was drunk\nconstantly, and they were constantly intoxicated. Ivory went to White\nMan's Land. White men's things came, and were sent up to the Interior.\n\nThis Trade is going on to the present days. It was a man who commenced\nwith the thought of Trading; it was commenced by that one man. All\nthe African tribes are now changed from what they were originally.\n\nAt first we negroes had no (proper) knowledge. They spoke with wonder\nover the things that are made in Europe by white men. They said,\n\"These are made by the Spirits of the dead; they are not made by the\nliving.\" Because our people believed that the departed spirits have\ntheir home beyond the Sea. Why? Because Savulaka brought his wonderful\nSpear (by which so much ivory was obtained) from the Spirit-Town.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 25\n\nDOG AND HIS FALSE FRIEND LEOPARD\n\n\nPersons\n\n Mbwa (Dog)\n Ngiya (Gorilla)\n Nj\u00e2 (Leopard)\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nThe origin of the hatred between dogs and leopards. Friends should\nnot have arguments. An argument separates a company.\n\n\n\nDog and Leopard built a town. Dog then begot very many\nchildren. Leopard begot his many also. They had one table\ntogether. They conversed, they hunted, they ate, they drank.\n\nOne day, they were arguing: Leopard said, \"If I hide myself, you are\nnot able to see me.\" Dog replied, \"There is no place in which you\ncan hide where I cannot see you.\"\n\nThe next day, at the break of the day, Leopard emerged from his house\nat Batanga, and he went north as far as from there to Bahabane near\nPlantation. Dog, in the next morning, emerged. He asked, \"Where is\nchum Nj\u00e2?\" The women and children answered, \"We do not know.\" Dog\nalso started, and went: and as he went, smelling, until he arrived\nat Plantation (about 15 miles). He came and stood under the tree up\nwhich Leopard was hidden; and he said, \"Is not this you?\"\n\nBoth of them returned, and came to their town. Food had been\nprepared; and they ate. Leopard said, \"Chum! you will not see me here\ntomorrow.\" When the next day began to break, Leopard started southward,\nas far as to Lolabe (about 15 miles). Next day, in the morning, Dog\nstood out in the street, lifted up his nose, and smelled. He also\nwent down southward, clear on till he came to Lolabe; and standing\nat the foot of a tree, he said, \"Is not this you?\"\n\nLeopard came down from the top of the tree; they stood; and then\nthey returned to their town. Food was cooked for them; they ate,\nand finished.\n\nLeopard said, \"Chum! you will not see me tomorrow again, no matter\nwhat may take place.\" Dog asked, \"True?\" Leopard replied, \"Yes!\"\n\nIn the morning, Leopard started southward, for a distance like from\nBatanga to Campo River (about 40 miles).\n\nAt the opening of the next day, Dog emerged, and, standing and\nsmelling, he said, looking toward the south, \"He went this way.\" Dog\nalso went to Campo. He reached Leopard, and said, \"Is not this you?\"\n\nThey came back to their town; they were made food; and they ate.\n\nThe next day, Leopard emerged early. He went northward, as far\nas from Batanga to Lokonje (about 40 miles). Dog sniffed the air,\nand followed north also. In a steady race, he was soon there; and he\nreached Leopard. So, Leopard said, \"It is useless, I will not attempt\nto hide myself again from Mbwa.\"\n\nThereupon, Dog spoke to Leopard and said, \"It is I, whom, if I hide\nmyself from you, you will not see.\" Leopard replied, \"What! even if you\nwere able to find me, how much more should I be able to find you!\" So,\nDog said to him, \"Wait, till daybreak.\"\n\nWhen the next day broke, Dog passed from his house like a flash\nunseen, vyu! to Leopard's. And, underneath the bed of Leopard in\nhis public Reception-house, he lay down. Then Leopard (who had not\nseen him) came to the house of Dog; he asked the women, \"Where is\nMbwa?\" They said, \"Thy friend, long ago, has gone out hence, very\nearly.\" Leopard returned to his house, and he said to his children,\n\"That fellow! if I catch him! I do not know what I shall do to him!\"\n\nHe started southward on the journey, as far as Lolabe; and did\nnot see Dog. So he returned northward a few miles, as far as Boje,\nand did not see him. Down again south to Campo; and he did not see\nhim. That first day, he did not find him at all. Then he returned\ntoward Batanga, and went eastward to Nk\u00e2mak\u00e2k (about 60 miles); and\nhe did not see him. He went on northward to Ebaluwa (about 60 miles);\ndid not see him. Up north-west to Lokonje; he did not see him. And\nLeopard, wearied, went back to his town.\n\nComing to the bed (not knowing Dog was there) he lay down very\ntired. He said to his people, \"If I had met him today, then you would\nbe eating a good meat now.\" All these words were said in the ears of\nDog, the while that Dog was underneath the bed.\n\nThen Dog leaped out, pwa! Leopard asked, \"Where have you been?\" Dog\nanswered, \"I saw you when you first passed out.\" Leopard said,\n\"True?\" And Dog says, \"Yes!\"\n\nThen Dog went out far to his end of the town. And, knowing that\nLeopard intended evil toward him, he said to his children, \"Let us go\nand dig a pit.\" So they went and dug a pit in the middle of the road.\n\nThen Dog told his wives and children, \"Go ye before, at once!\" He\nalso said, \"I and this little Mbwa, which can run so fast, we shall\nremain behind.\" Then the others went on in advance.\n\n(Before that, Leopard, observing some movements of the Mbwa family,\nhad been speaking to himself, \"I do not know the place where Mbwa\nand his children will go today.\")\n\nDog warned this young one, \"When you are pursued, you must jump clear\nacross that pit.\"\n\nThen Dog, to cover the retreat of his family, came alone to Leopard's\nend of the town. He and his children chased after him. Dog ran away\nrapidly, and escaped.\n\nWhen Leopard's company arrived at the house of Dog, they found there\nonly that little dog. So they said, \"Come ye! for there is no other\nchoice than that we catch and eat this little thing.\"\n\nThereupon, Leopard chased after the little dog; but it leaped away\nrapidly, and Leopard after him. When the little Dog was near the pit,\nit made a jump. (Leopard did not know of the pit, nor why the Dog\njumped.) When Leopard was come to the pit, he fell inside, tumbling,\nvolom!\n\nHis enemy Gorilla was following after Leopard, also in pursuit of\nDog. He also fell into the pit, headlong, volom! Finding Leopard there,\nGorilla said, \"What is this?\" Leopard stood at one side, and Gorilla\nat the other. When the one would be about to go near the other, if\nthe other attempted to go near him, he would begin to growl, saying,\n\"You must not approach here!\"\n\nDog, standing at the edge above, was laughing at them, saying,\n\"Fight ye your own fight! Did you want only me?\"\n\nBut Leopard and Gorilla were not fighting in the pit. If the one\napproached, the other retreated.\n\nDog spoke to them and said in derision. \"I have no strength; but as\nto your fight, was it seeking only me?\"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 26\n\nA TRICK FOR VENGEANCE\n\n\nPersons\n\n Kudu (Tortoise)\n Ko (Wild-Rat)\n Nj\u00e2 (Leopard)\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nBecause of deaths and sicknesses, African natives are constantly\nchanging the location of their villages, believing the old sites\ninfested by malevolent Spirits.\n\n\n\nThe whole mass of Beasts were living in one place. They built houses;\nthey cleared the forest for plantations.\n\nAfter this, Tortoise said, \"I'm going to find my own place.\" So, he\nwent and built in a place which he called Malende-ma-Kudu. The fame of\nit was spread abroad, people talking about \"Malende-ma-Kudu.\" Leopard\narose, came to the town of Tortoise, and said, \"I have come to build\nhere.\" Tortoise consented, \"You may build.\" Leopard said, \"I'm going to\nbuild at the end of the path, and by the spring.\" And he built there.\n\nOne day, a child of Tortoise was passing by near the spring; and\nLeopard seized him, ku!\n\nAnother day, another one was passing; Leopard seized him, also, ku!\n\nThen Tortoise said, \"This is an evil place, I'm going to move from\nhere.\" So he went and built another town called Jamba. Leopard\ncame also, saying, \"Kudu! I'm coming to build!\" Then Tortoise said,\n\"Really! what have your affairs to do with me? Nevertheless, come\nand build.\" And Leopard built at the end, by the spring.\n\nWhen the children of Tortoise were passing by the spring, Leopard\nconstantly killed them.\n\nTortoise wondered, \"This thing which is destroying my children,\nwhat is it?\"\n\nThus day by day, Leopard was killing the children of Tortoise.\n\nTortoise prepared again to remove, saying that he would go away and\nbuild another town to be called Dang. He went there. And the fame of it\nwas spread around, people saying, \"Dang, the town of Kudu!\" Everybody\nwas saying, \"We are going to the town of Kudu; Dang, the town of Kudu!\"\n\nLeopard comes again, and says, \"I also have come to build\nhere.\" Tortoise said to him, \"Wait! really; why did you leave the other\npeople?\" However, Tortoise said to him, \"Build.\" And Leopard built as\nusual. Also, when the children of Tortoise were passing to the spring,\nthey were missing. And Tortoise felt sure that Leopard had seized them.\n\nThereupon Tortoise made a plan for himself. He called Wild-Rat\nprivately, saying, \"I have heard that you know how to dig\nholes.\" Wild-Rat replied, \"It is my work.\" Tortoise said, \"But,\nI want you to dig me a tunnel from this room here, out to, and up\ntowards the street, by measure.\" So, Wild-Rat dug a big hole, in size\nsufficient for Tortoise and his traveling-bag and his spears.\n\nThen Tortoise went and gathered together his spears and his\ntraveling-bag. He went out the next day, early in the morning, and\nstood and announced in the street, \"All the Tribes must come! I want\nto tell them the news of what I have seen.\"\n\nThen all the Beasts came to meet in the town of Tortoise. It was full\nof every kind of beast. Tortoise spoke, and said, \"I have called you\nto say, that really we are not worth anything at all. Actually, the\nonly dwelling we have is in the grave. All those my children who have\ndied here, is it possible that it is my Father (of Spirits) who takes\nthem? I met them sitting down in the Reception-House of that father,\nplaying.\" The people said to him, \"This is a Dream.\" He replied,\n\"No! it is open to sight.\" Some said, \"It is a lie.\" But Tortoise\nsaid, \"You have doubted me? Well, tomorrow you must dig me a grave;\nand you shall see how I am going.\" They said, \"Yes! let us see!\"\n\nOn the next day, in the morning, they were called together. He said,\n\"Dig me a pit here.\" (He pointed to the privately measured spot over\nthe tunnel which Wild-Rat had already made for him.) They dug it wide\nand deeply. Then, this Tortoise took his spears and his bag; and with\nthese under his arm, he descended into the pit, and bade the people\nfill in the earth. He went to one side, until he reached and entered\nthat tunnel of his which Wild-Rat had dug for him. And unseen he passed\nup to his room in his house, and lay down. Before that, he had promised\nthe people, saying, \"I shall lie there (in the pit) for six days.\"\n\nBefore Tortoise had disappeared, the people (following his orders)\nbegan to throw back the earth into the pit, filling it solidly.\n\nAfter Tortoise had laid in his house for six days, he suddenly\nappeared in the street; and he called all the mass of the Beasts,\nand he told them the news. He said, \"Over there is so beautiful! I\nwill not stay in this town any more for as long as ten days. But,\nas I am here, I shall lie here only for three days, and two days over\nthere.\" At once Tortoise was regarded as a person of great importance,\nand his fame was spread abroad.\n\nThereupon, Leopard, (feeling jealous of the wonderful experience of\nTortoise) said to his children, \"Even Kudu! How much rather that I\nshould get to that beautiful place! Dig me mine own pit. I also am\ngoing to see my forefathers. I and they, we have not seen each other\nfor a long time.\" So, they dug a big pit. He announced, \"I will lie\nthere for seven days; on the eighth, then I shall come.\"\n\nThen he descended into the pit. And they rapidly filled it up with\nearth. Leopard, below, sought a cavity by which to pass on (as he\nthought) to the Land of Spirits; but, there was none. And he died.\n\nHis children waited eight days; but they saw not their father. Then\nthey asked Tortoise, \"As to our father, up to this day, what has\nhappened to him?\" Tortoise answered them, \"Why are you asking me\nthis? When I went, what did my family ask of you? Maybe, your father\nremained to follow the pleasures of over there!\"\n\nThe women of Leopard had kept him some food, making it ready for him\nfor the eighth day. But (giving up hope of him) they ate it. While\nthey were still waiting, actually Leopard had begun to rot there\n(in the pit).\n\nTortoise, fearing possible difficulty, gathered together his wives\nand remaining children, and fled with them into the forest afar off.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 27\n\nNOT MY FAULT!\n\n\nPersons\n\n Yongolokodi (Chameleon)\n Ko (Wild Rat)\n Men, Hunters\n\n\n\nChameleon and all the other Beasts built their villages near together,\nmaking a large town. And there was a time of great hunger. After that,\nthere came a harvest time of large fruitage. The great produce could\nnot be gathered for abundance.\n\nThen came Chameleon to the village of Wild-Rat, and he said to him,\n\"Chum, Ko! this harvest is a great thing!\" Rat said, \"Don't speak\nabout it!\"\n\nNot long afterward, Mankind laid their snares, and the hunters prepared\ntheir bows. For, beasts and birds had come in crowds to eat of the\nabundance; and Man had overhead them speaking of it. Gunners came;\nthe shots resounded; bows were twanged; the snares caught.\n\nRat fell into one of the traps. Chameleon seeing him, and desiring\nto justify himself, reminded Rat that Rat himself had told him not\nto let others know of the great abundance, and that he himself had\nobeyed; that therefore he was not the cause of Rat's misfortune. So,\nChameleon said, \"I did not speak of it.\"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 28\n\nDO NOT IMPOSE ON THE WEAK\n\n\nPersons\n\n Yongolokodi (Chameleon)\n Nj\u00e2 (Leopard)\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nChameleons move very slowly. This story is given as a reason why, even\nif one is small in body, he should not be despised, as though he had\nno strength, or as though he could with impunity be deprived of his\nrights, e.g., in a race or in wrestling, or in any other circumstances.\n\n\n\nLeopard and Chameleon lived apart. This one had his village, and that\none his. This one did his own business; that one his. And they were\nresting quietly in their abodes.\n\nChameleon had a herd of sheep and of goats.\n\nLeopard came to the village of Chameleon on an excursion; and he saw\nthe herd of sheep and of goats. He said to Chameleon, \"Chum! give\nme a loan of sheep to raise on shares.\" Chameleon made food for him;\nand, when they had eaten, he said to Leopard, \"You can send children\ntomorrow, to come and take the loan of sheep on shares.\" They had their\nconversation, talking, and talking. When they had ended, Leopard said,\n\"My Fellow! I'm going back.\" His friend said to him, \"Very good.\"\n\nLeopard went on to his village. He said, \"My wife! I came on an\nexcursion, to the town of Yongolokodi. He treated me with hospitality\nto the very greatest degree. Also he has given me sheep on shares.\"\n\nThe next day, in the morning, he sent his children to the town of\nChameleon to take the herd of sheep. They went; and they brought\nthem; and goats also. (A \"day\" in an Ekano Tale is without limit as\nto length or shortness.)\n\nThe goats and sheep increased, until the village of Leopard was\npositively full of them crowded in abundance.\n\nAbout three years passed, and Chameleon said to himself, \"Our herd\nwith Chum must be about sufficient for division.\" Thereupon he started\non his journey crawling, naka, naka, naka, until he came to the house\nof his friend Leopard. Leopard said to his wife, \"Make food!\" It was\ncooked, they ate, and rested.\n\nChameleon said to Leopard, \"Chum! I have come, that we should divide\nthe shares of the herd.\" Leopard replied, \"Good! but, first go back\ntoday. Who can catch goats and sheep on a hot day like this? Come\ntomorrow morning.\" Chameleon said, \"Very good.\" And he went back to\nhis village.\n\nThe next day, in the morning, he rose to go to the village of\nLeopard. (Actually, after midnight, Leopard had already opened the\npens, and all the animals were scattered outside.) He protested regret\nto Chameleon, and said, \"Chum! go back! I don't know how those fellows\nhave opened their pens. I was expecting you, for this day; I had let my\nherdman know that a person was coming on the morrow. So, go back. And,\nas I am going tomorrow to the swamp for bamboo, you must come only\non the second day.\" Chameleon submissively replied, \"Very good.\"\n\nChameleon continued coming; and his treatment was just so every time,\nwith excuses.\n\nLeopard, hoping, said to himself, \"Perhaps he will die on the way,\"\nbecause he saw him walking so slowly, naka, naka. And Chameleon kept\non patiently going back and forth, back and forth.\n\nOne night, Leopard and his wife were lying down; whereupon his wife\nasked him, \"What is the reason that you and Yongolokodi have not\ndivided the shares of the herd? Do you think he will die of this\nweakness?\" Leopard answered, \"No! it is not weakness, Njambe is the\none who created him so; it is his own way of walking.\"\n\nFinally, Chameleon said to himself, \"I must see what Nj\u00e2 intends to\ndo to me; whether he thinks that he shall eat my share.\" He went by\nnight and waited outside of Leopard's. Next day, in the morning,\nas Leopard rose to go out, he found, unexpectedly, as he emerged\nfrom the house, Chameleon sitting on the threshold. There was no\nother deception that Leopard could seek; for, the animals were still\nin their pens. So, he called his children, and said, \"Tie the goats\nand sheep with cords.\" So they tied them all. And he and Chameleon\ndivided them. Then this one returned to his place; and that one to his.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 29\n\nBORROWED CLOTHES\n\n\nPersons\n\n Koho (Parrot)\n Kuba (Chicken)\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nA story of the cause of the enmity between chickens and parrots. When\na chicken comes near to a parrot, the latter turns to one side, saying,\n\"w\u00e2!\"; for fear that the chicken will take his fine feathers from him.\n\n\n\nParrot and Chicken were fowls living in a village of Mankind near\na town; which they had built together. They were living there in\ngreat friendship.\n\nThen Parrot said to Chicken, \"Chum! I'm going to make an engagement\nfor marriage.\" So, he prepared his journey. And he asked Chicken,\n\"Chum! give me now thy fine dress!\" (For the occasion.) Chicken,\nsaid, \"Very good!\" and he handed his tail feathers to him. Thereupon,\nParrot went on his marriage journey.\n\nWhen he came home again, he said to himself, \"These feathers become\nme. I will not return them to Kuba.\"\n\nSo, when Chicken said to him, \"Return me my clothes,\" he replied,\n\"I will not return them!\" Chicken, seeing that Parrot was retaining\nthe feathers, said sarcastically, \"Accept your clothing!\" Thereupon,\nParrot, pretending to be wronged, said, \"Fellow! why do you put me\nto shame? I did not say that I would take your clothing altogether,\nonly that we should exchange clothes.\"\n\nAt night, then, Parrot took all his family, and they flew up in the air\naway. At once, he decided to stay there, and did not come to live on\nthe ground again. Chicken was left remaining with Mankind in the town.\n\nWhenever Chicken began to call to Parrot up in the treetops, asking\nfor his clothes, Parrot only screamed back \"w\u00e2! w\u00e2!\" That was a mode\nof speech by which to mock at Chicken.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 30\n\nTHE STORY OF A PANIC\n\n\nPersons\n\n Edubu (Adder)\n Ikingi (Fly)\n Ko (Wild-Rat)\n Ngomba (Porcupine)\n Nj\u00e2ku (Elephant)\n Ngubu (Hippopotamus)\n Nyati (Ox)\n Bejaka (Fishes)\n Ngando (Crocodile)\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nNative Africans after bathing, rub more or less of some oil, either\nnative palm, or foreign pomade, on their bodies.\n\nIn the Dry Seasons, when the rivers are low, fish are caught by\nbuilding dams across the streams, and then bailing out the water from\nthe enclosed spaces. Observe flies, as carriers of disease.\n\n\n\nAdder went to bathe. He returned, and anointed himself with nyimba oil\n(oil of bamboo-palm nuts), and then climbed out on to a branch of a\ncayenne-pepper bush.\n\nFly came and settled upon Adder's back. Adder, being annoyed, drove\nFly away. Then Fly said to Adder, in anger, \"Know you not that it is\nI who cause even Nj\u00e2ku, with his big tusks, to rot? And that I can\ncause Nyati and Ngubu to rot? And I can cause Mankind to rot! Then\nhow much more you, this Thing who has only ribs and ribs!\"\n\nWhen Adder heard this, he was alarmed, and he entered into the hole\nof Wild-Rat. Wild-Rat asked him, \"Chum Adder! where do you come\nfrom in such haste?\" He answered, \"I have seen a Being which does\nnot hesitate to cause Beasts and even Mankind to rot. Therefore,\nI am fled, by reason of fear of Ikingi.\"\n\nWhereupon Wild-Rat, frightened, arose, and entered hastily into the\ntown of Porcupine. Porcupine, alarmed, asked Wild-Rat, \"What is it?\" He\nanswered, \"I'm afraid of Ikingi; Edubu says that it is he who causes\nboth Mankind and Beasts to rot.\"\n\nThen Porcupine, in fear went out, running, going to the town of\nHog. Whereupon Hog, being startled, asked him, \"Chum! what is it?\" He\nanswered him, \"I'm afraid of Ikingi. Ngomba says that he is the one\nwho causes both Beasts and Mankind to rot.\"\n\nHog at once ran out in terror, and went to a river with all his\nfamily. And the water of the river was promptly crowded out, leaving\nits channel dry.\n\nThen the Fishes (mistaking this motion of the water) arose in haste,\nsaying, \"The people who bail the river have come!\" And they fled.\n\nThen Crocodile opened his mouth wide; and the fishes in their flight\nbegan to enter into his stomach. Among them was ingongo-Kenda (a young\nkenda; a fish with spines like a catfish). When Crocodile was about\nto swallow, the spines caught fast in his throat. And Crocodile died\nat once.\n\nThen the Fishes sang a song of rejoicing.\n\n\n \"Ngando, with stealing,\n Ngando died by a sting in his throat.\"\n\n\nSuch was the death that Crocodile died, on account of his attempt\nto swallow Fishes, who had rushed into his open mouth, as they fled,\nalarmed by the confusion raised by the panic of the other animals.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 31\n\nA FAMILY QUARREL\n\n\nPersons\n\n Iheli (Gazelle)\n Nj\u00e2 (Leopard)\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nAmong native Africans, in the case of a man and his wife, even\nif they fight together, her father or her brother usually do not\ninterfere. For, every man who is married knows that his own wife will\nsome day offend himself.\n\n\n\nGazelle and Leopard built a town; living this one at his end of it;\nthat one at the other end. After they had built; they cleared the\nforest for plantations; they married wives; and they sat down,\nresting in their seats.\n\nGazelle had married the sister of Leopard who was of a proud\ndisposition. And Leopard had publicly threatened, \"The person who\nmakes trouble for my sister, I will show him a thing.\"\n\nOne day, the sister of Leopard began to give Gazelle some\nimpertinence. Gazelle said to her, \"Shut your mouth!\" She replied, \"I\nwon't shut it!\" Gazelle threatened, \"Lest I beat you!\" She dared him,\n\"Come and beat me! You will see my brother coming to chew you!\" Gazelle\nran after her, struck her, ndo! and knocked her to the ground, ndi! As\nshe lay there, he kept on beating her, and beating her, and shouting,\n\"Who has married! Who has not married?\"\n\nLeopard bristled up his whole mane, full of anger, and was about to\ngo to Gazelle's end of the town to fight. But the older people said\nto him, \"You hear what Iheli says, 'Who has not married'?\"\n\nLeopard was at once disheartened. He saw there was no place for his\nbravery in a matter of marriage.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 32\n\nTHE GIANT GOAT\n\n\nPersons\n\n Kudu (Tortoise)\n Nj\u00e2 (Leopard)\n A Giant Goat (Mbodi)\n Ngweya (Hog)\n Betoli (Rats)\n Ngwai (Partridge)\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nTortoise and Leopard had lived in peace in the same town, until\ntheir mutual use and abuse of the great Goat, the gift of Njambe,\nthe Creator. A leopard is not satisfied unless he first takes the\nheart of the animal he has killed.\n\n\n\nTortoise and Leopard built a town together. There they stayed. After\nthey had built, they cleared plantations. Their food was only\nvegetables; for, they had no meat. Their hunger for meat became\ngreat. Their hunters killed nothing.\n\nOne day, Tortoise, as he went in search of food, going and penetrating\nin the forest, came upon the Goat of Njambe (a mythical, enormous\nanimal) in the forest by itself, and tied. It told Tortoise who\nand what it was, and invited him to enter. He said to It, \"Mbodi,\nFriend-of-Njambe! open for me your house!\" The Goat opened an aperture\nof its body; Tortoise entered in; and It closed the aperture. Inside\nof the Goat, Tortoise cut pieces of fine fat, and tied them into two\nbundles. Then he said, \"Mbodi, friend of Njambe! open for me the\nhouse!\" It opened the aperture; Tortoise at once went out; and It\nshut it.\n\nTortoise returned to his town, and cut up the meat. He said to his\nwomen, \"Make ready leaves for momba!\" (bundles of green plantain leaves\nin which meats are cooked over hot coals). They at once plucked the\nleaves, tied up the momba, and put them over the fireplace. They set\nsoup also on the fireplace. When it was boiled, they spread the table,\nsat down together, and ate.\n\nThe children of Leopard, smelling a tempting odor, came to Tortoise's\nend of the town. The children of Tortoise showed their food to them,\nsaying, exultingly, \"Ye! do you eat such as that?\" A child of Leopard\nsaid, \"Chum! let me taste it!\" And he allowed him to taste it.\n\nThe children of Leopard went off hurriedly to their father, saying,\n\"Father! such an animal as your friend has killed! Perhaps it is\nNgweya; we do not know.\"\n\nThen Leopard went to where Tortoise was, and he asked him, \"Chum! as\nto this meat-hunger, what shall we do? Let us arrange for the\ntown.\" Tortoise responded. \"Yes, I am willing.\" So, in the evening, he\ninvited his friend Leopard that he should come and eat food. Leopard\ncame; they sat down together; and they ate. When Leopard had tasted,\nhe exclaimed, \"Man! what animal is this?\" But Tortoise would not\ntell him. When they had finished eating, Leopard said to himself,\n\"I must know where Tortoise goes!\"\n\nOn the next day, before the Ngwai (a Bird, that announces the first\ncoming of daylight) had sounded, Tortoise went out clear on to\nwhere was that giant Goat. He spoke, as on his previous journey,\n\"O! Mbodi! Friend of the Creator! open for me the house!\" It at\nonce opened the aperture; he entered in; and began to slice pieces\nof meat from the Goat's inside. When he had finished, he said,\n\"Open for me the house!\" It opened the aperture; and he emerged\nand went back to his town. There he spoke to his women, saying,\n\"Cook ye!\" They boiled the meat; it was cooked; he invited Leopard;\nthey ate; and finished. And Leopard went back to his house.\n\nBut, when night came, Leopard took ashes, and, going to the house\nof Tortoise, thrust the ashes into Tortoise's traveling-bag, and\nstabbed holes in it. Said he to himself, \"When Tortoise carries it,\nthen the ashes will fall down.\" This he did, so that he might follow\nto the place where Tortoise would go.\n\nNext day, Tortoise was up at the same time with the first Ngwai. And\nat daybreak, Leopard followed, observing the ground closely with\nhis eyes; and he saw the ashes. The fellow, at once, went on his\njourney, striding quickly, quickly, until he reached to where the\ngreat Goat was standing. It explained to him, as it had to Tortoise,\nits use, and invited him to enter. Said he, \"O! Mbodi of my father\nNjambe! open to me the house!\" And It opened the hole. He entered;\nand he discovered Tortoise cutting meat. Tortoise was displeased,\nand said to him, \"Chum! is that the way you do?\" They cut pieces of\nmeat, they got ready, and they went back to town.\n\nThe next day, although Tortoise was vexed at Leopard, they started\ntogether on their journey; and they arrived at the Goat. They said\nas before, \"O! Mbodi! Friend! open to us the house!\" It opened the\naperture; and they entered. Tortoise warned Leopard, \"Chum! Nj\u00e2! don't\ntouch the heart!\" They cut meat. Then Leopard said that he was going\nto lay hold of the heart. But Tortoise said, \"No!\" Leopard cut and\ncut, and was going on to the heart. Tortoise again said to him, \"Not\nso!\" They went on cutting. Finally Leopard laid hold of the heart! The\nGoat at once made a great outcry, \"Ma-a! Mba-a!\" and died instantly.\n\nThe people of the town that was near by, heard, and they said, \"The\nMbodi! what has happened to it? Young men! go ye! Hasten ye! for,\nthat Mbodi is crying!\" They went, and discovered the body of the Goat\nstretched out. They went back to the town and told the people that,\n\"The Mbodi is dead!\"\n\nWhile this was going on, as soon as Tortoise inside the body knew that\nthe Goat was dying, he began to seek for a hiding-place. He said,\n\"I am for the stomach!\" Leopard said, \"No! that is the hiding-place\nof the elder one\" (himself). Then Tortoise said, \"I will go and hide\nin the bowels.\" Leopard said, \"That also is the hiding place of the\nelder.\" Then Tortoise said, \"Well! I'm going to hide in the fountain\nof the water of the belly\" (the urinary bladder). Leopard said,\n\"Yes! that is the share of the younger.\" Tortoise thrust himself in\nthere. Leopard jumped into the stomach.\n\nWhen the people came, they discovered the Goat lying flat, and\nthey said, \"Tie ye it!\" (to carry it away). Others said, \"No! let\nit be butchered here.\" They all said, \"Yes!\" And they cut it in\npieces. They took out the entire stomach, and laid it aside. They\ntook that fountain, and flung it out in the bushes.\n\nConcealed by the bushes, Tortoise crawled out of the sac, and,\npretending to be displeased, called out, \"Who dashed that dirty water\nin my face, as I was coming here, seeking for my fungi here in the\nforest?\" They apologized, saying. \"Chum! we did not know you were\nin those bushes. But, come, and join us.\" So, he went there; and\nhe, in pretence, exclaimed, \"What thing can so suddenly have killed\nFriend-Creator his Mbodi there? Alas! But, Ime! what a large stomach\nthat is! Would you say that it was not it that killed Mbodi? Let us\nsend some children to pierce that stomach. But ye! when ye shall go\nto pierce it, first bring spears, then jab the spears through it. I\nhave not seen such a stomach as that!\"\n\nThey finished the cutting in pieces; and they gave Tortoise his\nshare of the animal. He left, bidding them await his return. He went\nhastily with the meat to his town, and sat down to rest for only\na little while. Then he rapidly went back again to see what would\nhappen to Leopard.\n\nThe family of Njambe had taken that stomach and laid it in the water\nof a stream. Then they took spears, and they stabbed it. Leopard,\nbeing wounded, struggled up and down as he tried to emerge from\ninside the stomach. The people, when they saw this, shouted,\n\"Aw! l\u00e2! l\u00e2! l\u00e2!\" And there was Leopard lying dead! For, in stabbing\nthat stomach, the spears had reached Leopard.\n\nTortoise said to them, \"Give me the skin of Leopard!\" So they handed\nit to him. He went off with it to his house. When it was dried, he\ntook it into his inner room, and hung it up. He said to his children,\n\"Let no person bring any of the children of Nj\u00e2 into this room.\"\n\nBefore that time, the children of Tortoise and of Leopard always\nhunted small animals; and they were accustomed daily to kill rats in\ntheir houses.\n\nOn another day, the children of Leopard having no meat, and not knowing\nthat their father was dead said, \"A hunt for Betoli tomorrow!\" The\nchildren of Tortoise replied, \"Yes!\"\n\nEarly in the next day then, the children of Leopard made ready and\ncalled for those of Tortoise; and they all started together.\n\nThey began at first at Leopard's end of the town; and, going from house\nto house, opened the houses and killed rats. They passed on toward\nTortoise's end of the town, opening houses, and killing rats. When they\ncame to the room of Tortoise himself, his children said to the others,\n\"No!\" The children of Leopard asked them, \"Why?\" As they arrived at\nthe door, the children of Tortoise said, \"Our father said that, even\nfor catching rats, we should not enter that room.\" But the children\nof Leopard broke down the door, and entered into the room. There they\nlifted their eyes, and discovered the skin of their father Leopard\nhanging! At once, they all hasted out of the house. But, suppressing\ntheir sorrow and indignation, shortly after this, they all said,\n\"To go to throw wheels on the beach!\" (a game; solid wheels, about\neight or ten inches in diameter, and some three inches thick, chopped\nout of an enormous tuber). They made ready their little spears, and\nthey all went in a company. Their challenge was, \"To the beach!\" These\narranged themselves on one side, and those on the other.\n\nThe children of Tortoise began the game, rolling the wheel to the\nchildren of Leopard. These latter, as the wheel rolled by, pierced\nits center with all their spears; none failed. The Leopard company\nshouted in victory. \"Boho, eh?\" And the Tortoise company dared\nthem with, \"Iw\u00e2!\" Then the Leopard company insultingly retorted,\n\"We are the ones who are accustomed to sleep with people's sisters,\nand continue to eat with them!\" (i.e., that they could commit crimes\nwith impunity, and still be allowed the intimate friendship of eating\ntogether, without the others daring to punish them).\n\nThen the Leopard company bowled the wheel toward the side of the\nTortoise company. These latter pierced the wheel with all their spears;\nnone missed. The Tortoise company shouted for victory, \"Boho! eh?\" And\nthe Leopard company dared them with, \"Iw\u00e2!\" Then the Tortoise children\nshouted boastfully, \"We are those who are accustomed to kill people's\nfathers, and hang up their skins, eh?\"\n\nAt this, the Leopard children began to rage, and joined a fight with\nthe children of Tortoise.\n\nThe children of Tortoise, and himself, and their wives and their\nchildren, fled and scattered over the logs into the stream of water,\nand hid themselves in holes, and never came back to town.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 33\n\nTHE FIGHTS OF MBUMA-TYETYE AND AN ORIGIN OF THE\nLEOPARD\n\n\nPersons\n\n Mekuku, and Two of His Sons Mbuma-Tyetye and Nj\u00e2\n King Njambu\n Betoli (Rats)\n Mwamba (Snakes)\n Ng\u00e2ng\u00e2l\u00e2 (Millepedes)\n Kedi (Stinging Ants)\n Njambu Ya Mekuku (Spirits), and His Town\n Women Hidden in Chests\n Ngwaye (Partridge)\n K\u00e2 (Snails)\n Ihonga-Honga (A Giant Tooth)\n Hova (A Magic Gourd)\n T\u00e2ng\u00e2 (Horn)\n Ibumbu (Bundle of Medicine)\n Kanja (A Bowl)\n Ikanga (Spear)\n Ngalo (A Magic Amulet)\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nNgalo is a powerful fetish-charm. Sitting in a visitor's lap for a\nfew moments, is a mode of welcome.\n\n\"Njambu\" is one of their forms of spelling the name of the Creator;\nvery commonly used also for human beings. The account of the\nwrestling-match is suggestive of the surroundings of a modern\nathletic field.\n\n\n\nNjambu built a Town. He continued there a long time. After he had\nfinished the town, he married very many wives. After a short time\nthey all of them bore children. Those births were of many sons. He\ngave them names: Among them were, Upuma-mwa-penda (Year-of-doubt),\nand Nj\u00e2 (Leopard).\n\nAnd again, his wives, after a short time, all of them became\nmothers. This time, they gave birth to a large number of daughters. He\ngave them also names.\n\nHis town was full with men and women; they were crowded. And all\nbusy. They that worked at stakes, went to cut saplings; those that\nmade rattan-ropes, went to cut the rattan-vine; they that shaped the\nbamboo for building, went to cut the bamboo-palms; they that made\nthatch went to gather the palm-leaves; they that set up the stakes of\nthe house-frame went to thrust them into the ground; they who fastened\nthe walls, fastened them; they who tied thatch on the roof, tied it;\nthey who split the rattan vines for tying, split them.\n\nThe town was full of noise. The children of Njambu kept their father's\ntown in motion. They rejoiced in the abundance of people and their\nforce. They took dowries also for their sisters, and gave them in\nmarriage to young men of other towns.\n\nArguments were discussed; stories about White Men were told; amusements\nwere played; food was eaten; and the sons of Njambu married wives.\n\nOne of Njambu's sons, Upuma-mwa-penda, said to his mother, \"Make me\nmekima,\" (mashed plantain). His mother asked him, \"Where are you going\nwith the mekima?\" He answered, \"I'm going to seek a marriage.\" And\nshe said \"Good!\"\n\nIn the morning, he took his rolls of mashed plantains, and started to\ngo on his journey. He said to his mother, \"You must keep my house.\" She\nreplied, \"It is well.\"\n\nHe went on, on, on, until, on the road ahead, he met with two Rats,\nwho were fighting. He took an ukima-roll, divided it, and gave\nto them, saying, \"Take ye and eat.\" They accepted, and told him,\n\"You shall arrive at the end.\"\n\nHe goes on stepping quickly, quickly; and meets two Snakes fighting. He\nparted them. He took an ukima-roll and gave to them; they ate. They\nsaid to him, \"You shall reach the end.\"\n\nHe goes on with his journey, until ahead were two Millepedes\nfighting. He said to them, \"For what are you killing each other?\" He\nparted them, and gave them an ukima-roll. They took it and said,\n\"You shall reach the end!\"\n\nHe lay down in the forest at night. At midnight, his mother saw, in her\nsleep, something that said, \"Go with thy two daughters in the morning,\nand take food for Mbuma-Tyetye (another name for Upuma-mwa-penda).\"\n\nEarly in the morning, she awoke her two daughters, and said, \"Come! let\nus go to follow after your brother; he is still on his way.\"\n\nThey started, on, on, on, until they found him sitting down in the\npath. They brought out the food from their traveling-bag, and they\nsaid, \"We have come to give you food.\" They prepared the meal, and\nthey ate. And they slept that night in the forest.\n\nNext morning, they started again, and they walked on, on, on, with\ntheir journey. As they came on their way, they listened ahead, and\nthey heard something, saying, \"Eh! fellows, eh! eh! fellows eh! Nobody\nshall pass! Nobody shall pass here!\"\n\nWhen they drew near, they met an immense quantity of Red stinging\nAnts spread from the ground up to the tree-tops, entirely closing the\nway. Mbuma-tyetye and his company said, \"Ah! these are they who were\nshouting here!\" He advanced to the fight, and called to his younger\nsister, \"Come on!\"\n\nShe lifted her foot just to tread upon the Ants; and they instantly\nentirely covered her. He and his company tried in vain to draw her\nback. The Ants shouted, to strengthen themselves. \"Eh! fellows, eh!\"\n\nHe, still fighting, called to the elder sister, \"On ahead!\" Just as\nshe lifted her foot, there came all the Tribe of Red Ants, and would\nhave covered her up. The woman jumped to one side vigorously, and\nstood there in that spot, fanning away the sweat of her exertions, pe,\npe, pe. She returned again to the Ants; and they met. She called out,\n\"Ngalo! hot water!\" and it appeared. She took it, and dashed it at the\nRed Ants. But they all went into their holes; and came out at another\nopening, again closing the path. She still stood there ready to fight;\nbut they covered her, and dragged her behind them.\n\nThe Ants shouted over their victory, \"Eh! fellows, eh! Today no person\npasses here!\"\n\nThe son called to his mother, \"Mother! come on!\" His mother said,\n\"My child! I am unable.\" He called, \"Ngalo! Fire!\" Fire at once\nappeared. Having drawn back the corpses of his sisters, he seized\nthe fire, and thrust it into the nests of the Ants. He thrust it also\namong the trees. The flame ignited them; and the surrounding forest\nburned to ashes with all the trees. And the Ants were all burned too.\n\nThen he brought his sisters to life, by taking that ashes, and throwing\nit over them, and down their throats into their stomachs.\n\nWhen the day darkened, he said, \"Ngalo! a house!\" A tent at once\nappeared, with a table, and tumblers, and water, and all food. They\nsat there and ate. When they finished eating, they set tea on the\ntable. They drank; they talked of their experiences. When they ended,\nthey said, \"Let us lie down together.\" So they lay down for the night.\n\nAs the next day was coming, a Partridge gave forth its voice,\n\"Rise! ty\u00e2ty\u00e2 l\u00e2! ty\u00e2ty\u00e2 l\u00e2!\" And the day broke also. They wash\ntheir faces; they set tea on the table, and drank it. They folded\nthe tent-house, and swallowed it, (as a mode of carrying it). They\nstarted with their journey, and went conversing on the way.\n\nAs they came along, Something was heard ahead. They listened,\nand heard a song. \"Grib\u00e2mb\u00e2! eh! Grib\u00e2mb\u00e2! eh!\" Mbuma-tyetye\nand his mother and sisters kept on going toward the sound, which\ncontinued, \"Ding\u00e2l\u00e2! eh! A person will not pass! No doubt about\nit! Ding\u00e2l\u00e2! eh! Wherever he comes from, he can pass here only by\ncoming from above.\"\n\nThe man and his company approached the source of the song, and\nexclaimed, \"There it is!\" They went on and found the entire tribe\nof Snails filling the road hither and yonder. He said to his mother,\n\"What shall we do with the K\u00e2 Tribe?\" They sat down to consider. They\ndecided, \"A fight! this very day!\" They sat still, and rested\nfor a while. Then he went ahead and shouted to his younger sister,\n\"Come!\" She called out, \"Ngalo! a short sword!\" It appeared. She called\nagain, \"A strong cloth!\" It appeared, and she dressed herself with it.\n\nAs she approached the Snails, one of them fell on her head with a\nthud, ndi! She took the sword, and struck it, ko! The Snails shouted,\n\"We're nearing you!\" A crowd of them came rapidly, one after another;\nin a heap, they entirely covered her, vy\u00e2! And she lay a corpse! The\nSnails swarmed over her, and taking her, threw her behind them. They\nshouted in victory, \"T\u00e2k\u00e2! Ding\u00e2l\u00e2! eh!\"\n\nThen the elder sister said she was going to help her brother in facing\nthe Snails. Her mother objected, \"You? Stay!\" But she replied, \"Let me\ngo!\" She girded her body tightly, and then she entered the fight. The\nSnails surrounded her. They were about to drag her to their rear, when,\nshe, at the side of the path, attempted to spring from them. But they\nswarmed over her. And she lay a corpse! The mother was crying out,\n\"O! My child!\" when the Snails covered her too.\n\nMbuma-tyetye retreated, to rest himself for a short time, and\ncalled out, \"Ngalo! a helmet!\" It appeared. He fitted it to his\nhead. He called again, \"Ngalo! a glass of strong drink, and of water\ntoo!\" It appeared. He asked for tobacco. It appeared. \"Matches!\" They\nappeared. He struck a match, and smoked. As he thrust the cigar in\nhis mouth, it stimulated him; it told him things of the future in its\nclouds of smoke. After he had rested, he stood up, again for the fight.\n\nThe Snails tuned their song:\n\n\n \"Iy\u00e2! Ding\u00e2l\u00e2! disabete!\n Iy\u00e2! Ding\u00e2l\u00e2! s\u00e2l\u00e2l\u00e2s\u00e2l\u00e2! Disabete!\n Iy\u00e2! Ding\u00e2l\u00e2! Iy\u00e2! Ding\u00e2l\u00e2!\n Iy\u00e2! Ding\u00e2l\u00e2! S\u00e2l\u00e2l\u00e2s\u00e2l\u00e2!\n Iy\u00e2! Ding\u00e2l\u00e2! Eh! Bamo-eh!\"\n\n\nThe Snails, in their fierce charge, killed him, and were about\nto take away the corpse; when, his Ngalo returning him to life,\nhe sprang erect, and cried out, \"Ah! my Father Njambu! Dibadi-O!\"\n\nAnd he took up his war-song:--\n\n\n \"Tata Njambu ya milole, milole mi we.\n Ta' Njambu! milole mi we.\n Ta' Njambu! milole mi we.\n Milole mi we. Ta' Njambu!\"\n\n\nAll that while, the mother and his sisters were lying dead.\n\nThe Snails were shouting in their victory, \"T\u00e2k\u00e2!\"\n\nMbuma-tyetye took a short broad knife in his hands, and shouted,\n\"Dibadi!\" He girded his body firmly, and stood erect. He called out in\nchallenge, \"I've come!\" The Snails answered, \"You've reached the end!\"\n\nThey fought. The man took his sword. The Snails fell down on him,\nndwa! But the man stood up, and moved forward. He laid hold of a\nsmall tree. He cut it, and whirled it about at the Snails. And the\nSnails fell down on the ground, po! But they rose up again flinging\nthemselves upon the man, ndwa! The man jumped aside crying out,\n\"Ah! My father Njambu! Dibadi-O!\"\n\nHe took fire, thrust it among the tribe of Snails, and every one fell\ndown on the ground, mbw\u00e2!\n\nThen he shaped a leaf into a funnel, and dropped a medicine into the\nnoses of his mother and sisters. They slowly rose and tried to sit\nup. He poured the ashes of the Snails over them, po! They breathed\nit into their stomachs, kii! and they came fully to life.\n\nThen they said, \"You are safe! Now! for our return home!\" He said,\n\"Good!\" And they returned.\n\nMbuma-tyetye continued his own journey, on, on, on, until at a\ncross-roads, he found a giant Tooth, as large as a man. Tooth asked,\n\"Where are you going?\" Said he, \"I'm going to seek a marriage at a\ntown of Njambu-ya-Mekuku.\" Then, with his axe in hand, he turned aside\nfrom the path; chopped firewood, chop, chop, chop, chop, mbw\u00e2! Then he\nkindly carried a lot of it, and presented it to Tooth. He also opened\nhis bag, and taking out an ukima roll, laid it down at the feet of\nTooth; also a bundle of gourd-seeds, and laid it down; and then he\nsaid, \"I'm going.\" But the giant Tooth, pleased with him, said to him,\n\"Just wait!\"\n\nSo, he waited; and, while waiting, said, \"Ngalo! a fine house!\" It\nappeared there. \"A table!\" There! \"Good food!\" There! \"Fine\ndrink!\" There! They two ate, and drank, and had conversation together.\n\nTooth said to him, \"Where you go, do not fear.\" It brought out from\nits hut a water-gourd, and said, \"I will not show you more, nor will\nI tell you anything at all, but this Hova itself will tell you.\" Then\nTooth said to him, \"Go well!\"\n\nThe man took the Gourd and clung to it as if it was a treasure.\n\nHe started again on his journey, and had gone but a little way, when he\nfound Kuda-nuts in immense abundance. He took up one, drew his knife,\ncracked the nut, and threw the kernel into his mouth. He stooped\nagain, and was about to pick up another, when the Gourd warned him,\n\"I! I!\" So, he left the nuts.\n\nHe came on in his journey, and found in abundance wild Mangoes. He\ntook one, split it, and bit out a piece; and was about to add\nanother, when the warning came, \"I! I!\" So, he left the Mangoes;\nyet his belly felt full. Still on his journey, thirst for water\nseized him at a stream. He took his cup, plunged it into the water,\nfilled it, drank, and was about to take more, when the warning said,\n\"I! I!\" And he left the water. Yet his belly felt full.\n\nOn his journey still, till he came to a large river. There he stood,\nand listened, as he heard a boat-song, \"Ayehe! \u00e2he! \u00e2yehe! e!\" There\npassed by the sound of paddles, wom'! wom'! but he saw no person; nor\ndid he see any canoe. Gourd said to him, \"Call!\" Then he called out,\n\"Who are these? Bring me a canoe!\" A voice replied, \"Who are you?\" He\nanswered, \"I!\" The canoe came nearer, its crew singing, singing, until\nit grounded on the beach. He saw what seemed only a great log! Gourd\nsaid to him, \"Embark!\" He got in. The crew also (apparently) got in\nagain; for, the sound of paddles was again heard, worom'! worom'!\n\nInstead of going straight across the river, they pulled far up stream,\nand then came all the way down again on the other side. As they came,\nthey were constantly keeping up the song, until they grounded at\nthe landing-place at that other side. Still he saw nothing of the\ninvisible boatmen, when he landed.\n\nAscending the bank of the stream, he saw a strange new town. He entered\nits public reception-house, and sat down. As he was looking for some\none to come, a Horn came and sat on his lap, and then moved away. A\nBundle of Medicine came, sat, and moved away. A Bowl came and sat. A\nSpear came and sat. All these Things saluted him. Behold! they were\nthe People of that Town (in disguise); but he saw none of them.\n\nGourd said to him, \"Come and escort me into the back-yard.\" He at once\nstepped out; and, when in the back-yard, It said. \"Put me down.\" (It\nhad been carried suspended from his shoulder.) He put It down, standing\nIt at the foot of a plantain-stalk. Gourd making a leaf funnel,\ndropped something into his eyes. His eyes suddenly, kaa! were opened,\nand he saw everything, and all the people, and the whole street.\n\nReturning to the house, he sat down. Maidens came. Such goodness as\nyou have scarcely known! Forms lovely to see!\n\nThe Chief of the town said, \"Make ye food!\" It was made at once. Then\none whom he chose was given him for his wife.\n\nShe and this young son-in-law were left sitting in the house. The\nwife began to weep, saying to herself, \"What will be his manner of\neating?\" (a test to be applied to him as suitor). The Gourd called\nhim with a voice like the stroke of a bell, ngeng! He went out to\nthe Gourd, and It said to him, \"When you shall eat, take one piece\nof plantain, flesh of the fowl, and then dip one spoonful of the\nudika (wild-mango gravy), put them in your mouth; and thou shalt say\nunto her, 'Take; you may remove the food.' You shall see what will\nhappen.\" He did so. His wife laughed in her heart; and she went and\ntold her mother, \"He is a person of sense.\" The towns-people said to\nher, \"What did he do?\" She evasively said to them. \"Let us see!\"\n\nIn the evening, the father-in-law said to him, \"You have found us here\nin the midst of a work of garden-making for your mother-in-law.\" (A\nman is always expected to do some work for his wife's mother.) He\nsaid. \"That's good, Father!\"\n\nGourd called to him, and told him, \"It is not a garden; it is an\nentire forest; it is not planted; it is all wild country. But,\ntomorrow, at daylight, early, you say to your wife that she must go\nand show you. You must take one young plantain-set, and a machete,\nand an axe. When you shall arrive there, then you shall say to\nher, 'Go back!' And she will go back. Then, you will slash with the\nmachete, kwa! and leave it. You take also the axe and cut, ka! and say,\n'Ngunga-O! Mekud' O! Makako ma dibake man\u00adjeya-O!' You shall see what\nwill happen. Then you insert the plantain-set in the ground. Then\nyou set up a bellows, and work it. And you shall see what will happen.\"\n\n(All that Garden-Plan was made by the townspeople in order that\nhe might weary of the task, and they then find excuse for killing\nhim. For they were Cannibals.)\n\nAt daybreak, he did so. He called his wife. He and she went on until\nthey came to the chosen spot. Said he, \"Go back!\" The woman went\nback. He did just as he had been directed, as to the clearing, and\nthe felling, the incantation, and the planting. The plantains bore,\nand ripened at once. Every kind of food developed in that very hour.\n\nThe man went back to the town, and sat down. They set before him food.\n\nThey sent a child to spy the garden. The child returned, excitedly\nsaying, \"Men! the entire forest! with all such foods! only ripe\nones!\" They said to him, \"You're telling a falsehood!\" And they said,\n\"Let another go and see.\" He went; and returned thence with a ripe\nplantain held in his hand.\n\nIn the evening, the Chief said to him, \"Sir! tomorrow, people will have\nbeen filled with hunger for meat. A little pond of your mother-in-law\nis over there. Tomorrow it is to be bailed out.\" (In order to get\nthe fish that would be left in the bottom pools.)\n\nGourd called him, ngeng! He went to It, and It said, \"That is not a\npond, it is a great river, (like the Lobi at Batanga). However, when\nyou shall go, you must take one log up stream and one log down stream\n(for a pretence of dams). You shall see what will happen. Then you\nmust bail only once, and say, 'Itata-O!' You shall see.\"\n\nNext morning, he did so. And the whole river was drained; and the\nfish were left in the middle, alone. He returned to the town, and\nsat down. The people went to see; and, they were frightened at the\nabundance of fish. For a whole month, fish were gathered; and fish\nstill were left.\n\nThe Chief went to call his townspeople, saying, \"We will do nothing\nto this fellow. Let him alone; for, you have tried him with every\ntest.\" They said, \"Yes; and he has lingered here,\" (i.e., was no\nlonger a stranger; and therefore should not be eaten). But, they said,\n\"Tomorrow there will be only wrestling.\" (This was said deceitfully.)\n\nIn the evening, the father-in-law called him, saying, \"Mbuma-tyetye,\ntomorrow there is only wrestling. You have stayed long here. As you\nare about to go away with my child, there is left only one thing more\nthat she wants to see, that is, the wrestling tomorrow.\"\n\nGourd called him, and said to him, \"It is not only for wrestling. You\nknow the part of the village where is the Wrestling-Ground. There\nis a big pit there. You will take care if you are near that pit;\nand you must push them in.\"\n\nIn the evening, food was made, and soon it was ready. He and his wife\nate, and finished. They engaged in conversation. They took pleasure\nover their love that night.\n\nThe next day, in the morning, very early, the drums, both the elimbi\nand the common, began promptly to tell things in the street. (The\nElimbi is a specially made drum used to transmit information by\na system of signal strokes. News is thus carried very far and\nvery rapidly.) The Gourd called him, and handed him a leaf of\nmagic-medicine, to hold in his hand, saying, \"Go; fear not!\"\n\nThe townspeople began to shout back and forth a song (to arouse\nenthusiasm). Two companies ranged on each side of the street,\nsinging. \"Engolongolo! h\u00e2! h\u00e2! Engolongolo! h\u00e2! h\u00e2!\"\n\n\n \"Engolongolo! h\u00e2! h\u00e2!\n Engolongolo! h\u00e2! h\u00e2!\"\n\n\nHearing their song as a challenge, the young man went out of the\nhouse into the street. Up to this point, the strongest wrestler of the\ntown, named Ekwamekwa, was not with them; he was out in the forest,\nfelling trees.\n\nWhen the towns-people saw the young man standing in the street, they\nadvanced as many as a hundred all at once. He laid his hands upon\nthem, and they all went back; he also went back. Soon he advanced\nagain, and his single opponent advanced. They two laid their hands\non each other's shoulders. The townspeople began another song, as if\nin derision. \"O! O! A! O! O! A! O! O! A!\"\n\nAt once, he seized his opponent, and threw him into the pit. Thereupon,\nhis father-in-law shouted in commendation, \"Iw\u00e2!\"\n\nAnother one came forward; Mbuma-tyetye advanced; and as they met\ntogether, he took him, and threw him into the pit. Again the shout,\n\"Iw\u00e2!\"\n\nThe sisters of the two men in the pit began to cry. The others said\nto the girls, \"What are you doing? He shall die today! It is we who\nshall eat those entrails today!\" (Among cannibals, a choice portion.)\n\nAnother one was coming, and, as they met together, again the shout\nof derision, \"O! O! O! A! O! O! O! A! O! O! O! A!\" But, at one fling,\nMbuma-tyetye cast him into the pit. \"Iw\u00e2\" was repeated.\n\nThe sister of him who was thrown thus into the pit began to cry. The\npeople rebuked her, \"Mb\u00e2b\u00e2! mb\u00e2b\u00e2! Join in the singing!\"\n\nAnother one was coming; Mbuma-tyetye advanced; and as they came\ntogether, he lifted him, holding him by the foot. The singers, to\nencourage their man, said responsively, \"Dikubwe! Dikubwe! Fear not\nan elephant with his tusks! Take off! take off!\" Mbuma-tyetye lifted\nhim, and promptly pushed him down into the pit, with a thud, 'kodom'!\n\nThe people began to call out anxiously, \"We-e! we-e! O! They are\novercome! They are overcome! O! Some one must go hastily, and call\nEkwamekwa, and tell him that people are being destroyed in the town,\nand he must come quickly.\"\n\nSome one got up, and ran to call Ekwamekwa, wailing as he went,\n\"Iy\u00e2! Iy\u00e2! Iy\u00e2! Ekwamekwa, iy\u00e2-O! Come! People are exterminated in\nthe town!\"\n\nHe heard with one ear (i.e. at once). He snatched up his machete and\naxe, saying, \"What is it?\" The messenger repeated, \"Come! a being\nfrom above has destroyed many a one in the town!\"\n\nThe man Ekwamekwa, full of boasting, said, \"Is it possible there is no\nman in the town?\" He came, already shaking the muscles of his chest,\npw\u00e2! pw\u00e2 (a custom with native wrestlers, as a lion his mane). His\nmuscles were quivering with rage, ny\u00e2! ny\u00e2! ny\u00e2!\n\nThe drums, both the elimbi-telegraph and the common, were being beaten,\nand were sounding without intermission. The singers were shouting;\nthe wrestlers' bodies had perspiration flowing from them. The noise\nof the people, of the telegraph drums and other drums, and sticks\n(sticks beating time) were rattling kwa! kwa! kwa!\n\nAs Ekwamekwa appeared, the women and children raised their shrill\nvoices. The shouters yelled, \"A! l\u00e2! l\u00e2! l\u00e2! \u00e2!\"\n\nMbuma-tyetye advanced at once. He and Ekwamekwa laid hold of\none another, and alternately pressed each other backward and\nforward. The one tried tricks to trip the other, and the other\ntried the same. Ekwamekwa held him, and was about to throw him on\nthe ground. The other jumped to one side, and stood, his muscles\nquivering, po! po! po! tensely. Ekwamekwa seized him about the waist\nand loins. The people all were saying, \"Let no one shout!\" (lest\nEkwamekwa be confused). They said, \"Make no noise! He is soon going\nto be eaten!\" And it was a woman who said, \"Get ready the kettle!\"\n\nEkwamekwa still held him by the loins. So, they called out, \"Down\nwith him! Down with him!\" But Mbuma-tyetye shouted, \"I'm here!\" He\nput his foot behind Ekwamekwa's leg, and lifted him, and threw him\ninto the pit, kodom!\n\nThen there was a shout of distress by the people, \"A! \u00e2! \u00e2! \u00e2!\" and\nEkwamekwa called out, \"Catch him! catch him!\" Mbuma-tyetye, lifting\nhis feet, ran to his father-in-law's end of the town, and all the men\ncame after him. His father-in-law protected him, and said to them,\n\"You can do nothing with this stranger!\"\n\nAt night, the Chief said to him, \"Sir, you may go away tomorrow.\"\n\nAt daybreak, food was cooked. The Chief Njambu-ya-Mekuku, put his\ndaughters into large chests. In one was a lame one; another, covered\nwith skin disease; and another, with a crooked nose; and others,\nwith other defects in other chests, each in her own chest. But,\nhe put the wife into a poor chest all dirty outside with droppings\nof fowls, and human excrement, and ashes. In it also, he placed a\nservant and all kinds of fine clothing. Then said he to Mbuma-tyetye,\n\"Choose which chest contains your wife.\"\n\nThe Gourd at once called him, and It said to him, \"Lift me up!\" It\nwhispered to him, \"The chest which is covered with dirt and filth,\nit is the one which contains your wife. Even if they say, 'Ha! ha! he\nhas had all his trouble for nothing; he has left his wife,' do you\nnevertheless carry it, and go on with your journey.\"\n\nHe came to the spot where the chests were. The Chief said\nagain, \"Choose, from the chests, the one which contains your\nwife.\" Mbuma-tyetye picked up the poor one. They shouted. But, he\nat once started on his journey, and on, until he came to the river,\nstepped into a canoe, paddled to the other side, landed, and went on,\ncarrying the chest. Almost in an instant (by his magic Ngalo) he was at\nthe place of the Great Tooth. It asked, \"How is it there?\" He replied,\n\"Good!\" The Gourd, in leaving, reported to Its mother, the Tooth,\n\"A fine fellow, that person there!\"\n\nHe went on with his journey, his feet treading firmly. Almost with\none stride (by aid of his Ngalo), in the twinkling of eyes, he was\nnear the spring at his own town.\n\nThen he said, \"Now let me open the chest here!\" On his opening it,\na maiden attended by her servant came stepping out, arrayed in the\nclothing which had been placed in the chest for her dress. One's eyes\nwould ache at sight of her silks, and the fine form of her person. And\nyou or any other one could say, \"Yes! you are a bride! truly a bride!\"\n\nTwo young women rose up in the town to go to the spring to dip up\nwater. They were just about to come to the spring, when they saw their\nbrother and his wife and her servant. They two went back together\nrapidly to the town, saying, \"Well! if there isn't the woman whom\nMbuma-tyetye has married! They are two women and himself!\"\n\nThe town emptied itself to go and meet them on the path. His father\ntook powder and guns, with which to announce the arrival; and cannon\nwere roaring. When the young woman came and stood there in the street,\nthere was only shouting and shouting, in admiration.\n\nAnother brother, named Nj\u00e2, when he came to see her, was so impressed\nto get a wife like her, that, without waiting for the salutations to be\nmade, he said to his mother, \"My mother! make for me my mekima, too.\"\n\nMbuma-tyetye entered into the house, he and his wife. At once hot water\nwas set before them, and they went to bathe. When they had finished,\nthey entered the public Reception-Room. Nj\u00e2, impatient to get away\nand, in impolite haste, said, \"Now, for my journey!\" His brother\nadvised him, \"First wait; let me tell you how the way is.\" He replied,\n\"Not so!\" And he started off on his journey.\n\nThe others sat down to tell, and to hear the news. They told\nMbuma-tyetye the affairs of the town; and he responded as to how\nhe had come. When he had completely finished, he was welcomed,\n\"Iye! Oka! oka-O! But now, sit down and stay.\"\n\nNow, when Nj\u00e2 had gone, he met the two Millepedes fighting. He\nexclaimed, \"By my father Njambu! what is this?\" He stood\nthere with laughter, \"Kye! kye! kye!\" He clapped his hands,\n\"Kw\u00e2! kw\u00e2! You! there! let me pass!\" They asked, \"Give us an ukima.\" He\nstood laughing, kwa! kwa! saying, \"I will see this today! Food that\nis eaten by a human being! Is it so that they have teeth? As I see it,\nthey, having no mouths, how can they eat?\" But he opened his food-bag,\ntook an ukima, and gave them a small piece. They rebuked him for\nhis meanness, and laid a curse on him, \"Aye! You will not reach the\nend.\" He responded, \"I won't reach my end, eh? Humph! I'm going on\nmy journey!\" He left them; and they grabbed at the very little piece\nof ukima he had given them.\n\nHe cried out, \"Journey!\" and went on both by day and by night,\ntraveling until he met the two Snakes fighting. He derided them,\nand took a club, and was about to strike them, when they cursed him,\n\"You will not reach the end!\" However, he gave them, at their request,\nan ukima, and passed on. As he turned to go, and was leaving them,\nthey made signs behind him, repeating their curse, \"He will not reach\nsafely!\" And they added, \"He has no good sense; let us leave him.\"\n\nHe still cried out, \"Journey!\" and went on to that place of\nIhonga-na-Ihonga whose size filled all the width of the way. He\nmade a shout, raising it very loud, and repeated his exclamation,\n\"By my father, Njambu! Thou who hast begotten me, thou hast not seen\nsuch as this!\" Tooth asked, \"Where are you going?\" He, astonished,\nexclaimed, \"Ah! It can talk! Alas! for me!\" And he added a shout\nagain, with laughter, \"Kwati! kwati! kwati!\" It spoke and said,\n\"Please, split for me fire-wood.\" He replied, \"What will fire-wood\ndo for you?\" He, however, split the wood hastily, ko! ko! ke! and\nleft it in a pile. It said, \"Leave me an ukima.\" He responded, \"Yes;\nlet me see what It will do with it now!\" He opened his food-bag,\nand laid an ukima down disrespectfully, and said, \"Eat! let me see!\"\n\nTooth said to him, \"Sleep here!\" Said he, \"If I sleep here, what\nis there for me to sit on?\" It replied only, \"Sleep here!\" He said,\n\"Yes!\" Then he invoked his Ngalo, \"A seat!\" It appeared, and he sat\ndown. In the evening, he invoked, \"Ngalo, a house!\" It appeared. \"A\nbed!\" It appeared. \"A table!\" It appeared. \"Food!\" It was set out. He\nate, but did not offer any to Tooth, and fell into a deep sleep.\n\nAt daybreak, he was given water to wash his face, and food; and\nhe ate it. Then the Tooth said to him, \"Now, this is a Hova; go;\nthe Hova will tell you what you should do.\" Said he sarcastically\n\"Good! a good thing!\" And he started on his journey. But, when he\nwas gone, he despised the Gourd, and said to himself, \"What can this\nwater-jar do for me? I shall leave it here.\" And he laid it down\nat the foot of a Buda tree. There were many kuda (nuts of the Buda)\nlying on the ground. He prepared a seat, and sat down. He gathered\nthe kuda nuts in one place. He took up a nut, broke it, threw its\nkernel into his mouth, and chewed it. He picked up another one, and\nwas going to break it. Gourd warningly said, \"I! I!\" He replied,\n\"Is it that you want me to give it to you?\" Gourd answered only,\n\"I-I!\" And he said, \"But, then, your 'I! I!' what is it for?\" He\nbroke many of the nuts, taking them up quickly; and finished eating\nall. And still his stomach felt empty, as if he had eaten nothing.\n\nHe then said, \"The Journey!\" He started, still carrying with him the\nGourd, going on, on, until he came to the Bwibe tree (wild mango). That\nBwibe was sweet. He collected the mibe fruits, and began to split\nthem. He split many in a pile, and then said, \"Now! let me suck!\" He\nsucked them all, but he felt no sense of repletion, although the Gourd\nhad warned him. He took the skins of the mibe fruit, and angrily thrust\nthem inside the Gourd's mouth, saying, \"Eat! You who have no teeth,\nwhat makes you say I must not eat? But, take you!\"\n\nHe goes on with his journey. And he found water. He took his\ndrinking-vessel, plunged it into the water, dipped, put it to\nhis mouth, drank, and drained the vessel. He wanted more, plunged\nthe vessel, and drank, draining the vessel. He took more again,\ndisregarding the warnings of Gourd. The water said to him, \"Here am I,\nI remain myself.\" (i.e. I will not satisfy you.) He gave up drinking,\nand started his journey again, journeying, journeying, crossed some\nsmall creeks, and passed clear on, until he came to the River. As he\nlistened, he heard songs passing by. He said to himself. \"Now! those\nwho sing, where are they?\"\n\nThe Gourd spoke to him, saying, \"Call for the canoe!\" He replied,\n\"How shall I call for a canoe, while I see no people?\" Gourd repeated\nto him, \"Call!\" Then he shouted out, \"You, bring me the canoe!\" Voices\nasked, \"Who art thou?\" He answered, \"I! Nj\u00e2!\" Some of the voices said,\n\"Come! let us ferry him across.\" Others said, \"No!\" But the rest\nanswered, \"Come on!\" Then they entered their canoe, laid hold of\ntheir paddles, and came singing,\n\n\n \"Kapi, madi, madi, sa!\n Kapi, mada, mada, sa!\"\n\n\nAnd they came to the landing. He saw nothing but what seemed a log,\nand exclaimed, \"How shall I embark in a log, while there is neither\npaddle, nor a person for a crew?\" But Gourd directed him, \"Embark!\" So,\nhe went in the log. They paddled, and brought him to the other side. He\njumped ashore, and stood for a moment. Then he moved on with the\njourney, walking on to a certain town (that town of the Spirits). He\nsaw nobody, but entered into the public Reception-House, and sat down.\n\nGourd spoke to him, saying, \"Come, and escort me to the back-yard.\" He\ncurtly answered, \"Yes.\" He carried It, and stood It at the foot of a\nplantain stalk. Then he went back to the Reception-House and sat down.\n\nA Bundle of Medicines came to salute him, and was about to sit on his\nlap. He jumped up saying, \"What is this?\" He sat down again. Another\nBundle fell on his lap. He exclaimed, \"Hump! what is that?\" The Bundle\nbeing displeased, replied, \"You will not come to the end.\" (i.e. you\nwill not have a successful journey.)\n\nThe Gourd called him; and he went to the back-yard. The Gourd said to\nhim, \"Stand up!\" And he stood up. Then the Gourd took a leaf, folded\nit as a funnel, and dropped a Medicine into his eyes; and he began\nto see everything clearly. He said, \"This is the only thing which I\ncan see that this Hova has done for me.\" He passed by, and entered\nthe Reception-House again, and sat down. A person came saluting him,\n\"Mbolo!\" He responded, \"Ai!\" Another came, \"Mbolo!\" He replied, \"Ai!\"\n\nThey cooked food, and got it ready to bring to him.\n\nDuring this while, he told his errand, and was given a wife.\n\nGourd called him. He went out to It: and It directed him, \"When you are\ngoing to eat, you must take only one piece of plantain, and a piece of\nthe flesh of the fowl. Then you dip it into the udika-gravy, and put it\ninto your mouth; and you will chew it; and when you have swallowed it,\nthen you leave the remainder of the food.\" He disregardfully said,\n\"Yes! Yes!\" And he laughed, \"kye! kye! kye! I do not know what this\nHova means! And that 'remainder,' shall I give it to It?\" And he\nentered the house again, and sat down.\n\nThe food was set out. Little children came; they said to each other,\n\"Let us see how he will eat.\" He took up a piece of plantain, and\nput it in his mouth; he took a fowl's leg, put it in his mouth; and\ngnawed the flesh off of the bone. He took up another piece of plantain,\ndipped a spoon into the udika-gravy, and put it into his mouth; he\ntook a piece of meat and a plantain, and swallowed them. The little\nchildren began to jeer at him, \"He eats like a person who has never\neaten before.\" He rose; but felt as if his stomach was empty.\n\nHe again seated himself, and he and his wife played games\ntogether. Soon he said, \"My body feels exhausted with hunger\";\nfood was again made and was set out; he ate. The result was the\nsame. The evening meal was also prepared; he ate, and finished;\nand still was hungry.\n\nIn the evening, the Chief of the town called together the tribe and\nsaid to them, \"Men! I see that this fellow has no sense; let him\nreturn to his place.\"\n\nOn another day, Nj\u00e2 said to himself, \"Let me try, as the Hova has\nadvised me, about the food.\" They cooked; they set it on the table. He\ntook a piece of plantain, and some flesh of the fowl; he placed them\non a spoon, and dipped them into the udika, and put them into his\nmouth. He rose up, saying, \"I have finished!\" And his stomach felt\nreplete. Then he thought to himself, \"So! is it possible that this\nHova knows the affairs of the Spirits?\"\n\nThe next time when food was spread on the table, he did the same way;\nand his stomach was satisfied.\n\nAnother day broke, and his father-in-law said to him, \"On the morrow\nwill be your journey.\" When the next day dawned, the Chief brought\nout the chests containing his daughters, and said, \"Now, then! choose\nthe one that you will take with you.\"\n\nThe Gourd whispered to him, \"Do not take the fine-looking one; you\nmust take the one you see covered with filth.\" He responded, \"Not\nI!\" The one he chose was the fine one. He took it up, and carried\nit away. The town's-people began to cry out (in pretence), \"Oh! he\nhas taken from us that fine maiden of ours!\" He was full of gladness\nthat at last he was married. But, really, he was carrying a woman,\ncrooked-nosed, and all of whose body was nothing but skin-disease,\nand pus oozing all over her.\n\nHe went on his journey, on, on, on, on, until the town of the\nTooth. Said he, \"Here's your Hova!\" The Tooth requested, \"Tell me the\nnews from there.\" The Gourd whispered to Tooth, \"Let this worthless\nfellow be! Let him go! He did not marry a real woman. So, he is not\na person.\"\n\nThe man at once went on with his journey, continuously, until he\ncame to the spring by his own town. Said he, \"Let me bathe!\" He put\ndown the chest, and threw his body with a plunge, into the water. He\nbathed himself thoroughly, and emerged on the bank. Then he said\nto himself, \"Now, then, let me open the chest!\" The key clicked,\nand the chest opened. A sick woman stepped out! He demanded, \"Who\nbrought you here?\" She replied, \"You.\" Said he in astonishment,\n\"I?\" \"Yes,\" answered she. He, in anger, said, \"Go back! Do not come\nat all to the town!\" He at once started to go to the town; and the\nwoman slowly followed.\n\nThere were two children who were going to the spring. As they went,\nthey met with her; and they cried out in fear, \"Aye! aye! aye! a\nGhost! aye!\" And they went back together in haste to the town. The\ntown's-people asked them, \"What's the matter?\" They said,\n\"Come! there's a Ghost at the spring!\" The woman continued slowly\ncoming. Other children said, \"Let us go! Does a Ghost come in the\ndaytime? That is not so!\"\n\nAs they came on the path, they met her. They asked her, \"Who has\nmarried you?\" She replied, \"Isn't it Nj\u00e2?\" The children excitedly cried\nout shrilly, \"A! l\u00e2! l\u00e2!\" They went back quickly to the town, saying,\n\"Come ye! see the wife of Nj\u00e2!\" The town emptied itself to go and see\nher. And they inquired of her, \"Who is it who has married you?\" She\nanswered, \"Is it not Nj\u00e2?\" And the shrill cry of surprise rose again,\n\"A! l\u00e2! l\u00e2! l\u00e2!\"\n\nWhen they reached the town, Nj\u00e2 rose in anger from his house, picked\nup his spear, stood facing them, and threatened with his spear,\n\"This is it!\"\n\nHe passed by them into the back-yard, and changed his body to that of\na new kind of beast, with spots all over his skin. At once he stooped\nlow on four legs; and thrust out his claws; and begun a fight with\nthe people of the town, as a Leopard. Then he went, leaping off into\nthe Forest.\n\nFrom there, he kept the name \"Nj\u00e2,\" and has continued his fight with\nMankind. The hatred between leopards and mankind dates from that\ntime. Some of the people of that country had said to Mbuma-Tyetye\nthat he would not be able to marry at the town of the Spirits, and\nhad tried to hinder him. But he did go, and succeeded in marrying a\ndaughter of Njambu-ya-Mekuku; while Nj\u00e2, attempting to do the same,\nand not waiting for advice from his brother, and treating with\ndisrespect the Spirits on the way, failed.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 34\n\nA SNAKE'S SKIN LOOKS LIKE A SNAKE\n\n\nPersons\n\n Bokeli, Son of Njambe-Ya-Manga\n J\u00e2mb\u00e2, Daughter of Njambe-Ya-Madiki\n Ko (Wild Rat)\n Mbindi (Wild Goat)\n Etungi, A Town Idler\n Kuba (Chicken)\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nBokeli was like a snake. When a snake changes and throws off his old\nskin, that slough, when it is left lying at any place, is almost as\nfearful to see, as the snake itself.\n\nThe list of the dowry goods for J\u00e2mb\u00e2 is a good illustration of\nnative exaggeration.\n\n\n\nNjambe-of-the-Interior begot a daughter called J\u00e2mb\u00e2. And\nNjambe-of-the-Sea-Coast begot a son called Bokeli.\n\nMany men arrived at the town of Njambe-of-the-Interior, asking J\u00e2mb\u00e2\nfor marriage. There they were killed (Njambe's people were cannibals),\nnot being able to fulfill the tests to which they were subjected. So,\npeople said, \"J\u00e2mb\u00e2 will not be married!\"\n\nFinally Bokeli, the son of Njambe-of-the-Sea-Coast, said, \"I am\ngoing to take J\u00e2mb\u00e2 for marriage.\" He prepared for his journey; he\nwent; and he arrived at the town. He at once entered into the public\nReception-House, and sat down. There the people of the town exclaimed,\n\"A fine-looking man!\" And they saluted him, \"Mbolo!\" The young women\nat once went to tell J\u00e2mb\u00e2, saying, \"What a fine-looking man has come\nto marry you!\"\n\nPrevious to this, the mother of J\u00e2mb\u00e2, who was lame with sores,\nwas lying in the house. If a prospective son-in-law laughed in her\npresence, she would say to her husband, \"He is mocking at me!\" Then\nthat visitor would die. All the men who had come there to marry,\nwere killed in that way.\n\nBefore this (as Bokeli understood the speech of all Beasts and\nof Birds) when he entered into the Reception-House, a Cock in the\ntown spoke to him, and said, \"If your hope for food rests on me, you\nwill not eat! I will not be killed for you; neither shall you eat at\nall!\" Also a loin of Wild-Goat meat, hanging in the kitchen, said,\n\"For me, you will not eat!\"\n\nBut Njambe (who had overheard the Cock, and who was thinking of food\nfor his guest) ordered, \"Today, catch ye Kuba!\" But Cock ran off to\nthe forest. Then the people said, \"Take the leg of Mbindi!\" The leg\nof Wild-Goat protested, \"I?\" And it rotted. They sought some other\nthing to cook for Bokeli; but, there was nothing. So, Njambe sent\nhis sons hunting to kill wild beasts.\n\nThen, the mother of J\u00e2mb\u00e2 called for Bokeli, saying, \"He must come; let\nme see him.\" So, he entered into her house, and he sat down. They began\nto converse. It was but a little while then that the mother said to her\ndaughter, \"Search for me on the drying frame (over the fire-place);\nyou will find Ko there; take it for the guest, and cook it.\" The\nWild-Rat spoke, saying, \"If it is I, he will not possibly eat!\"\n\nAt this, Bokeli broke into a laugh. The mother was displeased, and\nsaid, \"You are laughing at me!\" Bokeli replied, \"No!\" But, the woman\nflung into a rage, and threw herself down on the ground, ndi! She\nexclaimed, \"Ah! Njambe! He laughed at me! Catch him! And let him go\nto die!\"\n\nThey laid hold of him, and brought him out of the house. They were\nabout to go a little further to the end of the town, when he suddenly\npretended he was a corpse, and leaving his body, his spirit went back\nhome, and assumed another body. They became quiet, all of them being\nstartled. When they moved him, he was as cold as cold victuals. They\nsaid, \"What shall we do here?\" Some of them advised, \"Let us take\nJ\u00e2mb\u00e2 and this corpse, and let us go together to his father, and\nexplain, 'Bokeli is dead, but this woman is his wife.'\" Others said,\n\"What! lest his father will kill us!\" Then they decided, \"Not so! but,\nlet us send as messenger some Etungi (useless person; no loss if he\nshould be killed) to the father's town.\"\n\nThe Etungi went on that errand. When he arrived at Bokeli's town,\nhe met Bokeli sitting at the village smithy, and, not recognizing\nhim, was intending to pass him by. Thereupon, Bokeli called to him,\n\"Brother-in-law! what are you doing? You have found me sitting here,\nbut you seem about to entirely pass me by. Though all your family do\nnot like me, come in to the Reception-House.\" The Etungi thought to\nhimself, \"Ah! I am dead! Is not this a brother of Bokeli?\" Bokeli\ncalled to his mother, and told her, \"Bring out that food of mine\nquickly that is there! My brother-in-law has come; he feels hungry!\"\n\nThey set the food as soon as possible. And the Etungi ate.\n\nBokeli asked him, \"Where are you going to?\" The Etungi replied, \"I'm\non my way going to tell Njambe that his son Bokeli is dead.\" Bokeli\nsaid to him, \"This is I.\" Then he gave the Etungi a shirt and a cloth\nand a hat, as proofs of his reality.\n\nThe Etungi returned to his town. And he reported to the people in the\ntown, \"Bokeli is not dead; I met him at the bellows, working.\" They\nthought he was lying, and they said, \"Let him be beaten!\" But the\nEtungi replied, \"True! see ye this shirt, and the cloth, and this\nhat!\" He added, \"He that doubts must first go and see.\"\n\nThen went Kombe. When he arrived, he found Bokeli at the bellows. When\nBokeli saw him coming, he arose at once, and went to his mother\nin the house; he seized a machete, and cut down a plantain bunch,\nyo! And he said to his mother, \"Make haste to cook it!\"\n\nKombe had by that time entered the Reception-House. Bokeli welcomed\nhim, sa-a! and said, \"Sit down!\" Kombe sat down. Food had been cooked;\nand he ate. Kombe then says, \"I'm going back!\" Bokeli at once put\ndown at his feet the dowry for J\u00e2mb\u00e2, cloths, shirts, hats, etc,\netc. Kombe carried away the things. And having arrived at his town,\nhe says, \"It is true!\"\n\nTheir father Njambe directed, \"Come ye! over there with a present\nas a propitiation!\" Then he gathered goats, fowls, ducks, plantains,\ndried meats, fishes, all sorts and kinds. He ordered, \"Make ye a bier,\nand carry the corpse. I am going, even if I die!\" (He still had a\ndoubt about the real Bokeli.) They did so. They carried the presents,\nand they went, going on the journey.\n\nWhen those in front had arrived at the half-way of the road, the father\nsaid to his children, \"You must now remain here. I shall first go to\nthe town. If you hear a sound of guns, you will know that I am killed;\nthen ye must go back.\" The father Njambe took J\u00e2mb\u00e2 to accompany him,\nand his wives with him.\n\nWhen Bokeli saw them coming, at once the cannon were loaded, and were\nfired in a salute of welcome, and all the guns and musical instruments\nsounded, and people saying, \"The bride is come!\"\n\nThe children of Njambe who were left on the way, when they heard\nthe sounds of the cannons and guns, said to themselves that their\nfather was killed, and they scattered and hid themselves. But he\nhastily started and went back to the place where he had left them;\nand he found nobody there. He called them; and they came out of their\nhiding. He commanded, \"Throw away this thing (the supposed corpse);\ntake up the goods; come to the town of Bokeli.\"\n\nThen they went to the town. They found J\u00e2mb\u00e2 and her husband Bokeli\nsitting and playing. And they were treated with much kindness. Oxen\nand pigs were killed; they ate; they drank; and had great fun and\nvery much enjoyment.\n\nNjambe-of-the-Interior then said that he was ready to journey back\nto his town. But his friend Njambe-of-the-Sea-Coast said, \"Not today,\nbut tomorrow in the morning; then I will give you the dowry.\"\n\nOn the next day, they delivered the dowry; five millions of spear-heads\n(an iron currency); knives also, a million; one thousand hats; one\nthousand shirts; one hundred cloths; bags and trunks one hundred; bales\nof all kinds of white man's things; and native things in abundance;\ncattle also in abundance. Then they went away with them to their town.\n\nAnd Bokeli and J\u00e2mb\u00e2 remained in the seaside town with their marriage.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPART THIRD\n\nFANG TRIBE\n\n\nFOREWORD\n\n\nIn this Part, are tales told me by an old Batanga man, of the Ban\u00e2k\u00e2\nTribe. He could not give me the time to come to my room, and tell\nme, sentence by sentence, as the other two narrators had done. But,\nhaving some education, he wrote the stories in his native language,\nand, at my leisure, I translated them. The translation is literal,\nexcept when the short phrases, clear to native thought, would have\nbeen an imperfect sentence to an English eye; or, where an allusion\nto well-known native customs, perfectly obvious to a native, would\nhave been obscure to most readers. In such cases, I have sacrificed to\nclearness the concise native idiom. To a student of higher criticism,\nthe sentences which are mine will reveal themselves. In my literal\ntranslations of the native, I have used very simple short words,\nmostly of Anglo-Saxon origin. In my own paraphrases, words of Latin\norigin have appeared.\n\nSome tales of this Part are of Fang origin from the Bulu Tribe of the\ninterior. My Batanga friend told me he heard them from Bulu people\nvisiting at the Coast, and he wrote them as they were then current on\nthe coast. After I had translated them from his Ban\u00e2k\u00e2 vernacular,\nI found, and pointed out to him, that some of them had already been\nprinted in Fang, as specimens of Bulu idioms, in a published Grammar\nof the Bulu-Fang Language (\"Handbook of Bulu, by G. S. Bates\"). This\nexplanation is proper to be made, that while, unknown to me, Mr. Bates\nwas collecting direct from his Bulu informants in the interior,\nmy Batanga friend had collected for me, from his Bulu visitors; and\nthe tales were in my possession, translated into English by myself,\nbefore I saw Mr. Bates' book, or even knew of its existence.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 1\n\nCANDOR\n\n\nPersons\n\n Ngiya (Gorilla)\n Ingenda (A Small Monkey)\n\n\n\nGorilla, among all Beasts, was derided and jeered at by them. They\ncalled him \"Broken-face.\"\n\nSo, he spoke to Ingenda of the Monkey Tribe, and ordered it, \"Just\nexamine for me this face of mine; whether it is really so, you\ntell me.\" The monkey was afraid to refuse, and afraid also to tell\nthe truth. So it ascended a tree; and, as it went, it plucked the\nfruits. It said to Gorilla, \"I must first eat before answering your\nquestion; I feel hungry.\" (As an excuse to give itself time to escape.)\n\nSo Ingenda went; and, by the time it had eaten two of the fruits, it\nwas near the tree-top. Then it called to Gorilla \"Look here! with your\nface turned upward.\" So the Gorilla looked, with its face upward. And\nIngenda, being in a safe place, acknowledged, \"It is really so, really\nso.\" Gorilla was angry; but was helpless to revenge itself on Ingenda\nfor its candid statement; for, he had no way by which to catch him. And\nIngenda went off, leaping as it went from tree-top to tree-top.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 2\n\nWHICH IS THE BETTER HUNTER, AN EAGLE OR A LEOPARD?\n\n\nPersons\n\n Mbela (Eagle)\n Nje (Leopard)\n\n\n\nEagle and Leopard had a discussion about obtaining prey.\n\nEagle said, \"I am the one who can surpass you in preying.\" Leopard\nsaid, \"Not so! Is it not I?\"\n\nThen Eagle said, \"Wait; see whether you are the one to surpass me in\npreying.\" Thereupon he descended from above, seized a child of Leopard,\nand flew up with it to his nest.\n\nLeopard exclaimed, \"Alas! what shall I do?\" And he went, and went,\nwalking about, coming to one place, and going to another, wishing\nto fly in order to go to the rescue of his child. He could not fly,\nfor want of wings; therefore it was the other one who flew up and away.\n\nSo it was that the eagle proved that he surpassed the leopard in\nseeking prey.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 3\n\nA LESSON IN EVOLUTION\n\n\nPersons\n\n Unyunge (The Shrew-Mouse)\n Po (A Lemur)\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nThe development of the Shrew's long nose, and of the Lemur's big eyes.\n\n\n\nShrew and Lemur were neighbors in the town of Beasts. At that time,\nthe Animals did not possess fire. Lemur said to Shrew, \"Go! and take\nfor us fire from the town of Mankind.\" Shrew consented, but said,\n\"If I go, do not look, while I am gone, toward any other place except\nthe path on which I go. Do not even wink. Watch for me.\"\n\nSo Shrew went, and came to a Town of Men; and found that the people\nhad all emigrated from that town. Yet, he went on, and on, seeking\nfor fire; and for a long time found none. But, as he continued moving\nforward from house to house, he at last found a very little fire on a\nhearth. He began blowing it; and kept on blowing, and blowing; for,\nthe fire did not soon ignite into a flame. He continued so long at\nthis that his mouth extended forward permanently, with the blowing.\n\nThen he went back, and found Lemur faithfully watching with his eyes\nstanding very wide open. Shrew asked him, \"What has made your eyes\nso big?\" In return, Lemur asked him, \"What has so lengthened your\nmouth to a snout?\"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 4\n\nPARROT STANDING ON ONE LEG\n\n\nPersons\n\n Nj\u00e2ku (Elephant)\n Koho (Parrot)\n Iwedo (Death)\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nIn former times, in the days of Witchcraft, it was the custom not to\nbury a corpse until the question was settled who or what had caused\nthe death. This investigation sometimes occupied several days; during\nwhich time decomposition was hindered by the application of salt,\nand even by drying the remains in the smoke of a fire.\n\n\n\nElephant built his own town; and Parrot built also his.\n\nThen the children of Parrot went a-hunting every day; and when they\ncame back, the town had wild meat in abundance, hida! hida!\n\nOne day Elephant announced, \"I must go on an excursion to the town of\nChum Koho.\" He arrived there and found him, with that fashion of his,\nof standing with one leg bent up under his feathers hidden. His friend\nElephant asked him, \"Chum! what have you done to your leg?\" He answered\nhim (falsely), \"My children have gone with it a-hunting.\" Elephant\nbeing astonished said, \"On your oath?\" He replied, \"Truly!\"\n\nThen Elephant said, \"I came to see you, only to see. I'm going\nback.\" The other said, \"Yes; very good.\"\n\nElephant returned to his town, and said to his children, \"Arrange\nthe nets today; tomorrow for a hunt!\"\n\nThe next day, the children made ready. And he, ashamed that a small\nBird should do a greater act than himself said, \"Take ye a saw,\nand cut off my leg.\" His children did not hesitate at his command,\nas they were accustomed to implicit obedience. So, they cut it off;\nand they carried with them, as he directed, the leg, on their hunt.\n\nWhen they were gone, to their father Elephant came Death, saying,\n\"I have arrived!\" People of the town cried for help, \"Come ye! Nj\u00e2ku\nis not well!\" But, the children were beyond hearing, being still away\nat the hunt. During their absence, Elephant died. When they arrived,\nthey found their father a corpse.\n\nPeople wondered, saying, \"What is this? Since we were born, we have\nnot heard this, that hunting is carried on with the legs of one who\nremains behind in the town.\" When others, coming to the funeral, from\nother towns, asked the children, \"Who was the person who counseled\nyou such advice as that?\" they said, \"Himself it was who told us;\nhe said to us 'Cut.' So we cut.\"\n\nThen, on farther investigation, the people said, \"The blame belongs\nto Koho,\" so, they called Parrot to account. But, Parrot said, \"It\nis not mine. I did not tell him to cut off his leg.\" So, the charge\nwas dismissed. And the burial proceeded.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 5\n\nA QUESTION OF RIGHT OF INHERITANCE\n\n\nPersons\n\n Utati-Mboka (A Sparrow)\n Koho (Parrot)\n A Man\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nSparrow based his claim on the grounds of companionship, and community\nof interests.\n\n\n\nParrot's claim is based on a very common line of argument in native\ndisputes not only about property, but in all questions of liability.\n\nParrot and Sparrow argued about their right to inherit the property\nthat a Man had left.\n\nThe Sparrow said, \"The Man and I lived all our days in the same\ntown. If he moved, I also moved. Our interests were similar. At\nwhatever place he went to live, there also I stood in the street.\"\n\nThe Parrot spoke, and based his claim on the ground that he was\nthe original cause of the Man's wealth. He said, \"I was born in the\ntree-tops; then the Man came and took me, to live with him.\n\n\"When my tail began to grow, he and his people took my feathers; With\nwhich they made a handsome head-dress; Which they sold for very many\ngoods; With which they bought a wife; And that woman bore daughters;\nWho, for much money, were sold into marriages; And their children\nalso bore other children; Wherefore, for that reason, it is that I\nsay that I caused for them all these women, and was the foundation\nof all this wealth.\"\n\nThis was what Parrot declared.\n\nSo, the people decided, \"Koho is the source of those things.\" And he\nwas allowed to inherit.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 6\n\nTORTOISE COVERS HIS IGNORANCE\n\n\nPersons\n\n Kudu (Tortoise)\n Iheli (Gazelle)\n Nje (Leopard)\n A Vine\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nIt is customary for men to do some service for their fathers and\nmothers-in-law.\n\n\n\nTortoise arose and went to the town of his father-in-law\nLeopard. Leopard sent him on an errand, saying, \"Go, and cut for me\nutamba-mwa-Iv\u00e2t\u00e2.\" (The fiber of a vine is used for making nets.)\n\nThen he went. But, while he still remembered the object, he forgot\nthe name of the kind of Vine that was used for that purpose. And he\nwas ashamed to confess his ignorance. So, he came back to call the\npeople of the town, and said, \"Come ye and help me! I have enclosed\nIheli in a thicket.\"\n\nThe people came, and at once they made a circle around the spot. But\nwhen they closed in, they saw no beasts there.\n\nThen Tortoise called out, \"Let someone of you cut for me,\nutamba-mwa-Iv\u00e2t\u00e2.\" (As if that was the only thing needed to catch\nthe animal which he had said was there.)\n\nThereupon, his brother-in-law cut for him a vine which he brought\nto him, saying, \"Here is an Ihenga vine which we use for making\nnets.\" Whereupon Tortoise exclaimed, \"Is it possible that it was the\nIhenga vine that I mistook?\"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 7\n\nA QUESTION AS TO AGE\n\n\nPersons\n\n Asanze (A Shrike)\n Kudu (Tortoise)\n And other Animals\n Nj\u00e2b\u00e2 (Civet)\n Uhingi (Genet)\n Edubu (Snake)\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nDifferences in age as revealed by differences in taste for food.\n\n\n\nShrike was a blacksmith. So, all the Beasts went to the forge at\nhis town. Each day, when they had finished at the anvil, they took\nall their tools and laid them on the ground (as pledges). Before\nthey should go back to their towns, they would say to the Bird,\n\"Show us which is the eldest, and then you give us the things, if\nyou are able to decide our question.\"\n\nHe looked at and examined them; but he did not know, for they were\nall apparently of the same age; and they went away empty-handed,\nleaving their tools as a challenge. Every day it was that same way.\n\nOn another day, Tortoise being a friend of the Bird, started to go to\nwork for him at the bellows. Also, he cooked three bundles of food;\none of Civet with the entrails of a red Antelope; and one of Genet;\nand one of an Edubu-Snake. (Suited for different tastes and ages.) Then\nhe blew at the bellows.\n\nWhen the others were hungry at meal time, Tortoise took up the\njomba-bundles; and he said, \"Come ye! take up this jomba of Nj\u00e2b\u00e2\nwith the entrails, and eat.\" (They were the old ones who chose to\ncome and eat it.)\n\nAgain Tortoise said, \"Come ye! take up the jomba of Uhingi.\" (They\nwere the younger men who chose to pick it up and eat it.)\n\nHe then took up the jomba of the Snake. And he said, \"Come ye! and\ntake of the jomba of Edubu.\" (Those who took it were the youngest.)\n\nAfter awhile they all finished their work at the bellows. They still\nleft their tools lying on the ground, and came near to the Bird,\nand they said, as on other occasions, \"Show us who is the eldest.\"\n\nThen Tortoise at the request of the Bird, announced the decision,\nas if it was its own, \"Ye who ate of the Nj\u00e2b\u00e2 are the ones who are\noldest; ye who ate of Uhingi are the ones who are younger men; and\nye who ate of the Edubu are the ones who are the youngest.\"\n\nSo, they assented to the decision, and took away their belongings.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 8\n\nABUNDANCE: A PLAY ON THE MEANING OF A WORD\n\n\nPersons\n\n A Hunter; Man\n Mbindi (Wild Goat)\n A Dwarf, with Magic-Power\n Bwinge (Abundance, or \"More\")\n Ngweya (Hog)\n Ungumba (Riches)\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nThe Man's patience finally brought to him the Plenty which was\npromised him.\n\n\"Bwinge\" might be the name of a person or of a thing; or, it could\nbe the \"abundance\" for which the hunter hoped.\n\n\n\nThere was a certain Man who was very poor; he had no goods with which\nto buy a wife. He went one day into the forest to set snares. On the\nmorrow, he went off to examine them; and found a Wild-Goat caught in\nthe snares. He rejoiced and said, \"I must eat Mbindi today!\"\n\nBut the Wild-Goat said to that Man, \"Let me alone, Bwinge is coming\nafter awhile.\"\n\nSo, the Man, thinking that \"Bwinge\" was the name of some other and\nmore desirable animal, at once let the Wild-Goat loose, and went off\nto his town. On the next day, the Man went to examine the snare,\nto see whether Bwinge was there, and found Hog caught fast in the\nnet. And he exclaimed, \"I must eat Ngweya today!\"\n\nBut the Hog said, \"Let me go. Bwinge is coming.\" The man at once left\nthe Hog, (still thinking that many more were coming); and it went away.\n\nThe Man wondered, and said to himself, \"What Thing is it that is named\n'Bwinge'?\"\n\nOn another day, he went to set his snare. He found there a dwarf child\nof a Human Being; and, in anger, he said, \"You are the one who has\ncaused me to send away the beasts? Is it possible that you are he who\nis 'Bwinge'? I shall kill you.\" But the dwarf said, \"No! don't kill\nme. I will call Ungumba for you.\" So, the Man said, \"Call in a hurry!\"\n\nThe Dwarf ordered, \"Let guns come!\" And they at once came. (This\nwas done by the Dwarf's Magic-Power.) The Man again said, \"Call,\nin a hurry!\" The Dwarf called for women; and they came. The Man\nagain said to him, \"Call for Goats, in a hurry!\" And they came,\nwith abundance of other things.\n\nThen the Man freed him, and said to him, \"Go!\"\n\nThe Man also went his way with his riches. And he became a great\nman. This was because of his patient waiting.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 9\n\nAN OATH, WITH A MENTAL RESERVATION\n\n\nPersons\n\n Ibembe (Dove)\n Nje (Leopard)\n Ngando (Crocodile)\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nCovenants among natives are made under oath, by the two parties\neating together of some fetish-mixture, called a \"Medicine\"; which,\nbeing connected with some Spirit, is supposed to be able to punish\nany infraction of the covenant.\n\nBecause Dove \"abused\" Leopard, that is, deceived him, the dove no\nlonger builds its nest on the ground, through fear of leopards.\n\n\n\nDove was building in a tree-trunk by a river, because it preferred\nto walk on the ground. And Crocodile just then emerged from the river\nto the bank, and lay on his log where he usually rested.\n\nThey two said, \"Let us eat a Medicine-charm.\"\n\nSo, Dove agreed, and swore, saying, \"I say to you that, when anything\nat all shall happen openly, if I do not tell it to you, then may this\nMedicine find me out and kill me.\" Crocodile also uttered his oath,\n\"When whatever thing shall come out from the river onto the ground, if\nI do not tell it to you, this Medicine must find me out and kill me!\"\n\nWhen they had finished their Covenant, Crocodile returned to his\nhollow in the ground by the river. Dove also arose, and went away,\nwalking to his place. Then he and Leopard suddenly met, on the path.\n\nLeopard asked, \"Are you able to see Ngando for me? I want to eat\nit.\" Dove answered, \"Ah! would that you and I were living in one place\nwith an Agreement!\" Leopard replied, \"Come then! let us, I and you,\neat a Medicine.\"\n\nSo Leopard began. He said as his oath: \"Anything at all that shall come\nto my place where I dwell, if I be there, and it wants to get hold of\nyou, if I tell it not to you, let this Medicine find and certainly\nkill me!\" Dove also with his oath, said, \"If I see Ngando, and I do\nnot tell you, let this Medicine find me and certainly kill me!\"\n\nSo, they made their promise; then they separated; and each one went\nto his own village.\n\nThus Dove and Leopard ate their kind of \"Medicine,\" after Dove and\nCrocodile had already eaten theirs.\n\nThen, one day, Crocodile came out from the river. Dove at once began\nto tell Leopard, saying, \"He has emerged from the river and is about\nto settle on the log!\" So, Leopard began slowly to come, and watching\nCrocodile, as he came. When he was near, in his advance, Dove spoke,\ntelling Crocodile, and said, \"Your watcher! Your watcher is coming! Do\nnot approach here!\"\n\nThereat, Crocodile slipped back into the water.\n\nThe next time that Dove and Leopard met, Leopard demanded, \"What is\nthis you have done to me? You swore to me this: 'If I see Crocodile I\nwill tell you; and you must come catch him.' Now, as soon as you saw\nme, you turned around, and told Crocodile, 'Fall into the River!' You\nhave mocked me!\"\n\nAnd Leopard grew very angry.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 10\n\nTHE TREACHERY OF TORTOISE\n\n\nPersons\n\n Mb\u00e2m\u00e2 (Boa Constrictor)\n Kudu (Tortoise)\n Nje (Leopard)\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nObserve the cannibalism of the story.\n\n\n\nLeopard married a wife. After awhile she was about to become a mother.\n\nBoa also married a wife; and, after awhile, she also, was about to\nbecome a mother.\n\nIn a short time, like the drinking of a draught of water, the\nmonth passed, both for Leopard's wife and for Boa's wife also. Then\nBoa's wife said, \"It is time for the birth!\" So she gave birth to a\nchild. And she lay down on her mother's bed. When they were about to\ncook food for her, she said, \"I want to eat nothing but Nje!\"\n\nThe next day, the wife of Leopard said, \"It is time for the birth!\" And\nshe also gave birth to a child. Food was given to her. But she said,\n\"I am wanting only Mb\u00e2m\u00e2!\"\n\nWhen told of his wife's wish, Boa said, \"What shall I do? Where shall\nI go? Where shall I find Mangwata?\" (A nickname for Leopard.) Also,\nLeopard said, in regard to his wife's wish, \"Where shall I find\nMb\u00e2m\u00e2?\" Then Leopard went walking, on and on, and looking. He met\nwith Manima-ma-Evosolo (a nickname for Tortoise). Leopard asked him,\n\"Can you catch me Mb\u00e2m\u00e2?\" Manima said, \"What's that?\" And he laughed,\nKye! Kye! Kye; and said, \"That is as easy as play.\" Leopard said,\n\"Chum, please do such a thing for me.\" And Tortoise said, \"Very good!\"\n\nWhen they separated, and Tortoise was about to go a little\nfurther on ahead, at once he met with Boa. And Boa asked him,\n\"Chum! Manima-ma-Evosolo! Where have you come from?\" Tortoise answered,\n\"I have come, going on an excursion.\" Boa asked to Tortoise, \"But,\ncould you catch me Nje?\" He replied, \"That is a little thing.\" Then\nBoa begged him, \"Please, since my wife has born a child, she has not\neaten anything. She says she wants to eat only Nje.\"\n\nTortoise returned back at once to his village. He called to the\npeople of his village, saying, \"Come ye! to make for me a pit.\" They\nat once went, and dug a pit. When they had finished it, Tortoise went\nto Leopard, and said to him, \"Come on!\"\n\nLeopard at once started on the journey (thinking he was going to get\nBoa). When they came to the place of the pit, Leopard fell suddenly\ninto it headlong, volomu! He called to Tortoise, saying, \"Chum! Where\nis Mb\u00e2m\u00e2?\" (Leopard did not understand that he was being deceived.)\n\nTortoise did not reply, but started off clear to the village of\nBoa. He said to Boa, \"Come on!\" Boa did not doubt at all that he was\ngoing to get Leopard. He started, and went with Tortoise towards the\npit. When he was passing near the spot, Boa fell headlong into the pit,\nvolumu! And Leopard exclaimed, \"Ah! now, what is this?\"\n\nTortoise only said to them, \"You yourselves can kill each other.\"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTALE 11\n\nA CHAIN OF CIRCUMSTANCES\n\n\nPersons\n\n Etanda (Cockroach)\n Kudu (Tortoise)\n Kuba (Chicken)\n Uhingi (Genet)\n Nje (Leopard)\n A Man\n\n\n\nNOTE\n\nA Cause, from which came the enmity between Leopards, and other wild\nanimals, and Mankind.\n\nObserve the resemblance to \"The House that Jack Built.\"\n\n\n\nTortoise was a blacksmith, and allowed other people to use his\nbellows. Cockroach had a spear that was known of by all people and\nthings. One day, he went to the smithy at the village of Tortoise. When\nhe started to work the bellows, as he looked out in the street, he\nsaw Chicken coming; and he said to Tortoise, \"I'm afraid of Kuba,\nthat he will catch me. What shall I do?\" So Tortoise told him,\n\"Go! and hide yourself off there in the grass.\" At once he hid himself.\n\nThen arrived Chicken, and he, observing a spear lying on the ground,\nasked Tortoise, \"Is not this Etanda's Spear?\" Tortoise assented,\n\"Yes, do you want him?\" And Chicken said, \"Yes, where is he?\" So\nTortoise said, \"He hid himself in the grass on the ground yonder;\ncatch him.\" Then Chicken went and caught Cockroach, and swallowed him.\n\nWhen Chicken was about to go away to return to his place, Tortoise said\nto him, \"Come back! work for me this fine bellows!\" As Chicken, willing\nto return a favor, was about to stand at it, he looked around and\nsaw Genet coming in the street. Chicken said to Tortoise, \"Alas! I'm\nafraid that Uhingi will see me, where shall I go?\" So, Tortoise says,\n\"Go! and hide!\" Chicken did so. When Genet came, he, seeing the spear,\nasked, \"Is it not so that this is Etanda's Spear?\" Tortoise replied,\n\"Yes.\" Genet asked him, \"Where is Etanda?\" He replied, \"Chicken has\nswallowed him.\" Genet inquired, \"And where is Chicken?\" Tortoise\nshowed him the place where Chicken was hidden. And Genet went and\ncaught and ate Chicken.\n\nWhen Genet was about to go, Tortoise called to him, \"No! come! to\nwork this fine bellows.\" Genet set to work; but, when he looked into\nthe street, he hesitated; for, he saw Leopard coming. Genet said to\nTortoise, \"I must go, lest Nje should see me!\" Then Tortoise said,\n\"Go! and hide in the grass.\" So, Genet hid himself in the grass.\n\nLeopard, having arrived and wondering about the Spear, asked Tortoise,\n\"Is it not so that this is the Spear of Etanda?\" Tortoise answered,\n\"Yes.\" Then Leopard asked, \"Where is Etanda?\" Tortoise replied, \"Kuba\nhas swallowed him.\" \"And, where is Kuba?\" Tortoise answered, \"Uhingi\nhas eaten him.\" Then Leopard asked, \"Where then is Uhingi?\" Tortoise\nasked, \"Do you want him? Go and catch him! He is hidden yonder\nthere.\" Then Leopard caught and killed Genet.\n\nLeopard was going away, but Tortoise told him, \"Wait! come! to work\nthis fine bellows.\" When Leopard was about to comply, he looked around\nthe street, and he saw a Human Being coming with a gun carried on\nhis shoulder. Leopard exclaimed, \"Kudu-O! I do not want to see a Man,\nlet me go!\" Then Tortoise said to him, \"Go! and hide.\" Leopard did so.\n\nWhen the Man had come, and he saw the Spear of Cockroach, he inquired,\n\"Is it not so that this is Cockroach's wonderful Spear?\" Tortoise\nanswered, \"Yes.\"\n\nAnd the Man asked, \"Where then is Cockroach?\" Tortoise answered,\n\"Kuba has swallowed him.\"\n\nMan asked, \"And where is Chicken?\" Tortoise answered, \"Uhingi has\neaten him.\"\n\nMan asked, \"And where is Genet?\" Tortoise answered, \"Nje has killed\nhim.\"\n\nMan asked, \"And where is Leopard?\" Tortoise did not at once reply;\nand Man asked again, \"Where is Leopard?\" The Tortoise said, \"Do you\nwant him? Go! and catch him. He had hidden himself over there.\"\n\nThen the Man went and shot Leopard,\n\nWho had killed Genet,\n\nWho had eaten Chicken,\n\nWho had swallowed Cockroach,\n\nWho owned the wonderful Spear,\n\nAt the smithy of Tortoise.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nINDEX\n\nof Names of Animals, etc., among Certain Tribes on the West African\nEquator.\n\n\n==================+=============+===========+===========+=========+=========\nENGLISH | BENGA | MPONGWE | BAPUKU | KOMBE | FANG\n------------------+-------------+-----------+-----------+---------+---------\nAdder | Edubu | | | |\nAnt, red | Kedi | | | |\nAnt, black | Hako | | | |\nAntelope | Vy\u00e2du | Nkambi | Vy\u00e2du | |\nAntelope, | | | | |\n tragelephas | Mbalanga | | | |\nAntelope, red | Ehibo | { Njivo | Ehibo | |\n | | { Eziwo | | |\nBat | Ndemi | | | |\nBeast | Tito | Nyama | | |\nBird | In\u00e2ni | Ny\u00e2ni | In\u00e2ni | |\nBoa Constrictor | Mb\u00e2m\u00e2 | Mb\u00e2m\u00e2 | Mb\u00e2m\u00e2 | |\nChameleon | Yongolokodi | | | |\nChicken | Kuba | Nj\u00e2g\u00e2ni | Kuba | | Ku\nChimpanzee | Kwiya | | | |\nCivet | Nj\u00e2b\u00e2 | | | |\nCockroach | Etanda | | | | Fefaye\nCrab | J\u00e2mb\u00e2 | Ig\u00e2mb\u00e2 | J\u00e2mb\u00e2 | |\nCrocodile | Ngando | Ngando | Ngando | | Ngane\nDog | Mbwa | Mbwa | Mbwa | |\nDove | Ibembe | | | | Yum\nEagle | Mbela | Kungu | Yungu | | Ndowe\nEar | Dit\u00e2 | Oroi | It\u00e2i | |\nElephant | Nj\u00e2ku | Nj\u00e2gu | Nj\u00e2ku | R\u00e2ku | Y\u00e2wo\nFrog | Jonda | R\u00e2nge | Eloto | |\nGazelle (forest) | Iheli | | | Vizyele | Okwen\nGazelle (prairie) | Embonda | | | |\nGenet | Uhingi | Osinge | Uhingi | | Nsin\nGoat (domestic) | Tomba | Mboni | Mbodi | |\nGoat (wild) | Mbindi | Mbinji | Mbindi | | Mvin\nGorilla | Ngiya | Njina | Ngiya | | Nji\nHippopotamus | Ngubu | Nguvu | | |\nHog | Ngweya | Ngowa | | | Ngowe\nIgwana | Ng\u00e2mbi | | | |\nJackal | Ib\u00e2b\u00e2 | | | |\nLemur | Po | | | | Ojam\nLeopard | Nj\u00e2 | Njeg\u00e2 | | | Nje\nLizard | Ehelele | | | |\nManatus | Manga | Manga | | |\nMillepede | Ng\u00e2ng\u00e2l\u00e2 | | | |\nMonkey | Kema | { Ingenda | | |\n | | { Telinga | | Tyema | Kowe\nMosquito | Ikungu | Mbo | | |\nMouse House | Mpogo | | Ihuka | |\nMouse, shrew | Unyunge | | | | Mbasume\nOx | Nyati | Nyare | | |\nOyster | Itandi | Orandi | Itambi | |\nPalm-tree, oil | Mbila | Oyila | Ilende | |\nPartridge | Ngwayi | Nkwani | | |\nParrot | Koho | Ngozyo | | | Kos\nPlantain | Ek\u00e2i | Ak\u00e2nd\u00e2 | | |\nPorcupine | Ngomba | | | |\nRat (domestic) | Etoli | | | |\nRat (wild) | Ko | | | |\nSheep | Ud\u00e2mbe | Od\u00e2mbe | | |\nShrike | Asanze | | | | Asanze\nSnail | K\u00e2 | | | |\nSnail (giant) | Idibavolo | | | |\nSnake | Mb\u00e2mb\u00e2 | Omwamba | | |\nSparrow | Utatimboka | | | | Moakumba\nSquirrel | Ihende | Senji | Mbala | |\nSun | Joba | Nkombe | | |\nTortoise | Kudu | Ekaga | | | Kulu\nViper | Pe | Ompene | Pe | |\nWag-Tail | | | Indondobe | |\n------------------+-------------+-----------+-----------+---------+---------","title":"Where Animals Talk: West African Folk Lore Tales","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":85168}