{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_66923/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_66923","id":"gutenberg_66923","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/66923","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Folklore -- Africa, West","Tales -- Africa, West"],"text":"WEST AFRICAN\n                               FOLK-TALES\n\n                       COLLECTED AND ARRANGED BY\n                           W. H. BARKER B.Sc.\n         FORMERLY PRINCIPAL OF THE GOVERNMENT INSTITUTION ACCRA\n\n                                  AND\n                            CECILIA SINCLAIR\n              WITH FRONTISPIECE & TWENTY-THREE DRAWINGS BY\n                            CECILIA SINCLAIR\n\n\n                                 LONDON\n                       GEORGE G. HARRAP & COMPANY\n                 2 & 3 PORTSMOUTH STREET KINGSWAY W.C.\n                                MCMXVII\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCONTENTS\n\n\n                                                                  PAGE\n    INTRODUCTION                                                    11\n\n    I.  ANANSI, OR SPIDER, TALES\n\n        I.      HOW WE GOT THE NAME \u2018SPIDER TALES\u2019                  29\n        II.     HOW WISDOM BECAME THE PROPERTY OF THE HUMAN RACE    33\n        III.    ANANSI AND NOTHING                                  35\n        IV.     THUNDER AND ANANSI                                  39\n        V.      WHY THE LIZARD CONTINUALLY MOVES HIS HEAD UP AND\n                DOWN                                                45\n        VI.     TIT FOR TAT                                         51\n        VII.    WHY WHITE ANTS ALWAYS HARM MAN\u2019S PROPERTY           55\n        VIII.   THE SQUIRREL AND THE SPIDER                         59\n        IX.     WHY WE SEE ANTS CARRYING BUNDLES AS BIG AS\n                THEMSELVES                                          63\n        X.      WHY SPIDERS ARE ALWAYS FOUND IN THE CORNERS OF\n                CEILINGS                                            69\n        XI.     ANANSI THE BLIND FISHERMAN                          73\n        XII.    ADZANUMEE AND HER MOTHER                            77\n        XIII.   THE GRINDING-STONE THAT GROUND FLOUR BY ITSELF      81\n        XIV.    \u201cMORNING SUNRISE\u201d                                   85\n        XV.     WHY THE SEA-TURTLE WHEN CAUGHT BEATS ITS BREAST\n                WITH ITS FORE-LEGS                                  87\n        XVI.    HOW BEASTS AND SERPENTS FIRST CAME INTO THE WORLD   89\n        XVII.   HONOURABLE MIN\u016a                                     95\n        XVIII.  WHY THE MOON AND THE STARS RECEIVE THEIR LIGHT\n                FROM THE SUN                                        97\n\n    II. MISCELLANEOUS TALES\n\n        XIX.    OHIA AND THE THIEVING DEER                         105\n        XX.     HOW THE TORTOISE GOT ITS SHELL                     115\n        XXI.    THE HUNTER AND THE TORTOISE                        119\n        XXII.   THE TAIL OF THE PRINCESS ELEPHANT                  123\n        XXIII.  KWOFI AND THE GODS                                 129\n        XXIV.   THE LION AND THE WOLF                              131\n        XXV.    MAKU MAWU AND MAKU FIA                             133\n        XXVI.   THE ROBBER AND THE OLD MAN                         139\n        XXVII.  THE LEOPARD AND THE RAM                            141\n        XXVIII. WHY THE LEOPARD CAN ONLY CATCH PREY ON ITS LEFT\n                SIDE                                               145\n        XXIX.   QUARCOO BAH-BONI                                   147\n        XXX.    KING CHAMELEON AND THE ANIMALS                     155\n        XXXI.   TO LOSE AN ELEPHANT FOR THE SAKE OF A WREN IS A\n                VERY FOOLISH THING TO DO                           159\n        XXXII.  THE UNGRATEFUL MAN                                 163\n        XXXIII. WHY TIGERS NEVER ATTACK MEN UNLESS THEY ARE\n                PROVOKED                                           167\n        XXXIV.  THE OMANHENE WHO LIKED RIDDLES                     171\n        XXXV.   HOW MUSHROOMS FIRST GREW                           177\n        XXXVI.  FARMER MYBROW AND THE FAIRIES                      181\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nILLUSTRATIONS\n\n\n                                                                  PAGE\n\n    Native Children ready for a Story                     Frontispiece\n    The Bees flying into the Jar                                    30\n    Again and again Anansi tried to climb the Tree                  34\n    A great Wave dashed Anansi back on the Beach                    40\n    The Princess picked up the Fruit                                46\n    \u201cMay I give you a little of this meat?\u201d                         52\n    Wolf and Leopard discover the Flesh of the Antelope             56\n    Mr Ant takes the Box from Anansi                                66\n    Egya Anansi built himself a very comfortable Hut                70\n    The Bird calls to Adzanumee                                     78\n    The wonderful Grinding-stone                                    82\n    Anansi saw, rushing toward him, Beasts and Serpents of\n      all Kinds                                                     92\n    Kweku Tsin played on the wonderful Fiddle                      100\n    Ohia cut down the Trees and prepared them                      106\n    The Hunter and the Tortoise                                    120\n    The Princess changed into an Elephant                          126\n    Each received a large Helping except Kwofi                     130\n    Maku Mawu catches a Fish                                       136\n    Young Leopard sprang toward the Stem and tore it               142\n    They scattered in all Directions                               152\n    The Hunter and the Serpent                                     164\n    He threw half the Cake to the Vulture                          172\n    How the Ants paid the Debt                                     178\n    Mybrow\u2019s Wife plucked one of the Yams                          182\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nINTRODUCTION\n\n\nIn presenting to the public these stories based on the folk-lore of the\nGold Coast peoples, it seems necessary to say something in general\nterms of the economic and social development of the colony in so far as\nthat development is affecting the \u2018lore\u2019 of the folk.\n\nNot until the civilization and industrialism of Europe began to\npenetrate into the districts of the Guinea Coast was any great attempt\nmade to study the folk-lore of these peoples. It is obvious, therefore,\nthat the student must find considerable admixture from outside sources\nwhich the absence of a native system of writing and consequent\nliterature makes exceedingly difficult to detect. The difficulties\nincrease with time, for we are getting farther and farther from the\ngenuine folk-lore. Each year, from towns like Accra, Seccondee, and\nCape Coast the tentacles of European civilization are slowly extending\nin all directions. Railways and roads are creeping out, old-fashioned\ncrudity is giving way to simpler and more expeditious methods; new\nindustries, as rubber and cocoa, are being established. [1] All this\nmust be borne in mind in studying the folk-lore as told by the native\nto-day. What is happening is, unfortunately, not an awakening, but a\ntransformation. The negro is discarding his native cloth for a European\nsuit of clothes.\n\n\u201cOn all sides it is reported that the demand for European provisions,\nluxuries, and apparel is large and greatly increasing. The large\nimports of tinned provisions, flour, etc., is in part due to the\nscarcity of native food-stuffs in certain districts, but there is no\ndoubt that the standard of living is changing and rising.\n\n\u201cThere is a general desire not only in the colony, but in Ashanti, for\nbetter roads, better houses, cleaner villages, and the desire has been\nprompted by the example of the great sanitary improvements in the\nlarger towns....\n\n\u201cIt can be observed that the people take a growing pride in the\ninstitutions and traditions of their country, that the chiefs are\nrealizing the duties and influence of their position, and that public\nopinion, among the educated classes, at any rate, is beginning to\nrecognize that some advance on the ideals and standards of the past\nmust now be demanded.\u201d [2]\n\nThis, from the utilitarian and Imperial standpoints, is as it should\nbe, but it tends to be fatal to the mythology, the customs, and the\ntraditions of such peoples as the negroes of West Africa. For this\nchange is not taking place only in the direction of mere materialism.\nChristianity, entering the country through the ports, and\nMohammedanism, being carried by Haussas along the trade routes from the\ninterior, are playing their part in these psychological and\nsociological changes. The negro of yesterday differs from the negro of\nto-day as he in turn will differ from the negro of to-morrow. In view\nof all this metamorphosis it is much to be regretted that the\ngeographical and linguistical difficulties have made the task of the\nfolk-lorist not only difficult but wellnigh impossible. Much, of\ncourse, might be done if those whose duties carry them into the various\ndistricts would take in hand the task. The collation of their results\nmight enable one to eradicate outside and recent influences and in a\nmeasure get at \u201cthe back of the black man\u2019s mind.\u201d\n\nThe material in this book was collected in the following manner: The\nnew educational policy of the Government provided for a Training\nInstitution for Teachers at Accra. The first students to be admitted\nwere men who had already had some considerable experience in the\nschools of their districts. They were, therefore, sufficiently familiar\nwith the English language to express themselves clearly and fluently.\nAt the same time they were men who could remember the time when the new\ncivilizing forces at present at work were not nearly so pronounced. By\nobtaining from these students a variety of versions of the same story\nit became possible to some extent to eradicate the superfluous and the\nspurious.\n\nThe selection of tales has been carefully made, and in the retelling\nand illustrating of the story the object has been to give the reader an\nintroduction to the thought and customs of the West African negro.\n\nIn order to produce the correct \u2018atmosphere\u2019 for the story, picture an\nevening scene in a native village. The sun is nearing the western\nhorizon, seeming to fall like a huge ball behind the distant hills, the\nair is cool, and a solemn stillness prevails. Even the noisy youths and\ngirls are quiet, and the time for tom-toms, crickets, bull-frogs, and\nthe miscellaneous instruments of man and Nature for the production of\nthe most weird and inharmonious of sounds is not yet. In the\ncompound\u2014the courtyard round which are the family dwellings\u2014the women\nwith their picin (children) on their backs are busy with mortar and\npestle making foo-foo (native food from maize). Squatting near the mud\nwalls, naked to the waist, their cloth forming but a covering for the\nloins, are a number of men smoking short clay pipes and expectorating\nin a most insanitary manner\u2014a perfect picture of idleness. Naked\nyoungsters stand open-mouthed listening to the conversation of their\nelders, or amuse themselves at hide-and-seek, marbles, or some other\nnative game.\n\nThe short twilight of the tropics brings all occupations except talking\nto an end, and of talking there seems to be no end. Here and there some\none or other lies down, covers himself entirely with his cloth, and is\nlost to the world.\n\nA lantern is brought out, and unconsciously and imperceptibly it\nbecomes the centre of dark forms, relieved now and again by rows of\nbeautiful white teeth as the owners indulge in a hearty laugh. At times\nconversation lags; some one drones a monotonous tune, others smoke in\nquiet contemplation, while others again follow the example of the dark\nhuman mounds scattered about the compound.\n\nSuddenly, \u201cComrades, listen to a story.\u201d At once the men, women, and\nchildren press round the speaker, an eager crowd, ready to hear or to\ntell the tales of their folk.\n\n\u201cAll right, let it come.\u201d\n\nThus commences another evening wherein the native recounts to his\nneighbour for the hundredth time the stories handed down by tradition\nfrom the dim \u2018before-time.\u2019 The native is a born raconteur, and his\nstories are not the outcome of his imagination, but folk-lore modified\nand ornamented perhaps to suit the particular audience or particular\ncircumstance. Some of these modifications which have assumed a more or\nless permanent form are commented on below.\n\nThroughout the Gold Coast Colony and Southern Ashanti the stories as\ngiven by the various tribes are essentially the same. It may be that\nfurther and more detailed investigation in the domain of folk-lore will\nhelp to solve a very important ethnic problem, namely, whether the\ncoast tribes are or are not of the same stock as those of the\nhinterland. It is generally accepted at present that \u201cthese people of\nthe West Coast were for the most part the broken fragments of races\nthat have been driven to the sea by the stronger races of the\ninterior.\u201d [3] If this were so, then one would expect to find\ndifferences in the folk-lore of the stronger and weaker races similar\nto those between the folk-lore of the Celts and Anglo-Saxons. Actually,\nthis does not appear to be so, though at present the data is not\nsufficient to enable one to form a definite opinion.\n\nThe following is from a recent work on the Gold Coast, and presents a\nslightly different view from that in the quotation above: \u201cThe general\nsum of these traditions [regarding the origin of the tribes] is that\nthe Fantis, Ashantis, Wassaws, and in fact all the Twi-[Tshi] speaking,\nor Akan, peoples, were originally one tribe. They were a pastoral race\nand inhabited the open country beyond the forest belt and farther north\nthan Salaga. A northern and lighter-skinned people, which is commonly\nsupposed to have been the Fulanis, commenced to encroach on their\nterritory, and, being stronger than they, seized their cattle and young\nwomen and made many of the others slaves.... The subdivision of the\nunited Akan race into its main branches, the Fantis and Ashantis, is\nvariously accounted for.... One story very plausibly explains that the\nconstant raids of their northern enemy, who burned all the farms,\nreduced the Akans to great straits for food. Some of them subsisted on\na wild plant named fan and others on a plant named shan, and thus\ngained the names Fan-dti and Shan-dti (dti, to eat).\u201d [4] A possible\nalternative explanation is that the same stock occupies the coast and\nthe hinterland, and that differentiation has come about as the result\nof malaria affecting that portion of the race inhabiting the region of\nthe lagoon marshes along the coastal plain. It has now been fairly well\nestablished that malaria can and does have a deleterious effect on\nraces, and that even in the case of Greece and Rome the malarial factor\nmust be taken into account in discussing the causes which brought about\ntheir fall. [5] It may be that the marshes round Salonica and the\nswamps of the Campagna have their counterpart in the long line of\nlagoon swamps that lie between the surf-wall and the forest wall of\n\u2018the Coast.\u2019 Medical science alone, perhaps, will be able to solve the\nproblem, but folk-lore can and does render valuable assistance toward a\nsolution. A conquered people do not give up their \u2018lore\u2019 with the land,\nbut carry their customs and traditions with them to their new homes.\n\nThere is one story which has a special interest in this connexion\nbecause, after being carried by the negroes from Africa to the Southern\nStates in the slave days, it became the basis of a story which has\nserved to amuse the children and adults of the whole of the\nEnglish-speaking peoples, namely, The Wonderful Adventures of Old Brer\nRabbit. It is interesting to compare the tar-baby narrative with the\nmanner in which Anansi was caught in Story X.\n\nFrom the scanty material we have at present, it would seem that the\nfolk-lores of the coastal and hinterland peoples are substantially the\nsame, the differences being traceable in many cases to the influence of\nthe new environment. Thus, in the story where Anansi seeks to hide the\nwisdom of the world (Story II), which he has collected in a pot, among\nthe coast peoples he finds a difficulty in climbing up the palm-tree,\nbut among the forest tribes his difficulty is to get over the trunk of\na tree which has fallen across the bush-path. Here the difference is\ndue to environment and not to race.\n\nIt is necessary to point out that similarity of story cannot by itself\nbe taken as indicative of similarity of race. Indeed, so common is it\nto find the same story told by people of varying types and in every\nstage of progress that it has opened up a problem of great importance.\nHave such stories originated from a common source? and, if so, where\nmay the common origin be found? Or are folk-stories like the material\nproductions of the races, i.e. do they follow a more or less common\nline of development? [6] What connexion can there be, for example,\nbetween the negro of the Gold Coast and the Serb? Yet they have a story\nremarkably similar. In the story of Ohia (Story XIX) the power of\nunderstanding the language of animals was given him on condition that\nhe should not disclose the secret to any human being under pain of\ndeath. This knowledge often gave him occasion for laughter, and at such\ntimes his wife, ignorant of the cause, became angered and suspicious.\nShe demanded to know the reason for such outbursts, and at last her\nimportunity resulted in the telling of the secret, and consequent death\nof the man. In the Serbian story [7] the d\u00e9nouement is somewhat\ndifferent, comedy taking the place of tragedy. The man when just about\nto yield his life to satisfy the curiosity of his wife listens to the\ncock, who declares that he can manage to keep his hundred wives in\norder by giving them a good peck when they need it. The man accordingly\nleaves his coffin and brings his wife to reason and her knees by a\nwell-administered chastisement. How came these two peoples to have a\nstory with so many features in common? Is it possible that the Turk and\nthe Moor may have provided links?\n\nIt may not be out of place here to mention the effect of the contact of\nthe slave-trading Europeans on the folk-lore of the Coast negroes. The\ngrim white castles every few miles along the whole of the Guinea Coast\nstand as stern reminders of the time when the helpless coastal tribes\nwere raided and men, women, and children sold into slavery. But one who\nhas conversed with the native of to-day cannot doubt that the greatest\neffect of those terrible days is discernible in the native mentality\nitself. It has, as one might expect, influenced more or less the\nfolk-story. Here, for example, is one type of influence:\n\n\u201cWhen the Portuguese first landed, the natives betook themselves to the\nforest. When the white man had put off again the natives crept\ncautiously back to the beach. To their great surprise they found there\na basin full of rum. One of them, by name Mbura, tasted some, and\nfinding that it was sweet, drank as much as he could and became\nintoxicated. Others did the same, and when many of them were helpless\nthe boatmen returned and carried them off. On account of the rum being\ntasted by Mbura, we call rum in Fantee Mbura-nsa\u2014i.e. Mbura\u2019s wine.\u201d\n[8]\n\nEven more remarkable is the origin of the god Nyankupon, who figures\nlargely in both mythology and folk-lore. Many stories introduce\nNyankupon, and yet he is no native god at all.\n\n\u201cAfter an intercourse of some years with Europeans, the Tshi-speaking\ninhabitants of the towns and villages in the vicinity of the various\nforts added to their system of polytheism a new deity whom they termed\nNana-Nyankupon\u2014sometimes called simply Nyankupon. This was the god of\nthe Christians, borrowed from them and adopted under a new designation.\nThe great superiority manifested by the whites in their weapons, ships,\nmanufactures\u2014in short, in everything\u2014convinced the natives with whom\nthey had intercourse that they must necessarily be protected by a deity\nof greater power than any of those to which they themselves offered\nsacrifice, since their own deities had not, except very remotely,\nhelped them to attain any such prosperity. They therefore gladly\nenrolled themselves amongst the followers of the god of the whites, and\nbeing informed that he dwelt in the heavens above, they denominated him\nNana-Nyankupon, which may be freely translated \u2018Lord of the Sky.\u2019\u201d [9]\n\nThe Gold Coast folk-stories are readily divisible into two groups,\nAnansi and non-Anansi tales. An\u00e1nsi is the spider, and with him is\ngenerally associated his son, Kweku Tsin (Ts\u0129). Why so many spider\nstories? No satisfactory explanation can as yet be given. It cannot be\ndue entirely to the superabundance of spiders in native dwellings and\nsurroundings, for other tribes along the Coast seem to concentrate on\nother creatures, as the elephant and the tortoise. Nor does there seem\nto be sufficient evidence to trace the origin to totemism. No doubt\nmany of the Anansi stories as told to-day are due to observation of the\nways and peculiar characteristics of the spider, and are an attempt to\nexplain the why and the wherefore. And generally it is decided that he\nis a wise, cunning, deceitful creature who scampers off to hide in the\nceiling because he has done something to be ashamed of and has,\nunfortunately, been found out. Here are two comments from folk-stories\non Anansi:\n\n\u201cThe wisdom of the spider is greater than that of all the world\ntogether.\u201d\n\n\u201cWoe to one who would put his trust in Anansi\u2014a sly, selfish, and\ngreedy person.\u201d\n\nThe non-Anansi stories are generally of the \u2018Just-so\u2019 type\u2014why the ears\nof the deer are long, why the waist of the wasp is slim, etc. There is\nnothing in the wide realm of botany, astronomy, or geography of a\npeculiar or striking character but an explanation is forthcoming in the\nlore of the folk. There is, of course, the usual sprinkling of magic\ntales, which bear a striking resemblance to many European m\u00e4rchen, or\nfairy-tales.\n\nIn conclusion, an apology must be offered to the scientific\nfolk-lorist. The stories have been retold in order to appeal to a wider\npublic, but it is hoped that ere long the complete original material\nmay be available for the student of folk-lore.\n\n\n                                                               W. H. B.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nI. ANANSI, OR SPIDER, TALES\n\n\nI. HOW WE GOT THE NAME \u2018SPIDER TALES\u2019\n\n\nIn the olden days all the stories which men told were stories of\nNyankupon, the chief of the gods. Spider, who was very conceited,\nwanted the stories to be told about him.\n\nAccordingly, one day he went to Nyankupon and asked that, in future,\nall tales told by men might be Anansi stories, instead of Nyankupon\nstories. Nyankupon agreed, on one condition. He told Spider (or Anansi)\nthat he must bring him three things: the first was a jar full of live\nbees, the second was a boa-constrictor, and the third a tiger. Spider\ngave his promise.\n\nHe took an earthen vessel and set out for a place where he knew were\nnumbers of bees. When he came in sight of the bees he began saying to\nhimself, \u201cThey will not be able to fill this jar\u201d\u2014\u201cYes, they will be\nable\u201d\u2014\u201cNo, they will not be able,\u201d until the bees came up to him and\nsaid, \u201cWhat are you talking about, Mr Anansi?\u201d He thereupon explained\nto them that Nyankupon and he had had a great dispute. Nyankupon had\nsaid the bees could not fly into the jar\u2014Anansi had said they could.\nThe bees immediately declared that of course they could fly into the\njar\u2014which they at once did. As soon as they were safely inside, Anansi\nsealed up the jar and sent it off to Nyankupon.\n\nNext day he took a long stick and set out in search of a\nboa-constrictor. When he arrived at the place where one lived he began\nspeaking to himself again. \u201cHe will just be as long as this stick\u201d\u2014\u201cNo,\nhe will not be so long as this\u201d\u2014\u201cYes, he will be as long as this.\u201d\nThese words he repeated several times, till the boa came out and asked\nhim what was the matter. \u201cOh, we have been having a dispute in\nNyankupon\u2019s town about you. Nyankupon\u2019s people say you are not as long\nas this stick. I say you are. Please let me measure you by it.\u201d The boa\ninnocently laid himself out straight, and Spider lost no time in tying\nhim on to the stick from end to end. He then sent him to Nyankupon.\n\nThe third day he took a needle and thread and sewed up his eye. He then\nset out for a den where he knew a tiger lived. As he approached the\nplace he began to shout and sing so loudly that the tiger came out to\nsee what was the matter. \u201cCan you not see?\u201d said Spider. \u201cMy eye is\nsewn up and now I can see such wonderful things that I must sing about\nthem.\u201d \u201cSew up my eyes,\u201d said the tiger, \u201cthen I too can see these\nsurprising sights.\u201d Spider immediately did so. Having thus made the\ntiger helpless, he led him straight to Nyankupon\u2019s house. Nyankupon was\namazed at Spider\u2019s cleverness in fulfilling the three conditions. He\nimmediately gave him permission for the future to call all the old\ntales Anansi tales.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nII. HOW WISDOM BECAME THE PROPERTY OF THE HUMAN RACE\n\n\nThere once lived, in Fanti-land, a man named Father Anansi. He\npossessed all the wisdom in the world. People came to him daily for\nadvice and help.\n\nOne day the men of the country were unfortunate enough to offend Father\nAnansi, who immediately resolved to punish them. After much thought he\ndecided that the severest penalty he could inflict would be to hide all\nhis wisdom from them. He set to work at once to gather again all that\nhe had already given. When he had succeeded, as he thought, in\ncollecting it, he placed all in one great pot. This he carefully\nsealed, and determined to put it in a spot where no human being could\nreach it.\n\nNow, Father Anansi had a son, whose name was Kweku Tsin. This boy began\nto suspect his father of some secret design, so he made up his mind to\nwatch carefully. Next day he saw his father quietly slip out of the\nhouse, with his precious pot hung round his neck. Kweku Tsin followed.\nFather Anansi went through the forest till he had left the village far\nbehind. Then, selecting the highest and most inaccessible-looking tree,\nhe began to climb. The heavy pot, hanging in front of him, made his\nascent almost impossible. Again and again he tried to reach the top of\nthe tree, where he intended to hang the pot. There, he thought, Wisdom\nwould indeed be beyond the reach of every one but himself. He was\nunable, however, to carry out his desire. At each trial the pot swung\nin his way.\n\nFor some time Kweku Tsin watched his father\u2019s vain attempts. At last,\nunable to contain himself any longer, he cried out: \u201cFather, why do you\nnot hang the pot on your back? Then you could easily climb the tree.\u201d\n\nFather Anansi turned and said: \u201cI thought I had all the world\u2019s wisdom\nin this pot. But I find you possess more than I do. All my wisdom was\ninsufficient to show me what to do, yet you have been able to tell me.\u201d\nIn his anger he threw the pot down. It struck on a great rock and\nbroke. The wisdom contained in it escaped and spread throughout the\nworld.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIII. ANANSI AND NOTHING\n\n\nNear Anansi\u2019s miserable little hut there was a fine palace where lived\na very rich man called Nothing. Nothing and Anansi proposed, one day,\nto go to the neighbouring town to get some wives. Accordingly, they set\noff together.\n\nNothing, being a rich man, wore a very fine velvet cloth, while Anansi\nhad a ragged cotton one. While they were on their way Anansi persuaded\nNothing to change clothes for a little while, promising to give back\nthe fine velvet before they reached the town. He delayed doing this,\nhowever, first on one pretext, then on another\u2014till they arrived at\ntheir destination.\n\nAnansi, being dressed in such a fine garment, found no difficulty in\ngetting as many wives as he wished. Poor Nothing, with his ragged and\nmiserable cloth, was treated with great contempt. At first he could not\nget even one wife. At last, however, a woman took pity on him and gave\nhim her daughter. The poor girl was laughed at very heartily by\nAnansi\u2019s wives for choosing such a beggar as Nothing appeared to be.\nShe wisely took no notice of their scorn.\n\nThe party set off for home. When they reached the cross-roads leading\nto their respective houses the women were astonished. The road leading\nto Anansi\u2019s house was only half cleared. The one which led to Nothing\u2019s\npalace was, of course, wide and well made. Not only so, but his\nservants had strewn it with beautiful skins and carpets, in preparation\nfor his return. Servants were there, awaiting him, with fine clothes\nfor himself and his wife. No one was waiting for Anansi.\n\nNothing\u2019s wife was queen over the whole district and had everything her\nheart could desire. Anansi\u2019s wives could not even get proper food; they\nhad to live on unripe bananas with peppers. The wife of Nothing heard\nof her friends\u2019 miserable state and invited them to a great feast in\nher palace. They came, and were so pleased with all they saw that they\nagreed to stay there. Accordingly, they refused to come back to\nAnansi\u2019s hut.\n\nHe was very angry, and tried in many ways to kill Nothing, but without\nsuccess. Finally, however, he persuaded some rat friends to dig a deep\ntunnel in front of Nothing\u2019s door. When the hole was finished Anansi\nlined it with knives and broken bottles. He then smeared the steps of\nthe palace with okro to make them very slippery, and withdrew to a\nlittle distance.\n\nWhen he thought Nothing\u2019s household was safely in bed and asleep, he\ncalled to Nothing to come out to the courtyard and see something.\nNothing\u2019s wife, however, dissuaded him from going. Anansi tried again\nand again, and each time she bade her husband not to listen. At last\nNothing determined to go and see this thing. As he placed his foot on\nthe first step, of course he slipped, and down he fell into the hole.\nThe noise alarmed the household. Lights were fetched and Nothing was\nfound in the ditch, so much wounded by the knives that he soon died.\nHis wife was terribly grieved at his untimely death. She boiled many\nyams, mashed them, and took a great dishful of them round the district.\nTo every child she met she gave some, so that the child might help her\nto cry for her husband. This is why, if you find a child crying and ask\nthe cause, you will often be told he is \u201ccrying for nothing.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIV. THUNDER AND ANANSI\n\n\nThere had been a long and severe famine in the land where Anansi lived.\nHe had been quite unable to obtain food for his poor wife and family.\nOne day, gazing desperately out to sea, he saw, rising from the midst\nof the water, a tiny island with a tall palm-tree upon it. He\ndetermined to reach this tree\u2014if any means proved possible\u2014and climb\nit, in the hope of finding a few nuts to reward him. How to get there\nwas the difficulty.\n\nThis, however, solved itself when he reached the beach, for there lay\nthe means to his hand, in the shape of an old broken boat. It certainly\ndid not look very strong, but Anansi decided to try it.\n\nHis first six attempts were unsuccessful\u2014a great wave dashed him back\non the beach each time he tried to put off. He was persevering,\nhowever, and at the seventh trial was successful in getting away. He\nsteered the battered old boat as best he could, and at length reached\nthe palm-tree of his desire. Having tied the boat to the trunk of the\ntree\u2014which grew almost straight out of the water\u2014he climbed toward the\nnuts. Plucking all he could reach, he dropped them, one by one, down to\nthe boat. To his dismay, every one missed the boat and fell, instead,\ninto the water until only the last one remained. This he aimed even\nmore carefully than the others, but it also fell into the water and\ndisappeared from his hungry eyes. He had not tasted even one and now\nall were gone.\n\nHe could not bear the thought of going home empty-handed, so, in his\ndespair, he threw himself into the water, too. To his complete\nastonishment, instead of being drowned, he found himself standing on\nthe sea-bottom in front of a pretty little cottage. From the latter\ncame an old man, who asked Anansi what he wanted so badly that he had\ncome to Thunder\u2019s cottage to seek it. Anansi told his tale of woe, and\nThunder showed himself most sympathetic.\n\nHe went into the cottage and fetched a fine cooking-pot, which he\npresented to Anansi\u2014telling him that he need never be hungry again. The\npot would always supply enough food for himself and his family. Anansi\nwas most grateful, and left Thunder with many thanks.\n\nBeing anxious to test the pot at once, Anansi only waited till he was\nagain seated in the old boat to say, \u201cPot, pot, what you used to do for\nyour master do now for me.\u201d Immediately good food of all sorts\nappeared. Anansi ate a hearty meal, which he very much enjoyed.\n\nOn reaching land again, his first thought was to run home and give all\nhis family a good meal from his wonderful pot. A selfish, greedy fear\nprevented him. \u201cWhat if I should use up all the magic of the pot on\nthem, and have nothing more left for myself! Better keep the pot a\nsecret\u2014then I can enjoy a meal when I want one.\u201d So, his mind full of\nthis thought, he hid the pot.\n\nHe reached home, pretending to be utterly worn out with fatigue and\nhunger. There was not a grain of food to be had anywhere. His wife and\npoor children were weak with want of it, but selfish Anansi took no\nnotice of that. He congratulated himself at the thought of his magic\npot, now safely hidden in his room. There he retired from time to time\nwhen he felt hungry, and enjoyed a good meal. His family got thinner\nand thinner, but he grew plumper and plumper. They began to suspect\nsome secret, and determined to find it out. His eldest son, Kweku Tsin,\nhad the power of changing himself into any shape he chose; so he took\nthe form of a tiny fly, and accompanied his father everywhere. At last,\nAnansi, feeling hungry, entered his room and closed the door. Next he\ntook the pot, and had a fine meal. Having replaced the pot in its\nhiding-place, he went out, on the pretence of looking for food.\n\nAs soon as he was safely out of sight, Kweku Tsin fetched out the pot\nand called all his hungry family to come at once. They had as good a\nmeal as their father had had. When they had finished, Mrs. Anansi\u2014to\npunish her husband\u2014said she would take the pot down to the village and\ngive everybody a meal. This she did\u2014but alas! in working to prepare so\nmuch food at one time, the pot grew too hot and melted away. What was\nto be done now? Anansi would be so angry! His wife forbade every one to\nmention the pot.\n\nAnansi returned, ready for his supper, and, as usual, went into his\nroom, carefully shutting the door. He went to the hiding-place\u2014it was\nempty! He looked around in consternation. No pot was to be seen\nanywhere. Some one must have discovered it. His family must be the\nculprits; he would find a means to punish them.\n\nSaying nothing to any one about the matter, he waited till morning. As\nsoon as it was light he started off towards the shore, where the old\nboat lay. Getting into the boat, it started of its own accord and\nglided swiftly over the water\u2014straight for the palm-tree. Arrived\nthere, Anansi attached the boat as before and climbed the tree. This\ntime, unlike the last, the nuts almost fell into his hands. When he\naimed them at the boat they fell easily into it\u2014not one, as before,\ndropping into the water. He deliberately took them and threw them\noverboard, immediately jumping after them. As before, he found himself\nin front of Thunder\u2019s cottage, with Thunder waiting to hear his tale.\nThis he told, the old man showing the same sympathy as he had\npreviously done.\n\nThis time, however, he presented Anansi with a fine stick and bade him\ngood-bye. Anansi could scarcely wait till he got into the boat\u2014so\nanxious was he to try the magic properties of his new gift. \u201cStick,\nstick,\u201d he said, \u201cwhat you used to do for your master do for me also.\u201d\nThe stick began to beat him so severely that, in a few minutes, he was\nobliged to jump into the water and swim ashore, leaving boat and stick\nto drift away where they pleased. Then he returned sorrowfully\nhomeward, bemoaning his many bruises and wishing he had acted more\nwisely from the beginning.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nV. WHY THE LIZARD CONTINUALLY MOVES HIS HEAD UP AND DOWN\n\n\nIn a town not very far from Anansi\u2019s home lived a great king. This king\nhad three beautiful daughters, whose names were kept a secret from\neverybody except their own family. One day their father made a\nproclamation that his three daughters would be given as wives to any\nman who could find out their names. Anansi made up his mind to do so.\n\nHe first bought a large jar of honey, and set off for the bathing-place\nof the king\u2019s daughters. Arrived there, he climbed to the top of a tree\non which grew some very fine fruit. He picked some of this fruit and\npoured honey over it. When he saw the princesses approaching he dropped\nthe fruit on the ground and waited. The girls thought the fruit dropped\nof its own accord, and one of them ran forward to pick it up. When she\ntasted it, she called out to her sisters by name to exclaim on its\nsweetness. Anansi dropped another, which the second princess picked\nup\u2014she, in her turn, calling out the names of the other two. In this\nfashion Anansi found out all the names.\n\nAs soon as the princesses had gone Anansi came down from the tree and\nhurried into the town. He went to all the great men and summoned them\nto a meeting at the King\u2019s palace on the morrow.\n\nHe then visited his friend the Lizard, to get him to act as herald at\nthe Court next day. He told Lizard the three names, and the latter was\nto sound them through his trumpet when the time came.\n\nEarly next morning the King and his Court were assembled as usual. All\nthe great men of the town appeared, as Anansi had requested. Anansi\nstated his business, reminding the King of his promise to give his\nthree daughters to the man who had found out their names. The King\ndemanded to hear the latter, whereupon Lizard sounded them on his\ntrumpet.\n\nThe King and courtiers were much surprised. His Majesty, however, could\nnot break the promise he had made of giving his daughters to the man\nwho named them. He accordingly gave them to Mr Lizard. Anansi was very\nangry, and explained that he had told the names to Lizard, so that he\nought to get at least two of the girls, while Lizard could have the\nthird. The King refused. Anansi then begged hard for even one, but that\nwas also refused. He went home in a very bad temper, declaring that he\nwould be revenged on Lizard for stealing his wives away.\n\nHe thought over the matter very carefully, but could not find a way of\npunishing Lizard. At last, however, he had an idea.\n\nHe went to the King and explained that he was setting off next morning\non a long journey. He wished to start very early, and so begged the\nKing\u2019s help. The King had a fine cock, which always crowed at daybreak\nto waken the King if he wished to get up early. Anansi begged that the\nKing would command the cock to crow next morning, that Anansi might be\nsure of getting off in time. This the King readily promised.\n\nAs soon as night fell Anansi went by a back way to the cock\u2019s\nsleeping-place, seized the bird quickly, and killed it. He then carried\nit to Lizard\u2019s house, where all were in bed. There he quietly cooked\nthe cock, placed the feathers under Lizard\u2019s bed, and put some of the\nflesh on a dish close to Lizard\u2019s hand. The wicked Anansi then took\nsome boiling water and poured it into poor Lizard\u2019s mouth, thus making\nhim dumb.\n\nWhen morning came, Anansi went to the King and reproached him for not\nletting the cock crow. The King was much surprised to hear that it had\nnot obeyed his commands.\n\nHe sent one of his servants to find and bring the cock to him, but, of\ncourse, the servant returned empty-handed. The King then ordered them\nto find the thief. No trace of him could be found anywhere. Anansi then\ncunningly said to the King: \u201cI know Lizard is a rogue, because he stole\nmy three wives from me. Perhaps he is the thief.\u201d Accordingly, the men\nwent to search Lizard\u2019s house.\n\nThere, of course, they found the remnants of the cock, cooked ready to\neat, and his feathers under the bed. They questioned Lizard, but the\npoor animal was unable to reply. He could only move his head up and\ndown helplessly. They thought he was refusing to speak, so dragged him\nbefore the King. To the King\u2019s questions he could only return the same\nanswer, and his Majesty got very angry. He did not know that Anansi had\nmade the poor animal dumb. Lizard tried very hard to speak, but in\nvain.\n\nHe was accordingly judged guilty of theft, and as a punishment his\nwives were taken away from him and given to Anansi.\n\nSince then lizards have always had a way of moving their heads\nhelplessly backward and forward, as if saying, \u201cHow can any one be so\nfoolish as to trust Anansi?\u201d\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nVI. TIT FOR TAT\n\n\nThere had been a great famine in the land for many months. Meat had\nbecome so scarce that only the rich chiefs had money enough to buy it.\nThe poor people were starving. Anansi and his family were in a\nmiserable state.\n\nOne day, Anansi\u2019s eldest son\u2014Kweku Tsin\u2014to his great joy, discovered a\nplace in the forest where there were still many animals. Knowing his\nfather\u2019s wicked ways, Kweku told him nothing of the matter. Anansi,\nhowever, speedily discovered that Kweku was returning loaded, day after\nday, to the village. There he was able to sell the meat at a good price\nto the hungry villagers. Anansi immediately wanted to know the\nsecret\u2014but his son wisely refused to tell him. The old man determined\nto find out by a trick.\n\nSlipping into his son\u2019s room one night, when he was fast asleep, he cut\na tiny hole in the corner of the bag which Kweku always carried into\nthe forest. Anansi then put a quantity of ashes into the bag and\nreplaced it where he had found it.\n\nNext morning, as Kweku set out for the forest, he threw the bag, as\nusual, over his shoulder. Unknown to him, at each step, the ashes were\nsprinkled on the ground. Consequently, when Anansi set out an hour\nlater he was easily able to follow his son by means of the trail of\nashes. He, too, arrived at the animals\u2019 home in the forest, and found\nKweku there before him. He immediately drove his son away, saying that,\nby the law of the land, the place belonged to him. Kweku saw how he had\nbeen tricked, and determined to have the meat back.\n\nHe accordingly went home\u2014made a tiny image and hung little bells round\nits neck. He then tied a long thread to its head and returned toward\nthe hunting-place.\n\nWhen about half-way there, he hung the image to a branch of a tree in\nthe path, and hid himself in the bushes near by\u2014holding the other end\nof the thread in his hand.\n\nThe greedy father, in the meantime, had killed as many animals as he\ncould find, being determined to become rich as speedily as possible. He\nthen skinned them and prepared the flesh\u2014to carry it to the\nneighbouring villages to sell. Taking the first load, he set off for\nhis own village. Half-way there, he came to the place where the image\nhung in the way. Thinking this was one of the gods, he stopped. As he\napproached, the image began to shake its head vigorously at him. He\nfelt that this meant that the gods were angry. To please them, he said\nto the image, \u201cMay I give you a little of this meat?\u201d Again the image\nshook its head. \u201cMay I give you half of this meat?\u201d he then inquired.\nThe head shook once more. \u201cDo you want the whole of this meat?\u201d he\nshouted fiercely. This time the head nodded, as if the image were well\npleased. \u201cI will not give you all my meat,\u201d Anansi cried. At this the\nimage shook in every limb as if in a terrible temper. Anansi was so\nfrightened that he threw the whole load on the ground and ran away. As\nhe ran, he called back, \u201cTo-morrow I shall go to Ekubon\u2014you will not be\nable to take my meat from me there, you thief.\u201d\n\nBut Kweku had heard where his father intended to go next day\u2014and set\nthe image in his path as before. Again Anansi was obliged to leave his\nwhole load\u2014and again he called out the name of the place where he would\ngo the following day.\n\nThe same thing occurred, day after day, till all the animals in the\nwood were killed. By this time, Kweku Tsin had become very rich\u2014but his\nfather Anansi was still very poor. He was obliged to go to Kweku\u2019s\nhouse every day for food.\n\nWhen the famine was over, Kweku gave a great feast and invited the\nentire village. While all were gathered together, Kweku told the story\nof his father\u2019s cunning and how it had been overcome. This caused great\nmerriment among the villagers. Anansi was so ashamed that he readily\npromised Kweku to refrain from his evil tricks for the future. This\npromise, however, he did not long keep.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nVII. WHY WHITE ANTS ALWAYS HARM MAN\u2019S PROPERTY\n\n\nThere came once such a terrible famine in the land that a grain of corn\nwas worth far more than its weight in gold. A hungry spider was\nwandering through the forest looking for food. To his great joy he\nfound a dead antelope.\n\nKnowing that he would not be allowed to reach home in safety with it,\nhe wrapped it up very carefully in a long mat and bound it securely.\n\nPlacing it on his head, he started for home. As he went, he wept\nbitterly, telling every one that this was his dead grandfather\u2019s body.\nEvery one he met sympathized heartily with him.\n\nOn his way he met the wolf and the leopard. These two wise animals\nsuspected that this was one of Spider\u2019s tricks. They knew that he was\nnot to be trusted. Walking on a little way, they discussed what they\ncould do to find out what was in the bundle.\n\nThey agreed to take a short cut across the country to a tree which they\nknew Cousin Spider must pass. When they reached this tree they hid\nthemselves very carefully behind it and waited for him.\n\nAs he passed the place they shook the tree and uttered frightful\nnoises. This so frightened Mr Spider that he dropped his load and ran\naway.\n\nThe two gentlemen opened the bundle and, to their great joy, discovered\nthe flesh of the antelope in it. They carried it off to their own home\nand began to prepare supper.\n\nWhen Mr Spider recovered from his fear he began to wonder who could\nhave been at the tree to make the noises. He decided that his enemies\nmust be Wolf and Leopard. He made up his mind he would get his meat\nback from them.\n\nHe took a small lizard and filed his teeth to fine, sharp points. He\nthen sent him to spy upon the wolf and leopard\u2014by begging fire from\nthem. He was to get the fire and quench it as soon as he left their\ncottage. He could then return and ask a second time. If they asked him\nquestions, he must smile and show his teeth.\n\nThe lizard did as he was told, and everything turned out just as Spider\nhad expected. Wolf and Leopard eagerly asked the lizard where he had\nhad his teeth filed so beautifully. He replied that \u201cFiling Spider\u201d had\ndone it for him.\n\nWolf and Leopard discussed the matter and decided to have their teeth\nfiled in the same way. They could then easily break the bones of their\nfood.\n\nAccordingly, they went to the house of the disguised spider and asked\nhim to make their teeth like Lizard\u2019s. Spider agreed, but said that, to\ndo it properly, he would first have to hang them on a tree. They made\nno objection to this.\n\nWhen he had them safely hung, Spider and his family came and mocked\nthem. Spider then went to their cottage and brought away the body of\nthe antelope. The whole village was invited to the feast, which was\nheld in front of the two poor animals on the tree. During this festival\nevery one made fun of the wolf and leopard.\n\nNext morning White Ant and his children passed the place on their way\nto some friends. Mr Leopard begged them to set him and his friend free.\nWhite Ant and his family set to work, destroyed the tree and set them\nat liberty. Leopard and Wolf promised the ants that on their return\nthey would spread a feast for them.\n\nUnfortunately, Spider heard the invitation and made up his mind to\nbenefit by it. On the third day (which was the very time set by the\nwolf and leopard) Spider dressed up his children like the ants. They\nset out, singing the ants\u2019 chorus, in order to deceive Leopard.\n\nWolf and Leopard welcomed them heartily and spread a splendid feast for\nthem, which the spiders thoroughly enjoyed.\n\nSoon after their departure the real ants arrived. The two hosts,\nthinking these must be Spider and his family, poured boiling water over\nthem and killed them all except the father.\n\nWhite Ant, on reaching home again, in great anger, vowed that he would\nnever again help any one. He would take every opportunity to harm\nproperty. From that day to this white ants have been a perfect pest to\nman.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nVIII. THE SQUIRREL AND THE SPIDER\n\n\nA hard-working squirrel had, after much labour, succeeded in\ncultivating a very fine farm. Being a skilful climber of trees, he had\nnot troubled to make a roadway into his farm. He used to reach it by\nthe trees.\n\nOne day, when his harvests were very nearly ripe, it happened that\nSpider went out hunting in that neighbourhood. During his travels, he\narrived at Squirrel\u2019s farm. Greatly pleased at the appearance of the\nfields, he sought for the roadway to it. Finding none, he returned home\nand told his family all about the matter. The very next day they all\nset out for this fine place, and set to work immediately to make a\nroad. When this was completed Spider\u2014who was very cunning\u2014threw pieces\nof earthenware pot along the pathway. This he did to make believe that\nhis children had dropped them while working to prepare the farm.\n\nThen he and his family began to cut down and carry away such of the\ncorn as was ripe. Squirrel noticed that his fields were being robbed,\nbut could not at first find the thief. He determined to watch. Sure\nenough Spider soon reappeared to steal more of the harvest. Squirrel\ndemanded to know what right he had on these fields. Spider immediately\nasked him the same question. \u201cThey are my fields,\u201d said Squirrel. \u201cOh,\nno! They are mine,\u201d retorted Spider. \u201cI dug them and sowed them and\nplanted them,\u201d said poor Squirrel. \u201cThen where is your roadway to\nthem?\u201d said crafty Spider. \u201cI need no roadway. I come by the trees,\u201d\nwas Squirrel\u2019s reply. Needless to say, Spider laughed such an answer to\nscorn, and continued to use the farm as his own.\n\nSquirrel appealed to the law, but the court decided that no one had\never had a farm without a road leading to it, therefore the fields must\nbe Spider\u2019s.\n\nIn great glee Spider and his family prepared to cut down all the\nharvest that remained. When it was cut they tied it in great bundles\nand set off to the nearest market-place to sell it. When they were\nabout half-way there, a terrible storm came on. They were obliged to\nput down their burdens by the roadside and run for shelter. When the\nstorm had passed they returned to pick up their loads.\n\nAs they approached the spot they found a great, black crow there, with\nhis broad wings outspread to keep the bundles dry. Spider went to him\nand very politely thanked him for so kindly taking care of their\nproperty. \u201cYour property!\u201d replied Father Crow. \u201cWho ever heard of any\none leaving bundles of corn by the roadside? Nonsense! These loads are\nmine.\u201d So saying, he picked them up and went off with them, leaving\nSpider and his children to return home sorrowful and empty-handed.\nTheir thieving ways had brought them little profit.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIX. WHY WE SEE ANTS CARRYING BUNDLES AS BIG AS THEMSELVES\n\n\nKweku Anansi and Kweku Tsin\u2014his son\u2014were both very clever farmers.\nGenerally they succeeded in getting fine harvests from each of their\nfarms. One year, however, they were very unfortunate. They had sown\ntheir seeds as usual, but no rain had fallen for more than a month\nafter and it looked as if the seeds would be unable to sprout.\n\nKweku Tsin was walking sadly through his fields one day looking at the\nbare, dry ground, and wondering what he and his family would do for\nfood, if they were unable to get any harvest. To his surprise he saw a\ntiny dwarf seated by the roadside. The little hunchback asked the\nreason of his sadness, and Kweku Tsin told him. The dwarf promised to\nhelp him by bringing rain on the farm. He bade Kweku fetch two small\nsticks and tap him lightly on the hump, while he sang:\n\n\n           \u201cO water, go up, O water, go up,\n            And let rain fall, and let rain fall.\u201d\n\n\nTo Kweku\u2019s great joy rain immediately began to fall, and continued till\nthe ground was thoroughly well soaked. In the days following the seeds\ngerminated, and the crops began to promise well.\n\nAnansi soon heard how well Kweku\u2019s crops were growing\u2014whilst his own\nwere still bare and hard. He went straightway to his son and demanded\nto know the reason. Kweku Tsin, being an honest fellow, at once told\nhim what had happened.\n\nAnansi quickly made up his mind to get his farm watered in the same\nway, and accordingly set out toward it. As he went, he cut two big,\nstrong sticks, thinking, \u201cMy son made the dwarf work with little\nsticks. I will make him do twice as much with my big ones.\u201d He\ncarefully hid the big sticks, however, when he saw the dwarf coming\ntoward him. As before, the hunchback asked what the trouble was, and\nAnansi told him. \u201cTake two small sticks, and beat me lightly on the\nhump,\u201d said the dwarf. \u201cI will get rain for you.\u201d\n\nBut Anansi took his big sticks and beat so hard that the dwarf fell\ndown dead. The greedy fellow was now thoroughly frightened, for he knew\nthat the dwarf was jester to the King of the country, and a very great\nfavourite of his. He wondered how he could fix the blame on some one\nelse. He picked up the dwarf\u2019s dead body and carried it to a kola-tree.\nThere he laid it on one of the top branches and sat down under the tree\nto watch.\n\nBy and by Kweku Tsin came along to see if his father had succeeded in\ngetting rain for his crops. \u201cDid you not see the dwarf, father?\u201d he\nasked, as he saw the old man sitting alone. \u201cOh, yes!\u201d replied Anansi;\n\u201cbut he has climbed this tree to pick kola. I am now waiting for him.\u201d\n\u201cI will go up and fetch him,\u201d said the young man\u2014and immediately began\nto climb. As soon as his head touched the body the latter, of course,\nfell to the ground. \u201cOh! what have you done, you wicked fellow?\u201d cried\nhis father. \u201cYou have killed the King\u2019s jester!\u201d \u201cThat is all right,\u201d\nquietly replied the son (who saw that this was one of Anansi\u2019s tricks).\n\u201cThe King is very angry with him, and has promised a bag of money to\nany one who would kill him. I will now go and get the reward.\u201d \u201cNo! No!\nNo!\u201d shouted Anansi. \u201cThe reward is mine. I killed him with two big\nsticks. I will take him to the King.\u201d \u201cVery well!\u201d was the son\u2019s reply.\n\u201cAs you killed him, you may take him.\u201d\n\nOff set Anansi, quite pleased with the prospect of getting a reward. He\nreached the King\u2019s court, only to find the King very angry at the death\nof his favourite. The body of the jester was shut up in a great box and\nAnansi was condemned\u2014as a punishment\u2014to carry it on his head for ever.\nThe King enchanted the box so that it could never be set down on the\nground. The only way in which Anansi could ever get rid of it was by\ngetting some other man to put it on his head. This, of course, no one\nwas willing to do.\n\nAt last, one day, when Anansi was almost worn out with his heavy\nburden, he met the Ant. \u201cWill you hold this box for me while I go to\nmarket and buy some things I need badly?\u201d said Anansi to Mr Ant. \u201cI\nknow your tricks, Anansi,\u201d replied Ant. \u201cYou want to be rid of it.\u201d\n\u201cOh, no, indeed, Mr Ant,\u201d protested Anansi. \u201cIndeed I will come back\nfor it, I promise.\u201d\n\nMr Ant, who was an honest fellow, and always kept his own promises,\nbelieved him. He took the box on his head, and Anansi hurried off.\nNeedless to say, the sly fellow had not the least intention of keeping\nhis word. Mr Ant waited in vain for his return\u2014and was obliged to\nwander all the rest of his life with the box on his head. That is the\nreason we so often see ants carrying great bundles as they hurry along.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nX. WHY SPIDERS ARE ALWAYS FOUND IN THE CORNERS OF CEILINGS\n\n\nEgya Anansi was a very skilful farmer. He, with his wife and son, set\nto work one year to prepare a farm, much larger than any they had\npreviously worked. They planted in it yams, maize, and beans\u2014and were\nrewarded by a very rich crop. Their harvest was quite ten times greater\nthan any they had ever had before. Egya Anansi was very well pleased\nwhen he saw his wealth of corn and beans.\n\nHe was, however, an exceedingly selfish and greedy man, who never liked\nto share anything\u2014even with his own wife and son. When he saw that the\ncrops were quite ripe, he thought of a plan whereby he alone would\nprofit by them. He called his wife and son to him and spoke thus: \u201cWe\nhave all three worked exceedingly hard to prepare these fields. They\nhave well repaid us. We will now gather in the harvest and pack it away\nin our barns. When that is done, we shall be in need of a rest. I\npropose that you and our son should go back to our home in the village\nand remain there at your ease for two or three weeks. I have to go to\nthe coast on very urgent business. When I return we will all come to\nthe farm and enjoy our well-earned feast.\u201d\n\nAnansi\u2019s wife and son thought this a very good, sensible plan, and at\nonce agreed to it. They went straight back to their village, leaving\nthe cunning husband to start on his journey. Needless to say he had not\nthe slightest intention of so doing.\n\nInstead, he built himself a very comfortable hut near the farm\u2014supplied\nit with all manner of cooking utensils, gathered in a large store of\nthe corn and vegetables from the barn, and prepared for a solitary\nfeast. This went on for a fortnight. By that time Anansi\u2019s son began to\nthink it was time for him to go and weed the farm, lest the weeds\nshould grow too high. He accordingly went there and worked several\nhours on it. While passing the barn, he happened to look in. Great was\nhis surprise to see that more than half of their magnificent harvest\nhad gone. He was greatly disturbed, thinking robbers had been at work,\nand wondered how he could prevent further mischief.\n\nReturning to the village, he told the people there what had happened,\nand they helped to make a rubber-man. When evening came they carried\nthe sticky figure to the farm, and placed it in the midst of the\nfields, to frighten away the thieves. Some of the young men remained\nwith Anansi\u2019s son to watch in one of the barns.\n\nWhen all was dark, Egya Anansi (quite unaware of what had happened)\ncame, as usual, out of his hiding-place to fetch more food. On his way\nto the barn he saw in front of him the figure of a man, and at first\nfelt very frightened. Finding that the man did not move, however, he\ngained confidence and went up to him. \u201cWhat do you want here?\u201d said he.\nThere was no answer. He repeated his question with the same result.\nAnansi then became very angry and dealt the figure a blow on the cheek\nwith his right hand. Of course, his hand stuck fast to the rubber. \u201cHow\ndare you hold my hand?\u201d he exclaimed. \u201cLet me go at once or I shall hit\nyou again.\u201d He then hit the figure with his left hand, which also\nstuck. He tried to disengage himself by pushing against it with his\nknees and body, until, finally, knees, body, hands, and head were all\nfirmly attached to the rubber-man. There Egya Anansi had to stay till\ndaybreak, when his son came out with the other villagers to catch the\nrobber. They were astonished to find that the evil-doer was Anansi\nhimself. He, on the other hand, was so ashamed to be caught in the act\nof greediness that he changed into a spider and took refuge in a dark\ncorner of the ceiling lest any one should see him. Since then spiders\nhave always been found in dark, dusty corners, where people are not\nlikely to notice them.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nXI. ANANSI THE BLIND FISHERMAN\n\n\nAnansi, in his old age, became a fisherman. Very soon after that his\nsight began to fail. Finally, he grew quite blind. However, still being\nvery strong, he continued his fishing\u2014with the help of two men. The\nlatter were exceedingly kind to him, and aided him in every possible\nway. They led him, each morning, to the beach and into the canoe. They\ntold him where to spread his net and when to pull it in. When they\nreturned to land they told him just where and when to step out, so that\nhe did not even get wet.\n\nDay after day this went on, but Anansi\u2014instead of being in the least\ngrateful to them\u2014behaved very badly. When they told him where to spread\nhis net, he would reply sharply, \u201cI know. I was just about to put it\nthere.\u201d When they were directing him to get out of the boat, he would\nsay, \u201cOh, I know perfectly well we are at the beach. I was just getting\nready to step out.\u201d\n\nThis went on for a long time, Anansi getting ruder and ruder to his\nhelpers every day, until they could bear his treatment no longer. They\ndetermined when opportunity offered to punish him for his ingratitude.\n\nThe next day, as usual, he came with them to the beach. When they had\ngot the canoe ready, they bade him step in. \u201cDo you think I am a fool?\u201d\nsaid he. \u201cI know the canoe is there.\u201d They made no answer, but got in\nand patiently pulled toward the fishing-place. When they told him where\nto spread his net, he replied with so much abuse that they determined,\nthere and then, to punish him.\n\nBy this time the canoe was full of fish, so they turned to row home.\nWhen they had gone a little way they stopped and said to him, \u201cHere we\nare at the beach.\u201d He promptly told them that they were very foolish\u2014to\ntell him a thing he knew so well. He added many rude and insulting\nremarks, which made them thoroughly angry. He then jumped proudly out,\nexpecting to land on the beach. To his great astonishment he found\nhimself sinking in deep water. The two men rowed quickly away, leaving\nhim to struggle.\n\nLike all the men of that country he was a good swimmer, but, of course,\nbeing blind, he was unable to see where the land lay. So he swam until\nhe was completely tired out\u2014and was drowned.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nXII. ADZANUMEE AND HER MOTHER\n\n\nThere once lived a woman who had one great desire. She longed to have a\ndaughter\u2014but alas! she was childless. She could never feel happy,\nbecause of this unfulfilled wish. Even in the midst of a feast the\nthought would be in her mind\u2014\u201cAh! if only I had a daughter to share\nthis with me.\u201d\n\nOne day she was gathering yams in the field, and it chanced that she\npulled out one which was very straight and well shaped. \u201cAh!\u201d she\nthought to herself, \u201cif only this fine yam were a daughter, how happy I\nshould be.\u201d To her astonishment the yam answered, \u201cIf I were to become\nyour daughter, would you promise never to reproach me with having been\na yam?\u201d She eagerly gave her promise, and at once the yam changed into\na beautiful, well-made girl. The woman was overjoyed and was very kind\nto the girl. She named her Adzanumee. The latter was exceedingly useful\nto her mother. She would make the bread, gather the yams, and sell them\nat the market-place.\n\nShe had been detained, one day, longer than usual. Her mother became\nimpatient at her non-appearance and angrily said, \u201cWhere can Adzanumee\nbe? She does not deserve that beautiful name. She is only a yam.\u201d\n\nA bird singing near by heard the mother\u2019s words and immediately flew\noff to the tree under which Adzanumee sat. There he began to sing:\n\n\n           \u201cAdzanumee! Adzanumee!\n            Your mother is unkind\u2014she says you are only a yam,\n            You do not deserve your name!\n            Adzanumee! Adzanumee!\u201d\n\n\nThe girl heard him and returned home weeping. When the woman saw her\nshe said, \u201cMy daughter, my daughter! What is the matter?\u201d Adzanumee\nreplied:\n\n\n           \u201cOh, my mother! my mother!\n            You have reproached me with being a yam.\n            You said I did not deserve my name.\n            Oh, my mother! my mother!\u201d\n\n\nWith these words she made her way toward the yam-field. Her mother,\nfilled with fear, followed her, wailing:\n\n\n           \u201cNay, Adzanumee! Adzanumee!\n            Do not believe it\u2014do not believe it.\n            You are my daughter, my dear daughter\n            Adzanumee!\u201d\n\n\nBut she was too late. Her daughter, still singing her sad little song,\nquickly changed back into a yam. When the woman arrived at the field\nthere lay the yam on the ground, and nothing she could do or say would\ngive her back the daughter she had desired so earnestly and treated so\ninconsiderately.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nXIII. THE GRINDING-STONE THAT GROUND FLOUR BY ITSELF\n\n\nThere had been another great famine throughout the land. The villagers\nlooked thin and pale for lack of food. Only one family appeared healthy\nand well. This was the household of Anansi\u2019s cousin.\n\nAnansi was unable to understand this, and felt sure his cousin was\ngetting food in some way. The greedy fellow determined to find out the\nsecret.\n\nWhat had happened was this: Spider\u2019s cousin, while hunting one morning,\nhad discovered a wonderful stone. The stone lay on the grass in the\nforest and ground flour of its own accord. Near by ran a stream of\nhoney. Kofi was delighted. He sat down and had a good meal. Not being a\ngreedy man, he took away with him only enough for his family\u2019s needs.\n\nEach morning he returned to the stone and got sufficient food for that\nday. In this manner he and his family kept well and plump, while the\nsurrounding villagers were starved and miserable-looking.\n\nAnansi gave him no peace till he promised to show him the stone. This\nhe was most unwilling to do\u2014knowing his cousin\u2019s wicked ways. He felt\nsure that when Anansi saw the stone he would not be content to take\nonly what he needed. However, Anansi troubled him so much with\nquestions that at last he promised. He told Anansi that they would\nstart next morning, as soon as the women set about their work. Anansi\nwas too impatient to wait. In the middle of the night he bade his\nchildren get up and make a noise with the pots as if they were the\nwomen at work. Spider at once ran and wakened his cousin, saying,\n\u201cQuick! It is time to start.\u201d His cousin, however, saw he had been\ntricked, and went back to bed again, saying he would not start till the\nwomen were sweeping. No sooner was he asleep again than Spider made his\nchildren take brooms and begin to sweep very noisily. He roused Kofi\nonce more, saying, \u201cIt is time we had started.\u201d Once more his cousin\nrefused to set off\u2014saying it was only another trick of Spider\u2019s. He\nagain returned to bed and to sleep. This time Spider slipped into his\ncousin\u2019s room and cut a hole in the bottom of his bag, which he then\nfilled with ashes. After that he went off and left Kofi in peace.\n\nWhen morning came the cousin awoke. Seeing no sign of Spider he very\ngladly set off alone to the forest, thinking he had got rid of the\ntiresome fellow. He was no sooner seated by the stone, however, than\nAnansi appeared, having followed him by the trail of ashes.\n\n\u201cAha!\u201d cried he. \u201cHere is plenty of food for all. No more need to\nstarve.\u201d \u201cHush,\u201d said his cousin. \u201cYou must not shout here. The place\nis too wonderful. Sit down quietly and eat.\u201d\n\nThey had a good meal and Kofi prepared to return home with enough for\nhis family. \u201cNo, no!\u201d cried Anansi. \u201cI am going to take the stone.\u201d In\nvain did his friend try to overcome his greed. Anansi insisted on\nputting the stone on his head, and setting out for the village.\n\n\n           \u201cSpider, spider, put me down,\u201d said the stone.\n           \u201cThe pig came and drank and went away,\n            The antelope came and fed and went away:\n            Spider, spider, put me down.\u201d\n\n\nSpider, however, refused to listen. He carried the stone from village\nto village selling flour, until his bag was full of money. He then set\nout for home.\n\nHaving reached his hut and feeling very tired he prepared to put the\nstone down. But the stone refused to be moved from his head. It stuck\nfast there, and no efforts could displace it. The weight of it very\nsoon grew too much for Anansi, and ground him down into small pieces,\nwhich were completely covered over by the stone. That is why we often\nfind tiny spiders gathered together under large stones.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nXIV. \u201cMORNING SUNRISE\u201d\n\n\nA man in one of the villages had a very beautiful daughter. She was so\nlovely that people called her \u201cMorning Sunrise.\u201d Every young man who\nsaw her wanted to marry her. Three, in particular, were very anxious to\nhave her for their wife. Her father found it difficult to decide among\nthem. He determined to find out by a trick which of the three was most\nworthy of her.\n\nHe bade her lie down on her bed as if she were dead. He then sent the\nreport of her death to each of the three lovers, asking them to come\nand help him with her funeral.\n\nThe messenger came first to \u201cWise Man.\u201d When he heard the message, he\nexclaimed, \u201cWhat can this man mean? The girl is not my wife. I\ncertainly will not pay any money for her funeral.\u201d\n\nThe messenger came next to the second man. His name was \u201cWit.\u201d The\nlatter at once said, \u201cOh dear, no! I shall not pay any money for her\nfuneral expenses. Her father did not even let me know she was ill.\u201d So\nhe refused to go.\n\n\u201cThinker,\u201d the third young man\u2014when he received the message\u2014at once got\nready to start. \u201cCertainly I must go and mourn for Morning Sunrise,\u201d\nsaid he. \u201cHad she lived, surely she would have been my wife.\u201d So he\ntook money with him and set out for her home.\n\nWhen he reached it her father called out, \u201cMorning Sunrise, Morning\nSunrise. Come here. This is your true husband.\u201d\n\nThat very day the betrothal took place, and soon after the wedding\nfollowed. \u201cThinker\u201d and his beautiful wife lived very happily together.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nXV. WHY THE SEA-TURTLE WHEN CAUGHT BEATS ITS BREAST WITH ITS FORE-LEGS\n\n\nMany centuries ago, the people of this earth were much troubled by\nfloods. The sea used at times to overflow its usual boundaries and\nsweep across the low, sandy stretches of land which bordered it. Time\nand again this happened, many lives being lost at each flood. Mankind\nwas very troubled to find an escape from this oft-repeated disaster. He\ncould think of no way of avoiding it.\n\nFortunately for him the wise turtle came to his help. \u201cTake my advice,\u201d\nsaid she, \u201cand plant rows of palms along the sea-coast. They will bind\nthe sand together and keep it from being washed so easily away.\u201d He did\nso, with great success. The roots of the palms kept the sand firmly in\nits place. When the time came again for the sea to overflow, it washed\njust to the line of trees and came no farther. Thus many lives were\nsaved annually by the kind forethought of the turtle.\n\nIn return\u2014one would think\u2014mankind would protect and cherish this poor\nanimal. But no! Each time a turtle comes to the seashore to lay her\neggs among the sand, she is caught and killed for the sake of her\nflesh. It is the thought of the ingratitude of mankind to her, which\nmakes her beat her breast with her fore-legs when she is caught. She\nseems to be saying, \u201cAh! this is all the return I get for my kindness\nto you.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nXVI. HOW BEASTS AND SERPENTS FIRST CAME INTO THE WORLD\n\n\nThe famine had lasted nearly three years. Kweku Tsin, being very\nhungry, looked daily in the forest in the hope of finding food. One day\nhe was fortunate enough to discover three palm-kernels lying on the\nground. He picked up two stones with which to crack them. The first\nnut, however, slipped when he hit it, and fell into a hole behind him.\nThe same thing happened to the second and to the third. Very much\nannoyed at his loss, Kweku determined to go down the hole to see if he\ncould find his lost nuts.\n\nTo his surprise, however, he discovered that this hole was really the\nentrance to a town, of which he had never before even heard. When he\nreached it he found absolute silence everywhere. He called out, \u201cIs\nthere nobody in this town?\u201d and presently heard a voice in answer. He\nwent in its direction and found an old woman sitting in one of the\nhouses. She demanded the reason of his appearance\u2014which he readily\ngave.\n\nThe old woman was very kind and sympathetic, and promised to help him.\n\u201cYou must do exactly as I tell you,\u201d said she. \u201cGo into the garden and\nlisten attentively. You will hear the yams speak. Pass by any yam that\nsays, \u2018Dig me out, dig me out!\u2019 But take the one that says, \u2018Do not dig\nme out!\u2019 Then bring it to me.\u201d\n\nWhen he brought it, she directed him to remove the peel from the yam\nand throw the latter away. He was then to boil the rind, and, while\nboiling, it would become yam. It did actually do so, and they sat down\nto eat some of it. Before beginning their meal the old woman requested\nKweku not to look at her while she ate. Being very polite and obedient,\nhe did exactly as he was told.\n\nIn the evening the old woman sent him into the garden to choose one of\nthe drums which stood there. She warned him: \u201cIf you come to a drum\nwhich says \u2018Ding-ding\u2019 on being touched\u2014take it. But be very careful\nnot to take one which sounds \u2018Dong-dong.\u2019\u201d He obeyed her direction in\nevery detail. When he showed her the drum, she looked pleased and told\nhim, to his great delight, that he had only to beat it if at any time\nhe were hungry. That would bring him food in plenty. He thanked the old\nwoman very heartily and went home.\n\nAs soon as he reached his own hut, he gathered his household together,\nand then beat the drum. Immediately, food of every description appeared\nbefore them, and they all ate as much as they wished.\n\nThe following day Kweku Tsin gathered all the people of the village\ntogether in the Assembly Place, and then beat the drum once more. In\nthis way every family got sufficient food for their wants, and all\nthanked Kweku very much for thus providing for them.\n\nKweku\u2019s father, however, was not at all pleased to see his son thus\nable to feed the whole village. Anansi thought he, too, ought to have a\ndrum. Then the people would be grateful to him instead of to Kweku\nTsin. Accordingly, he asked the young man where the wonderful drum had\ncome from. His son was most unwilling to tell him, but Anansi gave him\nno peace until he had heard the whole story. He then wasted no time,\nbut set off at once toward the entrance hole. He had taken the\nprecaution to carry with him an old nut which he pretended to crack.\nThen throwing it into the hole, he jumped in after it and hurried along\nto the silent village. Arrived at the first house, he shouted, \u201cIs\nthere no one in this town?\u201d The old woman answered as before, and\nAnansi entered her house.\n\nHe did not trouble to be polite to her, but addressed her most rudely,\nsaying, \u201cHurry up, old woman, and get me something to eat.\u201d The woman\nquietly directed him to go into the garden and choose the yam which\nshould say, \u201cDo not dig me out.\u201d Anansi laughed in her face and said,\n\u201cYou surely take me for a fool. If the yam does not want me to dig it\nout I will certainly not do so. I will take the one which wants to be\ngathered.\u201d This he did.\n\nWhen he brought it to the old woman she told him, as she told his son,\nto throw away the inside and boil the rind. Again he refused to obey.\n\u201cWho ever heard of such a silly thing as throwing away the yam? I will\ndo nothing of the sort. I will throw away the peel and boil the\ninside.\u201d He did so, and the yam turned into stones. He was then obliged\nto do as she first suggested, and boil the rind. The latter while\nboiling turned into yam. Anansi turned angrily to the old woman and\nsaid, \u201cYou are a witch.\u201d She took no notice of his remark, but went on\nsetting the table. She placed his dinner on a small table, lower than\nher own, saying, \u201cYou must not look at me while I eat.\u201d He rudely\nreplied, \u201cIndeed, I will look at you if I choose. And I will have my\ndinner at your table, not at that small one.\u201d Again she said\nnothing\u2014but she left her dinner untouched. Anansi ate his own, then\ntook hers and ate it also.\n\nWhen he had finished she said, \u201cNow go into the garden and choose a\ndrum. Do not take one which sounds \u2018Dong-dong\u2019; only take one which\nsays \u2018Ding-ding.\u2019\u201d Anansi retorted, \u201cDo you think I will take your\nadvice, you witch? No, I will choose the drum which says \u2018Dong-dong.\u2019\nYou are just trying to play a trick on me.\u201d\n\nHe did as he wished. Having secured the drum he marched off without so\nmuch as a \u201cThank you\u201d to the old woman.\n\nNo sooner had he reached home, than he longed to show off his new power\nto the villagers. He called all to the Assembly Place, telling them to\nbring dishes and trays, as he was going to provide them with food. The\npeople in great delight hurried to the spot. Anansi, proudly taking his\nposition in the midst of them, began to beat his drum. To his horror\nand dismay, instead of the multitude of food-stuffs which Kweku had\nsummoned, Anansi saw, rushing toward him, beasts and serpents of all\nkinds. Such creatures had never been seen on the earth before.\n\nThe people fled in every direction\u2014all except Anansi, who was too\nterrified to move. He speedily received fitting punishment for his\ndisobedience. Fortunately, Kweku, with his mother and sisters, had been\nat the outer edge of the crowd, so easily escaped into shelter. The\nanimals presently scattered in every direction, and ever since they\nhave roamed wild in the great forests.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nXVII. HONOURABLE MIN\u016a\n\n\nIt happened one day that a poor Akim-man had to travel from his own\nlittle village to Accra\u2014one of the big towns on the coast. This man\ncould only speak the language of his own village\u2014which was not\nunderstood by the men of the town. As he approached Accra he met a\ngreat herd of cows. He was surprised at the number of them, and\nwondered to whom they could belong. Seeing a man with them he asked\nhim, \u201cTo whom do these cows belong?\u201d The man did not know the language\nof the Akim-man, so he replied, \u201cMin\u016b\u201d (I do not understand). The\ntraveller, however, thought that Min\u016b was the name of the owner of the\ncows and exclaimed, \u201cMr Min\u016b must be very rich.\u201d\n\nHe then entered the town. Very soon he saw a fine large building, and\nwondered to whom it might belong. The man he asked could not understand\nhis question so he also answered, \u201cMin\u016b.\u201d \u201cDear me! What a rich fellow\nMr Min\u016b must be!\u201d cried the Akim-man.\n\nComing to a still finer building with beautiful gardens round it, he\nagain asked the owner\u2019s name. Again came the answer, \u201cMin\u016b.\u201d \u201cHow\nwealthy Mr Min\u016b is,\u201d said our wondering traveller.\n\nNext he came to the beach. There he saw a magnificent steamer being\nloaded in the harbour. He was surprised at the great cargo which was\nbeing put on board and inquired of a bystander, \u201cTo whom does this fine\nvessel belong?\u201d \u201cMin\u016b,\u201d replied the man. \u201cTo the Honourable Min\u016b also!\nHe is the richest man I ever heard of!\u201d cried the Akim-man.\n\nHaving finished his business, the Akim-man set out for home. As he\npassed down one of the streets of the town he met men carrying a\ncoffin, and followed by a long procession, all dressed in black. He\nasked the name of the dead person, and received the usual reply,\n\u201cMin\u016b.\u201d \u201cPoor Mr Min\u016b!\u201d cried the Akim-man. \u201cSo he has had to leave all\nhis wealth and beautiful houses and die just as a poor person would do!\nWell, well\u2014in future I will be content with my tiny house and little\nmoney.\u201d And the Akim-man went home quite pleased to his own hut.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nXVIII. WHY THE MOON AND THE STARS RECEIVE THEIR LIGHT FROM THE SUN\n\n\nOnce upon a time there was great scarcity of food in the land. Father\nAnansi and his son, Kweku Tsin, being very hungry, set out one morning\nto hunt in the forest. In a short time Kweku Tsin was fortunate enough\nto kill a fine deer\u2014which he carried to his father at their\nresting-place. Anansi was very glad to see such a supply of food, and\nrequested his son to remain there on guard, while he went for a large\nbasket in which to carry it home. An hour or so passed without his\nreturn, and Kweku Tsin became anxious. Fearing lest his father had lost\nhis way, he called out loudly, \u201cFather, father!\u201d to guide him to the\nspot. To his joy he heard a voice reply, \u201cYes, my son,\u201d and immediately\nhe shouted again, thinking it was Anansi. Instead of the latter,\nhowever, a terrible dragon appeared. This monster breathed fire from\nhis great nostrils, and was altogether a dreadful sight to behold.\nKweku Tsin was terrified at his approach and speedily hid himself in a\ncave near by.\n\nThe dragon arrived at the resting-place, and was much annoyed to find\nonly the deer\u2019s body. He vented his anger in blows upon the latter and\nwent away. Soon after, Father Anansi made his appearance. He was\ngreatly interested in his son\u2019s tale, and wished to see the dragon for\nhimself. He soon had his desire, for the monster, smelling human flesh,\nhastily returned to the spot and seized them both. They were carried\noff by him to his castle, where they found many other unfortunate\ncreatures also awaiting their fate. All were left in charge of the\ndragon\u2019s servant\u2014a fine, white cock\u2014which always crowed to summon his\nmaster, if anything unusual happened in the latter\u2019s absence. The\ndragon then went off in search of more prey.\n\nKweku Tsin now summoned all his fellow-prisoners together, to arrange a\nway of escape. All feared to run away\u2014because of the wonderful powers\nof the monster. His eyesight was so keen that he could detect a fly\nmoving miles away. Not only that, but he could move over the ground so\nswiftly that none could outdistance him. Kweku Tsin, however, being\nexceedingly clever, soon thought of a plan.\n\nKnowing that the white cock would not crow as long as he had grains of\nrice to pick up, Kweku scattered on the ground the contents of forty\nbags of grain\u2014which were stored in the great hall. While the cock was\nthus busily engaged, Kweku Tsin ordered the spinners to spin fine\nhempen ropes, to make a strong rope ladder. One end of this he intended\nto throw up to heaven, trusting that the gods would catch it and hold\nit fast, while he and his fellow-prisoners mounted.\n\nWhile the ladder was being made, the men killed and ate all the cattle\nthey needed\u2014reserving all the bones for Kweku Tsin at his express\ndesire. When all was ready the young man gathered the bones into a\ngreat sack. He also procured the dragon\u2019s fiddle and placed it by his\nside.\n\nEverything was now ready. Kweku Tsin threw one end of the ladder up to\nthe sky. It was caught and held. The dragon\u2019s victims began to mount,\none after the other, Kweku remaining at the bottom.\n\nBy this time, however, the monster\u2019s powerful eyesight showed him that\nsomething unusual was happening at his abode. He hastened his return.\nOn seeing his approach, Kweku Tsin also mounted the ladder\u2014with the bag\nof bones on his back, and the fiddle under his arm. The dragon began to\nclimb after him. Each time the monster came too near the young man\nthrew him a bone, with which, being very hungry, he was obliged to\ndescend to the ground to eat.\n\nKweku Tsin repeated this performance till all the bones were gone, by\nwhich time the people were safely up in the heavens. Then he mounted\nhimself, as rapidly as possible, stopping every now and then to play a\ntune on the wonderful fiddle. Each time he did this, the dragon had to\nreturn to earth, to dance\u2014as he could not resist the magic music. When\nKweku was quite close to the top, the dragon had very nearly reached\nhim again. The brave youth bent down and cut the ladder away below his\nown feet. The dragon was dashed to the ground\u2014but Kweku was pulled up\ninto safety by the gods.\n\nThe latter were so pleased with his wisdom and bravery in giving\nfreedom to his fellow-men, that they made him the sun\u2014the source of all\nlight and heat to the world. His father, Anansi, became the moon, and\nhis friends the stars. Thereafter, it was Kweku Tsin\u2019s privilege to\nsupply all these with light, each being dull and powerless without him.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nII. MISCELLANEOUS TALES\n\n\nXIX. OHIA AND THE THIEVING DEER\n\n\nThere once lived upon the earth a poor man called Ohia, whose wife was\nnamed Awirehu. This unfortunate couple had suffered one trouble after\nanother. No matter what they took in hand misfortune seemed to lie in\nwait for them. Nothing they did met with success. They became so poor\nthat at last they could scarcely obtain a cloth with which to cover\nthemselves.\n\nFinally, Ohia thought of a plan which many of his neighbours had tried\nand found successful. He went to a wealthy farmer who lived near, and\noffered to hew down several of his palm-trees. He would then collect\ntheir sap to make palm wine. When this should be ready for the market,\nhis wife would carry it there and sell it. The proceeds would then be\ndivided equally between the farmer, Ohia, and Awirehu.\n\nThis proposal having been laid before the farmer, he proved quite\nwilling to agree to it. Not only so, but he granted Ohia a supply of\nearthen pots in which to collect the sap, as the miserable man was far\ntoo poor to buy any.\n\nIn great delight Ohia and his wife set to work. They cut down the trees\nand prepared them\u2014setting the pots underneath to catch the sap. Before\ncock-crow on market-day, Ohia set off, with a lighted torch, to collect\nthe wine and prepare it for his wife to take into the town. She was\nalmost ready to follow.\n\nTo his great distress, on arriving at the first tree, instead of\nfinding his earthen pot filled with the sweet sap, he saw it lying in\npieces on the ground\u2014the wine all gone. He went on to the second and\nthird trees\u2014but there, and at all the others, too, the same thing had\nhappened.\n\nHis wife, in high spirits and ready for market, joined him at this\nmoment. She saw at once by his face that some misfortune had again\nbefallen them. Sorrowfully, they examined the mischief, and agreed that\nsome wicked person had stolen the wine and then broken the pots to hide\nthe theft. Awirehu returned home in despair, but Ohia set to work once\nmore. He fetched a second supply of pots and placed them all ready to\ncatch the sap.\n\nOn his return next morning, he found that the same behaviour had been\nrepeated. All his wine was again stolen and his pots in fragments. He\nhad no resource but to go to the farmer and tell him of these fresh\nmisfortunes. The farmer proved to be very kind and generous and gave\norders that Ohia might have as many pots as he should require.\n\nOnce more the poor fellow returned to the palm-trees, and set his pots\nready. This third attempt, however, met with no better result than the\ntwo previous. Ohia went home in despair. His wife was of the opinion\nthat they should give up trying to overcome their evil fortunes. It was\nquite evident that they could never attain success. The husband,\nhowever, determined that, at least, he would find and punish the\nculprit, if that were possible.\n\nAccordingly, he bravely set his pots in order for the last time. When\nnight came, he remained on guard among the trees. Midnight passed and\nnothing happened, but toward two o\u2019clock in the morning a dark form\nglided past him to the nearest palm-tree. A moment after he heard the\nsound of a breaking pot. He stole up to the form. On approaching it he\nfound that the thief was a bush-deer, carrying on its head a large jar,\ninto which it was pouring the wine from Ohia\u2019s pots. As it emptied them\nit threw them carelessly on the ground, breaking them in pieces.\n\nOhia ventured a little nearer, intending to seize the culprit. The\nlatter, however, was too quick for him and escaped, dropping his great\npot on the ground as he ran. The deer was very fleet, but Ohia had\nfully determined to catch him\u2014so followed. The chase continued over\nmany miles until mid-day arrived, at which time they had reached the\nbottom of a high hill. The deer immediately began to climb, and\nOhia\u2014though almost tired out\u2014still followed. Finally, the summit of the\nhill was reached, and there Ohia found himself in the midst of a great\ngathering of quadrupeds. The deer, panting, threw himself on the ground\nbefore King Tiger. [10] His Majesty commanded that Ohia should be\nbrought before him to be punished for this intrusion into such a\nserious meeting.\n\nOhia begged for a hearing before they condemned him. He wished to\nexplain fully his presence there. King Tiger, after consulting with\nsome of the other animals, agreed to listen to his tale. Thereupon Ohia\nbegan the story of his unfortunate life. He told how one trial after\nanother had failed, and how, finally, he had thought of the palm wine.\nHe described his feelings on discovering the first theft\u2014after all his\nlabour. He related his second, third, and fourth attempts, with the\nresult of each. He then went on to tell of his chase after the thief,\nand thus explained his presence at their conference.\n\nThe quadrupeds listened very attentively to the recital of Ohia\u2019s\ntroubles. At the conclusion they unanimously agreed that the deer was\nthe culprit and the man blameless. The former was accordingly sentenced\nto punishment, while the latter received an apology in the name of the\nentire conference. King Tiger, it appeared, had each morning given Deer\na large sum of money wherewith to purchase palm wine for the whole\nassembly. The deer had stolen the wine and kept the money.\n\nTo make up to Ohia for his losses, King Tiger offered him, as a gift,\nthe power of understanding the conversation of all animals. This, said\nhe, would speedily make Ohia a rich man. But he attached one condition\nto the gift. Ohia must never\u2014on pain of instant death\u2014tell any one\nabout his wonderful power.\n\nThe poor man, much delighted, set off for home. When it was reached, he\nlost no time in setting to work at his palm-trees again. From that day\nhis troubles seemed over. His wine was never interfered with and he and\nAwirehu became more and more prosperous and happy.\n\nOne morning, while he was bathing in a pool quite close to his house,\nhe heard a hen and her chickens talking together in his garden. He\nlistened, and distinctly heard a chicken tell Mother Hen about three\njars of gold buried in Ohia\u2019s garden. The hen bade the chicken be\ncareful, lest her master should see her scraping near the gold, and so\ndiscover it.\n\nOhia pretended to take no notice of what they were saying, and went\naway. Presently, when Mother Hen and her brood had gone, he came back\nand commenced digging in that part of the garden. To his great joy, he\nsoon found three large jars of gold. They contained enough money to\nkeep him in comfort all his life. He was careful, however, not to\nmention his treasure to any one but his wife. He hid it safely inside\nhis house.\n\nSoon he and Awirehu had become one of the richest couples in the\nneighbourhood, and owned quite a large amount of property. Ohia thought\nhe could afford now to keep a second wife, so he married again.\nUnfortunately, the new wife did not at all resemble Awirehu. The latter\nhad always been a good, kind, honest woman. The new wife was of a very\njealous and selfish disposition. In addition to this she was lame, and\ncontinually imagined that people were making fun of her defect. She\ntook the idea into her head that Ohia and Awirehu\u2014when together\u2014were in\nthe habit of laughing at her. Nothing was further from their thoughts,\nbut she refused to believe so. Whenever she saw them together she would\nstand and listen outside the door to hear what they were saying. Of\ncourse, she never succeeded in hearing anything about herself.\n\nAt last, one evening, Ohia and Awirehu had gone to bed. The latter was\nfast asleep when Ohia heard a conversation which amused him very much.\nA couple of mice in one corner of the room were arranging to go to the\nlarder to get some food, as soon as their master\u2014who was watching\nthem\u2014was asleep. Ohia, thinking this was a good joke, laughed outright.\nHis lame wife heard him, and rushed into the room. She thereupon\naccused him of making fun of her again to Awirehu. The astonished\nhusband, of course, denied this, but to no purpose. The jealous woman\ninsisted that, if he were laughing at an innocent joke, he would at\nonce tell it to her. This Ohia could not do, without breaking his\npromise to King Tiger. His refusal fully confirmed the lame woman\u2019s\nsuspicions and she did not rest till she had laid the whole matter\nbefore the chief. He, being an intimate friend of Ohia, tried to\npersuade him to reveal the joke and set the matter at rest. Ohia\nnaturally was most unwilling to do anything of the sort. The persistent\nwoman gave the chief no peace till he summoned her husband to answer\nher charge before the assembly.\n\nFinding no way of escape from the difficulty, Ohia prepared for death.\nHe first called all his friends and relatives to a great feast, and\nbade them farewell. Then he put his affairs in order\u2014bequeathed all his\ngold to the faithful Awirehu, and his property to his son and servants.\nWhen he had finished, he went to the Assembly Place where the people of\nthe neighbourhood were gathered together.\n\nHe first took leave of the chief, and then commenced his tale. He\nrelated the story of his many misfortunes\u2014of his adventure with the\ndeer, and of his promise to King Tiger. Finally, he explained the cause\nof his laughter which had annoyed his wife. In so speaking he fell\ndead, as the Tiger had warned him.\n\nHe was buried amid great mourning, for every one had liked and\nrespected him. The jealous woman who had caused her husband\u2019s death was\nseized and burnt as a witch. Her ashes were then scattered to the four\nwinds of heaven, and it is owing to this unfortunate fact that jealousy\nand selfishness are so widespread through the world, where before they\nscarcely existed.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nXX. HOW THE TORTOISE GOT ITS SHELL\n\n\nA few hundred years ago, the chief Mauri (God) determined to have a\nsplendid yam festival. He therefore sent his messengers to invite all\nhis chiefs and people to the gathering, which was to take place on Fida\n(Friday).\n\nOn the morning of that day he sent some of his servants to the\nneighbouring towns and villages to buy goats, sheep, and cows for the\ngreat feast. Mr Klo (the tortoise), who was a tall and handsome fellow,\nwas sent to buy palm wine. He was directed to the palm-fields of\nKoklovi (the chicken).\n\nAt that time Klo was a very powerful traveller and speedily reached his\ndestination, although it was many miles distant from Mauri\u2019s palace.\n\nWhen he arrived Koklovi was taking his breakfast. When they had\nexchanged polite salutations Koklovi asked the reason of Klo\u2019s visit.\nHe replied, \u201cI was sent by His Majesty Mauri, the ruler of the world,\nto buy him palm wine.\u201d \u201cWhether he\u2019s ruler of the world or not,\u201d\nanswered Koklovi, \u201cno one can buy my wine with money. If you want it\nyou must fight for it. If you win you can have it all and the\npalm-trees too.\u201d\n\nThis answer delighted Klo as he was a very strong fighter. Koklovi was\nthe same, so that the fighting continued for several hours before Klo\nwas able to overcome Koklovi. He was at last successful, however, and\nsecurely bound Koklovi before he left him.\n\nThen, taking his great pot, he filled it with wine. Finding that there\nwas more wine than the pot would hold, Klo foolishly drank all the\nrest. He then piled the palm-trees on his back and set out for the\npalace with the pot of wine. The amount which he had drunk, however,\nmade him feel so sleepy and tired that he could not walk fast with his\nload. Added to this, a terrible rain began to fall, which made the\nground very slippery and still more difficult to travel over.\n\nBy the time Klo succeeded in reaching his master\u2019s palace the gates\nwere shut and locked. Mauri, finding it so late, had concluded that\nevery one was inside.\n\nThere were many people packed into the great hall, and all were singing\nand dancing. The noise of the concert was so great that no one heard\nKlo\u2019s knocking at the gate, and there he had to stay with his great\nload of wine and palm-trees.\n\nThe rain continued for nearly two months and was so terrible that the\npeople all remained in the palace till it had finished. By that time\nKlo had died, under the weight of his load\u2014which he had been unable to\nget off his back. There he lay, before the gate, with the pile of\npalm-trees on top of him.\n\nWhen the rain ceased and the gates were opened the people were amazed\nto see this great mound in front of the gate, where before there had\nbeen nothing. They fetched spades and began to shovel it away.\n\nWhen they came to the bottom of the pile there lay Klo. His earthenware\npot and the dust had caked together and formed quite a hard cover on\nhis back.\n\nHe was taken into the palace\u2014and by the use of many wonderful medicines\nhe was restored to life. But since that date he has never been able to\nstand upright. He has been a creeping creature, with a great shell on\nhis back.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nXXI. THE HUNTER AND THE TORTOISE\n\n\nA village hunter had one day gone farther afield than usual. Coming to\na part of the forest with which he was unacquainted, he was astonished\nto hear a voice singing. He listened; this was the song:\n\n\n           \u201cIt is man who forces himself on things,\n            Not things which force themselves on him.\u201d\n\n\nThe singing was accompanied by sweet music\u2014which entirely charmed the\nhunter\u2019s heart.\n\nWhen the little song was finished, the hunter peeped through the\nbranches to see who the singer could be. Imagine his amazement when he\nfound it was none other than a tortoise, with a tiny harp slung in\nfront of her. Never had he seen such a marvellous thing.\n\nTime after time he returned to the same place in order to listen to\nthis wonderful creature. At last he persuaded her to let him carry her\nback to his hut, that he might enjoy her singing daily in comfort. This\nshe permitted, only on the understanding that she sang to him alone.\n\nThe hunter did not rest long content with this arrangement, however.\nSoon he began to wish that he could show off this wonderful tortoise to\nall the world, and thereby thought he would gain great honour. He told\nthe secret, first to one, then to another, until finally it reached the\nears of the chief himself. The hunter was commanded to come and tell\nhis tale before the Assembly. When, however, he described the tortoise\nwho sang and played on the harp, the people shouted in scorn. They\nrefused to believe him.\n\nAt last he said, \u201cIf I do not speak truth, I give you leave to kill me.\nTo-morrow I will bring the tortoise to this place and you may all hear\nher. If she cannot do as I say, I am willing to die.\u201d \u201cGood,\u201d replied\nthe people, \u201cand if the tortoise can do as you say, we give you leave\nto punish us in any way you choose.\u201d\n\nThe matter being then settled, the hunter returned home, well pleased\nwith the prospect. As soon as the morrow dawned, he carried tortoise\nand harp down to the Assembly Place\u2014where a table had been placed ready\nfor her. Every one gathered round to listen. But no song came. The\npeople were very patient, and quite willing to give both tortoise and\nhunter a chance. Hours went by, and, to the hunter\u2019s dismay and shame,\nthe tortoise remained mute. He tried every means in his power to coax\nher to sing, but in vain. The people at first whispered, then spoke\noutright, in scorn of the boaster and his claims.\n\nNight came on and brought with it the hunter\u2019s doom. As the last ray of\nthe setting sun faded, he was beheaded. The instant this had happened\nthe tortoise spoke. The people looked at one another in troubled\nwonder: \u201cOur brother spoke truth, then, and we have killed him.\u201d The\ntortoise, however, went on to explain. \u201cHe brought his punishment on\nhimself. I led a happy life in the forest, singing my little song. He\nwas not content to come and listen to me. He had to tell my secret\n(which did not at all concern him) to all the world. Had he not tried\nto make a show of me this would never have happened.\n\n\n           \u201cIt is man who forces himself on things,\n            Not things which force themselves on him.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nXXII. THE TAIL OF THE PRINCESS ELEPHANT\n\n\nThere once lived a woman who had three sons. These sons were very much\nattached to their mother and always tried to please her. She at last\ngrew very old and feeble. The three sons began to think what they could\ndo to give her great pleasure. The eldest promised that when she was\ndead he would cut a fine sepulchre in stone for her. The second said he\nwould make a beautiful coffin. The youngest said, \u201cI will go and get\nthe tail of the princess elephant and put it in the coffin with her.\u201d\nThis promise was by far the hardest one to keep.\n\nSoon after this their mother died. The youngest son immediately set out\non his search, not knowing in the least where he would be likely to\nfind the tail. He travelled for three weeks, and at the end of that\ntime he came to a little village. There he met an old woman, who seemed\nvery much surprised to see him. She said no human creature had ever\nbeen there before. The boy told the tale of his search for the princess\nelephant. The old woman replied that this village was the home of all\nthe elephants, and the princess slept there every night. But she warned\nhim that if the animals saw him they would kill him. The young man\nbegged her to hide him\u2014which she did, in a great pile of wood.\n\nShe also told him that when the elephants were all asleep he must get\nup and go to the eastern corner. There he would find the princess. He\nmust walk boldly over, cut off the tail and return in the same manner.\nIf he were to walk stealthily, the elephants would waken and seize him.\n\nThe animals returned as it was growing dark. They said at once that\nthey smelt a human being. The old woman assured them that they were\nmistaken. Their supper was ready, so they ate it and went to bed.\n\nIn the middle of the night the young man got up and walked boldly\nacross to where the princess slept. He cut off the tail and returned as\nhe had come. He then started for home, carrying the tail very\ncarefully.\n\nWhen daylight came the elephants awoke. One said he had dreamed that\nthe princess\u2019s tail was stolen. The others beat him for thinking such a\nthing. A second said he also had had the dream, and he also was beaten.\nThe wisest of the elephants then suggested that they might do well to\ngo and see if the dream were true. This they did. They found the\nprincess fast asleep and quite ignorant of the loss of her tail. They\nwakened her and all started off in chase of the young man.\n\nThey travelled so quickly that in a few hours they came in sight of\nhim. He was afraid when he saw them coming and cried out to his\nfavourite idol (which he always carried in his hair), \u201cO my juju Depor!\nWhat shall I do?\u201d The juju advised him to throw the branch of a tree\nover his shoulder. This he did and it immediately grew up into a huge\ntree, which blocked the path of the elephants. They stopped and began\nto eat up the tree\u2014which took them some little time.\n\nThen they continued their way again. Again the young man cried, \u201cO my\njuju Depor! What shall I do?\u201d \u201cThrow that corn-cob behind you,\u201d\nanswered the juju. The lad did so, and the corn-cob immediately grew\ninto a large field of maize.\n\nThe elephants ate their way through the maize, but when they arrived at\nthe other side they found that the boy had reached home. So they had to\ngive up the chase and return to their village. The princess, however,\nrefused to do so, saying, \u201cI will return when I have punished this\nimpudent fellow.\u201d\n\nShe thereupon changed herself into a very beautiful maiden, and taking\na calabash cymbal in her hand approached the village. All the people\ncame out to admire this lovely girl.\n\nShe had it proclaimed through the village that whoever succeeded in\nshooting an arrow at the cymbal should have her for a bride. The young\nmen all tried and failed. An old man standing by said, \u201cIf only\nKwesi\u2014the cutter of the princess elephant\u2019s tail\u2014were here, he could\nhit the cymbal.\u201d \u201cThen Kwesi is the man I will marry,\u201d replied the\nmaiden, \u201cwhether he hit the cymbal or not.\u201d\n\nKwesi was quickly fetched from the field where he was ploughing, and\ntold of his good luck. He, however, was not at all delighted to hear of\nit, as he suspected the maiden of some trick.\n\nHowever, he came and shot an arrow which struck the centre of the\ncymbal. The damsel and he were accordingly married. She was all the\ntime preparing to punish him.\n\nThe night following their marriage she turned into an elephant, while\nKwesi was asleep. She then prepared to kill him, but Kwesi awoke in\ntime. He called, \u201cO my juju Depor! Save me!\u201d The juju turned him into a\ngrass mat lying on the bed and the princess could not find him. She was\nmost annoyed and next morning asked him where he had been all night.\n\u201cWhile you were an elephant I was the mat you lay on,\u201d replied Kwesi.\nThe damsel took all the mats from the bed and burned them.\n\nNext night the princess again became an elephant and prepared to kill\nher husband. This time the juju changed him into a needle and his wife\ncould not find him. She again asked him in the morning where he had\nbeen. Hearing that the juju had helped him again she determined to get\nhold of the idol and destroy it.\n\nNext day Kwesi was going again to his farm to plough a field. He told\nhis wife to bring him some food to the resting-place. This time she had\nfairly made up her mind that he should not escape. When he had had his\nfood she said, \u201cNow lay your head in my lap and sleep.\u201d Kwesi quite\nforgot that his juju was hidden in his hair and did as she bid. As soon\nas he was asleep she took the juju out of his hair and threw it into a\ngreat fire which she had prepared. Kwesi awoke to find her an elephant\nonce more. In great fear he cried out, \u201cO my juju Depor! What am I to\ndo?\u201d All the answer he got, however, came from the flames. \u201cI am\nburning, I am burning, I am burning.\u201d Kwesi called again for help and\nthe juju replied, \u201cLift up your arms as if you were flying.\u201d He did so\nand turned into a hawk.\n\nThat is the reason why hawks are so often seen flying in the smoke of\nfires. They are looking for their lost juju.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nXXIII. KWOFI AND THE GODS\n\n\nKwofi was the eldest son of a farmer who had two wives. Kwofi\u2019s mother\nhad no other children.\n\nWhen the boy was three years old his mother died. Kwofi was given to\nhis stepmother to mind. After this she had many children. Kwofi, of\ncourse, was the eldest of all.\n\nWhen he was about ten years old his father also died. Kwofi had now no\nrelative but his stepmother, for whom he had to work.\n\nAs he grew older, she saw how much more clever and handsome he was than\nher own children, and grew very jealous of him. He was such a good\nhunter that day after day he came home laden with meat or with fish.\n\nEvery day she treated him in the same way. She cooked the meat, then\nportioned it out. She gave to each a large helping, but when it came to\nKwofi\u2019s turn she would say, \u201cOh, my son Kwofi, there is none left for\nyou! You must go to the field and get some ripe paw-paw.\u201d Kwofi never\ncomplained. Never once did he taste any of the meat he had hunted. At\nevery meal the others were served, but there was never enough for him.\n\nOne evening, when the usual thing had happened, Kwofi was preparing to\ngo to the field to fetch some paw-paw for his supper. All at once one\nof the gods appeared in the village, carrying a great bag over his\nshoulder. He summoned all the villagers together with these words: \u201cOh,\nmy villagers, I come with a bag of death for you!\u201d\n\nThereupon he began to distribute the contents of his bag among them.\nWhen he came to Kwofi he said: \u201cOh, my son Kwofi, there was never\nsufficient meat for you, neither is there any death.\u201d\n\nAs he said these words every one in the village died except Kwofi. He\nwas left to reign there in peace, which he did very happily.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nXXIV. THE LION AND THE WOLF\n\n\nA certain old lady had a very fine flock of sheep. She had fed and\ncared for them so well that they became famous for their fatness. In\ntime a wicked wolf heard of them and determined to eat them.\n\nNight after night he stole up to the old dame\u2019s cottage and killed a\nsheep. The poor woman tried her best to save her animals from harm\u2014but\nfailed.\n\nAt last there was only one sheep left of all the flock. Their owner was\nvery sad. She feared that it, too, would be taken away from her, in\nspite of all she could do. While she was grieving over the thought of\nthis a lion came to her village.\n\nSeeing her sad face, he asked the reason of it. She soon told him all\nabout it. He thereupon offered to do his best to punish the wicked\nwolf. He himself went to the place where the sheep was generally\nkept\u2014while the latter was removed to another place.\n\nIn the meantime the wolf was on his way to the cottage. As he came he\nmet a fox. The fox was somewhat afraid of him and prepared to run away.\nThe wolf, however, told him where he was going, and invited him to go\ntoo. The fox agreed and the two set off together. They arrived at the\ncottage and went straight to the place where the sheep generally slept.\nThe wolf at once rushed upon the animal, while Fox waited a little\nbehind. Just as Fox was deciding to enter and help Wolf there came a\nbright flash of lightning. By the light of it the fox could see that\nthe wolf was attacking\u2014not a sheep\u2014but a lion. He hastily ran away,\nshouting as he went: \u201cLook at his face! Look at his face!\u201d\n\nDuring the flash Wolf did look at the pretended sheep. To his dismay he\nfound he had made a great mistake. At once he began to make humble\napologies\u2014but all in vain. Lion refused to listen to any of his\nexplanations, and speedily put him to death.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nXXV. MAKU MAWU AND MAKU FIA\n\nOR\n\n\u2018I will die God\u2019s death\u2019 and \u2018I will die the King\u2019s death\u2019\n\n\nOnce upon a time there were two men who were such great friends that\nthey were almost always together. If one was seen the other was sure to\nbe near. They had given one another special names, which were to be\nused only by themselves. One name, Maku Mawu, meant, \u2018I will die God\u2019s\ndeath,\u2019 and the other, Maku Fia, \u2018I will die the King\u2019s death.\u2019\n\nBy and by, however, the other villagers heard these names and gradually\nevery one got into the habit of calling the two friends by the\nnicknames in preference to the real ones. Finally, the King of the\ncountry heard of them and wished to see the men who had chosen such\nstrange titles. He sent for them to Court, and they came together. He\nwas much pleased with the one who had chosen the name of \u2018Maku Fia,\u2019\nbut he was annoyed at the other man\u2019s choice and sought a chance of\npunishing him.\n\nWhen he had talked to them a little while, he invited both to a great\nfeast which he was to give in three days\u2019 time. As they went away he\ngave a fine large yam to Maku Mawu and only a small round stone to his\nown favourite. The latter felt somewhat aggrieved at getting only a\nstone, while his friend got such a fine yam. Very soon he said, \u201cOh,\ndear! I do not think it is any use carrying this stone home. How I wish\nit were a yam! Then I could cook it for dinner.\u201d Maku Mawu\u2014being very\ngenerous\u2014immediately replied, \u201cThen change with me, for I am quite\ntired of carrying my great yam.\u201d They exchanged, and each went off to\nhis own home. Maku Fia cut up his yam and cooked it. Maku Mawu broke\nhis stone in half and found inside some beautiful ornaments which the\nKing had hidden there. He thought that he would play a trick on the\nKing, so told nobody what had been in the stone.\n\nOn the third day they dressed to go to the King\u2019s feast. Maku Mawu put\non all the beautiful ornaments out of the stone. Maku Fia dressed\nhimself just as usual.\n\nWhen they reached the palace the King was amazed to see the wrong man\nwearing his ornaments, and determined to punish him more effectually\nnext time. He asked Maku Fia what he had done with the stone, and the\nman told him he had exchanged it for his friend\u2019s yam.\n\nAt first the King could not think of any way to punish Maku Mawu, as,\nof course, the latter had not done anything wrong. He soon had an idea,\nhowever. He pretended to be very pleased with the poor man and\npresented him with a beautiful ring from his own finger. He then made\nhim promise to come back in seven days and show the ring to the King\nagain, to let the latter see that it was not lost. If by any chance he\ncould not produce the ring\u2014he would lose his head. This the King did,\nmeaning to get hold of the ring in some way and so get the young man\nkilled.\n\nMaku Mawu saw what the King\u2019s design was, so determined to hide the\nring. He made a small hole in the wall of his room, put the ring in it,\nand carefully plastered over the place again. No one could see that the\nwall had been touched.\n\nAfter two days the King sent for the wife of Maku Mawu and asked her to\nfind the ring. He promised her a large sum of money for it\u2014not telling\nher, of course, what would happen to her husband if the ring were lost.\nThe woman went home and searched diligently but found nothing. Next day\nshe tried again\u2014with no better success. Then she asked her husband what\nhe had done with it. He innocently told her it was in the wall. Next\nday, when he was absent, she searched so carefully that at last she\nfound it.\n\nDelighted, she ran off to the King\u2019s palace and gave the ring to him.\nShe got the promised money and returned home, never dreaming that she\nhad really sold her husband\u2019s life.\n\nOn the sixth day the King sent a message to Maku Mawu, telling him to\nprepare for the next day. The poor man bethought himself of the ring\nand went to look if it were still safe. To his despair the hole was\nempty. He asked his wife and his neighbours. All denied having seen it.\nHe made up his mind that he must die.\n\nIn the meantime the King had laid the ring in one of the dishes in his\npalace and promptly forgot about it. When the seventh morning had\narrived he sent messengers far and wide, to summon the people to come\nand see a man punished for disobeying the King\u2019s orders. Then he\ncommanded his servants to set the palace in order, and to take the\ndishes out of his room and wash them.\n\nThe careless servants\u2014never looking to see if the dishes were empty or\nnot\u2014took them all to a pool near by. Among them was the dish containing\nthe ring. Of course, when the dish was being washed, out fell the ring\ninto the water\u2014without being noticed by the servants.\n\nThe palace being all in readiness, the King went to fetch the ring. It\nwas nowhere to be found and he was obliged to go to the Assembly\nwithout it.\n\nWhen every one was ready the poor man, Maku Mawu, was called to come\nforward and show the ring. He walked boldly up to the king and knelt\ndown before him, saying, \u201cThe ring is lost and I am prepared to die.\nOnly grant me a few hours to put my house in order.\u201d At first the king\nwas unwilling to grant even that small favour, but finally he said,\n\u201cVery well, you may have four hours. Then you must return here and be\nbeheaded before the people.\u201d The innocent man returned to his home and\nput everything in order. Then, feeling hungry, he thought, \u201cI may as\nwell have some food before I die. I will go and catch a fish in the\npool.\u201d\n\nHe accordingly took his fish-net and bait, and started off to the very\npool where the King\u2019s dishes had been washed. Very soon he caught a\nfine large fish. Cutting it open, to clean it, his delight may be\nimagined at finding the lost ring inside it.\n\nAt once he ran off to the palace crying: \u201cI have found the ring! I have\nfound the ring!\u201d When the people heard him, they all shouted in joy:\n\u201cHe named himself rightly \u2018Maku Mawu,\u2019 for see\u2014the death God has chosen\nfor him, that only will he die.\u201d So the King had no excuse to harm him,\nand he went free.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nXXVI. THE ROBBER AND THE OLD MAN\n\n\nIn a big town lived a very rich gentleman. The fame of his wealth soon\nspread. A clever thief heard of it and determined to have some for\nhimself.\n\nHe managed to hide himself in a dark corner of the gentleman\u2019s\nroom\u2014while the latter was counting his bags of money. As soon as the\nold gentleman left the room to fetch something, the thief caught up two\nof the bags and escaped.\n\nThe owner was astonished, on his return a few minutes later, to find\ntwo bags short. He could find no trace of the thief.\n\nNext morning, however, he chanced to meet the robber just outside the\nhouse. The dishonest man looked so confused that the rich man at once\nsuspected he was the thief. He could not, however, prove it, so took\nthe case before the judge.\n\nThe thief was much alarmed when he heard this. He sought a man in the\nvillage and asked his advice. The wise man undertook to help him\u2014if he\nwould promise to pay him half the money when he got off. This the\nrobber at once said he would do.\n\nThe old man then advised him to go home and dress in rags. He must\nruffle his hair and beard and behave as if he were mad. If any one\nasked a question he must answer \u201cMoo.\u201d\n\nThe thief did so. To every question asked by the judge he said, \u201cMoo,\nmoo.\u201d The judge at last grew angry and dismissed the court. The thief\nwent home in great glee.\n\nNext day, the wise man came to him for his half of the stolen money.\nBut he could get no answer but \u201cMoo\u201d from the thief, and at last, in\ndespair, he had to go home without a penny. The ungrateful robber kept\neverything for himself. The wise man regretted very much that he had\nsaved the thief from his just punishment\u2014but it was now too late.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nXXVII. THE LEOPARD AND THE RAM\n\n\nA ram once decided to make a clearing in the woods and build himself a\nhouse. A leopard who lived near also made up his mind to do the very\nsame thing.\n\nUnknown to each other they both chose the same site. Ram came one day\nand worked at the clearing. Leopard arrived after Ram had gone and was\nmuch surprised to find some of his work already done. However, he\ncontinued what Ram had begun. Each was daily surprised at the progress\nmade in his absence, but concluded that the fairies had been helping\nhim. He gave them thanks and continued with his task.\n\nThus the matter went on\u2014the two working alternately at the building and\nnever seeing one another. At last the house was finished to the\nsatisfaction of both.\n\nThe two prepared to take up their abode in the new home. To their great\nastonishment they met. Each told his tale, and after some friendly\ndiscussion, they decided to live together.\n\nBoth Leopard and Ram had sons. These two young animals played together\nwhile their parents hunted. The leopard was very much surprised to find\nthat every evening his friend Ram brought home just as much meat or\nvenison from the hunt as he himself did. He did not dare, however, to\nask the other how he obtained it.\n\nOne day, before setting out to hunt, Leopard requested his son to find\nout, if possible, from young Ram, how his father managed to kill the\nanimals. Accordingly while they were at play, little Leopard inquired\nhow Father Ram, having neither claws nor sharp teeth, succeeded in\ncatching and killing the beasts. Ram refused to tell unless young\nLeopard would promise to show his father\u2019s way also. The latter agreed.\nAccordingly they took two large pieces of plantain stem and set out\ninto the woods.\n\nYoung Leopard then took one piece and placed it in position. Then,\ngoing first to the right, then to the left\u2014bowing and standing on his\nhind legs and peeping at the stem just as his father did\u2014he took aim,\nsprang toward the stem and tore it.\n\nYoung Ram then took the other piece and placed it in position. Wasting\nno time he went backward a little way, took aim, then ran swiftly\nforward\u2014pushing his head against the stem and tearing it to pieces.\nWhen they had finished they swept the place clean and went home.\n\nIn the evening the leopard obtained all the information about the hunt\nfrom his son. The latter warned him that he must always be careful when\nhe saw the ram go backward. He kept this in mind, and from that day\nwatched the ram very closely.\n\nSome time afterward it rained, making the floor of the house very\nslippery. The leopard called the ram, as usual, to dine with him. As he\nwas coming, the ram slipped backward on the wet floor. The leopard,\nseeing this, thought the other was about to kill him. Calling to his\nson to follow, he sprang with all his might over the wall of the house\nand fled to the woods. The ram called him back, but he did not listen.\nFrom that time leopards have made their abode in the woods while rams\nhave remained at home.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nXXVIII. WHY THE LEOPARD CAN ONLY CATCH PREY ON ITS LEFT SIDE\n\n\nAt one time leopards did not know how to catch animals for food.\nKnowing that the cat as very skilful in this way, Leopard one day went\nto Cat and asked very politely if she would teach him the art. Cat\nreadily consented.\n\nThe first thing Leopard had to learn was to hide himself among the\nbushes by the roadside, so that he would not be seen by any animal\npassing by. Next, he must learn how to move noiselessly through the\nwoods. He must never allow the animal he chased to know that he was\nfollowing it. The third great principle was how to use his left paws\nand side in springing upon his prey.\n\nHaving taught him these three things, Cat requested him to go and\npractise them well. When he had learnt them thoroughly he could return\nto her and she would give him more lessons in hunting.\n\nLeopard obeyed. At first he was very successful and obtained all the\nfood he wanted. One day, however, he was unable to catch anything at\nall.\n\nBeing very hungry, he bethought himself what he could have for dinner.\nSuddenly he remembered that the cat had quite a large family. He went\nstraight to her home and found her absent.\n\nNever thinking of her kindness to him\u2014Leopard only remembered that he\nwas hungry\u2014he ate all her kittens. Puss, on discovering this dreadful\nfact, was so angry that she refused to have anything more to do with\nthe great creature.\n\nConsequently the leopard has never been able to learn how to catch\nanimals that pass him on the right side.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nXXIX. QUARCOO BAH-BONI\n\n(The Bad Boy)\n\n\nOnce upon a time in a certain village lived a man and his wife who were\nchildless. One day, however, when the husband was away hunting, the\nwoman had a baby son. She was greatly troubled at her husband\u2019s\nabsence, because she was unable to let him know of the child\u2019s arrival.\nIn that country it is the custom for the father to give the baby its\nname when it is a week old. As the time approached for the naming, the\nwoman wondered to herself what name she could give the child if her\nhusband did not return in time. To her amazement, the child himself\nanswered, \u201cMy name is Quarcoo Bah-boni.\u201d As he was only a week old she\nwas astonished to hear him talk. The next day she got a greater\nsurprise. She had been grumbling because her husband was not there to\ngo to the farm for her and fetch food. The baby announced, \u201cI will go\nto the farm\u201d\u2014which he did.\n\nWhen he was a few weeks old, she was one day very busy. She laid him\ndown on the bed while she went on with her task. In a few minutes\nseveral boys came up to her in great anger. \u201cYour son has been beating\nus and ill-treating us in the street,\u201d said they. \u201cMy son!\u201d she cried.\n\u201cWhy, my son is only a tiny baby. He is lying asleep on my bed.\u201d To\nconvince them she went indoors to show them the baby. Imagine her\nsurprise when he was nowhere to be seen! She had to apologize to the\nboys and beg them to forgive the child. Shortly after, he came in and\nput himself to bed.\n\nHe continued these mischievous tricks till his mother could no longer\nendure them. So she turned him out of the house and forbade him to\nreturn. He departed in great glee.\n\nAfter walking a few miles, he came to a building where a goat, wolf,\ntiger, lion, and elephant lived very happily together. These animals\nwere all sitting round their fire when he approached. After many polite\nspeeches, he begged their permission to stay and be their servant, as\nhe was motherless. The animals, after a little discussion, agreed to\nthis, thinking that he would be able to help them in many ways. He was\ngiven a seat and some food, which he ate with great relish.\n\nThese five animals usually took it in turns to go out to their farm\u2014a\nfew miles away\u2014every morning, to bring home food for the day. It being\nGoat\u2019s turn, he asked Quarcoo to come with him to carry back the load.\n\nThe basket was accordingly handed to the little boy and he set off\nmeekly after the goat. When they reached the farm, Quarcoo set down the\nbasket and ran off to play. He paid no heed at all to the goat\u2019s calls\nfor assistance, but went on quietly playing. At last the goat was so\nannoyed that he came up to Quarcoo and boxed his ears. To his great\nastonishment, the boy gave him such a blow that he fell to the ground.\nQuarcoo then proceeded to beat him till he cried for mercy. Nor would\nhe stop his blows till the goat had promised to finish the work, carry\nhome the load, and tell no one what had happened. Having promised this,\nthe goat was allowed to go free. By this time the poor animal\u2019s face\nwas bruised and swollen.\n\nWhen the time came to go home the goat had to pack up the load and put\nit on his head. Then they set out.\n\nAs soon as they came in sight of their cottage, Quarcoo took the basket\nfrom the goat and he himself carried it into the cottage.\n\nThe other animals all exclaimed in wonder when they saw the goat\u2019s\nface, and asked him how it had happened. \u201cI was unfortunate enough to\nget into a swarm of bees when I was working. They stung me,\u201d answered\nthe poor goat.\n\nNext day it was the wolf\u2019s turn to go to the farm. He also returned,\nmuch bruised and swollen. Goat (guessing what had happened) listened\nwith a smile to the excuses made by Wolf to the others.\n\nGoat and Wolf afterward talked the matter over and wondered much at the\nstrength of the little boy.\n\nEach day another animal took his turn at the farm, and each day he\nreturned in the same condition as his friends had done. At last all the\nanimals had been, and all now came together to discuss how best they\nmight get rid of Quarcoo Bah-boni.\n\nThey made up their minds that, early the following morning, they would\nstart off together and leave the boy in possession of the house. They\nprepared a big basket of food and set it ready.\n\nUnfortunately for them, Quarcoo had heard their discussion and decided\nthat he also would go with them. He quietly got himself a large leaf,\nrolled it round him (for he was very tiny) and laid himself down in the\nbasket of food.\n\nAt dawn the animals got up very quietly. Goat, being the youngest, was\ngiven the basket to carry. They started, feeling very thankful to get\naway from the tiresome boy\u2014never dreaming that they were carrying him\nalong with them.\n\nWhen they had gone a fair distance Goat, feeling very hot and tired,\nsat down to rest for a little while. As soon as the others had gone out\nof sight, he opened the basket, meaning to have some food unknown to\nhis friends. His greed was rewarded, however, by a terrible blow on the\nface. He then heard the words, \u201cShut the basket at once, and say\nnothing to the others.\u201d He obeyed and hurried after the others in fear\nof this terrible boy.\n\nAs soon as he reached them he called out, \u201cWolf, Wolf, it is your turn\nnow to take the basket. I am very tired.\u201d Wolf took the load at once.\n\nThey had not gone far when Wolf began to think of all the nice things\nin the basket and he also said he was going to rest a little while in\nthe shade. Having got rid of the others in this way, he hastily opened\nthe basket. He was greeted by Quarcoo in the same way as Goat had been,\nand speedily closed the basket and followed the others. In this way\neach animal got his turn of carrying the basket, and each was punished\nfor his greed.\n\nFinally, Elephant\u2019s turn came. When he rejoined the others and asked\nsome one to relieve him of his load they cried out, \u201cIf you do not want\nto carry it any farther, throw it away.\u201d He did so, and they all took\nto their heels. They ran for several miles and only stopped when they\ncame to a huge tree, in whose shade they sat down to rest, being quite\nbreathless.\n\nQuarcoo, however, had got there before them. He had quietly stepped out\nof the basket, taken a short cut across country and arrived at the tree\nsome time before them. He guessed that they would probably rest\nthere\u2014so he climbed up into the branches. There he remained, hidden\namong the leaves, while the animals sat on the ground below.\n\nThere they discussed Quarcoo and all the trouble he had caused them.\nThey blamed Goat for having been the one to persuade them to take the\nboy as a servant. Goat being the youngest of the company had the\ndomestic work to do and he had welcomed the idea of help. Goat\nindignantly denied being the cause of all their troubles, saying: \u201cIf I\nam really to blame for the admission of Quarcoo\u2014let him appear before\nus.\u201d Quarcoo promptly jumped down from the tree and stood in front of\nthem. They were so alarmed at his appearance they scattered in all\ndirections. The wolf ran to the woods\u2014the tiger into the heart of the\nforest, the elephant to Nigeria, the lion to the desert, and the goat\nto the abode of human beings. That is the reason why they live now in\nthese various places instead of all together as they did previously.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nXXX. KING CHAMELEON AND THE ANIMALS\n\n\nIn the olden days all the animals of the world lived together in\nfriendship. They had no one to rule over them and judge them. In\nconsequence, many very wicked deeds were constantly being done, as no\none needed to fear any punishment.\n\nAt last they all met together to discuss this bad state of affairs,\nand, as a result, they decided to choose a king. The great difficulty\nwas how to choose him.\n\nLion was the first animal suggested. But all opposed him because, they\nsaid, he was too fierce. Wolf was next named\u2014but the sheep and goats\nrefused to have him because he was their foe. They knew they would have\nbad treatment if he were chosen.\n\nAs it was impossible to please every one by choice, they decided in\nanother way. Two miles away was a great stool, placed under a very\nancient tree which they believed to be the abode of some of their gods.\nThey would have a great race. The animal which reached and sat down\nfirst on the stool should be chosen king.\n\nThe day of the race arrived. All animals, great and small, prepared to\ntake part in it. The signal being given, they started off. The\nhare\u2014being a very fine runner\u2014speedily outdistanced the others. He\nreached the stool quite five hundred yards ahead of the next animal.\nYou may judge of his annoyance when, just as he was going to sit down,\na voice came from the stool saying, \u201cTake care, Mr Hare, take care. I\nwas here first.\u201d This was the chameleon. He, being able to change his\ncolour to suit his surroundings, had seized Mr Hare\u2019s tail just as the\nrace began. Having made his colour match the hare\u2019s, no one had noticed\nhim. He had held on very tightly, and when the hare turned round to\ntake his seat Chameleon dropped off and landed on the stool.\n\nThe hare saw how he had been tricked and was very angry. The other\nanimals, however, arrived before he could harm the chameleon. According\nto the agreement they had made, they had no choice but to make\nChameleon king.\n\nBut none of the animals were satisfied with the choice. So as soon as\nthe meeting was over, all scattered in every direction and left\nChameleon quite alone.\n\nHe was so ashamed that he went and made his home at the top of a very\nhigh tree on a mountain. In the dead of night you may hear him calling\nhis attendants to come and stay with him. But he is left quite alone.\n\u201cA king without subjects is no king.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nXXXI. TO LOSE AN ELEPHANT FOR THE SAKE OF A WREN IS A VERY FOOLISH\nTHING TO DO\n\n\nIn the olden times there stood in the King\u2019s town a very great tree.\nThis tree was so huge that it began to overshadow the neighbouring\nfields. The King decided to have it cut down. He caused his servants to\nproclaim throughout the country that any one who succeeded in cutting\ndown the tree with a wooden axe should have an elephant in payment.\n\nPeople thought it would be impossible to cut down such a great tree\nwith an axe of wood. Spider, however, decided to try by cunning to gain\nthe elephant. He accordingly presented himself before the King and\nexpressed his readiness to get rid of the tree.\n\nA servant was sent with him to keep watch and to see that he only used\nthe wooden axe given him. Spider, however, had taken care to have\nanother, made of steel, hidden in his bag.\n\nHe now began to fell the tree. In a very few minutes, he said to the\nservant, \u201cSee, yonder is a fine antelope. If you are quick, you will be\nable to hit it with a stone. Run!\u201d The lad did as he was bid, and ran a\nlong way\u2014but could see no sign of the antelope. In his absence, Spider\nseized the sharp axe and hastened to cut as much of the tree as he\ncould, carefully hiding the axe in his bag before the servant\u2019s return.\n\nThis trick he repeated several times, till finally the tree was cut\ndown. Spider went to the King to get the elephant, and took the servant\nto prove that he had used only the wooden axe. He got his promised\nreward, and started for home in great glee. On the way, however, he\nbegan to think over the matter. \u201cShall I take this animal home?\u201d\nthought he. \u201cThat would be foolish, for then I would be obliged to\nshare it with my family. No! I will hide it in the forest, and eat it\nat my leisure. In that way I can have the whole of it for myself. Now\nwhat can I take home for the children\u2019s dinner?\u201d\n\nThereupon he looked around, and, a little distance away, saw a tiny\nwren sitting on a tree. \u201cExactly what I want,\u201d he said to himself.\n\u201cThat will be quite sufficient for them. I will tie my elephant to this\ntree while I catch the bird.\u201d\n\nThis he did, but when he tried to seize the latter, it flew off. He\nchased it for some time, without success. \u201cWell! well!\u201d said he. \u201cMy\nfamily will just have to go without dinner. I will now go back and get\nmy elephant.\u201d He returned to the spot where he had left the animal, but\nto his dismay the latter had escaped. Spider was obliged to go home\nempty-handed, and he, as well as his family, went dinnerless that day.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nXXXII. THE UNGRATEFUL MAN\n\n\nA hunter, who was terribly poor, was one day walking through the forest\nin search of food. Coming to a deep hole, he found there a leopard, a\nserpent, a rat, and a man. These had all fallen into the trap and were\nunable to get out again. Seeing the hunter, they begged him to help\nthem out of the hole.\n\nAt first he did not wish to release any but the man. The leopard, he\nsaid, had often stolen his cattle and eaten them. The serpent very\nfrequently bit men and caused their death. The rat did no good to any\none. He saw no use in setting them free.\n\nHowever, these animals pleaded so hard for life that at last he helped\nthem out of the pit. Each, in turn, promised to reward him for his\nkindness\u2014except the man. He, saying he was very poor, was taken home by\nthe kind-hearted hunter and allowed to stay with him.\n\nA short time after, Serpent came to the hunter and gave him a very\npowerful antidote for snake-poison. \u201cKeep it carefully,\u201d said Serpent.\n\u201cYou will find it very useful one day. When you are using it, be sure\nto ask for the blood of a traitor to mix with it.\u201d The hunter, having\nthanked Serpent very much, took great care of the powder and always\ncarried it about with him.\n\nThe leopard also showed his gratitude by killing animals for the hunter\nand supplying him with food for many weeks.\n\nThen, one day, the rat came to him and gave him a large bundle.\n\u201cThese,\u201d said he, \u201care some native cloths, gold dust, and ivory. They\nwill make you rich.\u201d The hunter thanked the rat very heartily and took\nthe bundle into his cottage.\n\nAfter this the hunter was able to live in great comfort. He built\nhimself a fine new house and supplied it with everything needful. The\nman whom he had taken out of the pit still lived with him.\n\nThis man, however, was of a very envious disposition. He was not at all\npleased at his host\u2019s good fortune, and only waited an opportunity to\ndo him some harm. He very soon had a chance.\n\nA proclamation was sounded throughout the country to say that some\nrobbers had broken into the King\u2019s palace and stolen his jewels and\nmany other valuables. The ungrateful man instantly hurried to the King\nand asked what the reward would be if he pointed out the thief. The\nKing promised to give him half of the things which had been stolen. The\nwicked fellow thereupon falsely accused his host of the theft, although\nhe knew quite well that he was innocent.\n\nThe honest hunter was immediately thrown into prison. He was then\nbrought into Court and requested to show how he had become so rich. He\ntold them, faithfully, the source of his income, but no one believed\nhim. He was condemned to die the following day at noon.\n\nNext morning, while preparations were being made for his execution,\nword was brought to the prison that the King\u2019s eldest son had been\nbitten by a serpent and was dying. Any one who could cure him was\nbegged to come and do so.\n\nThe hunter immediately thought of the powder which his serpent friend\nhad given him, and asked to be allowed to use it. At first they were\nunwilling to let him try, but finally he received permission. The King\nasked him if there were anything he needed for it and he replied, \u201cA\ntraitor\u2019s blood to mix it with.\u201d His Majesty immediately pointed out\nthe wicked fellow who had accused the hunter and said: \u201cThere stands\nthe worst traitor\u2014for he gave up the kind host who had saved his life.\u201d\nThe man was at once beheaded and the powder was mixed as the serpent\nhad commanded. As soon as it was applied to the prince\u2019s wound the\nyoung man was cured. In great delight, the King loaded the hunter with\nhonours and sent him happily home.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nXXXIII. WHY TIGERS NEVER ATTACK MEN UNLESS THEY ARE PROVOKED\n\n\nA man, hunting one day in the forest, met a tiger. At first each was\nafraid of the other; but after some talking they became quite friendly.\nThey agreed to live together for a little time. First the man would\nlive with the tiger in his forest home for two weeks. Then the tiger\nwould come and live in the man\u2019s home.\n\nThe tiger behaved so well to the man during his visit that the man felt\nhe had never been so well treated in all his life. Then came the time\nfor the tiger to return home with the man. As they were going the tiger\nwas somewhat afraid. He asked the man if he really thought he would be\nsafe. \u201cWhat if your friends do not like my face and kill me?\u201d he asked.\n\u201cYou need fear nothing,\u201d said his host; \u201cno one will touch you while I\nam there.\u201d The tiger therefore came to the man\u2019s house and stayed with\nhim three weeks. He had brought his male cub with him, and the young\ntiger became very friendly with the man\u2019s son.\n\nSome months later the man\u2019s father died. When Tiger heard of his\nfriend\u2019s great loss, he and his cub set out at once to see and condole\nwith him. They brought a large sum of money to help the man.\n\nAs Tiger was going home again two of the man\u2019s friends lay in hiding\nfor him and shot him. Fortunately he was not killed, but he was very\nmuch grieved lest these men had shot him at his friend\u2019s wish. He\ndetermined to find out if the man had known anything at all about the\nshot.\n\nAccordingly he went to the place in the forest where he had first met\nhis friend. There he lay down as if he were dead, after telling his cub\nto watch and see what would happen.\n\nBy and by the man came along. When he saw the tiger lying, as he\nthought, dead, he was terribly troubled. He began to cry and mourn for\nhis friend, and sat there all night long with Tiger\u2019s cub, to watch\nthat no harm should befall the body.\n\nWhen morning came and Tiger was quite assured that his friend had had\nnothing at all to do with the shot, he was very glad. He got up, then,\nto the man\u2019s great astonishment, and explained why he had pretended to\nbe dead.\n\n\u201cGo home,\u201d said Tiger, \u201cand remember me always. In future for your sake\nI will never touch a man unless he first meddles with me.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nXXXIV. THE OMANHENE WHO LIKED RIDDLES\n\n\nThe Omanhene is the chief of a village. A certain Omanhene had three\nsons, who were very anxious to see the world. They went to their father\nand asked permission to travel. This permission he readily gave.\n\nIt was the turn of the eldest to go first. He was provided with a\nservant and with all he could possibly require for the journey.\n\nAfter travelling for some time he came to a town where lived an\nOmanhene who loved riddles. Being a stranger the traveller was,\naccording to custom, brought by the people before the chief.\n\nThe latter explained to him that they had certain laws in their\nvillage. One law was that every stranger must beat the Omanhene in\nanswering riddles or he would be beheaded. He must be prepared to begin\nthe contest the following morning.\n\nNext day he came to the Assembly Place, and found the Omanhene there\nwith all his attendants. The Omanhene asked many riddles. As the young\nman was unable to answer any of them, he was judged to have failed and\nwas beheaded.\n\nAfter some time the second son of the Omanhene started on his travels.\nBy a strange chance he arrived at the same town where his brother had\ndied. He also was asked many riddles, and failed to answer them.\nAccordingly he too was put to death.\n\nBy and by the third brother announced his intention of travelling. His\nmother did all in her power to persuade him to stay at home. It was\nquite in vain.\n\nShe was sure that if he also reached the town where his brothers had\ndied, the same thing would happen to him. Rather than allow this, she\nthought she would prefer him to die on the way.\n\nShe prepared for him a food called cankey\u2014which she filled with poison.\nHaving packed it away in his bag, he set off. Very soon he began to\nfeel hungry. Knowing, however, that his mother had not wished him to\nleave home, and therefore might have put some poison in the food, he\nthought he would test it before eating it himself. Seeing a vulture\nnear by, he threw it half the cake.\n\nThe bird ate the cankey, and immediately fell dead by the roadside.\nThree panthers came along and began to eat the vulture. They also fell\ndead.\n\nThe young man cut off some of the flesh of the panthers and roasted it.\nHe then packed it carefully away in his bundle.\n\nA little farther on he was attacked by seven highway robbers. They\nwanted to kill him at once. He told them that he had some good roast\nmeat in his bundle and invited them to eat with him first. They agreed\nand divided up the food into eight parts.\n\nWhile they were eating the young man carefully hid his portion. Soon\nall the seven robbers fell ill and died. The young man then went on his\nway.\n\nAt last he reached the town where his brothers had died. Like them, he\nwas summoned to the Assembly Place to answer the riddles of the\nOmanhene. For two days the contest proved equal. At the end of that\ntime, the young man said, \u201cI have only one riddle left. If you are able\nto answer that, you may put me to death.\u201d He then gave this riddle to\nthe Omanhene:\n\n\n                    Half kills one\u2014\n                    One kills three\u2014\n                    Three kills seven.\n\n\nThe ruler failed to answer it that evening, so it was postponed till\nthe next day.\n\nDuring the night the Omanhene disguised himself and went to the house\nwhere the stranger was staying. There he found the young man asleep in\nthe hall.\n\nImagining that the man before him was the stranger\u2019s servant, and never\ndreaming that it was the stranger himself, he roused the sleeper and\npromised him a large reward if he would give him the solution to the\nriddle.\n\nThe young man replied that he would tell the answer if the Omanhene\nwould bring him the costume which he always wore at the Assembly.\n\nThe ruler was only too pleased to go and fetch it for him. When the\nyoung man had the garments quite safely, he explained the riddle fully\nto the crafty Omanhene. He said that as they were leaving home, the\nmother of his master made him cankey. In order to find out if the\ncankey were good, they gave half to a vulture. The latter died. Three\npanthers which tasted the vulture also died. A little of the panthers\u2019\nroasted flesh killed seven robbers.\n\nThe Omanhene was delighted to have found out the answer. He warned the\nsupposed servant not to tell his master what had happened.\n\nIn the morning all the villagers assembled together again. The Omanhene\nproudly gave the answer to the riddle as if he himself had found it\nout. But the young man asked him to produce his ceremonial dress, which\nhe ought to be wearing in Assembly. This, of course, he was unable to\ndo, as the young man had hidden it carefully away.\n\nThe stranger then told what had happened in the night, and how the\nruler had got the answer to the riddle by cheating.\n\nThe Assembly declared that the Omanhene had failed to find out the\nriddle and must die. Accordingly he was beheaded\u2014and the young man was\nappointed Omanhene in his place.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nXXXV. HOW MUSHROOMS FIRST GREW\n\n\nLong, long ago there dwelt in a town two brothers whose bad habits\nbrought them much trouble. Day by day they got more deeply in debt.\nTheir creditors gave them no peace, so at last they ran away into the\nwoods. They became highway robbers.\n\nBut they were not happy. Their minds were troubled by their evil deeds.\nAt last they decided to go home, make a big farm, and pay off their\ndebts gradually.\n\nThey accordingly set to work and soon had quite a fine farm prepared\nfor corn. As the soil was good, they hoped the harvest would bring them\nin much money.\n\nUnfortunately, that very day a bushfowl came along. Being hungry, it\nscratched up all the newly planted seeds and ate them.\n\nThe two poor brothers, on arriving at the field next day, were dismayed\nto find all their work quite wasted. They put down a trap for the\nthief. That evening the bushfowl was caught in it. The two brothers,\nwhen they came and found the bird, told it that now all their debts\nwould be transferred to it because it had robbed them of the means of\npaying the debts themselves.\n\nThe poor bird\u2014in great trouble at having such a burden thrust upon\nit\u2014made a nest under a silk-cotton tree. There it began to lay eggs,\nmeaning to hatch them and sell the young birds for money to pay off the\ndebt.\n\nA terrible hurricane came, however, and a branch of the tree came down.\nAll the eggs were smashed. As a result, the bushfowl transferred the\ndebts to the tree, as it had broken the eggs.\n\nThe silk-cotton tree was in dismay at having such a big sum of money to\npay off. It immediately set to work to make as much silk cotton as it\npossibly could, that it might sell it.\n\nAn elephant, not knowing all that had happened, came along. Seeing the\nsilk cotton, he came to the tree and plucked down all its bearings. By\nthis means the debts were transferred to the poor elephant.\n\nThe elephant was very sad when he found what he had done. He wandered\naway into the desert, thinking of a way to make money. He could think\nof none.\n\nAs he stood quietly under a tree, a poor hunter crept up. This man\nthought he was very lucky to find such a fine elephant standing so\nstill. He at once shot him.\n\nJust before the animal died, he told the hunter that now the debts\nwould have to be paid by him. The hunter was much grieved when he heard\nthis, as he had no money at all.\n\nHe walked home wondering what he could do to make enough money to pay\nthe debts. In the darkness he did not see the stump of a tree which the\noverseers had cut down in the road. He fell and broke his leg. By this\nmeans the debts were transferred to the tree-stump.\n\nNot knowing this, a party of white ants came along next morning and\nbegan to eat into the tree. When they had broken it nearly to the\nground, the tree told them that now the debts were theirs, as they had\nkilled it.\n\nThe ants, being very wise, held a council together to find out how best\nthey could make money. They decided each to contribute as much as\npossible. With the proceeds one of their young men would go to the\nnearest market and buy pure linen thread. This they would weave and\nsell and the profits would go to help pay the debts.\n\nThis was done. From time to time all the linen in stock was brought and\nspread out in the sunshine to keep it in good condition. When men see\nthis linen lying out on the ant-hills, they call it \u2018mushroom,\u2019 and\ngather it for food.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nXXXVI. FARMER MYBROW AND THE FAIRIES\n\n\nFarmer Mybrow was one day looking about for a suitable piece of land to\nconvert into a field. He wished to grow corn and yams. He discovered a\nfine spot, close to a great forest\u2014which latter was the home of some\nfairies. He set to work at once to prepare the field.\n\nHaving sharpened his great knife, he began to cut down the bushes. No\nsooner had he touched one than he heard a voice say, \u201cWho is there,\ncutting down the bushes?\u201d Mybrow was too much astonished to answer. The\nquestion was repeated. This time the farmer realized that it must be\none of the fairies, and so replied, \u201cI am Mybrow, come to prepare a\nfield.\u201d Fortunately for him the fairies were in great good humour. He\nheard one say, \u201cLet us all help Farmer Mybrow to cut down the bushes.\u201d\nThe rest agreed. To Mybrow\u2019s great delight, the bushes were all rapidly\ncut down\u2014with very little trouble on his part. He returned home,\nexceedingly well pleased with his day\u2019s work, having resolved to keep\nthe field a secret even from his wife.\n\nEarly in January, when it was time to burn the dry bush, he set off to\nhis field, one afternoon, with the means of making a fire. Hoping to\nhave the fairies\u2019 assistance once more, he intentionally struck the\ntrunk of a tree as he passed. Immediately came the question, \u201cWho is\nthere, striking the stumps?\u201d He promptly replied, \u201cI am Mybrow, come to\nburn down the bush.\u201d Accordingly, the dried bushes were all burned\ndown, and the field left clear in less time than it takes to tell it.\n\nNext day the same thing happened. Mybrow came to chop up the stumps for\nfirewood and clear the field for digging. In a very short time his\nfaggots and firewood were piled ready, while, the field was bare.\n\nSo it went on. The field was divided into two parts\u2014one for maize and\none for yams. In all the preparations\u2014digging, sowing, planting\u2014the\nfairies gave great assistance. Still, the farmer had managed to keep\nthe whereabouts of his field a secret from his wife and neighbours.\n\nThe soil having been so carefully prepared, the crops promised\nexceedingly well. Mybrow visited them from time to time, and\ncongratulated himself on the splendid harvest he would have.\n\nOne day, while maize and yams were still in their green and milky\nstate, Mybrow\u2019s wife came to him. She wished to know where his field\nlay, that she might go and fetch some of the firewood from it. At first\nhe refused to tell her. Being very persistent, however, she finally\nsucceeded in obtaining the information\u2014but on one condition. She must\nnot answer any question that should be asked her. This she readily\npromised, and set off for the field.\n\nWhen she arrived there she was utterly amazed at the wealth of the corn\nand yam. She had never seen such magnificent crops. The maize looked\nmost tempting\u2014being still in the milky state\u2014so she plucked an ear.\nWhile doing so she heard a voice say, \u201cWho is there, breaking the\ncorn?\u201d \u201cWho dares ask me such a question?\u201d she replied angrily\u2014quite\nforgetting her husband\u2019s command. Going to the field of yams she\nplucked one of them also. \u201cWho is there, picking the yams?\u201d came the\nquestion again. \u201cIt is I, Mybrow\u2019s wife. This is my husband\u2019s field and\nI have a right to pick.\u201d Out came the fairies. \u201cLet us all help\nMybrow\u2019s wife to pluck her corn and yams,\u201d said they. Before the\nfrightened woman could say a word, the fairies had all set to work with\na will, and the corn and yams lay useless on the ground. Being all\ngreen and unripe, the harvest was now utterly spoiled. The farmer\u2019s\nwife wept bitterly, but to no purpose. She returned slowly home, not\nknowing what to say to her husband about such a terrible catastrophe.\nShe decided to keep silence about the matter.\n\nAccordingly, next day the poor man set off gleefully to his field to\nsee how his fine crops were going on. His anger and dismay may be\nimagined when he saw his field a complete ruin. All his work and\nforesight had been absolutely ruined through his wife\u2019s forgetfulness\nof her promise.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nNOTES\n\n\n[1] The cocoa exported in 1891 realized \u00a34; in 1914 \u00a32,193,749.\n\n[2] Colonial Report, G.C., 1913.\n\n[3] The Story of the Negro, Booker T. Washington, vol. i, p. 57\n\n[4] A History of the Gold Coast and Ashanti, W. W. Claridge, vol. i,\npp. 4\u20135.\n\n[5] See Malaria and Greek History, by W. H. S. Jones.\n\n[6] E.g. ancient and modern primitive men in all parts of the earth\nseem to have shown a similar development in flint, bronze, and iron\nweapons, and in the arts generally. See Cinderella: Three Hundred and\nForty-five Variants (Folk Lore Society).\n\n[7] \u201cAnimals\u2019 Language,\u201d in Hero-Tales and Legends of the Serbians, by\nWoislav M. Petrovitch.\n\n[8] From a story told by a native of the Gold Coast.\n\n[9] Tshi-speaking Peoples of the Gold Coast of West Africa, A. B.\nEllis, p. 24.\n\n[10] \u2018Tiger\u2019 in West African stories is a leopard.","title":"West African Folk-Tales","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":27679}