3. /3./Z.. PRINCETON, N. J. M % Presented by c3Vi<2/ CK\J^r\ O 'C~. Division ... OI Section — Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015 https://archive.org/details/whereanimalstalk00nass_0 WHERE ANIMALS TALK West African Folk Lore Tales By ^ ROBERT H. NASSAU Author of“Fetichism in West Africa “ The Youngest King ” etc. r \£ MAR 1 3 1912 & &08iGAL RICHARD G. BADGER THE GORHAM PRESS BOSTON Copyright 1912 by Richard G. Badger All rights reserved The Gorham Press, Boston, TJ. S. A. PREFACE T HE typical native African Ekano or legend is marked by repetition. The same incidents occur to a succession of individuals ; monotony being pre- vented by a variation in the conduct of those individuals, as they reveal their weakness or stupidity, artifice or treachery. Narrators, while preserving the original plot and characters of a Tale, vary it, and make it graphic by introducing objects known and familiar to their audience. These inconsistencies do not interfere with belief or offend the taste of a people with whom even the impossible is not a bar to faith; rather, the inconsistency sharpens their enjoyment of the story. Surprise must not be felt at the impossibility of some of the situations; e. g ., the swallowing by an animal of his wife, baggage and household furniture, as a means of hiding them. The absurdity of such situations is one of the distinctive attractions to the minds of the excited listeners. Variations of the same Tale, as told in different Tribes, were inevitable among a people whose language was not written until within the last hundred years; the Tales having been transmitted verbally, from generation to generation, for, probably, thousands of years. As to their antiquity. I believe these Tales to be of very ancient origin. No argu- ment must be taken against them because of the internal evidence of allusion to modern things, or implements, or customs of known modern date; e. g. f “cannon,” “tables,” “steamships,” cte., etc. Narrators constantly embellish by novel additions; e. g ., where, in the original story, a character used a spear, the narrator may substitute a pistol. Almost all these Tales locate themselves in supposed pre- historic times, when Beasts and Human Beings are asserted to have lived together with social relations in the same 3 4 PREFACE community. An unintended concession to the claims of some Evolutionists! The most distinctive feature of these Tales is that, while the actors are Beasts, they are speaking and living as Human Beings, acting as a beast in human environment; and, in- stantly, in the same sentence, acting as a human being in a beast’s environment. This must constantly be borne in mind, or the action of the story will become not only unrea- sonable but utterly inexplicable. The characters in the stories relieve themselves from difficult or dangerous situations by invoking the aid of a powerful personal fetish-charm known as “Ngalo”; a fetish almost as valuable as Aladdin’s Lamp of the Arabian Nights. And yet, with inconsistency, notwithstanding this aid, the actors are often suffering from many small evils of daily human life. These inconsistencies are another feature of the Ekano that the listeners enjoy as the spice of the story. From internal evidences, I think that the local sources of these Tales w T ere Arabian, or at least under Arabic, and perhaps even Egyptian, influences. (Observe the prefix, Ra, a contraction of Rera equals father, a title of honor, as “Lord,” or “Sir,” or “Master,” in names of dignitaries; e. g. Ra-Marange, Ra-Mborakinda, Ra-Meses.) This is consistent with the fact that there is Arabic blood in the Bantu Negro. The invariable direction to which the southwest coast tribes point, as the source of their ancestors, is northeast. Such an ethnologist as Sir H. H. Johnston traces the Bantu stream southward on the east coast to the Cape of Good Hope, and then turns it northward on the west coast to the equator and as far as the fourth degree of north latitude, the very region from which I gathered these stories. Only a few men, and still fewer women, in any com- munity, are noted as skilled narrators. They are the literati. The public never weary of hearing the same Tales repeated; like our own civilized audiences at a play running for a hundred or more nights. They are made attractive by the dramatic use of gesture, tones, and startling exclamations. The occasions selected for the renditions are nights, after the day’s works are done, especially if there be visitors to be entertained. The places chosen are the open village street. PREFACE 5 or, in forest camps where almost all the population of a vil- lage go for a week’s work on their cutting of new plantations; or for hunting; or for fishing in ponds. The time for these camps is in one of the two dry seasons: where the booths erected are not for protection against rain, but for a little privacy, for the warding off of insects, birds and small ani- mals, and for the drying of meats. At such times, most of the adults go off during the day for fishing; or, if for hunting, only the men; the children being guarded at their plays in the camp by the older women, who are kept occupied with cooking, and with the drying of meats. At night, all gather around the camp-fire; and the Tales are told with, at inter- vals, accompaniment of drum; and parts of the plot are illustrated by an appropriate song, or by a short dance, the platform being only the earth, and the scenery the forest shadows and the moon or stars. The Bantu Language has very many dialects, having the same grammatical construction, but differing in their vocabulary. The name of the same animal therefore differs in the three typical Tribes mentioned in these Tales; e. g., Leopard, in Mpongwe, equals Njega; in Benga, equals Nja; and in Fang, equals Nze. PRONUNCIATION In all the dialects of the Bantu language, consonants are pronounced, as in English; except that g is always hard. The vowels are pronounced as in the following English equivalent : — a as in father e. <7., Kabala a as in awe e. g., Nja. e as in they e. g., Ekaga. e as in met e. g ., Njega. i as in machine e. g., Njina. o as in note e. g ., Kombe. u as in rule e. g ., Kuba. A before y is pronounced ai as a diphthong, e. g ., Asaya. Close every syllable with a vowel, e. g ., Ko-ngo. Where two or more consonants begin a syllable, a slight vowel sound may be presupposed, e. g ., Ngweya, as if iNgweya. Ng has the nasal sound of ng in “ finger, ” as if fing-nger, (not as in “ singer/’) e. g., Mpo-ngwe. 6 CONTENTS Part First M pong we Tribe TALE PAGE 1 Do not Trust your Friend 13 2 Leopard’s Hunting-Camp 18 3 Tests of Death: 1st Version 25 2nd Version 27 4 Tasks done for a Wife; and, The Giant Goat 30 5 A Tug-of-War 37 6 Agenda: Rat’s Play on a Name 41 7 “Nuts are Eaten Because of Angangwe”: A Pro- verb 49 8 Who are Crocodile’s Relatives? 53 9 Who is King of Birds? and, Why Chickens live with Mankind 54 10 “Njiwo Died of Sleep:” A Proverb 58 11 Which is the Fattest: — Manatus, Hog, or Oyster? 60 12 Why Mosquitoes Buzz 62 13 Unkind Criticism 63 14 The Suitors of Princess Gorilla 65 15 Leopard of the Fine Skin 68 16 Why the Plantain-Stalk Bears but One Bunch. ... 76 Part Second Benga Tribe 1 Swine Talking 81 2 Crocodile 82 3 Origin of the Elephant 82 4 Leopard’s Marriage Journey 85 7 8 CONTENTS TALE PAGE 5 Tortoise in a Race 95 6 Goat’s Tournament 99 7 Why Goats Became Domestic 100 8 Igwana’s Forked Tongue 103 9 What Caused their Deaths? 106 10 A Quarrel about Seniority 109 11 The Magic Drum 113 12 The Lies of Tortoise 121 13 “Death Begins by Some One Person”: A Proverb. . 126 14 Tortoise and the Bojabi Tree 129 15 The Suitors of Njambo’s Daughter 134 16 Tortoise, Dog, Leopard, and the Njabi Fruit 140 17 A Journey for Salt 145 18 A Plea for Mercy 149 19 The Deceptions of Tortoise 153 20 Leopard’s Hunting Companions 159 21 Is the Bat a Bird or a Beast? 163 22 Dog, and his Human Speech, 1st Version 165 2nd Version 168 23 The Savior of the Animals 173 24 Origin of the Ivory Trade, 1st Version 177 2nd Version 184 25 Dog and his False Friend Leopard 189 26 A Trick for Vengeance 192 27 Not My Fault! 195 28 Do not Impose on the Weak 196 29 Borrowed Clothes 198 30 The Story of a Panic 200 31 A Family Quarrel 201 32 The Giant Goat 202 33 The Fights of Mbuma-Tyetye; and, An Origin of Leopard 208 34 A Snake’s Skin Looks like a Snake 226 Part Third Fang Tribe 1 Candor 233 2 Which is the Better Hunter, an Eagle or a Leopard? 234 CONTENTS 9 TALE PAGE 3 A Lesson in Evolution 234 4 Parrot Standing on One Leg 235 5 A Question of Right of Inheritance 237 6 Tortoise Covers His Ignorance 238 7 A Question as to Age 239 8 Abundance: A Play on the Meaning of a Word. . . 240 9 An Oath: With a Mental Reservation 242 10 The Treachery of Tortoise 243 11 A Chain of Circumstances 245 PART FIRST Mpongwe FOREWORD The following sixteen Tales were narrated to me, many years ago, by two members of the Mpongwe tribe (one now dead) at the town of Libreville, Gaboon river, equatorial West Africa. Both of them were well-educated persons, a man and a woman. They chose legends that were current in their own tribe. They spoke in Mpongwe; and, in my English rendition, I have retained some of their native idioms. As far as I am aware none of these legends have ever been printed in English, excepting Tale 5, a version of which appeared in a British magazine from a writer in Kamerun, after I had heard it at Gaboon. Also, excepting Tale 14. It appeared, in another form, more than fifty years ago, in Rev. Dr. J. L. Wilson’s “Western Africa.” But my narra- tor was not aware of that, when he told it to me. U TALE 1 Do Not Trust Your Friend Place Country of the Animals Persons Njega (Leopard) Nyare (Ox) Ntori (Wild Rat) Ngowa (Hog) Ra-Marange (Medicine Man) Nkambi (Antelope) Leopard’s Wife; and others NOTE A story of the treachery of the Leopard as matched by the duplicity of the Rat. In public mourning for the dead, it is the custom for the nearest relative or dearest friend to claim the privilege of sitting closest to the corpse, and nursing the head on his or her lap. At a time long ago, the Animals were living in the Forest together. Most of them were at peace with each other. But Leopard was discovered to be a bad person. All the other animals refused to be friendly with him. Also, Wild Rat, a small animal, was found out to be a deceiver. One day, Rat went to visit Leopard, who politely gave him a chair, and Rat sat down. “Mbolo!” “Ai, Mbolo!” each saluted to the other. Leopard said to his visitor, “What’s the news?” Rat replied, “Njega! news is bad. 13 14 WHERE ANIMALS TALK In all the villages I passed through, in coming today, your name is only ill-spoken of, people saying, ‘Njega is bad! Njegft is bad!’ ” Leopard replies, “Yes, you do not lie. People say truly that Njegii is bad. But, look you, Ntori, I, Njega, am an evil one: but my badness comes from other animals. Be- cause, when I go out to visit, there is no one who salutes me. When anyone sees me, he flees with fear. But, for what does he fear me? I have not vexed him. So, I pursue the one that fears me. I want to ask him, ‘Why do you fear me?’ But, when I pursue it, it goes on fleeing more rapidly. So, I become angry, wrath rises in my heart, and if I overtake it, I kill it on the spot. One reason why I am bad is that. If the animals would speak to me properly, and did not flee from me, then, Ntori, I would not kill them. See! you, Ntori, have I seized you?” Rat. replied, “No.” Then Leopard said, “Then, Ntori, come near to this table, that we may talk well. ” Rat, because of his subtlety and caution, when he took the chair given him on his arrival, had placed it near the door. Leopard repeated, “Come near to the table.” Rat excused himself, “Never mind; I am comfortable here; and I came here today to tell you that it is not well for a person to be without friends; and, I, Ntori, I say to you, let us be friends.” Leopard said, “Very good!” But now, even after this compact of friendship, Rat told falsehoods about Leopard; who, not knowing this, often had conversations with him, and would confide to him all the thoughts of his heart. For example, Leopard would tell to Rat, “Tomorrow I am going to hunt Ngowa, and next day I will go to hunt Nkambi,” or whatever the animal was. And Rat, at night, would go to Hog or to Antelope or the other animal, and say, “Give me pay, and I will tell you a secret. ” They would lay down to him his price. And then he would tell them, “Be careful tomorrow. I heard that Njega was coming to kill you. ” The same night, Rat would secretly return to his own house, and he down as if he had not been out. Then, next day, when Leopard would go out hunting, the Animals were prepared and full of caution, to watch his coming. There was none of them that he could find; they WHERE ANIMALS TALK 15 were all hidden. Leopard thus often went to the forest, and came back empty-handed. There was no meat for him to eat, and he had to eat only leaves of the trees. He said to himself, “I will not sit down and look for explanation to come to me. I wdll myself find out the reason of this. For, I, Njega, I should eat flesh and drink blood; and here I have come down to eating the food of goats, grass and leaves.” So, in the morning, Leopard went to the great doctor Ra-Marange, and said, “I have come to you, I, Njega. For these five or six months I have been unable to kill an animal. But, cause me to know the reason of this.” Ra- Marange took his looking-glass and his harp, and struck the harp, and looked at the glass. Then he laughed aloud, “Ke, ke, ke— ” Leopard asked, “Ra-Marange, for what reason do you laugh?” He replied, “I laugh, because this matter is a small affair. You, Njega, so big and strong, you do not know this little tiling!” Leopard acknowledged, “Yes: I have not been able to find it out.” Ra-Marange said, “Tell me the names of your friends.” Leopard answered “I have no friends. Nkambi dislikes me, Nyare refuses me, Ngow’a the same. Of all animals, none are friendly to me. ” Ra-Mar5nge said, “Not so; think exactly; think again.” Leopard was silent and thought; and then said, “Yes, truly, I have one friend, Ntori. ” The Doctor said, “But, look! If you find a friend, it is not well to tell him all the thoughts of your heart. If you tell him two or three, leave the rest. Do not tell him all. But, you, Njega, you consider that Ntori is your friend, and you show him all the thoughts of your heart. But, do you know the heart of Ntori, how it is inside? Look what he does! If you let him know that you are going next day to kill this and that, then he starts out at night, and goes to inform those animals, “So-and-so, said Njega; but, be you on your guard.” Now, look! if you wish to be able to kill other animals, first kill Ntori.” Leo- pard was surprised, “ Nga ! (actually) Ntori lies to me? ” Ra- Marange said, “Yes.” So, Leopard returned to his town. And he sent a child to call Rat. Rat came. Leopard said, “Ntori! these days you have not come to see me. Where have you been? ” Rat replies, “ I was sick. ” 16 WHERE ANIMALS TALK Leopard says, “I called you today to sit at my table to eat.” Rat excused himself, “Thanks! but the sickness is still in my body; I will not be able to eat. ” And he went away. Whenever Rat visited or spoke to Leopard, he did not enter the house, but sat on a chair by the door. Leopard daily sent for him; he came; but constantly refrained from entering the house. Leopard says in his heart, “ Ntori does not approach near to me, but sits by the door. How shall I catch him?” Think- ing and thinking, he called his wife, and said, “I have found a plan by which to kill Ntori. Tomorrow, I will lie down in the street, and you cover my body with a cloth as corpses are covered. Wear an old ragged cloth, and take ashes and mark your body, as in mourning; and go you out on the road wailing, ‘Njega is dead! Njega, the friend of Ntori is dead!’ And, for Ntori, when he shall come as a friend to the mourning, put his chair by me, and say, ‘ Sit there near your friend/ When he sits on that chair, I will jump up and kill him there.” His wife replies, “Very good!” Next morning, Leopard, lying down in the street, pretended that he was dead. His wife dressed herself in worn-out clothes, and smeared her face, and went clear on to Rat’s village, wailing “ Ah ! Njega is dead ! Ntori’s friend is dead ! ” Rat asked her, “But, Njega died of what disease? Yester- day, I saw him looking well, and today comes word that he is dead!” The wife answered, “Yes: Njega died without disease; just cut off! I wonder at the matter — I came to call you; for you were his friend. So, as is your duty as a man, go there and help bury the corpse in the jungle.” Rat went, he and Leopard’s wife together. And, behold, there was Leopard stretched out as a corpse! Rat asked the wife, “What is this matter? Njega! is he really dead?” She replied, “Yes: I told you so. Here is a chair for you to sit near your friend. ” Rat, having his caution, had not sat on the chair, but stood off, as he wailed, “Ah! Njega is dead! Ah! my friend is dead!” Rat called out, “Wife of Njega! Njega, he was a great person : but did he not tell you any sign by which it might be known, according to custom, that he was really dead?” She replied, “No, he did not tell me.” (Rat, when he thus WHERE ANIMALS TALK 17 spoke, was deceiving the woman.) Rat went on to speak, “You, Njega, when you were living and we were friends, you told me in confidence, saying, ‘When I, Njega, shall die, I will lift my arm upward, and you will know that I am really dead. ’ But, let us cease the wailing and stop crying. I will try the test on Njega, whether he is dead! Lift your arm!” Leopard lifted his arm. Rat, in his heart, laughed, “Ah! Njega is not dead!” But, he proceeded, “Njega! Njega! you said, if really dead, you would shake your body. Shake! if it is so!” Leopard shook his whole body. Rat said openly, “Ah! Njega is dead indeed! He shook his body!” The wife said, “But, as you say he is dead, here is the chair for you, as chief friend, to sit on by him.” Rat said, “Yes: wait for me; I will go off a little while, and will come.” Leopard, lying on the ground, and hearing this, knew in his heart, “Ah! Ntori wants to flee from me! I will wait no longer!” Up he jumps to seize Rat, who, being too quick for him, fled away. Leopard pursued him with leaps and jumps so rapidly that he almost caught him. Rat got to his hole in the ground just in time to rush into it. But his tail was sticking out; and Leopard, looking down the hole, seized the tail. • Rat called out, “You have not caught me, as you think! What you are holding is a rootlet of a tree.” Leopard let go of the tail. Rat switched it in after him, and jeered at Leopard, “You had hold of my tail! And you have let it go! You will not catch me again!” Leopard, in a rage, said, “You will have to show me the way by which you will emerge from this hole; for, you will never come out of it alive!” Some narrators carry the story on, with the ending of Tale No. 6, the story of Rat, Leopard, Frog and Crab. Leopard’s pretence of death appears also in Tale No. 3. 18 WHERE ANIMALS TALK TALE 2 Leopard’s Hunting Camp Persons Ntori (A very large forest Rat) Njega (Leopard) And other Animals NOTE Besides the words for “hunger” and “famine,” the Bantu languages have a third word meaning, “longing for meat.” In this story, Leopard’s greed is matched by the artifice of Rat : — It was a practice of African natives to hide their ivory tusks in streams of water until a time convenient for selling them. Polite natives will neither sit uninvited in the presence of their superiors, nor watch them while eating. If need be, to secure privacy, a temporary curtain will be put up, and the host will retire, leaving the guest alone. Rude or un- civilized tribes are offensive in their persistent effort to see a white foreigner’s mode of eating. One of the tricks of native sorcerers is to jump into a fire. It was a time of ngwamba (meat-hunger) among the Animals in Njambi’s Kingdom. Leopard, being the eldest in his tribe, said to Rat, “Ntori! child ! this is a hard time for meat. I think we better go to the forest, and make a olako (camp) for hunting.” Rat replied “Good! come on!” So they began to arrange for the journey. The prepara- tion of food, nets, baskets, and so forth, occupied several days. When all was ready, they started. Having come to a proper place in the forest, they selected a site where they would build up their booths. Leopard was to have his own separate camp with his wives and his children and his people; and Rat his, with his wives and his children, and his people. So they began to make two camps. Leopard said, “Ntori! child! I have mine here. You go there yonder.” So they WHERE ANIMALS TALK 19 built their booths for sleeping-places; and rested another day; and then built their arala (drying frames) over their fire-places for smoke-drying the meat that they hoped to obtain. Next day, they prepared their guns, and started out on the hunt. On that very first day, they met game, and, ku! (bang) went their guns, killing an Elephant, and, ku! a wild Ox. Then Leopard said, “Ntori! child! we are successful ! Let us begin the work of cutting up ! ” After all the carcasses had been cut up, came the time to divide the meat between the two companies. So, Leopard said, “As I am your Uncle, I precede; I will choose first, and will give you the remainder.” So Leopard chose, taking out all the best pieces. When Rat saw that most of the meat was going to Leopard’s side, he thought it time to begin to get his share. But when Rat laid hold of a nice piece, Leopard would say, “No! child! do not take the best: that belongs to your Uncle” — and Leopard would claim the piece, and hand it over to his women. So it went on in the same way; to every nice piece that Rat chose, Leopard objected that it belonged to him. After Leopard had taken all he wanted, there were left only the bowels and the heads and legs for Rat. Then they each went to their own camping-place, to spread the meat on their arala, and to cook their dinner. But, all the while that Rat was spreading bones and bowels on his orala, he was vexed ; for, there was very little meat on those bones; while Leopard’s people’s arala were full of meat, and savory portions were simmering on their fires tied in bundles (agewu) of plantain leaves. At the noon meal, Leopard sat down with his family, and Rat with his. But Rat had only poor food; while Leopard and his people were rejoicing with rich meat. The second day was very much the same as the first. It was Rat who did most of the hunting. With him it was, ku! (bang!), and some beast w T as down; and, ku! and some other beast was down. Whenever Rat fired, Leopard would shout out, *‘Ntori! child! what have you got?” And it was Rat who would shout in reply, “Nyare” (ox), or “Njaku” (elephant), or “Nkambi!” (antelope), or whatever the game might be. And it was Leopard who offensively patronized him, saying, “That is a good boy, Tata! (Little Father); 20 WHERE ANIMALS TALK bring it here to your Uncle. ” Then Rat and all the servants would carry the carcass to Leopard. So that day, the cut- ting and dividing was just like the first day; Leopard claim- ing and taking the best, and leaving the skeleton and scraggy pieces and the bowels for Rat. After that second day’s hunt, Rat was tired of this way of dividing, in which he got only the worthless pieces. So he decided to get back some of Leopard’s meat by artifice, for his own table, even if he had to take it from Leopard’s orala itself. He began to devise what he should do. As he was out walking, he came to a brook in which were sunken logs of hard heavy wood. They had lain there a long time, and were black with outside decay. With his machete in hand, he dived; and remaining under the water, he scraped the logs till he had removed the dark outside, and exposed the white inner wood. lie kept on at the job scraping and scraping until the logs appeared white like ivory. Then he went back to Leopard’s camp, and, with pretence of excitement, exclaimed, “Mwe Njega! I think we will be going to be rich. \ou don’t know what I’ve found! Such a big ivory-tusk hidden in the water! I think we better leave off hunting meat, and go to get this fine ivory. ” Leo- pard replied, “ Good ! come on ! ” The next day, they first arranged their fires so that the smoke-drying of their meat might continue during their absence; and then started for the ivory. They all prepared themselves, for diving, by taking off their good clothing, and wearing only a small loin-cloth. Their entire companies went, men, women, and children, leaving not a single person in the camps. Leopard says, “You, Ntori, go first, as you know where the place is.” Rat says, “Good! come on!” And they went on their way. Arrived at the brook, Rat says, “You all come on, and dive.” Leopard asks, “My son! is it still there?” Rat, pointing, answers, “Yes! my ivory is there.” Leopard, looking down in the water says, “I see no ivory!” Rat, still pointing, replies, “There! Those white things! Don’t you see them?” Leopard says, “I never saw ivory look like logs.” Rat answered, “No? But this is a new kind. I assure you they are ivory! I have been down there, and I WHERE ANIMALS TALK 21 cleaned the mud off of them.” Leopard was satisfied, and said, “Good! come on!” And they all dived. They laid hold of the supposed ivory, and pulled, and pushed, and lifted, and worked. But it was stuck fast, and they could not move it. While they were thus working, Rat suddenly cried out, “Njega! 0! I forgot something! I must go quickly back to the olako. I will not be gone long. I shall return soon.” Rat came out of the brook; ran to the camp; took of his own bundles of bones and scraggy pieces, and put them on Leopard’s drying-frames, and took the same number of bundles of good meat from Leopard’s frames. Then he ran back to the brook, to continue the work at the so-called ivory. Soon after that, Rat says, “Mwe Njega! it is time to return to the olako; we have worked long; I am hungry.” Leopard says, “Good! come on!” So they returned to the camp to eat. Rat says, “Njega! as I am so hungry, I will not wait with you, but will go to my own olako at once. And I will put up a curtain between us, as it is a shame for one to eat in the presence of his elder. ” So Rat put up a curtain; and opened a bundle of nice meat; and he and his people began to eat. When Leopard took down one of his bundles, and opened it to share with his women, he w^as amazed, and said, “See! only bones and mean pieces! Ah! what is this matter!” And he called out to the other camp, “Ntori! Tata!” Rat responds, “Eh! Mwe Njega?” Leopard inquires, “What kind of meat are you eating?” Rat answers, “My own, from my own bundles. But what kind have you, Mwe Njega?” Leopard says, “My women prepared meat that was nice; but now I have only bones. I am surprised at that.” The next, the fourth day, Rat said to Leopard, “I think we better change from the hard work on the ivory. Let us go hunting today; and tomorrow we will resume the ivory.” Leopard assented “Good! come on!” And they started out to hunt. They w*ere successful again as on the previous days. At the time of the division of the meat, Rat showed no dis- pleasure at Leopard’s taking the best pieces; as he had now his own artifice to get them back. And the meats of the day 22 WHERE ANIMALS TALK were placed on their owners’ respective drying-frames. By this day’s doings, many of Leopard’s baskets were full, ready to be taken to town, while most of Rat’s were still empty. On the fifth day, they went to the brook again, to their fruitless work of pulling at the so-called ivory. The same things happened as before; Rat remembers that he has forgotten something; has to go in haste to the camp; rapidly changes the bundles on his and Leopard’s frames; returns to the brook; they all come back to the camp to eat; and there were repeated Leopard’s surprise, and his questions to Rat about the kinds of meat they were eating. Thus they continued; on alternate days hunting, and working at the ivory that was stuck immovably fast in the mud; and Rat stealing; and Leopard complaining. Finally, Leopard became tired of his losses; and, one day, without letting anyone know what he intended doing, he said, “I will take a little walk.” Rat says, “You go alone? May I accompany you?” Leopard said, “No! I go alone; I won’t be long away; and I do not go far.” So Leopard went to the wizard Ra-Marange, whom as soon as he saw him, exclaimed, “What are you come for? Are you in trouble?” Leopard told him the matter of the losses of the meat. Then Ra-Marange jumped into his fire, and emerged powerful and wise. And he said, “I will make for you something that will find out for you who it is that takes your meat. ” So Ra-Marange made a little image of a man, and con- ferred on it wisdom and power, and gave it to Leopard, who took it to his camp, and hid it in his hut. The next day they all resumed the work at the brook, with the ivory. There was the same diving, the same fruit- less pulling, Rat’s same need of going back to the camp, and his same attempts at stealing. While he was doing this, he sees something like a little man standing near him. Rat puts out his hand to take from Leopard’s bundles as usual, and the image catches him by the wrist of that hand. Rat indignantly says, “You! this little fool! leave me! What do you catch me for?” But the image was silent; nor did it let go its hold. So Rat struck at it with his other hand. And the image caught that hand with its other hand. Then WHERE ANIMALS TALK 23 Rat was angry and kicked with one foot at a leg of the image. And that foot was retained by that leg of the image. Rat kicked with his remaining foot; it also was retained by the image’s other leg. He was thus held in the power of the image. Rat, in desperation, said, “Let me go!” The image spoke, and simply said, “No!” Rat felt he was in a bad situation; but he put on a bold face. He knew that, by his long delay, the others must have given up the work at the brook, and would by now be returning to the camp ; and, in a little while, he would be discovered. To forestall that dis- covery, he shouted out, “Mwe Nejga, come quickly! I’ve found the person who changes your bundles!” Leopard, on the path, heard his voice, and replied, “My child, is that so? Hold him fast!” Rat still daringly said, “Come quickly! He wants to get away from my grasp ! ” Leopard replied, “Hold fast ! I am coming ! ” They all came hastily, both of Rat’s people, and of Leopard’s people; and there they saw Rat held fast by the hands and legs of the image. Leopard asked, “Where is he?” Rat, daring to the last, said, “This little man here that I am holding.” Leopard said, “Now that I am here, let go of him, for I will take charge of him.” Rat struggled, but in vain. Leopard several times repeated his direction to Rat, “Let go of him!” But Rat was utterly unable to withdraw his limbs from the power of the image. And he gave up the effort, in shame. Then Leopard had to help release Rat; the conferred power of the image being subservient to him. He did not strike Rat, he being his relative. But rebuked him, “Ah! Ntori! now I know it was you who made all the trouble about my meat!” And he took back all his fine bundles, and returned Rat his poor bundles. Rat went to his own camp ashamed, but still angry at the unjust division of the meat. As Leopard’s baskets were now full, he announced that they should prepare to break camp, and return to town. Rat’s women murmured, “Ah! all going away, and our baskets almost empty!” Rat comforted them, “Yes; it is so; but, we will find a way to fill them!” So, the next day, while the others were gone to get leaves and vines with which to tie up their baskets, Rat took his 24 WHERE ANIMALS TALK empty ones to the brook and filled them with stones, and tied them up with leaves, as if they contained meat. On the following day, as they were about to start on their journey, Rat said to Leopard, “As you are the elder, go you first, and I will follow. ” Leopard said, “Good! come on!” And they went on the path, Rat keeping close behind Leopard’s people. (Baskets being carried tied on the back with a strap over the forehead, the bearer leans heavily forward, and cannot see what is happening behind.) Rat had prepared a hook with a handle. From time to time, as they came to narrow places in the path where thorny branches met, he would strike the hook into some basket before him, and in pretence, w T ould say, “Wait! a thorn on this branch has caught your basket! Let me unfasten it.” While the carrier would stand still for Rat to release the branch, the latter seized the chance to take pieces of meat from the basket, and substitute stones from his own baskets. The way was long; and, at every obstructed place, Rat kept on at his pretence of helping to free some basket of Leopard’s from the thorns that caught it, and changed pieces of good meat for his stones. Before they reached Leopard’s town, darkness began to fall, and both companies were very tired, especially that of Leopard; for, their baskets seemed to have grown heavier. Rat said, “Njega! All this hard day’s walk! Hide our baskets, yours in one place, and mine in another, and let us go on to town and sleep ; and we will send back our women for the baskets in the morning. ” Leopard assented, “ Good ! come on!” So they left their baskets, and all went to town. The next morning, Rat sent his people very, very early. Leopard sent his later, at the usual time of morning business. When his people were going they met Rat’s people coming back with their loads, and exclaimed, “You are loaded al- ready!” When Leopard’s people brought their baskets to the town, and opened them, they were amazed to find that they had little else than stones and bones. Leopard was very angry; and, going to Rat, he began to scold, “You have taken away my meat!” “No I have my own. Look! these baskets, you know them, they are mine! Perhaps some one stole your meat in the night and put the stones in place. But, WHERE ANIMALS TALK 25 as you are in such a trouble, I will share with you of mine. ” So he called to his women, “Give Njega a few pieces of meat.” Leopard took the meat, and Rat and his people went away to their own town. But Leopard was not satisfied. He was sure that Rat had played him a trick. He had forgiven Rat his stealing at the camp; but, for this last trick, he meditated revenge. TALE 3 Tests of Death — 1st Version Persons Njega (Leopard) Ntori (Wild-Rat) NOTE It is the proper and most friendly mode, that relatives and friends should hasten to visit their sick, on the very first information, without waiting to be invited or summoned. Leopard told his head- wife, “Ntori has taken our meat and deceived me in all these ways; I will kill him and eat him.” So he pretended to be sick. The next day, news was sent to Rat that his Uncle Leopard was sick of a fever. The following day, word was again sent that he was very sick indeed, and that he wanted a parting word with Rat. Rat sent back a message, “ I hear; and I will come tomorrow. ” Rat suspected some evil, and did not believe that Leopard was sick. So he went to the forest, and collected all kinds of insects that sting, and tied them into five little bundles. Next day, word came to him, “Njega is dead.” Rat went quickly, taking the five little bundles with him. 26 WHERE ANIMALS TALK When he reached Leopard’s town, he joined the crowd of mourners in the street, and lifted up his voice in wailing. Leopard’s head-wife went to him, and said, “Come into the house, and mourn with me, at your Uncle’s bed-side.” Rat went with her; but he did not take the seat that was offered him, as a near relative, at the supposed dead man’s head. He first explained, “After a person is reported dead, it is proper to make five tests to prove whether he is really dead, before we bury him. ” So he stood by the bed, at a point safe from Leopard’s hands, and opened a bundle, and lifting the shroud, quickly laid the bundle on Leopard’s naked body. The insects, infuriated by their imprisonment, flew out and attacked Leopard’s body, as it was the object nearest to them, and they were confined under the shroud. Leopard endured, and did not move. Rat opened a second bundle, and thrust it also on another part of Leopard’s body. Leopard could scarcely refrain from wincing. Rat opened a third, and laid it in the same way on another part. Leopard’s face began to twitch with the torture. Rat opening a fourth, used it in the same way; and Leopard in pain began to twist his body; but, when Rat opened the fifth bundle, Leopard could endure the stings no longer. He started up from the bed, holding a dagger he had hidden under the bed-clothing. But Rat w T as too agile for him, and ran out before Leopard could fully rise from his supposed death-bed, and escaped to his own place. The mourners fled from the furious insects, and Leopard was left in agony under the poison of their stings. WHERE ANIMALS TALK 27 TALE 3 Tests of Death — Second Version Persons Njega (Leopard) Ibaba (Jackal) With Ngomba (Porcupine) Nkambi (Antelope) Njagu (Elephant) Iheli (Gazelle) Ekaga (Tortoise) With Ndongo (Pepper) Hako (Ants) And Nyoi (Bees) And Others NOTE All of a neighborhood go to a mourning for a dead person. Failure to go would have been regarded, formerly, as a sign of a sense of guilt as the cause of the death. Formerly, at funerals, there was great destruction. Some of a man’s wives and slaves were buried with him, with a large quantity of his goods; and his fruit trees adjacent to the houses were ruthlessly cut down. All, as signs of grief; as much as to say, “If the beloved dead cannot longer enjoy these things, no one else shall. ” The ancestor of the leopards never forgave the ancestor of the gazelles, but nursed his wrath at the trick which the latter had played on him with the insects. Unable to catch gazelles, because of their adroitness, the leopard wrecks his anger on all other beasts by killing them at any opportunity. These two beasts, Leopard and Jackal, were living together in the same town. Leopard said to Jackal, “My friend! I do not eat all sorts of food; I eat only animals.” So, one day, Leopard went to search for some beast in the forest. He wandered many hours, but could not find any for his food. On another day, Leopard said to Jackal, “My friend! let us arrange some plan, by which we can kill some animal. 28 WHERE ANIMALS TALK For, I’ve wandered into the forest again and again, and have found nothing.” Leopard made these remarks to his friend in the dark of the evening. So they sat that night and planned and, after their conversation, they went to lie down in their houses. And they slept their sleep. Then soon, the daylight broke. And Leopard, carrying out their plan, said to Jackal, “Take up your bedding, and put it out in the open air of the street.” Jackal did so. Leopard laid down on that mattress, in accordance with their plan, and stretched out like a corpse lying still, as if he could not move a muscle. He said to Jackal, “Call Ngomba, and let him come to me.” So Jackal shouted, “Come! Ngomba, come! That Beast that kills animals is dead! Come!” So Porcupine came to the mourning, weepmg, and wailing, as if he was really sorry for the death of his enemy. He approached near the supposed corpse. And he jeered at it. “This was the person who wasted us people; and this is his body!” Leopard heard this derision. Suddenly he leaped up. And Porcupine went down under his paw, dead. Then Leopard said to his friend Jackal, “Well! cut it up! and let us eat it. ” And they finished eating it. On another day, Leopard, again in the street, stretched himself on the bedding. At his direction, Jackal called for Antelope. Antelope came; and Leopard killed him, as he had done to Porcupine. On another day, Ox was called. And Leopard did to Ox the same as he had done to the others. On another day, Elephant was called in the same way; and he died in the same way. In the same way, Leopard killed some of almost all the other beasts one after another, until there were left only two. Then Jackal said, “Njega! my friend! there are left, of all the beasts, only two, Iheli and Ekaga. But, what can you do with Iheli? for, he has many artifices. What, also, can you do against Ekaga? for, he too, has many devices.” Leopard replied, “I will do as I usually have done; so, to- morrow, I will lie down again, as if I were a corpse.” That day darkened into night. And another daylight broke. WHERE ANIMALS TALK 29 And Leopard went out of the house to lie down on the bedding in the street. Each limb was extended out as if dead; and his mouth open, with lower jaw fallen, like that of a dead person. Then Jackal called, “Iheli! come here! That person who wastes the lives of the beasts is dead ! He’s dead ! ” Gazelle said to himself, “I hear! So! Njega is dead? I go to the mourning ! ” Gazelle lived in a town distant about three miles. He started on the journey, taking with him his spear and bag; but, he said to himself, “Before I go to the mourning, I will stop on the way at the town of Ekaga. ” He came to the town of Tortoise, and he said to him, “Chum! have you heard the news? That person who kills Beasts and Mankind is dead!” But Tortoise answered, “No! go back to your town! that person is not dead. Go back!” Gazelle said, “No! For, before I go back to my town, I will first go to Njega’s to see.” So Tortoise said, “If you are determined to go there, I w-ill tell you some- thing.” Gazelle exclaimed, “Yes! Uncle, speak!” Then Tortoise directed him, “Take ndongo.” Gazelle took some. Tortoise said, “Take also Hako, and take also Nyoi. Tie them all up in a bundle of plantain leaves.” (He told Gazelle to do all these things, as a warning.) And Tortoise added, “You will find Njega with limbs stretched out like a corpse. Take a machete with you in your hands. When you arrive there, begin to cut dow n the plantain-stalks. And you must cry out ‘Mho killed my Uncle? who killed my uncle?’ If he does not move, then you sit down and watch him.” So Gazelle went, journeyed and came to that towm of mourning. He asked Jackal, “Ibaba! This person, how did he die?” Jackal replied, “Yesterday afternoon this person was seized with a fever; and today, he is a corpse.” Gazelle looked at Leopard from a distance, his eyes fixed on him, even while he was slashing down the plantains, as he was told to do. But, Leopard made no sign, though he heard the noise of the plantain-stalk falling to the ground. Presently, Jackal said to Gazelle, “Go near to your Uncle’s bed, and look at the corpse. ” Leopard began in his heart to arrange for a spring, being 30 WHERE ANIMALS TALK ready to fight, and thinking, “What time Iheli shall be near me, I will kill him. ” Gazelle approached, but carefully stood off a rod distant from the body of Leopard. Then Gazelle drew the bundle of Ants out of his bag, and said to himself, “Is this person, really dead? I will test him!” But, Gazelle stood warily ready to flee at the slightest sign. He quickly opened the bundle of insects; and he joined the three, the Ants, the Bees, and the Pepper, all in one hand; and, standing with care, he threw them at Leopard. The bundle of leaves, as it struck Leopard, flew open. Being released, the Bees rejoiced, saying, “Soli sting Njega!” Pepper also was glad, saying, “Soil will make him perspire!” Ants also spitefully exclaimed, “I’ve bitten you!” The pain of all these made Leopard jump up in wrath; and he leaped toward Gazelle. But he dashed away into the forest, shouting as he disappeared, “I’m not an Iheli of the open prairie, but of the forest wilderness!” So, he fled and came to the town of Tortoise. There he told Tortoise, “You are justified! Njega indeed is not dead! He was only pretending, in order to kill. ” And Tortoise, remarked, “I am the doyen of Beasts. Being the eldest, if I tell any one a thing, he should not contradict me. ” TALE 4 Tasks Done for a Wife Place In Njambi’s Kingdom Persons A Rich Merchant and his Nguvu (Hippopotamus) Daughter Ekaga (Tortoise) Njagu (Elephant) Mbodi (An Enormous Goat) Njega (Leopard) Servants, and Townspeople Njina (Gorilla) WHERE ANIMALS TALK 31 NOTE The artifices of Tortoise compete with the stength of Leopard. The story of the Giant Goat is a separate Tale in No. 32, of Part Second. In the time when Mankind and all other Animals lived together, to all the Beasts the news came that there was a Merchant in a far country, who had a daughter, for whom he was seeking a marriage. And he had said, “I do not want money to be the dowry that shall be paid by a suitor for my daughter. But, whosoever shall do some difficult works, which I shall assign him, to him I will give her. ” All the Beasts were competing for the prize. First, Elephant went on that errand. The merchant said to him, “Do such-and-such tasks, and you shall have my daughter. More than that, I will give you wealth also. ” Elephant went at the tasks, tried, and failed; and came back saying he could not succeed. Next, Gorilla stood up; he went. And the merchant told him, in the same way as to Elephant, that he was to do cer- tain tasks. Gorilla tried, and failed, and came back dis- gusted. Then, Hippopotamus advanced, and said he would at- tempt to win the woman. His companions encouraged him with hopes of success, because of his size and strength. He went, tried, and failed. Thus, almost all beasts attempted, one after another; they tried to do the tasks, and failed. At last there were left as contestants, only Leopard and Tortoise. Neither was disheartened by the failure of the others; each asserted that he would succeed in marrying that rich daughter. Tortoise said, “I’m going now!” But Leopard said, “No! I first!” Tortoise yielded, “Well, go; you are the elder. I will not compete with you. Go you, first!” Leopard went, and made his application. The merchant said to him, “Good! that you have come. But, the others came, and failed. Try you.” Leopard said, “Very well.” He tried, and failed, and went back angry, 32 WHERE ANIMALS TALK Tortoise then went. He saluted the merchant, and told him he had come to take his daughter. The merchant said, “Do so; but try to do the tasks first.” Tortoise tried all the tasks, and did them all. The first was that of a calabash dipper that was cracked. The mer- chant said to him, “You take this cracked calabash and bring it to me full of water all the way from the spring to this town. ” Tortoise looking and examining, objected, “This calabash! cracked! how can it carry water?” The merchant replied, “You yourself must find out. If you succeed, you marry my daughter. ” Tortoise took the calabash to the spring. Putting it into the water, he lifted it. But the water all ran out before he had gone a few steps. Again he did this, five times; and the water was always running out. Sitting, he meditated, “What is this? How can it be done?” Thinking again, he said, “I’ll do it! I know the art how!” He went to the forest, took gum of the Okume (mahogany tree) lighted a fire, melted the gum, smeared it over the crack, and made it water-tight; then, dipping the calabash into the spring, it did not leak. He took it full to the father-in-law, and called out, “Father-in-law! this is the calabash of water.” The merchant asked, “But what did you do to it? ” He answered “I mended it with gum.” The father said, “Good for you! The others did not think of that easy simple solution. You have sense!” Tortoise then said, “I have finished this one task; today has passed. Tomorrow I will begin on the other four. ” The next morning, he came to receive his direction from the merchant, who said, “Ekaga! you see that tall tree far away? At the top are fruits. If you want my daughter, pluck the fruits from the top, and you shall marry her.’ ’ Tortoise went and stood watching and looking and examin- ing the tree. Its trunk was all covered with soap, and im- possible to be climbed. He returned to the merchant, and asked, “That fruit you wish, may it be obtained in any way, even if one does not climb the tree?” He was answered, “Yes, in any way, except cutting down the tree. Only so that I get the fruit, I am satisfied. ” Tortoise had already tried from morning to afternoon to climb that tree, but could not. So, after he had asked the WHERE ANIMALS TALK 33 merchant his question, he went back to the tree; and from evening, all night and until morning, he dug about the roots till they were all free. And the tree fell, without his having “cut” the trunk at all. So he took the fruit to the Merchant, and told him that he had not “cut down” the tree, but that he had it “dug up.” The merchant said, “You have done well. People who came before you failed to think of that. Good for you!” On the third day, the merchant said to the spectators, “I will not name the other three tasks. You, my assistants, may name them.” So they thought of one task after another. But one and another said, “No, that is not hard; let us search for a harder.” Finally, they found three hard tasks. Tortoise was ready for and accomplished them all. Then the merchant announced, “Now, you may marry my daughter; and tomorrow you shall make your journey.” They made a great feast; an ox was killed; and they had songs and music all night, clear on till morning. But, while all this was going on, Leopard, who was left at his town, was saying to himself, “This Ekaga! He has stayed five days! Had he failed, he would not have stayed so long! So! he has been able to do the tasks! Is that a good thing?” (On the day that Tortoise started on the journey to seek the merchant’s daughter, Leopard had been heard to say, “If Ekaga succeeds in getting that wife, I will take her from him by force. ”) When Tortoise was ready to start on his return journey with his wife, the father-in-law gave him very many things, slaves and goats and a variety of goods, and said, “Go, you and your wife and these things. I send people to escort you part of the way. They are not to go clear on to your town, but are to turn back on the way. ” Tortoise and company journeyed. When the escort were about to turn back, Tortoise said, “Day is past. Make an olako (camp) here. We sleep here; and, in the morning, you shall go back.” That night he thought, “Njega said he would rob me of my wife. Perhaps he may come to meet me on the way!” So, he swallowed all of the things, to hide them, — wife, servants, and all. While Tortoise was thus on the way, Leopard had planned not to wait his return to town, but had set out to meet him. 34 WHERE ANIMALS TALK So, in the morning, the two, journeying in opposite directions, met. Tortoise gave Leopard a respectful “Mbolo!” and Leopard returned the salutation. Leopard asked, “What news? That woman, have you married her?” Tortoise answered, “That woman! Not at all!” Leopard looking at Tortoise’s style and manner as of one proud of success, said, “Surely you have married; for you look happy, and show signs of success. ” But Tortoise swore he had not married. Leopard only said, “Good.” Then Tortoise asked, “But, where are you going?” Leopard answered, “I am going out walking and hunting. But you, where are you going?” Tortoise replied, “I did not succeed in marrying the woman; so I am going back to town. I tried, but I failed.” “But,” said Leopard, “what then makes your belly so big?” Tortoise replied, “On the way I found an abundance of mushrooms, and I ate heartily of them. If you do not believe it, I can show you them by vomiting them up.” Leopard said, “ Never mind to vomit. Go on your journey. ” And Leopard went on his way. But, soon he thought, “Ah! Ekaga has lied to me!” So he ran around back, and came forward to meet Tortoise again. Tortoise looked and saw Leopard coming, and observed that his face was full of wrath. He feared, but said to him- self, “If I flee, Njega wdll catch me. I will go forward and try artifice.” As he approached Leopard, the latter was very angry, and said, “You play wdth me! You say you have not married the woman I wanted. Tell me the truth!” Tortoise again swore an oath, “No! I have not married the woman! I told you I ate mushrooms, and offered to show you; and you refused.” So Leopard said, “Well, then, vomit. ” Tortoise bent over, and vomited and vomited mushrooms and mushrooms; and then said triumphantly, “So! Njega you see!” Leopard looked, and said, “But, Ekaga, your belly is still full, — go on vomiting.” Tortoise tried to excuse himself, “I have done vomiting.” Leopard persisted, “No! keep on at it.” Tortoise went on retching; and a box of goods fell out of his mouth. Leopard still said, “Go on!” and Tortoise vomited in succession a table and other furniture. He was compelled to go on retching; and slaves came out. And at last, up was vomited the woman! WHERE ANIMALS TALK 35 Leopard shouted, “Ah! Ekaga! you lied! You said you had not married! I will take this woman!” And he took her, sarcastically saying, “Ekaga, you have done me a good work! You have brought me all these things, these goods, and slaves, and a wife! Thank you!” Tortoise thought to himself, “I have no strength for war.” So, though anger was in his heart, he showed no displeasure in his face. And they all went on together toward their town. With wrath still in his heart, he went clear on to the town, and then made his complaint to each of the towns- people. But they all were afraid of Leopard, and said nothing, nor dared to give Tortoise even sympathy. There was in that country among the mountains, an enormous Goat. The other beasts, all except Leopard, were accustomed to go to that Goat, when hungry, and say, “We have no meat to eat.” And the Goat allowed them to cut pieces of flesh from his body. He could let any part of the interior of his body be taken except his heart. All the Animals had agreed among themselves not to tell Leopard where they got their meat, lest he, in his greediness, would go and take the heart. So they had told him they got their meat as he did, hunting. Tortoise, angry because Leopard has taken his wife, said to himself, “I will make a cause of complaint against Njega that shall bring punishment upon him from our King. I will cause Njega to kill that Goat.” On another day, Tortoise went and got meat from the Goat, and came back to town, and did not hide it from Leopard. Leopard said to him, “Ekaga! where did you get this meat?” Tortoise whispered, “Come to my house, and I will tell you.” They went. And Tortoise divided the meat with him, and said, “Do not tell on me: but, we get the meat off at a great Goat. Tomorrow, I go; and you, follow behind me.” So, the next day, they went, Tortoise as if by himself, and Leopard following, off to the great Goat. Arrived there, Leopard wondered at the sight, “0! this great Goat! But, from where do you take its meat?” Tortoise replied, “Wait for me! You will see!” He went, and Leopard followed. Tortoise said to the Goat, “We have meat-hunger: we come to seek meat from you.” The Goat’s mouth was open as usual; Tortoise entered, and Leopard followed, to get flesh 36 WHERE ANIMALS TALK from inside. In the Goat’s interior was a house, full of meat; and they entered it. Leopard wondered at its size; and Tortoise told him, “Cut where you please, but not from the heart, lest the Goat die. ” And they began to take meat. Leopard, with greediness, coveting the forbidden heart, went with knife near to it. Tortoise exclaimed, “There! there! be careful.” But Leopard, though he had enough other flesh, longed for the heart, and was not satisfied. He again approached with the knife near it: and Tortoise warned and protested. These very prohibitions caused Leopard to have his own way, and his greediness overcame him. He cut the heart: and the Goat fell dying. Tortoise exclaimed, “Eh! Njega! I told you not to touch the heart! Because of this matter I will inform on you.” And he added, “Since it is so, let us go. ” But Leopard said, “Goat’s mouth is shut. How shall we get out? Let us hide in this house.” And he asked, “ Where will you hide? ” Tortoise replied, “ In the stomach. ” Leopard said, “Stomach! It is the very thing for me, Njega, myself!” So Ekaga consented, “Well! take it! I will hide in the gall-bladder.” So they hid, each in his place. Soon, as they listened, they heard voices shouting, “The Goat is dead! A fearful thing! The Goat is dead!” That news spread, and all who had been accustomed to get flesh there, came to see what was the matter. They all said that, as the Goat was dead, it was best to cut and divide him. They slit open the belly, and said, “Lay aside this big stom- ach; it is good; but throw away the bitter gall-sac.” They looked for the heart; but there was none! A child, to whom had been handed the gall-bladder to throw it away, was flinging it into some bushes. As he did so, out jumped something from among the bushes; and the child asked, “Who are you?” The thing replied, pretending to be vexed, “I am Ekaga; I come here with the others to get meat, and you, just as I arrived, throw that dirty thing in my face!” The other people pacified him, “Do not get angry. Excuse the child. He did not see you. You shall have your share. ” Then Tortoise called out, “Silence! silence! silence!” They all stood ready to listen, and he said, “Do not cut up the Goat till we first know who killed it. That stomach WHERE ANIMALS TALK 37 there! What makes it so big?” Leopard, in the stomach, heard; but he did not believe that Tortoise meant it, and thought to himself, “What a fool is this Ekaga, in pretend- ing to inform on me, by directing attention to the stomach!” Tortoise ordered, “All you, take your spears, and stick that stomach! For the one who killed Goat is in it!” And they all got their spears ready. Leopard did not speak or move; for, he still thought Tortoise was only joking. Tortoise began with his spear, and the others all thrust in. And Leopard holding the heart, was seen dying! All shouted, “Ah! Njega killed our Goat! Ah! he’s the one who killed it.” Tortoise taunted Leopard, “Asai! (shame for you) you took my wife; and now you are dead!” Leopard died. They divided the Goat, and re- turned to town. Tortoise took again his wife and all his goods, now that Leopard was dead. And he was satisfied that his artifice had surpassed Leopard’s strength. TALE 5 A Tug-of-War Persons Ekaga (Tortoise) Ngubu (Hippopotamus) Njagu (Elephant) NOTE African natives are sensitive about questions of equality and seniority. A certain term, “Mwera” (chum) may be addressed to other than an equal, only at risk of a quarrel. A story of the trick by which Tortoise apparently proved himself the equal of both Elephant and Hippopotamus. Observe the preposterous size of Elephant’s trunk ! But everything, to the native African mind, was enormous in the p re-historic times. 38 WHERE ANIMALS TALK Leopard was dead, after the accusation against him by Tortoise for killing the great Goat. The children of Leopard were still young; they had not grown to take their father’s power and place. And Tortoise considered himself now a great personage. He said to people, “We three who are left, — I and Njagu and Ngubu, are of equal power; we eat at the same table, and have the same authority.” Every day he made these boasts; and people went to Elephant and Hippopotamus, reporting, “So-and-so says Ekaga. ” Ele- phant and Hippopotamus laughed, and disregarded the report, and said, “That’s nothing, he’s only to be despised. ” One day Hippopotamus met Elephant in the forest; salutations were made, “Mbolo!” “Ai, mbolo!” each to the other. Hippopotamus asked Elephant about a new boast that Tortoise had been making, “Have you, or have you not heard?” Elephant answered, “Yes, I have heard. But I look on it with contempt. For, I am Njagu. I am big. My foot is as big as Ekaga’s body. And he says he is equal to me! But, I have not spoken of the matter, and w r ill not speak, unless I hear Ekaga himself make his boast. And then I shall know what I will do. ” And Hippopotamus also said, “I am doing so too, in silence. I wait to hear Ekaga myself. ” Tortoise heard of what Elephant and Hippopotamus had been threatening, and he asked his informant just the exact words that they had used, “They said that they waited to hear you dare to speak to them; and that, in the meanwhile, they despised you. ” Tortoise asked, “So! they despise me, do they?” “Yes,” was the reply. Then he said, “ So ! indeed, I will go to them. ” He told his wife, “Give me my coat to cover my body.” He dressed; and started to the forest. He found Elephant lying down; his trunk was eight miles long; his ears as big as a house, and his four feet beyond measure. Tortoise audaciously called to him, “Mwera! I have come! You don’t rise to salute me? Mwera has come!” Elephant looked, rose up and stared at Tortoise, and in- dignantly asked, “Ekaga! whom do you call ‘Mwera’? Tortoise replied, “You! I call you ‘Mwera.’ Are you not, Njagu?” Elephant, with great wrath, asked, “Ekaga! I WHERE ANIMALS TALK 39 have heard you said certain words. It is true that you said them?” Tortoise answered, “Njagu, don’t get angry! Wait, let us first have a conversation.” Then he said to Elephant, “I did call you, just now, ‘Mwera’; but, you, Njagu, why do you condemn me? You think that, because you are of great expanse of flesh, you can surpass Ekaga, just because I am small? Let us have a test. Tomorrow, sometime in the morning, we will have a lurelure (tug-of-war).” Said Elephant, “Of what use? I can mash you with one foot.” Tortoise said, “Be patient. At least try the test.” So, Elephant, unwilling, consented. Tortoise added, “ But, when we tug, if one overpulls the other, he shall be considered the greater; but, if neither, then we are Mwera.” Then Tortoise went to the forest, and cut a very long vine, and coming back to Elephant, said “This end is yours. I go off into the forest with my end to a certain spot, and tomorrow I return to that spot; and we will have our tug, and neither of us will stop, to eat or sleep until either you pull me over or the vine breaks.” Tortoise went far off with his end of the vine to the town of Hippopotamus, and hid the vine’s end at the outskirts of the town. He went to Hippopotamus and found him bathing, and going ashore, back and forth, to and from the water. Tortoise shouted to him, “Mwera! I have come! You! Come ashore! I am visiting you!” Hippopotamus came bellowing in great wrath with wide open jaws, ready to fight, and said, “I will fight you today! For, whom do you call ‘Mwera’?” Tortoise replied, “Why! you! I do not fear your size. Our hearts are the same. But, don’t fight yet! Let us first talk.” Hippopotamus grunted, and sat down; and Tortoise said, “I, Ekaga, I say that you and I and Njagu are equal, we are Mwera. Even though you are great and I small, I don’t care. But if you doubt me, let us have a trial. To- morrow morning let us have a lurelure. He who shall over- come, shall be the superior. But, if neither is found superior, then we are equals.” Hippopotamus exclaimed that the plan was absurd; but, finally he consented. Tortoise then stood up, and went out, and got his end of the vine, and brought it to Hippopotamus, and said, “This end is yours. And I now go. Tomorrow, when you feel 40 WHERE ANIMALS TALK the vine shaken, know that I am ready at the other end; and then you begin, and we will not stop to eat or sleep until this test is ended.” Hippopotamus then went to the forest to gather leaves of Medicine with which to strengthen his body. And Ele- phant, at the other end, was doing the same, making medicine to give himself strength; and at night they were both asleep. In the morning, Tortoise went to the middle of the vine, where at its half-way, he had made on the ground a mark; and he shook it towards one end, and then towards the other. Elephant caught his end, as he saw it shake, and Hippopota- mus did the same at his end. “Orindi went back and forth” (a proverb of a fish of that name that swims in that way), Elephant and Hippopotamus alternately pulling. “Nke- ndinli was born of his father and mother” (a proverb, meaning distinctions in individualities'). Each one. Hippopotamus and Elephant, doing in his own way. Tortoise smiled at his arrangement with each, that, in the tug, if one overcame, it would be proved by his dragging the other; but, if neither overcame, they were not to cease, until the vine broke. Elephant holding the vine taut, and Hippopotamus also holding it taut, Tortoise was laughing in his heart as he watched the quivering vine. He went away to seek for food, leaving those two at their tug, in hunger. He went off into the forest and found his usual food, mushrooms. He ate his belly full, and then took his drink; and then went to his town to sleep. He rose in late afternoon, and said to himself, “I’ll go and see about the tug, whether those fools are still pulling.” When he went there, the vine was still stretched taut ; and he thought, “Asai! shame! let them die with hunger!” He sat there, the vine trembling with tensity, and he in his heart mocking the two tired beasts. The one drew the other toward himself; and then, a slight gain brought the mark back; but neither was overcoming. At last Tortoise nicked the vine with his knife; the vine parted; and, at their ends, Elephant and Hippopotamus fell violently back onto the ground. Tortoise said to himself, “So! that’s done! Now I go to Elephant with one end of the broken vine; tomorrow to Hippopotamus.” He went, and came on to Elephant, and found him looking dolefully, WHERE ANIMALS TALK 41 and bathing his leg with medicine, and said, “Mwera! How do you feel? Do you consent that we are Mwera?” Ele- phant admitted, “Ekaga, I did not know you were so strong! When the vine broke, I fell over and hurt my leg. Yes, we are really equal. Really! strength is not because the body is large. I despised you because your body was small. But actually, we are equal in strength!” So they ate and drank and played as chums; and Tortoise returned to his town. Early the next morning, with the other end of the broken vine, he went to visit Hippopotamus, who looked sick, and was rubbing his head, and asked, “Ngubu! How do you feel, Mwera?” Hippopotamus answered, “Really! Ekaga! so we are equals! I, Ngubu, so great! And you, Ekaga, so small ! We pulled and pulled. I could not surpass you, nor you me. And when the vine broke, I fell and hurt my head. So, indeed strength has no greatness of body.” Tortoise and Hippopotamus ate and drank and played; and Tortoise returned to his town. After that, whenever they three and others met to talk in palaver (council) the three sat together on the highest seats. Were they equal? Yes, they were equal. TALE 6 Agenda : Rat’s Play on a Name Persons Njega (Leopard) Rangi (Frog) Ntori (Rat) Igamba (Crab) NOTE In native African etiquette, a company of persons is saluted with the use of the verb in the plural; but only the oldest, or the supposed leader, if his name is known, is mentioned by name. 42 WHERE ANIMALS TALK The native custom among polite tribes, is to leave a guest to eat without being watched. The twitching of a muscle of an arm, or any other part of the body (called okalimambo) is regarded as a sign of coming evil. Compare Macbeth, Act 4, Scene 1. “By the pricking of my thumb Something wicked this way comes.” The absurd and the unreasonable ( e . g., the swallowing of a wife, goats, servants, etc.) are a constant feature of the native legends in their use of the impossible. All native Africans have more than one name, and often change their names to suit circumstances. But, while all their names have a meaning (just as our English names, “Augustus,” “Clara,” etc.) those meanings are not thought of when denominating an individual; e. g., “Bwalo” which means canoe. Leopards do not like to wet their feet. Leopard wanted a new wife. So he sought for a young woman of a far country, of whom he heard as a nice girl, a daughter of one of the Kings of that country. He did not go himself, but sent word, and received answer by messenger. Neither the woman nor her father had ever seen Leopard. They knew of him only by reputation. The King was pleased with the proposed alliance, and assented, saying, “Yes! I am willing. Go! get yourself ready, and come with your marriage company. ” So Leopard went around and invited many other beasts, “Come! and help me get a new one!” They all replied, “Yes!” And they all started together for the King’s town. When they had gone half-way, one of their number, a big forest Rat said, “Brothers! let us begin here to change our names, so that when we get to the town, we shall not be known by our usual names.” But Leopard refused, “No! I won’t! I stick by my old name. My name is Njega. ” All the others said the same, and retained their own names. But Rat insisted for himself, “I will not be called Ntori. I will be called ‘Strangers.’ My name is Agenda,” (the plural of ogenda which means “stranger”). WHERE ANIMALS TALK 43 When they approached the town, the inhabitants, with great politeness, ran out to welcome them, shouting, “Agenda! Saleni, Saleni!” (Strangers! Welcome ye! welcome ye!) Rat turned to the company and said, “Hear that! you see they are saluting me as the leader of this company. ” Upon their entering the town, they were shown to the large public Reception-House; and the people said to them, “Now! strangers (Agenda!), march in!” Rat turned again to his companions, and said, “You see! they have again addressed me specially by name, asking me to take possession of this room. ” They all went in feeling uncomfortably; but Rat said to them, “Never mind! though this room was evidently pre- pared specially for me, I am not selfish, and I invite you to share it with me. ” After the visitors had all been seated, the people came to give them the formal final salutation, saying “Strangers (Agenda), mbolani! (long life to ye).” Rat promptly whispered to his companions, saying, “This mbolo is to me for you, I alone will respond to it.” So, only he replied, “Ai Mbolani! Ai.” (Mbolani is the second person plural of the irregular defective verb Mbolo equal to “livelong.”) The day passed. In the evening, the people brought in an abundant supply of food, and set it down on the table, say- ing, “Strangers (Agenda!), eat! Here is your food!” And they went out, closing the door, so that the guests in their eating should not be annoyed by spectators. Then Rat said, “You see! All this food is mine, though I am not able to eat it all. ” He alone began to eat of it. When he had satisfied his appetite, he said, “Truly this food is my own, but I am sorry for you, and I will give you of it. ” So he gave out to each, one by one, very small pieces of fish and plantain. In the morning, the people thoughtfully sent water for the usual morning washing of hands and face. Rat hasted to open the door; and the slaves carrying the vessels of water, said to him, “These are sent to the strangers (Agenda).” So Rat took the water and used it all for himself. This second day was a repetition of the first. The towns- people continued their hospitality, sending food and drink and tobacco and fruits; and making many kind inquiries of 44 WHERE ANIMALS TALK what “the Agenda” would like to have. Rat, received all these things as for himself; while the rest of the company felt themselves slighted, and were hungry and disgusted. On the third day, the company said among themselves, “Njega told us that our visit was to last the usual five days; but we cannot stand such treatment as this!” And they began to run away, one by one. Even Leopard himself followed them, provoked at his expected father-in-law’s supposed neglect of him. But, before Leopard had gone, Rat went to the bride elect, and said, “I never saw such a party as this ! They do not eat, and are not willing to await the Marriage Dance for the Bride on the fifth day.” When they were all secretly gone, leaving Rat alone, he said to the woman, “ I will tell them all to go, even my friend Njega whom I brought to escort me. But I will not go without you, even if we have not had the dance; for, I am the one who was to marry you. ” And the father of the girl said to Rat, “Since they have treated you so, never mind to call them again for the Dance. You just take your wife and go. ” So the King gave his daughter farewell presents of boxes of clothing, and two female servants to help her, and a number of goats, and men-servants to carry the baggage. Rat and wife and attendants set out on their journey. When they were far away from the King’s town, Rat ex- claimed, “I feel okalimambo (premonition).” (He sus- pected that Leopard was somewhere near.) So he dismissed the men-servants, and sent them back to the King. And then quickly, in order to hide them, he swallowed the woman and the two maid-servants and all the boxes of clothing, and the goats. Rat then went on, and on, and on, with his journey, until at a cross-roads, he saw Leopard coming cross-ways toward him: and he called out, “Who are you?” The reply came, “ I am Njega. And who are you? ” Rat answer- ed, “Ntori. ” Then Leopard called to him, “Come here!” “No!” said Rat, “I am in a hurry, and want to get home — ” And he went on without stopping. So Leopard said, “Well, I pass on my way too!” “Good!” said Rat, “Pass on!” And they went on their separate ways. WHERE ANIMALS TALK 45 But Leopard, at a turn in his road, rounded back, and hasted by another path to get in front of Rat. When Leo- pard again saw Rat a short distance before him, he calls out, “Who are you?” The reply was “Ntori; and who are you?” Leopard answered, “I’m Njega. Stop on your way, and come here to me!” Rat replied, “No! you asked me once before to stop, and I refused. And I refuse now; I must pass on.” Because of Rat’s unwillingness to stop, Leopard began to chase him, and to shout at him, “You have my wife!” Rat answered back, “No! I have no wife of yours!” “You lie! You have the woman with you. What makes your body so big?” Rat ran as fast as he could, with Leopard close after him. Rat’s home is always a hole in the ground; and, as he was hard pressed in his flight, he dashed into the first hole he came to, which happened to be a small opening into a cave. But his tail was not yet drawn in and Leopard was so near that he seized it. Projecting from the mouth of the hole there was also the small root of a tree. Rat called ont, “Friend Njega! what do you think you have caught hold of?” “Your tail!” said Leopard. Said Rat, “That is not my tail! this other thing near you is my tail!” So Leopard let go of the tail, and seized the root. Rat slid quickly to the bottom of the hole, and called out, “O! Njega! I did not think you were so silly! You had hold of my tail, and you let me go! You just look at your hand; you will see my tail- hairs clinging to it!” Leopard went away in wrath; and, finding Frog at a near- by brook, he said to him, “Rangi! you just watch. I do not want Ntori to escape from that hole. Watch, while I go to get some fire, with which to burn him out. ” Shortly after Leopard had gone, Rat began to creep out. Seeing Frog standing on guard, he said, “Good Rangi! let me pass!” But Frog replied, “No! I have my orders to watch you here.” Then said Rat, “If that is so, why don’t you come close here, and attend to you duty? You are too far from this hole. If a person is set to watch, he should be near the thing he watches. As far as you are there, I could, if I tried, get out without your catching me. So, it is better for you to have a good look down this hole. ” While 46 WHERE ANIMALS TALK Rat was saying all this, he was near the mouth of the hole; but, as Frog approached, he receded to the bottom, and went to the back end of the cave, where cayenne pepper bushes were growing. Frog came to the edge of the hole, and looking down, saw nothing. During this while, Rat was plucking pepper-pods and chewing them, retaining them in his mouth. Returning again to the entrance, he saw Frog still watching, and he said, “Rangi! get out of my way, and let me pass. Let me out!” Frog replied, “I will not!” Rat asked, “Do you know me? Frog replied, “Not very well.” Then Rat said, “Come near! Open your eyes wide, and take a good look at me!” As soon as Frog’s eyes were wide open, Rat blew the pepper into them. This so startled Frog that he fell back, his eyes blinded by the smarting; and Rat jumped out and ran away. Frog, heedless of his prisoner, was jumping about in pain; and, abandoning his post, crawled to the water of the brook not far away, and tumbled into it to wash his eyes. Now, by this time, Leopard had returned with his fire. Seeing no one on guard, he called out, “Rangi! Rangi! where are you?” Frog, at the bottom of the brook, was still in agony with his eyes. He knew well that Rat was gone; but, in his vexation, he answered, “Ntori is there! Put in your fire!” So, Leopard put fire into the hole, and made a great smoke, but there was no sign of Rat. After a long time, Leopard became tired at not finding Rat, and called out, “Rangi! Rangi! Where indeed is Ntori? He has not come out by this fire!” Then Frog answered, “Ntori is not there. I just lied to you in vexation of the pain I got through serving you.” So, Leopard was very angry and said to Frog, “You have deceived and fooled me! I will just come and eat you up!” Said Frog, “Good! come on! Leopard ran to the brook, but, as Frog was at the bottom, Leopard had first to drink all the water, before he could reach him. Leopard drank and drank. But, as soon as the water was nearly drunk up, Frog jumped out, and hopped away to an adjacent pond. There Leopard followed, and began to drink up that water also. He drank, and drank, and drank, until he became so full and his belly so swollen WHERE ANIMALS TALK 47 that his feet no longer touched the ground; and he fell over on his back, before he had entirely emptied the pond. He was in such great pain, in his swollen belly, that he was helpless, and cried out to passersby, “Please, open a little hole in my body, and let out this water !” But each of the passersby said, “No! I am afraid that after I have helped you, then you will eat me. ” At last, among those who passed by, came Crab. Leopard pleaded with him, “Igamba! please! open my skin. Let out this water, so that I may live!” At first, Crab replied as the others, “No ! I fear that after I help you, you will eat me. ” But Leopard begged so piteously that Crab consented, and scratched Leopard’s skin with one of his claws. And the water spurted out! It came in so fast a current that it be- gan to sweep Crab away. So Leopard cried out, “Igamba! Please! do not let yourself be taken away! Catch hold on some root or branch!” Crab did so, holding on to a pro- jecting root. When the water had subsided, and Crab was safe, Leopard was able to rise; and he said, “Igamba! you have been kind to me; let me take you home, and I will be good to you; I will cook dinner, so we can eat together.” Crab agreed, and they went together. Leopard began to cook a kind of yam called nkwa, making a pot full of it. (When it is thoroughly cooked, it is soft and sticky.) The yam being finally ready to be eaten, Leopard said, “We do not put this food out on plates, but we bring the entire pot, and every one will help himself from it with his hands.” Leopard thereupon began to take out handfuls of the nkwa, and to eat it. Crab tried to do the same, putting a claw into the sticky mass. But its heat burned his tender skin, and, in jerking his claw away, it stuck fast in the nkwa, and broke off. As soon as that happened, Leopard snatched up the claw and ate it. Crab protested, “Ah! Njega! you are eating my claw!” Said Leopard, “Excuse me! No, I thought it was nkwa.” So the dinner went on; Leopard greedily eating, Crab trying in vain to eat, and losing claw after claw, which Leopard in succession promptly ate. Now, when Leopard had finished eating all the food. Crab’s claws were all gone, and he had not been able to eat at all, and was left hungry. So Leopard says to Crab, “Now, as you are so helpless, what must I do for you?” He hoped 48 WHERE ANIMALS TALK that Crab, in despair, would tell him to eat him. But Leo- pard really was not hungry just then; and, when Crab said, “If you will just put me into some shallow water for two months, then all my claws will grow all right again,” Leo- pard replied, “Good!” and he took Crab and placed him in a small stream of water. The next day, Leopard, being now hungry to eat Crab, came to the water and called out, “Igamba! Igamba! have you your claws grown now?” The reply was, “Why! No! I told you two months yesterday, when you put me in here. ” On the third day, Leopard came again to the water, and cried out to Crab, “Have your claws sprouted? Have they grown again?” “No!” said Crab curtly. Leopard continued thus day by day, vexing Crab with inquiries, as if anxious about his health, but really desirous of an excuse to eat him, yet ashamed to do so by violence, because of Crab’s kindness to him when he had the water- colic. At last, Crab became tired of Leopard’s visits. Hopeless to defend himself if Leopard should finally use force, he gave up in despair, and said, “So! I see why you ask me every day. You know that I told you two months. If you are determined to eat me, come on, and end the trouble at once ! ” With this permission as an excuse, Leopard was glad. He stepped to the edge of the water and took away Crab for his dinner. That was the return for Crab’s kindness to him. After this, Leopard went out again to try to find Rat, but he never found him. WHERE ANIMALS TALK 49 TALE 7 “Nuts Are Eaten Because of Angangwe”; A Proverb Places Kingdom of the Hogs; The Forest; and Towns Persons Angangwe, King of Hogs A Hunter Ingowa (Hogs; singular Ngo- wa) Njina (Gorilla) Nyare (Ox) Nkambi (Antelope) Njagu (Elephant) NOTE “Inkula si nyo o’k&nga ’Ngangwe. ” This is a proverb expressing the obligation we all owe to some superior protecting powers. The Hogs had cleared a space in the forest, for the building of their town. They were many; men and women and children. In another place, a Hunter was sitting in his town. Every day, at daybreak, he went out to hunt. When he returned in the afternoons with his prey, he left it a short distance from the town, and entering his house, would say to his women and children, “Go to the outskirts of the town, and bring what animal you find I have left there. ” One day, having gone hunting, he killed Elephant. The children went out to cut it up and bring it in. Another day, he killed Gorilla. And so, each day, he killed some animal. He never failed of obtaining something. One day, his children said to him, “You always return with some animal; but you never have brought us Ngowa.” He replied, “I saw many Ingowa today, when I was out there. 50 WHERE ANIMALS TALK But, I wonder at one thing; that, when they are all together eating, and I approach, they run away. As to Ingowa, they eat nkula nuts and I know where the trees are. Well, then, I ambush them; but, when I go nearer, I see one big Ngowa not eating, but going around and around the herd. Whether it sees me or does not see, sure when I get ready to aim my gun, then they all scatter. The reason that Ingowa escape me, I do not know. ” The Hogs, when they had finished eating, and were return- ing to their own town, as they passed the town of Elephant, heard mourning; and they asked, “Who is dead?” The answer was, “Njagu is dead! Njagu is dead!” They in- quired, “He died of what disease?” They were told, “Not disease; Hunter killed him.” Then another day, when Ox was killed, his people were heard mourning for him. Another day, Antelope was killed; and his people were mourning for him. All these animals were dying because of Hunter killing them. At first, the Hogs felt pity for all these other Beasts. But, when they saw how they were dying, they began to mock at them, “These are not people! They only die! But, as to us Ingowa, Hunter is not able to kill us. We hear only the report that there is such a person as Hunter, but he is not able to kill us. ” When Hogs were thus boasting, their King, Angangwe, laughed at them, saying, “You don’t know, you Ingowa! You mock others, that Hunter kills them?” They answered, “Yes, we mock at them; for, we go to the forest as they do, but Hunter does not touch us.” Angangwe asked, “When you thus in the forest eat your inkula-nuts, you each one eat them by his own strength and skill?” They answered, “Yes; ourselves we go to the forest on our own feet; we our- selves pick up and eat the inkula. No one feeds us.” An- gangwe said, “It is not so. Those inkula you eat si nyo o’kanga wa oma (they are eaten because of a person) . ” They insisted, “No, it is not so. Inkula have no person in particular to do anything about them.” Thus they had this long discussion, the Hogs and their King; and they got tired of it, and lay down to sleep. In the morning, when daylight came, the King said, “A journey for nuts! But, today, I am sick. I am not able WHERE ANIMALS TALK 51 to go to gather nuts with you. I will stay in town. ” The Hogs said, “Well! we do not mistake the way. It is not necessary for you to go. ” When they went, they were jeering about their King, “Angangwe said, ‘Inkula si nyo o Tanga w’ oma’; but we will see today without him. ” They went to the nkula trees, and found great abundance fallen to the ground during the night. The herd of Hogs, when they saw all these inkula, jumped about in joy. They stooped down to pick up the nuts, their eyes busy with the ground. They ate and ate. No one of them thought of Hunter, whether he was out in the forest. But, that very morning, Hunter had risen, taken his gun and ammunition-box, and had gone to hunt. And, after awhile, he had seen the Hogs in the distance. They were only eating and eating, not looking at anything but nuts. Hunter said in his heart, “These Hogs, I see them often, but why have I not been able to kill them? ” He crept softly nearer and nearer. Creeping awhile then he stood up to spy; and again stooping, and again standing up to spy. He did not see the big Hog which, on other days, he had always observed going around and around the herd. Hunter stooped close to the ground, and crept onward. Then, as he ap- proached closer, the Hogs still went on eating. He bent his knee to the earth, and he aimed his gun ! Ingowa still eating ! His gun flashed ! and ten Hogs died ! The Hogs fled; some of them wounded. Those who were not wounded, stopped before they reached their town, and said, “Let us wait for the wounded.” They waited. When the hindmost caught up and joined the others, they showed them their wounds, some in the head, some in the legs. These wounded ones said, “As we came, we saw none others behind us. There are ten of us missing; we think they are dead.” So, they all returned toward their Town; and, on their way, began to mourn. When they had come clear on to the town, Angangwe asked, “What news, from where you come?” They answer- ed, “Angangwe! evil news! But we do not know what is the matter. Only we know that the words you said are not really so, that ‘ nuts are eaten because of a certain person. ’ Because, when we went, each one of us gathered by his own 52 WHERE ANIMALS TALK skill, and ate by his own strength, and no one trusted to any one else. And when we went, we ate abundantly, and every- thing was good. Except that, Hunter has killed ten of us. And many others are wounded. ” The King inquired, “Well! have you brought nuts for me who was left in Town?” They replied, “No; when Hunter shot us, we feared, and could no longer wait.” Then Angangwe said, “I told you that inkula are eaten because of a person, and you said, ‘ not so.’ And you still doubt me. ” Another day, the Hogs went for inkula; and the King, remained in town. And, as on the other day, Hunter killed them. So, for five successive days, they went, the King staying in town; and Hunter killing them. Finally, Angangwe said to himself, “Ingowa have become great fools. They do not consent to admit that nuts are eaten by reason of a certain person. They see how Hunter kills them; and they still doubt my words. But, I pity them. Tomorrow, I will go with them to the nuts. I will explain to them how Hunter kills them.” So, in the morning, the King ordered, “Come all to nuts! But when we go for the nuts, if I say, ‘Ngh-o-o!’ then every one of you who are eating them must start to town, and not come back, because then I have seen or smelt Hunter; and I grunt to let you know.” All the Hogs agreed. They went on clear to the nkula trees, and ate, they stooping with eyes to the ground. But Angangwe, not eating, kept looking here and there. He sniffed wind from south to north, and assured them, “Eat you all! I am here!” He watched and watched; and presently he saw a speck far away. He passed around to sniff the wind. His nose uplifted, he caught the odor of Hunter. He returned to the herd, grunted “Ngh-o-o.” And he and they all fled. They arrived safely at town. Then he asked them, “Who is dead? who is wounded?” They assured, “None.” He said, “Good!” Thus they went nutting, for five consecutive days, they and their King, Angangwe only keeping watch. And none of them died by Hunter. Then Angangwe said to them, “Today let us have a con- versation. ” And he began, “I told you, inkula si nyo o’kangd w’ oma; you said, ‘Not so!’ But, when you went by your- WHERE ANIMALS TALK 53 selves to eat nuts, did not Hunter kill you? And these five days that we have gone, you and I together, and you obeyed my voice, who has died?” They then replied, “No one! no one! Indeed, you spoke truly. You are justified. Inkula si nyo o’kanga wa ’Ngangwe. It is so!” TALE 8 Who Are Crocodile’s Relatives? Persons Ngando (Crocodile) Sinyama (Beasts) Sinyani (Birds) NOTE An Argument in Evolution — When and How does Life begin? Crocodile was very old. Finally he died. News of his death spread abroad among the Beasts; and his relatives and friends came to the Mourning. After a proper number of days had passed, the matter of the division of the proper y was mentioned. At once a quarrel was developed, on the question as to who were his nearest relatives. The tribe of Birds said, “He is ours and we will be the ones to divide the property.” Their claim was disputed, others asking, “On what ground do you claim relationship? You wear feathers; you do not wear plates of armor as he.” The Birds replied, “True, he did not wear our feathers. But, you are not to judge by what he put on during his life. Judge by what he was in his life’s beg nning. Look you! In his beginning, he began with us as an egg. We believe in eggs. His mother bore him as an egg. He is our relative, and we are his heirs. ” 54 WHERE ANIMALS TALK But the Beasts said, “Not so! We are his relatives, and by us shall his property be divided.” Then the Council of Animals demanded of the Beasts on what ground they based their claim for relationship, and what answer they could make to the argument of the birds as to Crocodile’s egg-origin. The Beasts said, “It may be true that the mark of tribe must be found, in a beginning , but not in an egg. For, all Beings began as eggs. Life is the original beginning. Look you! When life really begins in the egg, then the mark of tribe is shown. When Ngando’s life began, he had four legs as we have. We judge by legs. So we claim him as our relative. And we will take his property.” But, the Birds answered, “You Beasts said we were not relatives because we wear feathers, and not ngando-plates. But, you, look you! Judge by your own words. Neither do you wear ngando-plates, you with your hair and fur! Your words are not correct. The begininng of his life was not, as you say, when little Ngando sprouted some legs. There was life in the egg before that. And his egg was like ours, not like what you call your eggs. You are not his relatives. He is ours.” But the Beasts disputed still. So the quarrel went back and forth. And they never settled it. TALE 9 Who is King of Birds? Places The Country of Birds in Njambi’s Kingdom Njambi’s Town Persons Ra-Njambi (Lord or Master Ngwanyani (Eagle) of all) Ugulungu (Schizorhis, Plan- Njagani (Chicken) tain-Eater) Ngozo (Parrot) WHERE ANIMALS TALK 55 NOTE 1st — Ability to Speak a greater gift than ability in Walk- ing, Flying, or any other Force. 2nd — Why Chickens live with Mankind. All the Birds had their dwelling-place in a certain country of Njambi’s Kingdom. The pelicans, chickens, eagles, parrots and all other winged kinds all lived together, sepa- rated from other animals, in that country under the Great Lord Njambi. One day, they were discussing together on the question, “Who is Kang of the Birds?” They all, each one, named himself, e. g ., the Chicken said, “I!;” the Parrot, “I!” the Eagle “I!” and so on. Every day they had this same dis- cussion. They were not able to settle it, or to agree to choose any one of their number. So, they said, “Let us go to Ra-Njambi, and refer the question to him.” They agreed; and all went to him so that he might name who was the superior among them. When they all had arrived at Njambi’s Town, he asked, “What is the affair on which you have come?” They replied, “We have come together here, not to visit, but for a purpose. We have a discussion and a doubt among ourselves. We wish to know, of all the Birds, who is Head or Chief. Each one says for himself that he is the superior. This one, because he knows how to fly well; that one because he can speak well; and another one, because he is strong. But, of these three things, — flight, speech, and strength, we ask you, which is the greatest?” Immediately all the Birds began a competition, each one saying, “Choose me; I know how to speak!” Njambi silenced them, and bade them, “Well, then, come here! I know that you all speak. But, show me, each one of you, your manner of speaking. ” So Eagle stood up to be examined. Njambi asked him, “How do you speak? What is your manner of talking?” Eagle began to scream, “So-o-we! so-o-we! so-o-we!” Njambi said, “Good! Now call me your wife!” The wife of Eagle 56 WHERE ANIMALS TALK came, and Njambi said to her, “You are the wife of Ngwa- nyani, how do you talk? ” The wife replied, “ I say, ‘ So-o-we ! So-o-we! So-o-we!’ ” Ra-Njambi said to Eagle, “Indeed! you and your wife speak the same kind of language. ” Eagle answered, “Yes; I and my wife, we speak alike.” They were ordered, “Sit you aside.” Then Ra-Njambi directed, “Bring me here Ngozo. ” And he asked, “Ngozo, how do you talk? What is your way of speaking?” Parrot squawked, “I say, ‘Ko-do-ko!’ ” Ra- Njambi ordered, “Well, call me your wife!” She came; and he asked her, “How do you talk? Talk now!” The wife replied, “I say, ‘Ko-do-ko!’” Njambi asked Parrot, “So! your wife says, ‘Ko-do-ko?’ ” Parrot answered “Yes; my wife and I both say, ‘ Ko-do-ko. ’ ” Njambi then ordered, “Call me here, Ugulungu.” He came, and was asked, “And how do you talk?” He shouted, “I say, ‘Mbru-ka-ka! mbru-ka-ka! mbru!’” Njambi told him,“ Call me your wife ! ” She came, and, when asked, spoke in the same way as her husband. Njambi dismissed them, “Good! you and your wife say the same thing. Good!” So, all the Birds, in succession, were summoned; and they all, husband and wife, had the same mode of speaking, ex- cept one who had not hitherto been called. Njambi finally said, “Call Njagani here!” The Cock stood up, and strutted forward. Njambi asked him, “What is your speech? Show me your mode of talking!” Cock threw up his head, stretched his throat, and crowed, “Ka- ka-re-kaa.’’ Njambi said, “Good! summon your wife hither.” The wife came; and, of her, Njambi asked, “And, what do you say?” She demurely replied, “My husband told me that I might talk only if I bore children. So, when I lay an egg, I say ‘Kwa-ka! Kwa-ka!’ ” Njambi ex- claimed, “So! you don’t say, ‘Ka-ka-re-kaa,’ like your hus- band?” She replied, “No, I do not talk as he.” Then Njambi said to Cock, “For what reason do you not allow your wife to say, ‘Ka-ka-re-kaa?’” Cock replied, “I am Njagani, I respect myself. I jeer at all these other birds. Their wives and themselves speak only in the same way. A visitor, if he comes to their towns, is not able to know, wdien one of them speaks, which is husband and which is wife, because they both speak alike. But I, Njagani, as to my wife, she is unable to speak as I do. I do not allow it. A WHERE ANIMALS TALK 57 husband should be at the head; and in his wife it is not be- coming for her to be equal with him or to talk as w’ell as he does. ” Njambi listened to this long speech; and then inquired, “Have you finished?” Chicken answered, “Yes.” Njambi summoned all the Birds to stand together in one place near him, and he said, “The affair which you brought to me, I settle it thus: — Njagani is your Head; because you others all speak, husband and wife, each alike. But, he speaks for himself in his own way, and his wife in her way; to show T that a husband has priority and superiority over a wife. Therefore, as he knows how to be Head of his family, it is settled that Njagani is Head also of your Tribe.” But, Njambi went on to say, “Though this is true, you, Njagani, don’t you go back again into the Forest, to your Kingship of the Birds. For the other birds will be jealous of you. You are not strong, you cannot fight them all. Lest they kill you, stay with me in my Town.” Cock went to get his wife and children, and returned and remained there with Ra-Njambi. Therefore, the original bird to dwell among Mankind was the chicken. When the other Birds scattered and went back to their own forest country without their king, they said, “Let it be so! We will not choose another King. Our King has left us, and has emigrated to another country, and has sat down in Njambi’s Town. ” So, the Birds have lived in the forest without any King. There is another story which gives a different explanation of chickens being the first of birds to dwell among Mankind. The Birds had no fire. They had to eat their food raw, and to shiver on cold days. In flying over the other coun- tries, they saw Mankind using, in the preparation of their food, a thing which birds did not have. They observed that that thing seemed to add much to the comfort of Man- kind. So, they chose Chicken, not as their King, but, be- cause he knew so well how to speak, to go as their messenger, to ask Mankind to share that thing with them. Chicken 58 WHERE ANIMALS TALK left the Forest, and started on his journey, and came to the towns of Men. He found so much food lying around, and it tasted so good because it had been touched by that bright thing which he heard people call “Fire,” that he delayed the delivery of his message. And Men were pleased with his usefulness in awaking them in the morning, as he called them to get up and make their fires. The situation was so comfortable, as Mankind allowed him to walk in and out of their houses at will, that he forgot his errand, and chose to stay with Men, and never went back to the Forest. The birds, having no one else who united both audacity to act and ability to speak, never sent another messenger on that errand, and they remain wdthout fire to this day. TALE 10 “Njiwo Died of Sleep”: A Proverb Persons Njiwo (A Species of Antelope) Nyare (Ox) NOTE An event (the supposed death of the red antelope) is traced to its first cause (sleep) back of the immediate causes (the people who actually sought to kill him). Whence the proverb, “Eziwo a juwi na Antyavina. ” “Eziwo” is a familiar way of pronouncing Njiwo. Antelope and Ox went to a town to dance Bweti (a certain spirit-dance). After the dance, Antelope, exhausted wdth the exercise, fell asleep in the Bw r eti-house. While he was there, certain persons made a plot to kill him. Ox heard of it, and came to warn him, calling gently, (lest he should be WHERE ANIMALS TALK 59 overheard and himself seized), “Njiwo! Eziwo!” But antelope did not hear, and Ox made no further effort, and ran away to his home in fear for his own life. Then came Antelope’s wife, while he still slept, and loudly called him. He, only half-awake, grumbled, “What do you call me for? Let me rest. I ’m tired by the dancing. ” She persisted, “I call you because certain persons want to kill you.” But, he, still heavy with sleep, did not understand, and was not willing to rise, and went on sleeping. Then his wife, unable to arouse him, went to call other people to help her. While she was away, his enemies came and tied him with ropes, and left him there tied, still sleeping, alone in the house. They locked the house, and went away, intending to return and kill him when he should awake. Before they came back, his wife returned with aid ; and, with machetes and knives, they cut open the door, and found him with his limbs tied, and still sleeping. They roughly shook him, and he, half-conscious, asked, “What do you want here?” His wife replied, “I have come to carry you away.” So, she untied the ropes, and they lifted him and carried him away, still too sleepy to walk himself. While all this was going on, the people of the town to which Ox had fled, asked him, “There were two of you who went to dance Bweti. You are here, but where is the other?” Ox, assuming that Antelope was dead, and not knowing what Antelope’s wife had done, told how he had been unable to waken him, and said, “ Eziwo was killed while asleep. ” Then the village people said regretfully, “Eh! Eziwo! Sleep has killed him!” In the meantime, Antelope and his wife had reached the town, where the news of his death had preceded them; and the people wondered, saying, “Nyare reported that you were cut to pieces!” Then Antelope’s wife explained that he would have been killed, because Ox had not made every effort to arouse him from his deep sleep. So the friendship of Ox and Antelope ended. And the proverb came, that, “Eziwo died of sleep.” 60 WHERE ANIMALS TALK TALE 11 Which is the Fattest? Persons King Ra-Mborakinda Ngowa (Hog; PI. Ingowa) Manga (Manatus) Arandi (Oyster) NOTE Accept no challenge whose test you know you cannot en- dure. Oyster, without fat, accepted the challenge of the fat Hog and the fatter Manatus. The fat of the Manatus, or dugong seal, is delicious and very abundant. Ra-Mborakinda was dwelling in his Town, with his people and the glory of his Kingdom. There were gathered there the Manatus, the Oyster and the Hog, waiting to be assigned their kingdoms. To pass the time, while waiting until the King should summon them for their assignments, Oyster said, “You, Manga, and Ngowa, let us have a dance!” And they went to exhibit before the King. They danced and danced, each one dancing his own special dance. After that they made a fire, each one at his own fire-place, and sat down to rest. Then Hog proposed a new entertain- ment. He said, “You, Arandi, and Manga, we all three shall test ourselves by fire, to see who has the most fat.” And they all three went into their respective fire-places, Hog into his, and Manatus into his, and Oyster into its. Under the influence of the heat, the fat in their bodies began to melt. Then the King announced, “To the one who shall prove to have the most fat, I will give a great extent of country as its kingdom. ” So, they all three tried to show much fat, in their effort to win the prize. Presently, the fat of Hog began to cease exuding, for he WHERE ANIMALS TALK 61 had not a great deal. As to Oyster, it had no fat. What it produced was not fat at all, but water; and that w T as in such quantity that it put out its fire. These facts about the Hog and Oyster were reported to the King, and when he inquired how Manatus was getting on, lo! it was found that she had such abundance of fat, that the oil flowing from her had burst into flame and had set the town on fire. At this, the King wondered, and exclaimed, “This Manga, that lives in the water, has yet enough fat to set the town afire !” Then Manatus with Hog and Oyster went and sat to- gether in the open court before the King’s house, to await what would be his decision. When he was ready, he sent two heralds to summon not only those three, but all the Tribes of the Beasts of the Forest, and of the Fishes of the Sea; and the town was full of these visitors. But, Hog and all his tribe had become impatient of waiting, and had gone off for a walk. All the other animals that had been sum- moned, came into the King’s presence, and he, having as- cended his throne, said, “I am ready now to speak with these three persons; but, I see that the Ingowa are not here. So, because of their disrespect in going off to amuse them- selves with a walk instead of waiting for me, I condemn that they shall no longer wear any horns. ” Then the King announced that, as Manatus had the most fat, her promised territory should be the Sea, and of it she should be ruler. But, Manatus said, “I do not want to live in the Sea, lest I be killed there.” The King asked, “Then, where will you prefer to five?” She answered, “In such rivers as I shall like. ” That is the reason that the Manatus lives only in rivers and bays. For, one day she and her children had floated with the tide to the mouth of a river and into the Sea; and some of them had been killed there by sharks and other big fish. So, the Manatus is never now found near the Sea on ordinary tides, but only when high tides have swept it down. Just as the King had made his announcement, the com- pany of Hogs returned and entered the Assembly. They explained, “We have just come back from our w T alk, and we wish to resume our horns which we left here.” But the 62 WHERE ANIMALS TALK King refused, and kept possession of the horns. Hog begged, “Please! let me have my horns!” But the King swore an oath, saying, “0 savi! (By the Blessing!) wherever you go, and whatever you be, you shall have no horns.” So the Hogs departed. Now Oyster stood up, and said, “I wish to go to my place. Where shall it be?” The King said, “I will give you no other place than what you already have had. I do not wish to put you into the fresh-water springs and brooks with Manga. You shall go into the salty waters.” So Oyster went; and its race lives on the edge of the rivers, near the Sea, in brackish waters. And the King said to Oyster, “All the tribes of Mankind, by the Sea, when they fail to obtain other fish, shall be allowed to eat you. ” All knew that this was a punishment given by the King to Oyster, for having dared the test by fire, pretending that it had fat, the while it had none. TALE 12 Why Mosquitoes Buzz Persons Mbo (Mosquito) Aga (Hands) Oroi (Ear) NOTE It is a practice of African natives, after taking a bath, to anoint their bodies with some oil or grease. In the time of Long-ago, in Njambi’s Town, Mosquito and Ear went out to take a bath together. After taking her bath, Ear began to rub an oily substance over herself; while Mosquito did not. So Ear said to Mosquito, “Why do you leave your skin so rough? It is better to rub on a WHERE ANIMALS TALK 63 little oil.” Mosquito replied, “I have none.” So Ear said, “Indeed! I did not know that. I will give you part of mine, as I have plenty.” Mosquito had to wait the while that Ear was rubbing the soft wax over herself. But, as soon as Ear had finished, she put back the wax into her ear where she usually kept it, and did not fulfill her promise to Mosquito. When Mosquito saw this, that the wax was put away, he came near to the door, and said, “I want the oil you promised for rubbing on my body.” But Ear took no notice of him, except to call on Hands to drive Mosquito away. So, to this day, Mosquito is not willing to cease making his claim for the unfulfilled promise; and is always coming to our ears, and buzzing and crying. Always Mosquito comes and says, “I want my oil, Bz-z-z-z. ” But Ear re- mains silent, and gives no answer. And Mosquito keeps on grumbling and complaining, and gets angry and bites. TALE 13 Unkind Criticism Persons Tyema (A Black Monkey) Ekaga (Tortoise) NOTE This story is probably of comparatively recent origin though known at least fifty years ago. It seems to point to the time when white men began to taunt negroes because of their color, the common insult by an angry white master being “You black monkey!” The tale cannot antedate the first coming of white men to West Africa three hundred 64 WHERE ANIMALS TALK years ago; for, no native would have invented this insult, though they do now imitate white men, when, in a quarrel, they wish to taunt an opponent. The Black Monkey, up a tree, saw Tortoise passing be- neath, slowly and awkwardly moving step by step. Monkey laughed at the dull manner and appearance of Tortoise; and, to tease one whom he thought stupid and unable to resent insult, he jumped down onto the back of Tortoise. There, safely perched, he jeered at Tortoise, saying many unkind things. Tortoise was unable to throw off his tormentor; nor could he reach him. His short hands and feet could not touch Monkey. So, Tortoise was compelled to carry Mon- key on the way, the while that the latter was taunting him. Finally, the patience of Tortoise was exhausted, and, his indignation being aroused, he stopped, and said angrily, “Get off of my back, you black monkey!” Monkey was sensitive about his color; and, at that word “black,” he slipped off, and went away ashamed. But he was angry also, and determined to have some revenge. Some time after this, Monkey made a feast, and invited a number of beasts, among the rest Tortoise. But Monkey purposely placed all the dishes up high, so that Tortoise, unable to reach to them, could get no food, as he vainly went around and around the table. All the while. Monkey was sarcastically urging him to come and help himself and eat. Tortoise bore it without complaint; and at the end of the feast, he went away hungry. But he also determined to have his revenge. On another day, Tortoise made a feast, and invited the same persons who had seen his humiliation at the house of Monkey. Monkey came to the feast. But Tortoise had prepared the food in only one dish, around which the com- pany were to sit on the ground, and from which they were to eat with their hands. Before calling them to eat, Tortoise had provided water and soap for them to wash their hands previous to their putting them into the same dish. As Monkey was about to put his, Tortoise reminded him that it was black, and that he should first wash it. He said, “Here is water, and the soap by which white people keep their hands from getting black.” Monkey was ashamed, and lathered the soap over his WHERE ANIMALS TALK 65 hands until they were white with foam. “Now,” said Tor- toise, “put your hand into the water to remove the foam.” Monkey did so; and his hands were still black. The rest of the company objected to his black hand going into their food. And he went away ashamed and hungry. TALE 14 The Suitors of Princess Gorilla Place Njambi’s Country Persons King Njina (Gorilla) and His Daughter Njagu (Elephant) Nguwu (Hippopotamus) Bejaka (Fishes: Sing. Ej aka) Ngowa (Hog) Njega (Leopard) Telinga (a very small Mon- key) NOTE This story evidently dates back to the first introduction of Rum into Africa. Gorilla’s “new kind of water” was Rum. Telinga’s cheating did not finally succeed in obtaining him the wife; but was the cause of his now living only in trees; whereas formerly he lived in the long grass. The Telinga are very numerous, and they all look so alike that one cannot be distinguished from another. In the story, he had arranged with all his companions to help him drink. In the Gorilla Country there are no lions, and there he is readily called the King of Beasts, because of the fearful length and strength of his arms. How absurd that so horribly ugly a caricature of a human being should be supposed to have a beautiful daughter! 66 WHERE ANIMALS TALK King Gorilla had a daughter, whose beauty had been much praised. She being of marriageable age, he announced to all the tribes that he would give her in marriage to any one who could accomplish a certain task. He said he would not take any of the goods usually given in payment for a wife, as dowry. But, that he had a new kind of water, such as had never before been seen; and, whoever could drink an entire barrelful of it, should have the prize that had been coveted by many. So, all the tribes came together one day in the forest country of the King, to compete for the young woman, and the paths were crowded with the expectant suitors on their way to the King’s Court. First, because of his size, Elephant stepped forward. He walked with his solemn dignity, his ponderous feet sounding, tubu, tubu, as he strode toward where the barrel stood. He could, however, scarcely suppress his indignation, in the presence of the King, at what he considered the insultingly small test to which he was about to be subjected. He thought in his heart, “That barrelful of water! Why! I, Njagu, when I take my daily bath, I spurt from my trunk many barrelfuls over my whole body, and I drink half a barrelful at every meal. And this! Why! I’ll swallow it down in two gulps!” He thrust his proboscis into the barrel to draw up a big mouthful. But, he instantly with- drew it, before he began to suck up any of it. “The new water” stung him. He lifted his trunk, and trumpeting with rage, declared that the task was impossible. Many in the company, who had feared that the big ele- phant would leave no chance for them, secretly rejoiced at his failure; and began to hope for themselves. Then Hippopotamus blundered forward. He was in haste, for he was sure he would succeed. He was not as big or heavy as Elephant, though he was more awkward. But he did not hesitate to boast aloud what he could do. “You, Njagu, with your big body, afraid of that little barrel of water! Why! I live in water half of the time. And when I begin to drink in a river, I cause the Bejeka to be frightened.” So he came bellowing and roaring, in order to impress the young woman with his importance. But his mouth had not sunk into the barrel as he thrust his nose in, WHERE ANIMALS TALK 67 before he jerked his head up with a bigger bellow of pain and disgust at the new water. Without making even a bow to the King, he shambled off to a river to wash his mouth. Next came Hog. He said to Gorilla, “King Gorilla, I do not boast like those two other fellows, nor will I insult you as they have done, even if I fail. But, I do not think I shall fail. I am accustomed to putting my nose into all sorts of dirty places; so I shall try. ” He did try, slowly and carefully. But, even he, used to all sorts of filth and bad smells, turned from the barrel in disgust, and went away grunting. Then Leopard came bounding forward, boasting and jumping from side to side to show his beautiful skin to the young woman. He derided the other three who had pre- ceded him. “0! you fellows! You had no chance at all, even if you had drunk up that water. The woman would not look at you, nor live with such blundering, awkward gawks as you. Look at my graceful body and tail! These strong but soft paws of mine! And, as to that barrel, you shall see in a few minutes. Though we of the Cat Tribe do not like to wet our feet, I will do it for the sake of the woman. I’m the dandy of the Forest, and I shall go at it more grace- fully than you. ” He leaped onto the barrel. But, its very fumes sickened him. He made one vain effort. And with limp tail between his legs he crawled away to hide his shame. One after another of the various Beasts attempted. And all failed. Finally, there crept forward the little Telinga. He had left the hundreds of his Tribe of little Monkeys hidden out in the grass field. As he advanced, there was a murmur of surprise from the unsuccessful spectators. Even King Gorilla could not refrain from saying, “Well! my little fellow! what do you want?” Telinga replied, “Your Majes- ty, did not you send word to all the Tribes that any one might compete?” “Yes, I did,” he answered. And Telinga said, “Then I, Telinga, small as I am, I shall try.” The King replied, “I will keep my royal word. You may try.” “But, Your Majesty,” asked Telinga, “is it required that the barrel must be drank at one draught? May I not, be- tween each mouthful, take a very short rest out in the grass?” Said Gorilla, “Certainly, just so you drink it today.” So Telinga took a sip, and leaped off into the grass. And, 68 WHERE ANIMALS TALK apparently, he immediately returned, and took another sip and leaped back into the grass; and, apparently, immediately returned again. And apparently — (They were his com- panions who had come one by one to help him!) Thus the barrelful of firewater was rapidly sipped away. King Gorilla announced Telinga as the winner of the prize. What the young woman thought of the loss of her graceful lovers, the Antelopes and others, is not known. For, when Telinga advanced to take her, Leopard and others dashed at him, shouting, “You miserable little snip of a fellow! You’ve won her; but if we can’t have her you shan’t. There ! take that! and that! and that!” as they began to beat and kick and bite him. In terror, he jumped into the trees, abandoning his bride. And he and his tribe have remained in the trees ever since, afraid to come down to the ground. TALE 15 Leopard of the Fine Skin Place Town of King Mborakinda Persons King Mborakinda Ilambe, His Daughter Ra-Marange, A Doctor And Other People Njega (Leopard) Kabala (A Magic Horse) Ogula- Y a- Mpazy a- V azy a, A Sorcerer NOTE Leopards can swim if compelled to, but they do not like to enter water, or wet their feet in any way. WHERE ANIMALS TALK 69 At the town of Ra-Mborakinda, where he lived with his wives and his children and his glory, this occurred. He had a beloved daughter, by name Ilambe. He loved her much; and sought to please her in many ways, and gave her many servants to serve her. When she grew up to womanhood, she said that she did not wish any one to come to ask her in marriage; that she herself would choose a hus- band. “Moreover, I will never marry any man who has any, even a little bit of, blotch on his skin. ” Her father did not like her to speak in that way; neverthe- less, he did not forbid her. When men began to come to the father and say, “ I desire your daughter Ilambe for a wife,” he would say, “Go, and ask herself.” Then when the man went to Ilambe’s house, and would say, “I have come to ask you in marriage,” her only reply was a question, “Have you a clear skin, and no blotches on your body?” If he answered, “Yes,” Ilambe would say, “ But, I must see for myself; come into my room. ” There she required the man to take off all his clothing. And if, on examination, she saw the slightest pimple or scar, she would point toward it, and say, “That! I do not want you.” Then perhaps he would begin to plead, “All my skin is right, except — .” But she would interrupt him, “No! for even that little mark I- do not want you.” So it went on with all who came, she finding fault with even a small pimple or scar. And all suitors were rejected. The news spread abroad that Ra-Mborakinda had a beauti- ful daughter, but that no one was able to obtain her, because of what she said about diseases of the skin. Still, many tried to obtain her. Even animals changed themselves to human form, and sought her, in vain. At last, Leopard said, “Ah! this beautiful woman! I hear about her beauty, and that no one is able to get her. I think I better take my turn, and try. But, first I will go to Ra-Marange.” He went to that magic-doctor, and told his story about Ra-Mborakinda’ s fine daughter, and how no man could get her because of her fastidiousness about skins. Ra-Marange told him, “I am too old. I do not now do those things about medicines. Go to Ogula-ya-mpazya- vazya.” So, Leopard went to him. As usual, the sorcerer Ogula 70 WHERE ANIMALS TALK jumped into his fire; and coming out with power, directed Leopard to tell what he wanted. So he told the whole story again, and asked how he should obtain the clean body of a man. The sorcerer prepared for him a great “medicine ’ * by which to give him a human body, tall, graceful, strong and clean. Leopard then went back to his town, told his people his plans, and prepared their bodies also for a change if needed. Having taken also a human name, Ogula, he then went to Ra-Mborakinda, saying, “I wish your daughter Ilambe for wife. ” On his arrival, at Ra-Mborakinda’s, the people admired the stranger, and felt sure that Ilambe would accept this suitor, exclaiming, “This fine-looking man! his face! and his gait! and his body!” When he had made his request of Ra-Mborakinda, he was told, as usual, to go to Ilambe and see whether she would like him. When he went to her house, he looked so handsomely, that Ilambe was at once pleased with him. He told her, “I love you; and I come to marry you. You have refused many. I know the reason why, but I think you will be satisfied with me. ” She replied, “I think you have heard from others the reason for which I refuse men. I will see whether you have what I want.” And she added, “Let us go into the room; and let me see your skin. ” They entered the room; and Ogula-Njega removed his fine clothing. Ilambe examined with close scrutiny from his head to his feet. She found not the slightest scratch or mark; his skin was like a babe’s. Then she said, “Yes! this is my man! truly! I love you, and will marry you!” She was so pleased with her acquisition, that she remained in the room enjoying again a minute examination of her husband’s beautiful skin. Then she went out, and ordered her servants to cook food, prepare water, etc., for him; and he did not go out of the house, nor have a longing to go back to his town, for he found that he was loved. On the third day, he went to tell the father, Ra-Mboraki- nda, that he was ready to take his wife off to his town. Ra- Mborakinda consented. All that day, they prepared food for the marriage-feast. But, all the while that this man- beast, Ogula-Njega, was there, Ra-Mborakinda, by his okove (a magic fetish) knew that some evil would come out WHERE ANIMALS TALK 71 of this marriage. However, as Ilambe had insisted on choos- ing her own way, he did not interfere. After the marriage was over, and the feast eaten, Ra- Mborakinda called his daughter, and said, “Ilambe, mine, now you are going off on your journey.” She said, “Yes; for I love my husband.” The father asked, “Do you love him truly?” She answered “Yes.” Then he told her, “As you are married now, you need a present from me, as your ozendo (bridal gift).” So, he gave her a few presents, and told her, “Go to that house,” indicating a certain house in the town; and he gave her the key of the house, and told her to go and open the door. That was the house where he kept all his charms for war, and fetishes of all kinds. He told her, “ When you go in, you will see two Kabala, standing side by side. The one that will look a little dull, with its eyes directed to the ground, take it; and leave the brighter looking one. When you are coming with it, you will see that it walks a little lame. Nevertheless, take it. ” She objected, “But, father, why do you not give me the finer one, and not the w T eak one?” But he said, “No!” and made a knowing smile, as he repeated, “ Go, and take the one I tell you. ” He had reason for giving this one. The finer-looking one had only fine looks; but this other one would some day save her by its intelligence. She went and took Horse, and returned to her father; and the journey was prepared. The father sent wdth her, servants to carry the baggage, and to remain with and work for her at the tow n of her marriage. She and her husband arranged all their things, and said good-bye, and off they went, both of them sitting on Horse’s back. They journeyed and they journeyed. On the way, Ogula- Njega, though changed as to his form and skin, possessed all his old tastes. Having been so many days without tast- ing blood or uncooked meats, as they passed through the forest of wild beasts, the longing came on him. They emerged onto a great prairie, and journeyed across it toward another forest. Before they had entirely crossed the prairie, the longing for his prey so overcame him that he said, “Wife, you wdth your Kabala and the servants stay here while I go rapidly ahead; and w’ait for me until I come again.” So he went off, entered the forest, and changed himself back 72 WHERE ANIMALS TALK to Leopard. He hunted for prey, caught a small animal, and ate it; and another, and ate it. After being satisfied, he washed his hands and mouth in a brook; and, changing again to human form, he returned on the prairie to his wife. She observed him closely, and saw a hard, strange look on his face. She said, “But, all this while! What have you been doing?” He made an excuse. They went on. And the next day, it was the same, he leaving her, and telling her to wait till he returned; and hunting and eating as a Leopard. All this that was going on, Ilambe was ignorant of. But Horse knew. He would speak after awhile, but was not ready yet. So it went on, until they came to Leopard’s town. Before they reached it, Ogula-Njega, by the preparations he had first made, had changed his mother into a human form in which to welcome his wife. Also the few people of the town, all with human forms, welcomed her. But, they did not sit much with her. They stayed in their own houses; and Ogula-Njega and his wife stayed in theirs. For a few days, Leopard tried to be a pleasant Ogula, deceiving his wife. But his taste for blood was still in his heart. He began to say, “I am going to another town; I have business there.” And off he would go, hunting as a leopard; when he returned, it would be late in the day. So he did on other days. After a time, Ilambe wished to make a food-plantation, and sent her men-servants to clear the ground. Ogula- Njega would go around in the forest on the edge of the plantation; and catching one of the men, there would return that day one servant less. One by one, all the men-servants were thus missing; and it was not known what became of them, except that Leopard’s people knew. One night Ogula-Njega was out; and, meeting one of the female servants, she too was reported missing. Sometimes, when Ogula-Njega was away, Ilambe, feeling lonesome, would go and pet Horse. After the loss of this maid-servant, Horse thought it was time to warn Ilambe of what was going on. While she was petting him, he said, “Eh! Ilambe! you do not see the trouble that is coming to you!” She asked, “What trouble?” He exclaimed, “What trouble? If your father had not sent me with you, what would have become of you? Where are all your ser- WHERE ANIMALS TALK 73 vants that you brought with you? You do not know where they go to, but I know. Do you think that they disappear without a reason? I will tell you where they go. It is your man who eats them; it is he who wastes them!” She could not believe it, and argued, “Why should he destroy them?” Horse replied, “ If you doubt it, wait for the day when your last remaining servant is gone. ” Two days after that, at night, another maid-servant disappeared. Another day passed. On another day, Ogula- Njega went off to hunt beasts, with the intention that, if he failed to get any, at night he would eat his wife. When he had gone, Ilambe, in her loneliness, went to fondle Horse. He said to her, “Did I not tell you? The last maid is gone. You yourself will be the next one. I will give you counsel. When you have opportunity this night, prepare yourself ready to run away. Get yourself a large gourd, and fill it with ground-nuts ; another with gourd-seeds ; and another with water. ” He told her to bring these things to him, and he would know the best time to start. While they were talking, Leopard’s mother was out in the street, and heard the two voices. She said to herself, “ Ilambe, wife of my son, does she talk with Kabala as if it was a per- son? ” But, she said nothing to Ilambe, nor asked her about it. Night came on; and Ogula-Njega returned. He said nothing; but his face looked hard and bad. Ilambe was troubled and somewhat frightened at his ugly looks. So, at night, on retiring, she began to ask him, “But why? Has anything displeased you?” He answered, “No; I am not troubled about anything. Why do you ask questions?” “Because I see it in your face that your countenance is not pleasant.” “No; there’s no matter. Everything is right. Only, about my business, I think I must start very early.” Ogula-Njega had begun to think, “Now she is suspecting me. I think I will not eat her this night, but will put it off until next night. ” That night, Ilambe did not sleep. In the morning, Leo- pard said that he would go to his business, but would come back soon. When he was gone away to his hunting work, Ilambe felt lonesome, and went to Horse. He, thinking this a good time to run away, they started at once, without 74 WHERE ANIMALS TALK letting any one in the village know, and taking with them the three gourds. Horse said that they must go quickly; for, Leopard, when he discovered them gone, would rapidly .pursue. So they went fast and faster, Horse looking back from time to time, to see whether Leopard was pursuing. After they had been gone quite a while, Ogula-Njega returned from his business to his village, went into his house, and did not see Ilambe. He called to his mother, “ Where is Ilambe?” His mother answered, “I saw Ilambe with her Kabala, talking together; they have been at it for two days. ” Ogula-Njega began to search; and, seeing the hoof -prints, he exclaimed, “ Mi asaiya (shame forme). Ilambe has run away. I and she shall meet today !” He instantly turned from his human form back to that of leopard, and went out, and pursued, and pursued, and pursued. But, it took some time before he came in sight of the fugitives. As Horse turned to watch, he saw Leopard, his body stretched low and long in rapid leaps. Horse said to Ilambe, ‘‘Did I not tell you? There he is, coming!” Horse hasted, with foam dropping from his lips. When he saw that Leopard was gaining on them, he told Ilambe to take the gourd of peanuts from his back, and scatter them along behind on the ground. Leopards like peanuts; and when Ogula-Njega came to these nuts, he stopped to eat them. While he was eating, Horse gained time to get ahead. As soon as Leopard had finished the nuts, he started on in pursuit again, and soon began to overtake. When he ap- proached, Horse told Ilambe to throw out the gourd-seeds. She did so. Leopard delayed to eat these seeds also. This gave Horse time to again get ahead. Thus they went on. Leopard, having finished the gourd-seeds, again went leaping in pursuit; and, for the third time, came near. Horse told Ilambe to throw the gourd of water behind, with force so that it might crash and break on the ground. As soon as she had done so, the water was turned to a stream of a deep wide river, between them and Leopard. Then he was at a loss. So, he shouted, “Ah! Ilambe! Mi asaiya! If I only had a chance to catch you! ” So, he had to turn back. Then Horse said, “We do not know what he may do yet; perhaps he may go around and across ahead of us. As there is a town which I know near here, we had better stay there a WHERE ANIMALS TALK 75 day or two while he may be searching for us.” He added to her, “Mind! this town where we are going, no woman is allowed to be there, only men. So, I will change your face and dress like a man’s. Be very careful how you behave when you take your bath, lest you die.” Ilambe promised; and Horse changed her appearance. So, a fine-looking young man was seen riding into the street of the village. There were exclamations in the street, “This is a stranger! Hail! stranger; hail! Who showed you the way to come here?” This young man answered, “Myself; I was out riding; I saw an open path; and I came in.” He entered a house, and was welcomed; and they told him their times of eating, and of play, etc. But, on the second day, as this young man went out privately, one of the men observed, and said to the other, “He acts like a woman!” The others asked, “Really! you think so?” He asserted, “Yes! I am sure!” So, that day Ilambe was to meet with some trouble; for, to prove her, the men had said to her, “Tomorrow we all go bathing in the river, and you shall go with us.” She went to ask Horse what she should do. He rebuked her, “I warned you, and you have not been careful. But, do not be troubled; I will change you into a man. ” That night, Ilambe went to Horse; and he changed her. He also told her, “I warn you again. Tomorrow you go to bathe with the others, and you may take off your clothes; for, you are now a man. But,, it is only for a short time, because we stay here only a day and a night more, and then we must go. ” The next morning all the town went to play, and after that to bathe. When they went into the water, the other men were all expecting to see a woman revealed; but they saw that their visitor was a man. They admired his wonder- fully fine physique. On emerging from the water, the men said to the one who had informed on Ilambe, “Did you not tell us that this was a woman? See, how great a man he is! ’ As soon as they said that, the young man Ilambe was vexed with him, and began to berate him, saying, “Eh! you said I was a woman?” And she chased him and struck him. Then they all went back to the town. In the evening. Horse told Ilambe, “ I tell you what to do tomorrow. In the morning, you take your gun, and shoot 76 WHERE ANIMALS TALK me dead. After you have shot me, these men will find fault with you, saying ‘Ah! you shoot your horse, and did not care for it?’ But, do not say anything in reply. Cut me in pieces, and burn the pieces in the fire. After this, carefully gather all the black ashes; and, very early in the following morning, in the dark before any one is up, go out of the village gateway, scatter the ashes, and you will see what wdll happen. ” The young man did all this. On scattering the ashes, he instantly found himself changed again to a woman, and sitting on Horse’s back; and they were running rapidly away. That same day, in the afternoon, they came to the town of the father Ra-Mborakinda. On their arrival there, they (but especially Horse) told their whole story. Ilambe was somewdiat ashamed of herself; for, she had brought these troubles on herself by insisting on having a husband with a perfectly fine skin. So, her father said, “Ilambe, my child, you see the trouble you have brought on yourself. For you, a woman, to make such a demand was too much. Had I not sent Kabala wdth you, what would have become of you?” The people gave Ilambe a glad wrelcome. And she went to her house, and said nothing more about fine skins. TALE 16 Why the Plantain-Stalk Bears but One Bunch Persons Oyila (Oil-Palm Tree) Mbindi (Wild Goat) Akanda (Plantain-Stalk) NOTE According to native law of hospitality, duty to a guest requires almost any sacrifice. This is oriental. (See Genesis Chap. 19, vs. 8.) A plantain-stalk bears but one bunch. WHERE ANIMALS TALK 77 Therefore, to gather the fruit, the stalk with apparent ruth- lessness is cut down. But, there are always from two to five young sprouts at the base, from 2 feet to 5 feet in height, which, in succession, take the place of the parent stem. Observe the Cannibalism. All African tribes were former- ly Cannibals. Many interior tribes still are. This story is a marked illustration of the characteristic impossibilities in native tales, “Plantain” being at one and the same time a plant and a human being! Palm-tree produced Plantain tree. Then there stood up an animal called Wild Goat, and it went to seek marriage with Palm-tree’s daughter Plantain. It was so arranged; and the marriage was held. As Goat and his wife were about departing to his own town, Palm-tree gave some parting advice to her daughter Plan- tain; “When you shall be about to become a mother, come back and stay with me.” Not long after this, Plantain was to become a mother; and people went to Palm-tree to inform her of the fact. This daughter Plantain did not obey her mother’s directions, but remained in the town until her child was born. This was told to mother Palm-tree, who was dissatisfied, and said, “Eh! I told Akanda to have her child born with me!” The reason that Palm-tree had given this direction to Plantain was, that, as her own custom, in bearing her palm- nuts, was to have several bunches in sight at one time, and ripening in succession, she wished her daughter to have the same habit. After Plantain had borne her child, it grew well and became very strong. One day, strangers came to the town on a visit; and, when the villagers looked for food for the visitors, to their shame, they found they had none. Then one of the women of the village said, “Well! let us cut down this Akanda, and cook it and eat it. ” So, a machete was seized, and Plantain’s stalk was slashed, and Palm-tree’s child Plantain was taken and cooked and eaten. At this, people went and told Palm-tree, saying, “Your child is cut down, 78 WHERE ANIMALS TALK and is cooked and eaten. ” The mother Palm-tree helplessly replied, “What can I do?” All this while, the husband Goat had been away on a jour- ney. When he returned, and came to his town, and found that his wife, Palm-tree’s child, was not there, he asked, “My wife; is she dead?” The people answered him, “Yes!” “But,” he asked, “for what reason did she die?” They answered, “Because the people of the town had no food for their guests.” Mbindi complained further, saying, “So! when Akanda was cooked, you gave your guests only plan- tains; were you so inhospitable as to give them also no meat or fish?” At this the people were vexed, and they said, “Well then! let this husband be killed and eaten as the meat!” So they killed and ate him. This news, people also carried to Palm-tree, telling her that Plantain’s husband was also killed and eaten. Then Palm-tree came to the town to speak about the death of Plantain. The people justified themselves, saying, “But, what else could we do? It was necessary to provide for the guests.” Plam-tree submitted, “Truly, had Akanda obeyed me and come to me and borne her child in my presence, she would have had abundance, and would not have died.” PART SECOND Benga Tribe FOREWORD The tales of this second part had their source with narra- tors of Benga — speaking tribes of Corisco Island, the region of the Bonito River, and Batanga. Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4 were written in Benga by the pioneer missionaries, Rev. Messrs. Mackey and Clemens, from the dictation in Benga by natives of Corisco, more than 40 years ago; and were printed as reading-lessons in the Primer used in their schools. I have translated them into English. They having thus passed twice through foreign thought, have lost most of their native idioms. Tale 4 was independently re-told me at Batanga within the past few years, by a narrator living there. It differs from the version printed in the Primer, and I have combined the two. The remaining thirty tales were given me at Batanga; by three adult narrators, all of them civilized men. They spoke them with me alone, or in the presence of one or two silent attendants, sentence by sentence, in their Bapuku dialect of the Benga language. I rapidly made notes in an English translation of their principal words. This was always at night, in order to leave the narrator at that ease which he would naturally feel if he was telling the story to an audience in the street, as he is accustomed to do in the eve- nings. For that purpose also, I shaded my lamp, using its light only for my pencil; he therefore spoke unrestrainedly. Next morning, with my memory still fresh of the night’s story, I filled out the sentences. This set of the tales there- fore is more native, in the preservation of its idioms, than any other part. 79 TALE 1 Swine Talking Persons Ingowa (Hogs) NOTE Unlike other native legends based on “they say,” the native narrator, now more than 40 years ago, gave the name and family name of the man who is stated to have reported that he heard Swine talking with human speech. There was a certain man in the time long ago, by name Bokona, whose family name was Bodikito. He went to the depths of the forest to do some business. When he was about to return in the afternoon to go to his village, he heard in advance of him, a noise of conversation. He thought that perhaps they were people (of whose presence he was not aware; for, there were no villages in that part of the forest). But, when he had approached the spot, he did not see people; but only a herd of Hogs speaking with the voices of people. He was thus perfectly sure that they speak the language of Mankind. 81 8 % WHERE ANIMALS TALK TALE 2 Crocodile Persons Ngando (Crocodile) Two Children, and Towns- people Two children were bathing in a river; and a crocodile came where they were. It seized one, and, grasping it with its teeth, went with it to its hole in the river bank. It did not kill him, but said to him, “I leave you here, and I go straight back to bring the other one who remained.” After the crocodile had left, the one thus put into the hole, turning his eyes about, saw it full of living fish (kept on hand by the crocodile as its food-supply). He saw T also that there was another opening in the cavity, above, just over his head. Climbing up and jumping through it, he rapidly went straight away to his village. He related all this incident to the people. Then they gladly fired guns, for welcome of the child. When the crocodile reached the bathing-place on its return, it did not see the one whom it had left there; and it was angry. While it was thus angry, the people shot at it with guns, but their shots could not even wound it; and it went back again to its hole to seek for and eat the child whom it had seized. When it again entered into the hole and searched, and did not find him, it was very angry, and pursued him, going up to the very middle of the village. For three days it was there barking in the village, and trying to kill some one. TALE 3 Origin of the Elephant Persons Uhadwe, Bokume and Njaku Towns-People, Sailors and Sons of Njambi the Creator Others WHERE ANIMALS TALK 83 NOTE I have never seen the place; but, intelligent natives, (though they did not believe in the legend itself) told me there was the likeness to a human foot-print in a rock on the beach of the north shore of Corisco Bay. Doubtless a fossil. Uhadwe, Bokume, and Njaku were human beings, all three born of one mother. (Afterwards Bokume was called “Njape. ”) As time went on, Uhadwe called his brethren, Bokume and Njaku, and said, “My brothers! Let us separate; myself, I am going to the Great Sea; you, Bokume go to the Forest; you, Njaku, also go to the Forest. ,, Bokume went to the forest and grew up there, and became the valuable mahogany tree (Okume). Njaku departed; but he went in anger, saying, “I will not remain in the forest, I am going to build with the towns- people. ” He came striding back to the town. As he emerg- ed there from the forest, his feet swelled and swelled, and became elephant feet. His ear extended ’way down. His teeth spreading, this one grew to a tusk, and that one grew to a tusk. The towns-people began to hoot at him. And he turned back to the forest. But, as he went, he said to them, “In my going now to the Forest, I and whatever plants you shall plant in the forest shall journey together,” (i. e. y that their plantations should be destroyed by him). So Njaku went; and their food went. When Uhadwe had gone thence and emerged at the Sea, from the place where he emerged there grew the stem of “bush-rope” (the Calamus palm); and the staff he held became a mangrove forest. The footprints where he and his dog trod are there on the beach of Corisco Bay until this day. He created a sand-bank from where he stood, extend- ing through the ocean, by which he crossed over to the Land of the Great Sea. When he reached that Land, he prepared a ship. He put into it every production by which white 84 WHERE ANIMALS TALK people obtain wealth, and he said to the crew, “Go ye and take for me my brother. ” The ship came to Africa and put down anchor; but, for four days the crew did not find any person coming from shore to set foot on the ship, or to go from the ship to set foot ashore, the natives being destitute of canoes. Finally, Uhadwe came and appeared to the towns-people in a dream, and said, “Go ye to the forest and cut down Njape, dig out a canoe, and go alongside the ship. ” Early next morning they went to the forest, and came to the Okume trees; they cut one down, and hacked it into shape. They launched it on the sea, and said to their young men, “Go!” Four young men went into the canoe to go alongside the ship. When they had nearly reached it, look- ing hither and thither they feared, and they stopped and ceased paddling. The white men on the ship made repeated signs to them. Then the young men, having come close, spoke to the white men in the native language. A white man answered also in the same language. That white man said, “ I have come to buy the tusks of the beast which is here in the forest with big feet and tusks and great ears, that is called Njaku. ” They said, “Yes! a good thing!” When they were about leaving, the white man advancing to them, deposited with them four bunches of tobacco, four bales of prints, four caps, and other things. When they reached the shore, they told the others, “The white men want Njaku’s tusks; and also they have things by which to kill his tribe.” The next morning, they went to the white men; they were trusted with guns and bullets and powder; they went to the forest, and fought with the elephants. In two days the ship was loaded, and it departed. This continues to happen so until this day, in the Ivory- Trade. WHERE ANIMALS TALK 85 TALE 4 Leopard’s Marriage Journey Persons Njambi (Chief of a Town) Nja (Leopard) Etoli (House-Rat) Mbindi (Wild Goat) Vyadu (Antelope) Ehibo (Red Antelope) Iheli (Gazelle) Ekwedikwedi (Fire-Fly) Leopard wanted to marry, and he sought a betrothal at Njambi’s town. Secretly, Njambi had arranged with Leo- pard that he should bring him no goods in payment of the “Dowry,” but only the bodies of animals. Leopard agreed, and said to Njambi’s daughter, “I will dowry you only with animals.” He returned to his home for a few days; and then he called Rat to escort him to the town of his prospective father-in-law. Rat consented. And they started on their journey. On their way, they came to a wide river; and Leopard said to Rat, “Before one crosses this river, he must throw his knife into it.” Rat threw" his knife; and so (apparently) did Leopard. They crossed; went on their way, and came to a Kuda tree; and they stopped, and began to gather the nuts. Leopard drew his knife from its sheath, and splitting the nut-shells and eating the kernels, said derisively to Rat, “One who has no knife will not be able to eat kuda.” Rat, in his helplessness, made no protest. And they went on. They came to a certain “Medicine” tree; and Leopard said, “Etoli, if I shall fall sick on the way, and I tell you to go back and get the bark of a certain tree for medicine, see ! this is the tree. ” Finally, they came to the town of the woman whom Leopard was to marry. There, food was cooked for them. Just before they were to sit down to eat, Leopard exclaimed, “Etoli! I am sick! Go, and get that medicine for me!” While Rat was gone, Leopard ate up almost all the food, leaving only a few scraps for Rat. At night, inside of the entrance of the house where the two strangers were to sleep, was a pit already dug. Leopard 86 WHERE ANIMALS TALK knew of it, and jumped over it; but Rat fell into it. Leopard shouted to the town’s-people, “This is the animal I brought to pay on my Dowry ! Come, and take him!” The people came, caught Rat, and ate him. The next morning. Leopard’s father-in-law had food pre- pared for him; he ate; and returned to his town. There, the relatives of Rat asked him, “Where is the little one you took to escort you?* ’ Leopard replied, “He refused to return, staying there with the woman.” Again, Leopard prepared gifts of dried fish and tobacco for his mother-in-law, and arranged for another journey. He called to his relative, “ Brother ” Wild-Goat, “Come, escort me to the town of my marriage. ” Wild Goat consented; and they started. They came to the River; and, as in the case of Rat, Leopard said to Goat, “You will first throw away your knife, before you can cross this river.” Goat actually did so; Leopard pretending to do so. Continuing their journey, they came to that Kuda tree. Leopard was careful to stand on a side of the tree opposite to Goat, as they gathered the nuts. But, he said provokingly, “One can not eat kuda without a knife.” Wild Goat innocently replied, “But, you, Nja, you are eating nuts ! Did you bring two knives?” They journeyed on, and came to the Medicine tree. And Leopard gave to Goat the same directions about it as he had given to Rat. When they reached the marriage town, food was set before them. But Leopard immediately began to groan and scream, “I’m dead! I’m dead! I’m dead with pain!” Wild Goat sympathisingly inquired, “What shall I do to help you?” Leopard replied, as in the case of Rat, “Go back to that tree, and get its bark as a medicine for me.” Wild Goat went; and while he was away. Leopard ate the food, leaving very little of it. On his return, Wild Goat protested at so little being given him. Leopard explained, “In my great suffering from tooth-ache, I ate nothing. Perhaps it was the town’s-people who ate up the food, leav- ing you only these pieces. ” After they had eaten, they were called to the reception- house, and spent the evening in conversation with the people of the town. Then, they were shown to the house in which they were to sleep. It was the one with the pit-fall inside WHERE ANIMALS TALK 87 the door- way. Leopard, of course, jumped over it; but Wild Goat fell into it. And, as in the case of Rat, Leopard called out, “People of the town! This is your dowry-goods! I have brought it to you!” The next morning, Leopard took his journey, and came back home. When the people of his town asked him, as in the case of Rat, “Where is the friend you took with you?” he made the same reply, “Don’t ask me! He is entangled off there with women.” On a third journey, Leopard called Antelope to accompany him. Antelope agreed. They came to the River; and as before Leopard told how that river could not be crossed by travelers unless their knives were thrown away. This, Antelope did. Then, they came to the Kuda tree. There, Antelope heard Leopard splitting the nuts, and asked him. “Did you not throw away your knife? Do you travel with two?” Leo- pard answered, “Yes! I always travel with two.” Then, they came to the Medicine tree. And Leopard explained about its bark being the cure for his frequent tooth-aches, when eating at his father-in-law’s town. They came to the town. And when food was brought to them, Leopard cried out, “O! my tooth! my tooth!” Ante- lope asked, “Where is your medicine that you said you use?” Leopard answered, “At the tree which I showed you on the way. Go, and get it. ” While Antelope was gone, Leopard ate up almost all the food. On returning, Antelope exclaimed “What! only this little food for me?” Leopard explained, “With my great tooth-ache, I ate none. Nothing happened, except that the town’s-people came, and were eating up the food; and I, in my kindness for you, begged them to leave at least a little for you.” Antelope handed him the medicine, and Leopard said, “Put it down there”; and he threw it away, while Antelope’s back was turned. After they had eaten, they went to their room for the night. Leopard, as usual, jumped over the pit; but Antelope fell in. And Leopard gave his shout to the people to come and take the Dowry-goods he had brought. The next morning, after breakfast, Leopard again started on his home journey. There, again he was anxiously asked, “ But, those whom you take with you don’t come back! Why?” He made the same reply, “They know why! Off there are damsels and dancing; and they were unable to return.” 88 WHERE ANIMALS TALK For his next journey, Leopard asked Red Antelope, who heartily replied, “Yes, come on! There is nothing to pre- vent my going on a journey!” They journeyed, and they came to the River. There, Leopard made his statement about the necessity of throwing their knives into the river. Red Antelope wondered a little, but he consented saying, “Yes, but what is that to me?” Said Leopard, “Well, then, shut your eyes, and I will be the first to throw, lest you say I am deceiving you.” Said Red Antelope, “Yes.” And he shut his eyes tightly. Then Leopard, having a stone in his hand, flung it into the water, saying, “I’ve thrown mine; throw also yours!” Red Antelope demanded, “But, you must shut your eyes also.” Leopard half-closed his eyes, and Red Antelope, knife in hand, flung it into the water. Then, wading across, they went on and on to the base of the Kuda tree. Said Leopard, “Mr. Ehibo, this Kuda is eaten of here only by each person on his own side of the trunk.” Red Antelope assented; and they turned, this one to one side, and that one to the other side. There, as Red Antelope was vainly trying to crack the nuts with his teeth, Leopard was deriding him while himself was comfortably using his knife. Then, Leopard said, “Let us go on; for, the day is declin- ing.” Red Antelope agreed. As they went, they came to an Ebwehavu tree. And Leopard said, “Let us climb for Bebwehavu fruits. But, when we climb this particular tree, it is the practice here, to climb, one by one. While the one is climbing, the other has his eyes shut; and, the climbing is done, not by the trunk, but by this adjoining Bongo tree which you see here. But, first, close your eyes, and I will go up.” (The Bongo’s trunk is covered with hard sharp thorns.) Red Antelope stood, with his eyes tightly closed. Leopard grasped a vine; and, with one swing, he at once was up the tree. Red Antelope began climbing that Bongo, creeping slowly to the top, his whole body spoiled, and nothing on him but blood and blood. Said Leopard, “This Ebwehavu is accustomed to be plucked only the green unripe, but the dark ripe ones are to be left.” That seemed strange to Red Antelope, never- theless he said, “Yes.” But Leopard was plucking the ripe and leaving the green. When they had finished plucking, WHERE ANIMALS TALK 89 Leopard said, “ Ehibo ! shut eyes ! that I may descend ! ” Red Antelope shut his eyes. Leopard grasped the vine; and, with one spring, was on the ground. Then, he said, “Now, Ehibo, descend.” Red Antelope began descending by the Bongo, down, down, landing finally on the ground. Leopard waited for him; and then said, “Having no fire, how shall we cook those green bebwehavu?” Just then, he saw a Fire-fly passing; and he said. “Mr. Ehibo! Pursue! That’s fire passing there!” Red Antelope bent in rapid pur- suit. Leopard turned to the base of the tree, gathered dried fire-wood, struck his flint, lighted a fire, cooked his fruits, ate them, finished, and put out his fire. Red Antelope, back again, said, “I did not reach it, I’m tired.” Leopard said, “Well, let it go. I chewed mine uncooked. But, let us journey; and, as you go, you chew yours.” They went on, and came to the town of the marriage. Food was cooked and set for them in their room. Said Leopard, “Ehibo, sit you on the floor, while I eat at the table. And, while I eat the flesh, you eat the bones.” Red Antelope had become so utterly wearied and humiliated that he did not resent this indignity. They ate. And then Leopard said, “Ehibo, sweep up the scraps, and go and throw them into the back yard.” (Immediately on his arrival at the town. Leopard had gone alone to his father-in-law, and said, “ I have brought you an animal. But, let another pit, this time, be dug in the back yard of the room where we shall be. And, do you put spears and daggers and all kinds of sharp sticks there. When I shall send him to throw away the sweepings, and he shall fall in, kill ye him.”) Red Antelope swept, and scraped up the sweepings, and threw them into a basket. He turned with them to the back yard, to fling them away. As he was about to do so, he slipped down to the bottom of the pit. Impaled on the spears, he was unable to jump out. When the town’s-people arrived, they thrust him through with sharp poles; and he lay dead. When Leopard returned home, Red Antelope’s people asked, “ Where is Ehibo? ” Leopard made his former answer, “Ehibo was hindered by the hospitality of that marriage town, wdth its food and its women; and, he said, ‘I won’t go back!’” 90 WHERE ANIMALS TALK Thus, with each journey, Leopard called for another animal. They went, over the same route; and the same things happened each time. So, matters went on for a long while. But, Gazelle, a very smart beast, began to suspect, observing that none of Leopard’s travel-companions ever came back. In his heart, he thought to himself, “Leopard deceives people!” He determined to find out, by offering to go, and watch for himself. At last, he said, “Uncle Nja, let me go to escort you to the town of your marriage. When next you go on your journey, call me to go with you. ” Said Leopard, “I don’t want you.” (He suspected Gazelle’s smartness.) Gazelle insisted, “Uncle, as to these others whom you have invited to go with you, and not the rather me, your relative?” So, Leopard agreed, “Yes, let us go.” By the next morn- ing they started on their journey, going on and on, clear to the big River. There, as usual, Leopard told about knives to be thrown into the river; and he said, “Nephew Iheli, you first throw your knife.” Said Gazelle, “First, you throw yours, then I will throw mine also.” Said Leopard, “Well! shut your eyes!” Gazelle half-closed his hands on his eyes, and was peeping. He saw Leopard seize a chunk of wood and fling it in the w r ater. Then he said, “Shut eyes! Let me also throw mine ! ” Leopard’s eyes shut tight. Gazelle, seizing a stick, flung it into the water. Then, they crossed the river, and went on and on, until they came to the base of the Kuda tree. Leopard made his usual statement about parties eating the nuts on opposite sides of the tree. Gazelle, with apparent obedience, said, ‘“Yes.” Leopard, with knife drawn, began to hack and split the nuts, throwing the kernels into his mouth, and making his usual derisive remark, “By the truth! a person without a knife can not eat the kernels of kuda. ” Gazelle also, hacking his, and throwing them into his mouth, said, “Just exactly so! a person without a knife can not eat the kernel of kuda-nut!” Leopard exclaimed, “What are you doing? Have you two knives?” Gazelle replied, “But, what are you doing? Had you two knives?” Leopard answered, “Yes, for, I am the senior.” Gazelle responded, “And I also carry two knives; for, I also am an adult.” Leopard only said, “Iheli! Come on!” They went on, until they came to the Ebwehavu tree. There, WHERE ANIMALS TALK 91 Leopard made his usual explanation of climbing only by means of the Bongo tree. Gazelle agreed, and said, “Yes; climb you first. ” Leopard said, “ Shut your eyes. ” Gazelle stood, with eyes apparently tightly closed. With one swing on a vine, Leopard is up the tree. Said Gazelle, “You also, shut your eyes. Let me go up.” Leopard pretended to shut his eyes. And Gazelle, with one swing, was also up the tree. Leopard made his usual statement about plucking only the green fruit. To which, Gazelle seemed to assent. And they descended the tree, without Leopard attempting to deceive Gazelle about the Bongo tree. But, Leopard seeing the sun going down, said, “Iheli! Pursue! that’s fire that’s going there!” But, Gazelle showed he was not deceived, by simply saying, “That’s not fire!” So, Leopard gathered fire- wood; and they cooked and ate their bebwehavu. Then, they resumed their journey, and came to the Medi- cine tree. There Leopard told his usual story about the bark of that tree being his great cure-all. Gazelle quietly said, “Yes.” But, when they left the tree, and had gone a short distance farther, he exclaimed, “O! I forgot my staff! I must go back and get it!” He went back to the tree, stripped bark from it, put it into his traveling-bag, and overtook Leopard. And they came on together to the town. After they had entered their house, Gazelle remarked to Leopard, “ Let me go out and see the other fellows, who came with you on your previous journeys, and who, you said, had stayed here with the women.” He went out; and returned, saying, “ I saw the women, but none of those fellows. ” Food was cooked for them, and they sat down to eat. But, sud- denly, Leopard broke out in groans, “Iheli! I feel a pain in my stomach; go, get bark of that tree I showed you. The medicine! Get the medicine!” Gazelle answered “Yes, but just wait until I finish my plate;” and he continued eating rapidly. Leopard was distressed to see the food dis- appearing; but, as he had pretended sickness, he did not dare begin to eat. When, finally there was but little food left, Gazelle introduced his hand into his bag, and, handing out the pieces of bark, said, “Here’s your medicine! That’s it!” Leopard said, “Yes, just leave it there. I do not need the medicine now. The pain has ceased. Let us first eat. 92 WHERE ANIMALS TALK We will eat together.” After finishing their eating, Gazelle swept up the scraps, and placed them in a basket. Said Leopard, “Come, I will go with you to show you the place where sweepings are to be thrown.” Gazelle was about to fling the basket, as Leopard came to push him into the pit. But, Gazelle lightly leaped across to the other side of it, and cried out, “ Uncle ! what do you want to do to me? ” Leopard said, “That’s nothing!” It being night, they went to their sleeping-room, Leopard accompanied by his wife. He and she carefully jumped over the other pit that was inside of the door-way of that house. Gazelle also jumped, with careful observation, the while that people stood outside expecting him to fall into it. They retired for the night, Leopard and his wife on the bed; Gazelle on a mat on the floor. Said Gazelle, “Uncle, if you hear me stertorously snoring, then I am awake; but, if silently, then I am asleep. ” In a little while, Gazelle feigned gentle snoring. Leopard thinking Gazelle w T as alseep, took an iron rod, and thrust it into the fire. Gazelle saw what he was doing. When it was red-hot, he removed it, and, stepping softly, w T as about to stab Gazelle with it; wdio, quickly mov- ing aside, exclaimed, “Eh! what are you doing?” Leopard coolly replied, “Nothing; I was only brushing away an insect that w r as biting you.” Gazelle thought wdthin him- self, “Nja will surely kill me to-night.” So, he took chalk, and secretly marked circles around his eyes, making himself look as if his eyes w^ere open and he awake, even if he should actually be asleep. After a while. Leopard slept, sound asleep wdth his wdfe. Then Gazelle passed over to Leopard’s bed, and lifting the woman (unconscious in her sleep) to his mat on the floor, laid down in her place, beside Leopard in the bed. During the night, Leopard awoke, and, not notic- ing, in the darkness, the change at his side, went wdth the rod, to the mat wdiere he supposed Gazelle w r as sleeping, and stabbed the woman to death. Then Gazelle (wdio had remained awake) cried out, “Eh! you kill another person? You are killing your wdfe!” Leo- pard exclaimed, “Umph! Is that you? I said to myself that this was you!” Gazelle said, “Yes! what did you go to my bed for? So, then ! I am the one you wanted to kill ! ” Leo- pard confessed, “It is true that I came here to kill you, WHERE ANIMALS TALK 93 thinking this was you. But, as the matter is thus, say no more about it. Let us cut up and eat this woman. Come, cut up!” But, Gazelle said, “I? When the town’s-people hear the chopping, then won’t they say, ‘What animal has Iheli killed in his brother-in-law’s town, that he is cutting it up at night?’ Yourself, cut her to pieces.” So, Leopard said, “Well, leave the work on the body of the woman to me; but, do you attend to the cooking.” Said Gazelle, “I? When the town’s people shall hear the kettle boiling, then will they say, ‘Whom has Iheli killed in the town of his brother-in-law, that he cooks at night’?” Leopard boiled the kettle. It was cooked; and he said to Gazelle, “Go, cut down a bunch of plantains, out there in the back-yard.” (This he said, hoping that Gazelle would fall into that pit, either in going out or coming in.) But, Gazelle said, “I? When the town’s people hear the strokes of the machete, and the crash of the fall of the bunch, then, will they not suspect me, and say, ‘What meat has Iheli killed, that he is cutting down a plantain at night?’ Cut it your- self.” Leopard went and cut down a bunch of plantains, and said to Gazelle, “Now, come and peel the plantains, and cook them.” Gazelle refused, “No; do you peel and cook. I’m in bed. I’ll eat only greens.” Then Leopard said (making a last effort to get Gazelle into the pit), “Well, go to the back-yard, and pluck pepper for the soup.” Gazelle again refused, “No: when the town’s-people hear the pluck- ing of the pods, will they not say, ‘What animal has Iheli killed that he is gathering pepper for the soup?’ ” Finally, Leopard, having done all the work, and finished cooking, and set the table, said, “Come, Iheli, I have finished all. Come, and eat.” Gazelle came, but said, “First, put out all the lights. ” Leopard did so. And Gazelle added, “We will understand that whichever, at the close of the meal, has the largest pile of bones by his plate, shall be known as the one who killed the woman. ” Leopard agreed. The light having been extinguished, they ate in darkness. But, while they were eating, Gazelle chose only the bony pieces that had little meat; and, having picked them, he quietly laid the bones by Leopard’s plate. When they had finished eating, the torches were re-lighted, and Gazelle cried out at Leopard’s big pile of bones. They were counted. 94 WHERE ANIMALS TALK And Gazelle said, “Did you not say that whoever had the most bones would prove himself the murderer? So! indeed! you are the one who killed another person’s child!” Leopard evaded, and said, “But, Iheli, take a broom and sweep up the scraps from the floor, and throw them into the yard.” (Making thus a final effort to get Gazelle into that pit.) But, Gazelle, refused, “No; yourself do it. When the town’s-people hear the bones falling as they are thrown in the yard, will they not suspect me, and say, ‘ What animal has Iheli killed at night, that he is clearing away the scraps?’ ” Leopard swept up the floor and table, and threw the pieces into the backyard. As they were finishing, day began to dawn. Gazelle said, “Nja, the day is breaking; let us seek hiding-places; for, when the people come in, in the morning, and find that their daughter is dead, lest they kill us. ” So, they began to look around for hiding-places. Gazelle said, “I shall hide in this big box on the floor.” But, Leopard objected, “No; that traveling-box befits me; and, as the elder, I shall take it.” Gazelle said, then, “Well, I’ll hide under the bed.” But, Leopard again objected (hoping to leave Gazelle without a place). “No; that also is my place; it suits me.” Gazelle protested, “You are claiming this and that place! Where shall I go? Well! I see! I’ll hide over the door.” “Yes” said Leopard, “that’s the hiding- place for a young person like you.” (This he said, still thinking of the pit near the door.) Gazelle agreed, saying, “I am here, by the door. You get into that box, and I’ll tie it with a string, as if no one was in it. ” Leopard objected, “But, the string will hinder my breaking out.” “No,” replied Gazelle, “it shall be a weak twine. You can easily burst it, when you fling up the lid, and jump out, and run away. ” Leopard got into the box, and Gazelle began to tie it with a heavy chain. Leopard hearing the clanking, exclaimed, “With a chain, Iheli?” Gazelle had the chain fast; and he coolly replied, “It’s only a little one.” Then he piled heavy stones on the box. As day broke, he took his stand among a bundle of dried plantain-leaves that was over the door-way. The towns-people sent a child to open the door of the strangers’ house, to call them to eat. As the child was about to enter, Gazelle struck him a blow on the head; and the WHERE ANIMALS TALK 95 child went away wailing with pain. The child’s father said to his family that he would go to see what was the matter. As he pushed wide open the door of the strangers’ house, Gazelle slid down, sprang out, and ran rapidly away, shout- ing, “Nja is there! Nja is in that box! He it is who has killed your woman!” And the towns-people shouted after him, “Is that so? Well, you’re off, Iheli! Go!” Leopard, when he heard that, made desperate efforts to get out of the box. The town’s-men entered the house and found the box with Leopard tied in it. They fired their guns at him, and killed him. As they did so, they reproached him, “Why did you kill our daughter, whom you came to marry?” Then they gathered together a great pile of fire- wood in the street, thrust on to it the dead body of Leopard, and burned him there. Gazelle went back to the town of Beasts, and they asked him, “Where is he with whom you went on your journey?” Gazelle told them, “He is dead. He it was who killed the other Beasts who went with him. And he is now killed by the relatives of the woman whom he was to marry, but whom also he had murdered. ” For this reason, that Gazelle informed on Leopard in the box, the relatives of Leopard since then have no friendship with Gazelle, and always pursue and try to kill him. The entire Leopard tribe have kept up that feud with the Gazelle tribe, saying, “You caused our father’s death.” And they carry on their revenge. TALE 5 Tortoise in a Race Persons Kudu (Tortoise) Mbalanga (Antelope) NOTE Discussions about seniority are common causes of quarrel in Africa. The reason assigned why tortoises are so spread everywhere is that the antelope tribe, in public-meeting, 96 WHERE ANIMALS TALK recognized their superiority. At Batanga, Gaboon, Ogowe, and everywhere on the equatorial west coast, there are tortoises even in places where there are no other animals. On account of this, the tortoise is given many names; and has many nicknames in the native tribes, e. g., “Manyima,” and “Evosolo.” Tortoise had formerly lived in the same town with several other animals. But, after awhile, they had decided to sepa- rate, and each built his own village. One day, Tortoise decided to roam. So he started, and went on an excursion; leaving his wife and two children in the village. On his way, he came to the village of Antelope. The latter welcomed him. killed a fowl, and prepared food for him; and they sat at the table, eating. When they had finished eating, Antelope asked, “Kudu! My friend, what is your journey for?” Tortoise answered, “I have come to inquire of you, as to you and me, which is the elder?” Antelope replied, “Kudu! I am older than you!” But Tortoise responded, “No! I am the elder!” Then Antelope said, “Show me the reason why you are older than I!” Tortoise said, continuing the dis- cussion, “I will show you a sign of seniority. Let us have a race, as a test of speed. ” Antelope replied derisively, “ Aiye! how shall I know to test speed with Kudu? Does Kudu race?” However, he agreed, and said, “Well! in three days the race shall be made. ” Tortoise spoke audaciously, “You, Mbalanga, cannot surpass me in a race!” Antelope laughed, having accepted the challenge; while Tortoise pretended to sneer, and said, “I am the one who will overcome!” The course chosen, beginning on the beach south of Batan- ga, was more than seventy miles from the Campo River northward to the Balimba Country. Then Tortoise went away, going everywhere to give directions, and returned to his village. He sent word secretly to all the Tortoise Tribe to call them. When they had come very many of them together, he told them, “I have called my friend Mbalanga for a race. I know that he can surpass WHERE ANIMALS TALK 97 me in this race, unless you all help me in my plan. He will follow the sea-beach. You all must line yourselves among the bushes at the top of the beach along the entire route all the way from Campo to Balimba. When Mbalanga, coming along, at any point, looks around to see whether I am follow- ing, and calls out, “Kudu! where are you?” the one of you who is nearest that spot must step out from his place, and answer for me, “Here!” Thus he located all the other tortoises in the bushes on the entire route. Also, he placed a colored mark on all the tortoises, making the face of every one alike. He stationed them clear on to the place where he expected that Antelope would be exhausted. Then he ended, taking his own place there. Antelope also arranged for himself, and said, to his wife, “My wife! make me food; for, Kudu and I have agreed on a race; and it begins at seven o’clock in the morning. ” When all was ready, Antelope said, to (the one whom he supposed was) Kudu, “Come! let us race!” They started. Antelope ran on and on, and came as far as about ten miles to the town of Ubenji, among the Igara people. At various spots on the way Tortoise apparently was lost behind; but as constantly he seemed to re-appear, saying, “I’m here!” At once, Antelope raced forward rapidly, pu ! pu ! pu ! to a town named Ipenyenye. Then he looked around and said, “Where is Kudu?” A tortoise stepped out of the bushes, saying “Here I am! You haven’t raced.” Antelope raced on until he reached the town of Beya. Again looking around, he said, “Where is Kudu?” A tor- toise stepped out, replying, “I’m here!” Antelope again raced, until he reached the town Lolabe. Again he asked, “Where is Kudu?” A tortoise saying to himself, “He hasn’t heard anything,” replied, “Here lam!” Again Antelope raced on as far as from there to a rocky point by the sea named Ilale-ja-moto; and then he called, “Wherever is Kudu?” A tortoise ready answered, “Here I am!” From thence, he came on in the race another stretch of about ten miles, clear to the town of Bongaheli of the Batanga people. At each place on the route, when Antelope, losing 98 WHERE ANIMALS TALK sight of Tortoise, called, “Kudu! where are you?” promptly the tortoise on guard at that spot replied, “I’m here!” Then on he went, steadily going, going, another stretch of about twenty miles to Plantation Beach. Still the prompt reply to Antelope’s call, “Kudu, where are you?” was, “I’m here!” As he started away from Plantation, the wearied Antelope began to feel his legs tired. However, he pressed on to Small Batanga, hoping for victory over his despised contest- ant. But, on his reaching the edge of Balimba, the tortoise was there ready with his, “I’m here!” Finally, on reaching the end of the Balimba settlement, Antelope fell down, dying, froth coming from his mouth, and lay dead, being utterly exhausted with running. But, when Tortoise arrived, he took a magic-medicine, and restored Antelope to life; and then exulted over him by beating him, and saying, “Don’t you show me your audacity another day by daring to run with me ! I have surpassed you ! ” So, they returned separately to their homes on the Campo River. Tortoise called together the Tortoise Tribe; and Antelope called all the Antelope Tribe. And they met in a Council of all the Animals. Then Tortoise rose and spoke — “All you Kudu Tribe !Mbalanga said I would not surpass him in a race. But, this day I have surpassed!” So the Antelope Tribe had to acknowledge, “Yes, you, Kudu, have surpassed our champion. It’s a great shame to us; for, we had not supposed that a slow fellow such as we thought you to be, could possibly do it, or be able to out- run a Mbalanga. ” So the Council decided that, of all the tribes of animals, Tortoise was to be held as greatest; for, that it had out-run Antelope. And the Animals gave Tortoise the power to rule. WHERE ANIMALS TALK 99 TALE 6 Goat’s Tournament Persons Tomba (Goat) Nja (Leopard) NOTE The reason why leopards wander everywhere, and fight all other animals, is their shame at being overcome by a goat. Their ancestor had said, “I did not know that a Goat could overcome me.” The Tribe of Goats sent a message to the Tribe of Leopards, saying, “Let us have a Wrestling Match, in an effort to see which is the stronger. ” Then Leopard took counsel with his Tribe, “This Tribe of Goats! I do not see that they have any strength. Let us agree to the contest; for, they can do nothing to me. ” So, the Goat Tribe gathered all together; and the Leopard Tribe all together; and they met in a street of a town, to engage in the drumming and dancing and singing usually preceding such contests. For the wrestling, they joined in thirty pairs, one from each tribe. The first pair wrestled; and the representative of the Leopards was overcome and thrown to the ground. Another pair joined; and again the Leopard champion was overcome. A third pair joined and wrestled, contesting desperately; the Leopard in shame, and the Goat in exultation. Again the Leopard was overcome. There was, during all this time, drumming by the ad- herents of both parties. The Leopard drum was now beaten fiercely to encourage their side, as they had already been overcome three times in succession. Then, on the fourth effort, the Leopard succeeded in over- coming. Again a pair fought; and Leopard overcame a second time. The sixth pair joined; and Leopard said. 100 WHERE ANIMALS TALK Today we wrestle to settle that doubt as to which of us is the stronger. ” So, pair after pair wrestled, until all of the thirty arranged pairs had contested. Of these, the Leopard tribe were victors ten times; and the Goat Tribe twenty times. Then the Leopard tribe said, “We are ashamed that the report should go out among all the animals that we beat only ten times, and the Tomba twenty times. So, we will not stay any longer here, with their and our towns near to- gether:” for they knew that their Leopard tribe would always be angry when they should see a company of Goats passing, remembering how often they were beaten. So, they moved away into the forest distant from their hated rivals. In their cherished anger at being beaten, and to cover their shame, Leopard attacks a Goat when he meets him alone, or any other single beast known to be friendly to the Goats, e. g.. Oxen or Antelopes. TALE 7 Why Goats Became Domestic Persons Tomba-Ya-Taba (Goat) Nja (Leopard) With Etoli, plural Betoli (Rat) Ko (Wild-Rat) Vyadu (Antelope, plural La- Njaku (Elephant) du) Mankind Nyati (Ox) Goat and his mother lived alone in their village. He said to her, “I have here a magic-medicine to strengthen one in wrestling. There is no one who can overcome me, or cast me down; I can overcome any other person.” The other Beasts heard of this boast; and they took up the challenge. First, house-Rats, hundreds of them, came to Goat’s village, to test him. And they began the wrest- ling. He overcame them, one by one, to the number of two hundred. So, the Rats went back to their places, admitting that they were not able to overcome him. WHERE ANIMALS TALK 101 Then, forest-Rat came to wrestle with Goat. He over- came them also, all of them. And they went back to their own place defeated. Then, the Antelope came to wrestle with Goat. He over- came all the Antelopes, every one of them; not one was able to withstand him. And they also went back to their places. Also, Elephant with all the elephants, came on that same challenge. Goat overcame all the Elephants; and they too, went back to their place. Thus, all the Beasts came, in the same way, and were overcome in the same way, and went back in the same way. But, there still remained one Beast, only one. Leopard, who had not made the attempt. So he said he would go; as he was sure he could overcome. He came. Goat over- came him also. So, it was proved that not a single beast could withstand Goat. Then the Father of All-the-Leopards said, “I am ashamed that this Beast should overcome me. I will kill him ! ” And he made a plan to do so. He went to the spring where Man- kind got their drinking-water. And he stood, hiding at the spring. Men of the town went to the spring to get water; Leopard killed two of them. The people went to tell Goat, “Go away from here, for Leopard is killing Mankind on your account.” The Mother of Goat said to him, “If that is so, let us go to my brother Vyadu.” So they both went to go to Uncle Antelope. And they came to his village. When they told him their errand, he bravely said, “Remain here! Let me see Nja come here with his audacity!” They were then at Antelope’s village, about two days. On the third day, about eight o’clock in the morning, Leo- pard came there as if for a walk. When Antelope saw him, Goat and his mother hid themselves; and Antelope asked Leopard, “What is your anger? Why are you angry with my nephew?” At that very moment while Antelope was speaking, Leo- pard seized him on the ear. Antelope cried out, “What are you killing me for?” Leopard replied, “Show me the place where Tomba-Taba and his mother are.” So, Ante- lope being afraid said, “Come tonight, and I will show you where they sleep. And you kill them; but don’t kill me. ” 102 WHERE ANIMALS TALK While he was saying this, Goat overheard, and said to his mother, “We must flee, lest Nja kill us.” So, at sun-down, that evening, Goat and his mother fled to the village of Ele- phant. About midnight, Leopard came to Antelope’s village, according to appointment, and looked for Goat, but did not find him. Leopard went to all the houses of the village, and when he came to Antelope’s own, in his disap- pointment, he killed him. Leopard kept up his search, and followed to find where Goat had gone. Following the tracks, he came to the village of Elephant. When he arrived there, Elephant demanded, “What’s the matter?” And the same conversation was held, as at Antelope’s village, and the incidents happened as at that village, ending with Elephant’s being killed by Leo- pard. For, Goat and his mother had fled, and had gone to the village of Ox. Leopard followed, and came to Ox’s village. There all the same things were said and done, as in the other villages, and ending with Goat and his mother fleeing, and Ox being killed. Then, the mother, wearying of flight, and sorry at causing their entertainers to be killed, said, “My child! if we con- tinue to flee to the villages of other beasts, Nja will follow, and will kill them. Let us flee to the homes of Mankind. ” So, they fled again, and came to the town of Man, and told him their story. He received them kindly. He took Goat and his mother as guests, and gave them a house to live in. One time, at night, Leopard came to the town of Man, in pursuit of Goat. But Man said to Leopard, “Those Beasts whom you killed, failed to find a way in which to kill you. But, if you come here, we will find a way. ” So, that night, Leopard went back to his village. On another day, Mankind began to make a big trap, with two rooms in it. They took Goat and put him in one room of the trap. Night came. Leopard left his village, still going to seek for Goat; and he came again to the town of Man. Leopard stood still, listened, and sniffed the air. He smelled the odor of Goat, and was glad, and said, “So! this night I will kill him!” He saw an open way to a small house. He thought it was a door. He entered, and was caught in the trap. He could see Goat through the cracks in the wall, but could not get WHERE ANIMALS TALK 103 at him. Goat jeered at him, “My friend! you were about to kill me, but you are unable. ” Daybreak came. And people of Man’s town found Leo- pard in the trap, caught fast. They took machetes and guns, and killed him. Then Man said to Goat, “You shall not go back to the Forest; remain here always.” This is the reason that Goats like to live with mankind, through fear of Leopards. TALE 8 Igwana ’s Forked Tongue Persons Ngambi (Igwana) Vyadu (Antelope) Njd (Leopard) Iheli (Gazelle) Betoli (Rats) Ehibo (Red Antelope) NOTE Natives believe that the Igwana kills with its long tongue. This story assigns the fear of leopards as a reason why Igwa- nas like to live near water. Igwanas swim readily, while leopards (as all the cat-tribe) do not like even to wet their feet. There were two friends, Igwana and Leopard, living in the same village, one at each end. Igwana had six wives; Leopard also had six. Leopard begot twenty children; Igwana had eight. One time, at night, they were sitting with their wives and children in the street, in a conversation. Leopard said to Igwana, “Ngambi! I have a word to say to you. ” Igwana said, “ Speak. ” Then Leopard said, “I wish you and me to have our food together.” Igwana agreed, “Well.” And Leopard ar- ranged, “For two months, you shall come and eat in my house; and then, for two months, I at your house.” 104 WHERE ANIMALS TALK And they separated, to go to their houses for sleep. Soon the night passed, and day broke. Leopard went to the forest and killed an Antelope. He and Igwana and their families spent four days in eating it. On another day, Leopard went to the forest and killed a Gazelle. It also was finished in four days. And again, Leopard went to the forest, and killed a Red Antelope. They were occupied in eating it also four days. So, they continued all the two months. Then Leopard said, “Ngambi! it is your time to begin the food. ” Igwana replied, “I have no wild meat, only vegetables.” On the following day, Igwana got ready his food and sent word for Leopard to come to eat. He came and ate, there being on the table only vegetables and salt. Then the day darkened; and, in the evening they all came together in one place, as usual. Leopard said to Igwana, “I began my turn with meats in my house, and you ate them. I cannot eat only vegetables and salt.” Igwana explained, “I do not know the arts for killing beasts.” Leopard told him, “Be- gin now to try the art of how to catch beasts.” Igwana replied, “If I begin a plan for catching Beasts, that plan will be a dreadful one. ” Leopard exclaimed, “ Good ! begin ! ” Igwana promised, “Tomorrow I will begin.” And they all went to their houses to sleep their sleep. The night passed, and day broke. Igwana started out very early in the morning. On the way, he came to a big tree. He stood at its base, and, with a cord, he loosely tied his own hands and feet around the tree. Then he began to squeak as if in pain, “Hwa! hwa! hwa!” three times. At that same time, a child of Leopard had gone wandering out into the forest. He found Igwana tied to the tree and crying. Igwana said to him, “Ah! my child ! come near me, and untie me. ” The child of Leopard came near to him; and then Igwana thrust his forked tongue into the nostrils of young leopard, and pulled his brains out, so that the child died. Then Igwana untied himself, skinned the young leopard, divided it, tied the pieces in a big bundle of leaves, and took them and the skin to the village. There he gave the meat to his WHERE ANIMALS TALK 105 wife, who put it in a pot. And he went to his house, and left the skin hanging in his bedroom. Then when the meat was cooked, he sent word for Leopard to come and eat. Leopard came and sat down at the table, and they ate. As they were eating, Leopard said, “Ah! my friend! You said you did not know how to catch beasts! What is this fine meat?’ Igwana replied, “I am unable to tell you. Just you eat it.” So, they ate, and finished eating. Igwana continued that way for two weeks, killing the young leopards. At that Leopard said to himself, “I had begotten twenty children, but now I find only ten. Where are the other ten? ” He asked his children where their brothers were. They answered that they did not know, “Perhaps they were lost in the forest.” The while that Igwana was killing the young leopards, he had hidden their skins all in his bed- room. On another day, Leopard and Igwana began a journey together to a place about forty miles distant. Before he started, Igwana closed his house, and said to his children, “Nja and I are going on a journey; while I am away, do not let any one enter into my bedroom.” And they two went together on their journey. They reached their journey’s end, and were there for the duration of seven days. While they were gone, there was no one to get meat for their people, and there came on their village a great njangu (hunger for meat) . One of those days, in the village, so great was that famine that the children of Leopard were searching for rats for food. The rats ran away to the house of Igwana that was shut up; and the children of Leopard pursued. But the children of Igwana said to them, “Do not enter the house! Our father forbade it! Stop at the door-way!” But the young leopards replied, “No! all the Betoli have run in there. We must follow.” So, they broke down the door. There they found skins of young leopards, and they exclaimed, “So! indeed! Ngambi kills our brothers!” And two days later, the two fathers came back to the village. The young igwanas told their father that the young leo- pards had broken the door, and found leopard-skins hanging inside. Igwana asked them, “Really? They saw?” The 106 WHERE ANIMALS TALK young igwanas answered, “Yes! they saw!” Then Igwana said, “Be on your guard! For, Nja will be angry with me.” Also, the young leopards said to their father, “Paia! so it is that Ngambi killed our brothers. We saw their skins in his bedroom.” Leopard asked, “Truly?” They answered, “ Yes ! we saw ! ” He said only, “ Well, let it be. ” On another day, Leopard said, “This night I will go to Ngambi to kill him and all his children.” The wife of Igwana heard this, and told him, “Tonight, Nja will come to kill you and our children. ” At this, Igwana said to himself “ But ! we must flee, I, and my children, and my wives ! ” So, they all went and hid in the water of a small stream. Leopard came, in the dark of the morning, to Igwana’s house, and entered it; but he saw no people, only the skins of his children. So he exclaimed, “At whatever place I shall see Ngambi, I will kill and eat him. We, he and I, have no more friendship ! ” TALE 9 What Caused their Deaths? Persons Mbwa (Dog) Kudu (Tortoise) Mbala (Squirrel) NOTE Dog and squirrel were of the same age, and they met with the same end. They each had an object of their special liking, the excessive use of which finally was the cause of their death. Dog, Squirrel, Tortoise and others were living in one town. They all, at that time, ate of the same kind of food. But, WHERE ANIMALS TALK 107 they were at peace in that village during only two weeks. Then Squirrel and Dog said to Tortoise, “Let us divide, and have peace each at our separate villages. You, Kudu, and the others can stay at this spot if you like. ” Squirrel said he would remove to a place about three miles distant north. Dog went about three miles in the opposite direction. So, each had his own little hamlet. On another day, Squirrel said to his wife, “ I am going on a journey to see my friend Mbwa. ” He started, came to Dog’s place, and entered the house. Dog welcomed him, played with him, and killed a fowl for their dinner. With Squirrel had come one of his wives. While the women were cooking inside the house, Dog and Squirrel were sitting in the ikenga (reception-room). They were conversing there. After awhile, Dog said to Squirrel “Excuse me, I will go to see about the food.” He went in- side, and lay down near the fire, and Squirrel was left alone. Dog stayed there inside the house, until the food was cooked. Then he came out to his friend, and began to set the table, while the women came in with the food, and put it on the table. Dog drew up by the table ready to eat; and Squirrel also; and Squirrel’s wife, and Dog’s wife also, mak- ing four at the table. During the eating, Squirrel said to Dog, “ My friend ! when you left me here in the ikenga, where did you go to, the while that the women were cooking the food?” Dog answered, “ Ah ! my friend, you know that I like fire very much. While we were talking here, you and I, cold seized me. ” Then Squirrel said, “Ah! my friend, you like fire too much; I think you will die of fire some day. ” They finished the food; and after that, Squirrel prepared his return journey to his village. And he said to Dog, “My friend Mbwa, how many days before you shall come to my place?” Dog answered, “In two days, then will I come. ” So, Squirrel returned to his village. His wives and child- ren told him the daily news of what had occurred in the village while he w T as away. And he told them about what he had seen at Dog’s. And he added, “But, there is one thing I noticed; my friend Mbwa likes fire very much.” He waited the two days; Dog came on his visit; and Squir- rel killed a fowl for his guest. And he bade his woman cook 108 WHERE ANIMALS TALK the fowl. In the meanwhile, Dog and Squirrel sat in the ikenga conversing. Presently Squirrel said to Dog, “Excuse me, I am going. I will return. ” Squirrel went out into his garden, and climbed up a banana stalk, and began eating the ripe fruit at the top of the bunch. After awhile, he came down again. And he went into the ikenga to prepare the table for the food. When it was ready, Dog sat up at the table. With him were his wife, and Squirrel and Squirrel’s wife. Presently, Dog inquired of Squirrel, “My friend! when you left me sitting here alone, where did you go to? ” Squir- rel answered, “My friend! you know I like to eat bananas. So, I was up the tree,” Then Dog said, “My friend! you love bananas too much; some day, you will die with them. ” When they had finished their food, Dog said, “I am on my return to my village.” So he returned thither. But he was arrived there only two days when he happened to fall into the fire-place. And he died in the fire. The news was carried to his friend Squirrel, “Your friend Mbwa is dead by fire.” Squirrel replied, “Yes, I said so; for he loved fire too much. ” On another day, in Man’s town, a person went to look for food at his banana tree. And he saw that the fruit was eaten at the top, by some animal. So, that Man made a snare at the Banana tree. On the next day, Squirrel said to himself, “I’m going to eat my banana food wherever I shall find it.” He came to the town of Man, and climbed the tree. The snare caught and killed him; and he died there. The Man came and found the body of Squirrel; and he exclaimed “Good!” The news was carried to the village of Squirrel’s children, “Your father is dead, at a banana tree.” And they said, “Yes; for our father loved bananas very much. He had said that Mbwa would die by fire because he loved fire. And himself also loved bananas. ” WHERE ANIMALS TALK 109 TALE 10 A Quarrel About Seniority Ihendi (Squirrel) And 2 Children Persons Ikundu (Vengeance) Ihana (Help) Pe (Viper) A Hunter NOTE This story suggests that when a neighbor flatters another, suspicion is raised that he is plotting some evil. Squirrel and the Adder professed great friendship; but their friend- ship was soon broken. Claims of seniority are a constant cause of native quarrels. A certain fetish-charm or “medicine” (generally poisonous) is supposed to be able to decide, on its being drunk by accused parties, as to their guilt or innocence. There is a common belief in premonitions by unusual beats of the heart, or twitching of any muscle. Squirrel and Adder were great friends, living in the same town. Each of them had two wives. One day, in the afternoon, Squirrel and one of his wives went into the house of Adder. The latter said to his wife, “Make ready food.” So, she made a great deal of food. Then he said to his friend Squirrel, “Come, eat!” But Squirrel said, “I won’t eat alone without my wife.” So he called his wife to eat. His wife came and ate at the table. Then he said to Adder, “Also, you call your wife to eat with us.” So Adder’s wife came. And Squirrel said to Adder, “Now let us eat; for, everything is right.” So they began to eat. While they were eating, Adder said, “I have a word to say about you, Ihendi.” Squirrel replied, “Speak your word; 110 WHERE ANIMALS TALK I will listen.” Then Adder asked, “You, Ihendi, and I, Pe; which is the elder? And your wife and my wife; also which is the elder?” Squirrel replied, “I am the elder, and my wife is older than your wife.” But Adder said, “No! I am the elder; and my wife is older than yours.” Squirrel re- sponded, “I will give you my answer tomorrow in my own house. ” This occurred in the evening. Then the day darkened, and Squirrel went to his house to lie down. Adder also went to lie down in his bedroom. In the night, Squirrel remarked to his wife, “My wife! what sort of a word is this that Pe has spoken about so to me? I don’t know about his birth, and he does not know of mine. We have no other person in the town who is able to decide which of us is the elder, and which the younger. This question has some affair behind it. ” His wife replied “I think that Pe wants to get up a quarrel in order to kill you or our children. ” Squirrel had two children, one named Vengeance and the other Help. Squirrel replied to his wife, “No! I will have no discussion with Pe; but tomorrow there shall be only a test of Medicine. ” Soon the day broke. Squirrel sent word to Pe, “Chum! you and I will have today nothing else but a medicine-test and no quarrel. For, you and I profess to love each other. I do this to prove both yourself and myself, lest you get up some affair against me, even though we love each other very much.” Adder consented, “Yes; get the Medicine. I will know then what I shall say. ” Squirrel went to the forest to get leaves and bark of a certain tree for the kwai (test). On his return, he said to Adder, “Here is the test; let us drink of it. ” Adder replied, “The Medicine is of your getting. You first drink of it.” Squirrel agreed, “Yes, I will drink first.” So, Squirrel, conscious of his innocence, drank the test and swore an oath, “If I meet Pe’s mother, it shall be only in peace. Or his father, only peace; or his children, only peace.” Squirrel added, “I have finished speaking for my part. ” And he sat down on the ground. Then Adder arose from his seat and stood up. And he exclaimed, “Yes! let it be so!” He took up the medicine from the ground; and he drank of it greedily. And he swore, “If I meet with the children of Ihende, it will be only to WHERE ANIMALS TALK 111 swallow them. Or, father of Ihende, only to eat him; or mother of Ihende, only to eat her!” Then he sat down. But, Squirrel exclaimed, “Ha! my friend! you saw how I drank my share of the medicine, and I have not spoken thus as you. For what reason have you thus spoken?” Adder answered, “Yes! I said so; and I will not alter my words. ” They dispersed from the medicine ordeal, and went each to his house. Then that day darkened into night. And they all went to their sleep. Soon the next day broke. Squirrel and his wife prepared for a journey to the forest to seek food. He said to his wife, “Leave the children in the house.” So the woman shut them in, and closed the doors tight. And he and she went off to the forest. Later on in the morning, Adder arose from his place, and he said to himself, “I’m going to stroll over to the house of my friend Ihende.” So he came to Squirrel’s house, and found no one there. He tried to break in the door; finally, he succeeded in opening it; and he entered the house. He found the two children of Squirrel lying together asleep. He shook them, and they awoke. He asked them, “Where is my friend?” They answered, “Our father and mother have gone to the forest. ” Then Adder suddenly joined the two children together and swallowed them. (They were both of them lads.) Then he went out of the house, and closed the door. His stomach being distended with what he had swallowed, he went back to his house, and laid down on his bed. Off in the forest. Squirrel said to his wife, “My heart beats so strangely! I have eaten nothing here; what should dis- turb my heart?” His wife replied, “Well! let us hasten back to town. Perhaps some affair has happened in our house!” They hastily gathered their food, to go back rapidly to town. On their arrival, they went at once to their house. Looking at the door, the wife exclaimed, “I did not leave this door so! Who has been at it?” Her husband urged, “Quickly! Open the door! Let us enter at once!” They opened the door; and found no one in the house. Then Squirrel, fearing evil, said to her, “ Stay you here ! I will go over to Pe’s house. I know that fellow!” He came 112 WHERE ANIMALS TALK to Adder’s house, and found him distended with this stomach. Squirrel asked him, “Chum! have you been at my house?” Adder answered, “Yes, I went to your house; but I have done nothing there.” Squirrel asked him, feeling sure of his guilt, “But, where then are my children? Why did you not leave even one of them? Ah! my friend!” Adder replied, “When we drank the Test, did I not swear the truth that if I met with your children, I would swallow them?’ Squirrel answered, “Yes! and you have kept your word well! But you shall see something just now and here!” Adder laughed, and said, “ What can you do ? You have no strength like mine. ” Close by the house of Adder (which was only a hole in the ground) was a large tree. Squirrel went out of the house, and climbed to the top of the tree. There he began to wail for his dead, and cried out, “ Ikundu ja ma ! Ikundu ja ma ! ” (A play on words : either an apostrophe to the name of one of his children, or a prayer for vengeance). Another squirrel, that was a mile or two away, heard the wailing; and it came to where Squirrel was. Also his wife followed Squirrel to that tree; and she wailed too. And other squirrels came; about twenty. A hunter, living in the town of Mankind, started from his town to go hunting. Coming along the path, he heard Squirrel crying. Looking up, he exclaimed, “O! how many squirrels!” He thought to himself, “Why do these animals make this noise, and keep looking down at the foot of this big tree?” He approached near to the tree; and they dispersed among the branches. He then said to himself, “I will look around here at the bottom; for, as those squirrels continue their cry, they keep looking down here.” Searching at the foot of the tree, he saw a hole, like the home of some beast. Look- ing in, he saw the Adder sluggish in his distention. The hunter killed it with his machete. And he took the dead adder with him to the town of Mankind. Squirrel, from the tree-top, shouted after dead Adder, “You have seen my promised Ikundu.” (Another play on words; either — “You saw my child;” or, “You see my Vengeance. ”) WHERE ANIMALS TALK 113 TALE 11 The Magic Drum Persons Kudu (Tortoise) Nja (Leopard) King Maseni, A Man Ngama (A Magic Drum) NOTE The reason is here given why the turtle tribe of tortoises likes to live only in water; viz., their fear of the vengeance of the descendants of Leopard the King, because of the whipping to which he was subjected by the trick of the ancestor of the tortoises. In the Ancient days, there were Mankind and all the Tribes of the Animals living together in one country. They built their towns, and they dwelt together in one place. In the country of King Maseni, Tortoise and Leopard occupied the same town; the one at one end of the street, and the other at the other. Leopard married two women; Tortoise also his two. It happened that a time of famine came, and a very great hunger fell on the Tribes covering that whole region of country. So, King Maseni issued a law, thus: — “Any person who shall be found having a piece of food, he shall he brought to me.” (That is, for the equal distribution of that food.) And he appointed police as watchmen to look after that whole region. The famine increased. People sat down hopelessly, and died of hunger. Just as, even today, it destroys the poor; not only of Africa, but also in the lands of Manga-Manene (White Man’s Land). And, as the days passed, people continued sitting in their hopelessness. One day, Tortoise went out early, going, going and entering into the jungles, to seek for his special food, mushrooms. 114 WHERE ANIMALS TALK He had said to his wife, “I am going to stroll on the beach off down toward the south. ” As he journeyed and journeyed, he came to a river. It was a large one, several hundred feet in width. There he saw a coco-nut tree growing on the river-bank. When he reached the foot of the tree, and looked up at its top, he discovered that it was full of very many nuts. He said to himself. “I’m going up there, to gather nuts; for, hunger has seized me.” He laid aside his traveling-bag, leaving it on the ground, and at once climbed the tree, expecting to gather many of the nuts. He plucked two, and threw them to the ground. Plucking another, and attempting to throw it, it slipped from his hand, and fell into the stream running below. Then he exclaimed, “I’ve come here in hunger; and does my coco-nut fall into the water to be lost?” He said to him- self, “I’ll leave here, and drop into the water, and follow the nut.” So, he plunged down, splash! into the water. He dove down to where the nut had sunk, to get it. And he was carried away by the current. Following the nut where the current had carried it, he came to the landing-place of a strange Town, where was a large House. People were there in it. And other people were outside, playing. They called to him. From the House, he heard a Voice, saying “Take me ! take me ! take me ! ” (It was a Drum that spoke.) At the landing-place was a woman washing a child. The woman said to him, “What is it that brought you here? And, Kudu, w T here are you going?” He replied, “There is great hunger in our town. So, on my way, I came seeking for my mushrooms Then it was that I saw a coco tree; and I climbed it; for, I am hungry and have nothing to eat. I threw down the nuts. One fell into the river. I followed it; and I came hither.” Then the woman said, “Now then, you are saved.” And she added, “Kudu! go to that House over there. You will see a Thing there. That Thing is a Drum. Start, and go at once to where the Drums are. ” Others of those people called out to him, “There are many such Things there. But, the kind that you will see which says, ‘Take me! take me!’ do not take it. But, the Drum which is silent and does not speak, but only echoes, ‘ wo-wo- wo, ’ without any real words, you must take it. Carry it with you, and tie it to that coco tree. Then you must say WHERE ANIMALS TALK 115 to the Drum, ‘Ngama! speak as they told to you!’” So, Tortoise went on, and on, to the House, and took the Drum, and, carrying it, came back to the river bank where the Woman was. She said to him, “You must first try to learn how to use it. Beat it!” He beat it. And, a table ap- peared with all kinds of food! And, when he had eaten, he said to the Drum, “Put it back ! ” And the table disappeared. He carried the Drum with him clear back to the foot of the coco tree. He tied it with a rattan to the tree, and then said to the Drum, “Ngama! do as they said!” Instantly, the Drum set out a long table, and put on all sorts of food. Tortoise felt very glad and happy for the abundance of food. So he ate and ate, and was satisfied. Again he said, “Ngama ! do as they said!” And Drum took back the table and the food to itself up the tree, leaving a little food at the foot; and then came back to the hand of Tortoise. He put this little food in his traveling-bag, and gathered from the ground the coco-nuts he had left lying there in the morning, and started to go back to his town. He stopped at a spot a short dis- tance in the rear of the town. So delighted was he with his Drum that he tested it again. He stood it up, and with the palm of his hand struck it, tomu! A table at once stood there, with all kinds of food. Again he ate, and also filled his traveling-bag. Then he said to a tree that was standing near by, “Bend down!” It bowed; and he tied the Drum to its branch; and went off into the town. The coco-nuts and the mushrooms he handed to his women and children. After he had entered his house, his chief wife said to him, “Where have you been all this long while since the morning?” He replied evasively, “I went wandering clear down to the beach to gather coco-nuts. And, this day I saw a very fine thing. You, my wife, shall see it!” Then he drew out the food from the bag, potatoes, and rice, and beef. And he said, “The while that we eat this food, no one must show any of it to Nja, ” So, they two, and his other wife and their family of children ate. Soon day darkened; and they all went to go to sleep. And soon another day began to break. At day-break, Tortoise started to go off to the place where was the Drum. Arrived there, he went to the tree, and said to the Drum, “Ngama! do as they said!” The Drum came rapidly down to the 116 WHERE ANIMALS TALK ground, and put out the table all covered with food. Tor- toise took a part, and ate, and was satisfied. Then he also filled the bag. Then said he to the Drum, “Do as you did!” And Drum took back the things, and went up the tree. On another day, at day-break, he went to the tree and did the same way. On another day, as he was going, his eldest son, curious to find out where his father obtained so much food, secretly followed him. Tortoise went to where the Drum was. The child hid himself, and stood still. He heard his father say to the tree, “Bend!” And its top bent down. The child saw the whole process, as Tortoise took the Drum, stood it up, and with the palm of his hand, struck it, ve! saying, “Do as you have been told to do!” At once a table stood prepared, at which Tortoise sat down and ate. And then, when he had finished, saying, “Tree! bend down,” it bent over for Drum to be tied to it. He returned Drum to the branch; and the tree stood erect. On other days, Tortoise came to the tree, and did the same way, eating; and returning to his house; on all such occasions, bringing food for his family. One day, the son, who had seen how to do all those things, came to the tree, and said to it, “Bow down.” It bowed; and he did as his father had done. So Drum spread the table. The child ate, and fin- ished eating. Then said he to Drum, “Put them away f ” And the table disappeared. Then he took up the Drum, instead of fastening it to the tree, and secretly carried it to town to his own house. He went to call privately his brothers, and his father’s women, and other members of the family. When they had come together in his house, at his command, the Drum did as usual; and they ate. And when he said to the Drum, “Put away the things!” it put them away. Tortoise came that day from the forest where he had been searching for the loved mushrooms for his family. He said to himself, “Before going into the town, I will first go to the tree to eat. ” As he approached the tree, when only a short distance from it, the tree was standing as usual, but the Drum was not there! He exclaimed, “Truly, now, what is this joke of the tree?” As he neared the foot of the tree, still there was no Drum to be seen! He said to the tree, “Bow down!” There was no response! He passed on to WHERE ANIMALS TALK 117 the town, took his axe, and returned at once to the tree, in anger saying, “Lest I cut you down, bend!” The tree stood still. Tortoise began at once with his axe chopping, Ko! ko! The tree fell, toppling to the ground, tomu! He said to it, “You! produce the Drum, lest I cut you in pieces!” He split the tree all into pieces; but he did not see the Drum. He returned to the town; and, as he went, he walked anxiously saying to himself, “Who has done this thing?” When he reached his house, he was so displeased that he declined to speak. Then his eldest son came to him, and said, “O! my father! why is it that you are silent and do not speak? What have you done in the forest? What is it?” He replied, “I don’t want to talk.” The son said, “Ah! my father! you w T ere satisfied when you used to come and eat, and you brought us mushrooms. I am the one wdio took the Drum. ” Tortoise said to him, “My child, now bring out to us the Drum.” He brought it out of an inner room. Then Tor- toise and the son called together all their people privately, and assembled them in the house. They commanded the Drum. It did as it usually did. They ate. Their little children took their scraps of potatoes and meat of wild- animals, and, in their excitement, forgot orders, and went out eating their food in the open street. Other children saw them, and begged of them. They gave to them. Among them were children of Leopard, who went and showed the meat to their father. All suddenly, Leopard came to the house of Tortoise, and found him and his family feasting. Leopard said, “Ah! Chum! you have done me evil. You are eating; and I and my family are dying with hunger!” Tortoise replied, “Yes, not today, but tomorrow you shall eat.” So, Leopard re- turned to his house. After that, the day darkened. And they all went to lie down in sleep. Then, the next day broke. Early in the morning, Tortoise, out in the street, announced, “From my house to Nja’s there will be no strolling into the forest today. Today, only food.” Tortoise then went off by himself to the coco tree (whither he had secretly during the night carried the Drum). Arrived at the foot of the tree, he desired to test whether its power had been lost by the use of it in his town. So, he gave the 118 WHERE ANIMALS TALK usual orders; and they were, as usually obeyed. Tortoise then went off with the Drum, carrying it openly on his shoulder, into the town, and directly to the house of Leopard, and said to him, “Call all your people! Let them come!” They all came into the house; and the people of Tortoise also. He gave the usual commands. At once, Drum pro- duced abundance of food, and a table for it. So, they all ate, and were satisfied. And Drum took back the table to itself. Drum remained in the house of Leopard for about two weeks. It ended its supply of food, being displeased at Leopard’s rough usage of itself; and there was no more food. Leopard went to Tortoise, and told him, “Drum has no more food. Go, and get another.” Tortoise was provoked at the abuse of his Drum, but he took it, and hung it up in his house. At this time, the watchmen heard of the supply of food at Leopard’s house, and they asked him about it. He denied having any. They asked him, “Where then did you get this food which we saw your children eating?” He said, “From the children of Kudu.” The officers went at once to King Maseni, and reported, “We saw a person who has food. ’ ’ He inquired, ‘ ‘ Who is he ? ” They replied, ‘ ‘ Kudu. ’ ’ The King ordered “Go ye, and summon Kudu.” They went and told Tortoise, “The King summons you.” Tor- toise asked, “What have I done to the King? Since the King and I have been living in this country, he has not summoned me.” Nevertheless, he obeyed and journeyed to the King’s house. The King said to him, “You are keeping food, while all the Tribes are dying of hunger? You ! bring all those foods!” Tortoise replied, “Please excuse me! I will not come again today with them. But, tomorrow, you must call for all the tribes. ” The next morning, the King had his bell rung, and an order announced, “Any person whatever, old or young, come to eat!” The whole community assembled at the King’s house. Tortoise also came from his town, holding his Drum in his hand. The distant members of that Tribe, (not knowing and not having heard what that Drum had been doing) twitted him, “Is it for a dance?” Entering into the King’s house, Tortoise stood up the Drum; with his palm he struck it, ve! saying, “Let every WHERE ANIMALS TALK 119 kind of food appear!” It appeared. The town was like a table, covered with every variety of food. The entire com- munity ate, and were satisfied; and they dispersed. Tor- toise took the Drum, and journeyed back to his town. He spoke to his hungry family, “Come ye!” They came. They struck the Drum; it was motionless; and nothing came from it! They struck it again. Silent! (It was indignant at having been used by other hands than those of Tortoise.) So, they sat down with hunger. The next day. Tortoise went rapidly off to the coco tree, climbed it, gathered two nuts, threw one into the river, dropped into the stream, and followed the nut as he had done before. He came as before to that landing-place, and to the Woman, and told her about the failure of the Drum. She told him that she knew of it, and directed him to go and take another. He went on to that House, and to those People. And they, as before, asked him, “Kudu! whither goest thou?” He replied, “You know I have come to take my coco-nut.” But they said, “No! leave the nut, and take a Drum. ” And, as before, they advised him to take a silent one. So, he came to the House of Drums. These called to him, “Take me! take me!” Then, he thought to himself, “Yes! I’ll take one of those Drums that talk. Perhaps they will have even better things than the other. ” So, he took one, and came out of the House, and told those People “I have taken. And, now, for my journey.” He started from the landing-place, and on up the river, to the foot of the coco-tree. He tied the Drum to the tree with a cord, as before, set it up, and gave it a slap, ve ! And a table stood there! He said, “Ngama! do as you usually do!” Instantly, there were thrown down on the table, mbwa! whips instead of food. Tortoise, surprised, said, “As usual!” The Drum picked up one of the whips, and beat Tortoise, ve! He cried out with pain, and said to the Drum, “But, now do also as you do. Take these things away. ” And Drum returned the table and whips to itself. Tortoise regretfully said to himself, “Those People told me not to take a Drum that talked; but my heart deceived me. ” However, a plan occurred to him by which to obtain a revenge on Leopard and the King for the trouble he had been put to. 120 WHERE ANIMALS TALK So, taking up the Drum, he came to his own town, and went at once to the house of Leopard. To whom he said, “To-morrow come with your people and mine to the town of King Maseni.” Leopard rejoiced at the thought, “This is the Drum of food ! ” Then Tortoise journeyed to the King’s town, and said, “I have found food, according to your order. Call the people tomorrow. ” In the morning, the King’s bell was rung, and his people, accompanied by those of Tortoise and Leopard, came to his house. Tortoise privately spoke to his own people, “No one of you must follow me into the house. Remain outside of the window. ” Tortoise said to the King, “The food of today must be eaten only inside of your house.” So, the King’s people, with those of Leopard, entered into the house. There, Tor- toise said, “We shall eat this food only if all the doors and windows are fastened.” So, they were fastened (excepting one which Tortoise kept open near himself). Then, the Drum was sounded, and Tortoise commanded it, “Do as you have said.” And, the tables appeared. But, instead of food, were whips. The people wondered, “Ah! what do these mean? Where do they come from?” Tortoise sta- tioned himself by the open window, and commanded the Drum, “As usual!” Instantly the whips flew about the room, lashing everybody, even the King, and especially Leopard. The thrashing was great, and Leopard and his people were crying with pain. Their bodies were injured, being covered with cuts. But, Tortoise had promptly jumped out of the window. And, standing outside, he ordered, “Ngama! do as you do!” And the whips and tables returned to it, and the whipping ceased. But, Tortoise knew that the angry crowd would try to seize and kill him. So, taking advantage of the con- fusion in the house, he and his people fled to the water of the river, and scattered, hiding among the logs and roots in the stream. As he was disappearing, Leopard shouted after him, “You and I shall not see each other! If we do, it will be you who will be killed!” WHERE ANIMALS TALK 121 Tale 12 The Lies of Tortoise Persons Nja (Leopard) Embonda (Prairie Antelope) Kudu (Tortoise) Iheli (Gazelle) Etoli (Rat) Ngando (Crocodile) Ngomba (Porcupine) NOTE African natives climb the palm-tree, cut out a cavity in the heart at the leafy top, and fasten a vessel below the cavity, to catch the sweet, milky juice that exudes. This is unintoxicating. But, like cider, it becomes intoxicating if kept a few days. The cutting destroys the tree in two or three months. The beginning of this tale is that Leopard went to the forest, to cut an itutu tree (bamboo-palm) for palm- wine. After he had fastened the bowl at the cavity he had cut at the top in the heart of the tree, then he came back to town. Tortoise came along to that palm- wine tree; and he climbed to the top. There he found that the sap had already col- lected in the bowl. And he drank three tumblerfuls. Ex- cited by his success, he shouted out aloud, “I’m drunk! I’m drunk!” Off in the forest, Wild Rat heard his voice, and, following the sound, came to the place. To Tortoise, Rat said, “ Whose wine-tree is this?” Tortoise replied, “My own!” So, Rat begged of him, “Give me a glassful!” Tortoise told him “Climb up! Of what are you afraid?” So, Rat climbed up the tree. He also drank two glassfuls. Presently, Tortoise heard Leopard coming, and he said to Rat. “ Await me here, I ’m j ust going down to the ground. ” 122 WHERE ANIMALS TALK When he reached the ground, Tortoise hid his body in a hole at the base of the tree. In a very little while, Leopard arrived at the tree. He lifted up his eyes to the top and saw Rat there. To him Leopard said, “Who owns this palm-tree?” Rat replied, “My Chum, Kudu.” But, Leopard asked, “This Kudu, where is he?” Then Leopard flung one of his claws at Rat. It stuck in him, and Rat fell dead. Leopard took Rat’s body and went away with it to his town. And he said to his wife, “ Cook this; this is our meat. ” Soon after Leopard had gone from the tree, Tortoise came out of his hiding, and climbed the tree a second time. Then, having drank again, he shouted, as before, “I’m drunk! I’m drunk!” In his hole off among the rocks, Porcupine heard Tortoise shouting; and he came to the tree, and asked for a drink. Tortoise told him to climb; adding, “What are you afraid of? ” So, Porcupine followed Tortoise up the tree, and drank two glassfuls of the wine. Again Tortoise heard Leopard coming, recognizing the thud of his steps as he leaped on the way. So, Tortoise cried out, as if in pain, “ O! my stomach hurts me! I’m going down!” At the base, he hid himself again in the cavity of the tree. In a little while, Leopard appeared standing at the foot of the tree. Looking up, he saw Porcupine there. And he inquired, “Ngomba! who owns this tree?” Porcupine answered, “Chum Kudu!” Leopard asked, “This Kudu, who is he? I want to see him. ” Porcupine replied, “Kudu has gone off, his stomach paining him.” Then Leopard exclaimed, “So! indeed! you are the ones who use up all my wine here!” And he added, “What day I shall meet Kudu I do not know. But, that day we will meet in fight.” While he was saying all this, Tortoise, in the hole at the tree, heard. Then Leopard threw a claw at Porcupine. Porcupine fell down to the ground a corpse. Leopard taking it, went away with it to his town, and said to his wife, “Cook this meat, and let us eat it. ” After Leopard had left the tree, Tortoise emerged from his hiding-place. He climbed the tree a third time, and WHERE ANIMALS TALK 123 took a cup, and drank two glassfuls. Again he shouted, “I, Kudu, I’m drunk! I, Kudu, I’m drunk!” Out on a prairie, Antelope heard the shouting; and he came to the tree. Seeing Tortoise, he said, “Chum, give me a glass of wine!” Tortoise directed him, “Climb up! Of what are you afraid?” So, Antelope went up the tree, and drank. Soon Tortoise heard Leopard coming, bounding through the forest. And Tortoise said to Antelope, “ Chum ! my bow- els pain me; I’ll soon return.” He descended, and hid his body as before. Leopard arrived as before. And he spoke to Antelope; and then killed it with another of his claws. He took its carcass to his town, and bade his wife cook it, as had been done with the others. After Leopard had gone from the tree, Tortoise climbed the tree a fourth time, again he drank; and again he shouted, changing his words slightly, “I’ve drank! I’ve drank!” In the jungle, Gazelle heard, and came to the base of the tree, but said nothing. Tortoise spoke first, “ O ! my nephew ! the wine is finished ! ” Gazelle asked, “ Who owns this tree ? ” Tortoise answered, “It’s my own, and not another’s.” When he came from the jungle, Gazelle had brought with him a bag. As Gazelle still stood at the foot of the tree. Tortoise said to him, “Come up here! What do you fear?” So, Gazelle climbed; but went up only half-way. While the two were thus apart, and before Gazelle had drunk any of the wine. Tortoise heard Leopard coming, leaping through the bushes. Then Tortoise said to Gazelle, “AJti! nephew! let me pass! My stomach hurts me!” But Gazelle said, “No! uncle, let us stay and drink.” Tortoise heard Leopard nearing the tree; and he said to Gazelle, “Ah! Hurry! Let me pass! How my stomach hurts!” Gazelle said, “No! uncle, we’ll go down together.” While they were thus talking, Leopard reached the foot of the tree. Then Gazelle took Tortoise and hid him in the bag. Leopard exclaimed, “Iheli! who owns this tree?” Gazelle replied, “This is the palm- wine tree of my uncle.” Leopard asked, “Who is your uncle?” Gazelle answered, “Kudu.” So, Leopard began to prepare to climb the tree, in order to fight with Gazelle. Then Gazelle put his hand into the 124 WHERE ANIMALS TALK bag, and drew out Tortoise, tightly grasped in his hand. And he flung Tortoise violently into Leopard’s face. Leopard fell to the ground, dazed with the blow, while Gazelle leaped to the ground, and fled off in the forest. When Leopard rose from the earth, he found Tortoise sprawling helpless on its back. Leopard tied a string to him, and went away with him to town. And he said to his wife, “My wife! this is the person who drinks at my wine-tree!” So he suspended him by the string, waiting to kill him next day. The day began to darken towards night; and they went to their sleep. Then came the daylight of next morning. Leopard said to his wife, “I’m going to a palaver (council) at a place three miles distant. Take Kudu and cook him with udika (gravy of kernels of wild mango). When I come back, let me find the food all ready to be eaten at once. ” So, Leopard went on his journey. And his wife remained to do her work. But, she exclaimed, “Ah! I forget what my husband told me!” Tortoise, overhearing her said, “Your husband said, ‘Take the dried Etoli from the shelf, and cook it with udika; give it to Kudu, and let him eat it; and then take Kudu and wash him in the water of the brook. ’ ” The woman gladly listened, and said, “Eh! Kudu! you remember well what my husband said to me!” So, she did about the food as Tortoise had reported, and gave it to him to eat. When Tortoise had finished eating, the woman went with him to wash him in the water at the edge of the brook. While she was doing this, Tortoise asked, “Throw me off into the water where it is deep.” The woman did so. And Tortoise shouted, “So! you will die this day by your husband’s hands!” The woman began to see her mistake, and she begged Tortoise, “Come! let us go back to town. ” But Tortoise said, “I shan’t come! I’m here safe in my place down in the bottom of the stream. ” Then the woman went back to her town; and as she went, she went crying. Late in the day. Leopard returned from the discussions of the Council. And he said to his wife, “0! my wife! I’m just dying of hunger!” She told him, “Ah! my husband! Kudu has run away!” Leopard, in his anger, flung a claw at her; and she died on the spot. WHERE ANIMALS TALK 125 Tortoise, in the meanwhile, went as fast as he could under the water of the stream. And he came to the house of Croc- odile, and crept into the doorway. Crocodile, in tears, met him with the words, “Ah! Kudu! I’m just dying here with grief and crying.” Tortoise asked her, “What is the matter? ” She told him, “I’ve laid a hundred eggs, but none of them had children in them.” Tortoise replied, “That’s my work, the causing of eggs to have children. Shall I do it?” Crocodile consented, “Yes, I’ve here three hundred other eggs; you may make them have children.” Tortoise told her, “I’m the only one to do that thing. ” So, Crocodile said, “Go into this room, and do it.” Tortoise went into the room, found the eggs there; and said to Crocodile, “Give me here a kettle, also firewood and water. Give me my food here. For, I will not go out of this house; I will go out only at the time when I shall have caused the eggs to have children.” Crocodile agreed, say- ing, “Yes, I am willing. It is well.” And she gave direc- tion to her people, “Give Kudu all the things he has asked for there. ” Then Tortoise locked all the doors, and stayed inside the room. He began to arrange the fire-wood, and set the kettle and put water in it. In the afternoon, he took twenty eggs, and cooked, and ate them with his food. At night, all went to sleep. At daybreak, he cooked twenty more eggs, and ate them; at noon he cooked and ate more; and at evening supper, he cooked and ate some more. So, he spent about seven days in eating all the eggs. Then he called out to Crocodile “Do you want to hear the little crocodiles talk?” Crocodile replied, “Yes! I want to hear!” Tortoise took two pieces of broken plates, and scraped one across the other, making a rasping sound. Crocodile and the people of the town heard the squeaking sounds, and they exclaimed in joy. “So! So, So!” They replied to Tortoise, “We hear the little ones talking!” Tortoise also told them, “Tomorrow, then, I will make a Medicine to cause them to talk loudly. ” But Crocodile began to have some doubts. And day dark- ened to night. Very early in the next morning, Crocodile’s doubts having increased, she rose up without calling her people. And she 126 WHERE ANIMALS TALK went slowly alone to peep through a crack into the room of Tortoise. She saw only the piles of egg-shells; and she wondered, “Where are the little ones?” Then she went softly back to her own room; and she told the townspeople, “ Get up ! Let us open the room of Kudu ! ” They all got up, and they went to the house. They broke the room door by force; and they found Tortoise sitting among the scattered shells of the eggs. The Crocodile exclaimed, “Kudu! have you deceived me? Your life too ends today!” They tied Tortoise, and put him in the kettle; and they killed him there. They divided his flesh onto their plates. And Crocodile and her people ate Tortoise. This is the end of the lies of Tortoise. TALE 13 “Death Begins by Some One Person”: A Proverb Persons Ka (A Very Big Snail) Lonani (Birds) Ngambi (Igwana) Kema (Monkeys) Kudu (Tortoise) A Man NOTE Trouble came to all these animals, even to the innocent, through the noise of some of them. Igwanas are supposed, by the natives, to be deaf. Snail, Igwana and Tortoise all lived together in one vil- lage. One day, Tortoise went to roam in the forest. There he found a large tree called Evenga. He said to himself, “I will stay at the foot of this tree, and wait for the fruit to fall. ” During two days, he remained there alone. WHERE ANIMALS TALK 127 On the third day, Igwana said to Snail, “I must go and search for our Chum Kudu, wherever he is.” So, Igwana went; and he found Tortoise in a hole at the foot of that tree. Igwana said to him, “Chum! for two days I haven’t seen you!” Tortoise replied, “I shan’t go back to the village; I will remain here.” Then Igwana said to him, “Well, then; let us sit here together in the same spot.” Tortoise objected, “No!” So Igwana climbed up the trunk a very short distance, and clung there. After two days. Snail, who had been left alone, said to himself, “I must follow my friends, and find where they are. So, Snail journeyed, and found Tortoise and Igwana there at that tree. Looking at the tree, he exclaimed, “Ah! what a fine tree under which to sit!” The others replied, “Yes; stay here!” So Snail said to Igwana, “I will stay near you, Chum Ngambi, where you are.” But Igwana objected, “No!” There was a vine hanging down from the treetop to the ground, and Snail climbed up the vine. Thus the three friends were arranged; Tortoise in the hole at the foot of the tree, Igwana up the trunk a short way, and Snail on the vine half-way to the top. Igwana held on where he was, close to the bark of the tree. He was partly deaf, and did not hear well. After two days, the tree put forth a great abundance of fruit. The fruit all ripened. Very many small Birds came to the tree-top to eat the fruit. And very many small Mon- keys too, at the top. Also big monkeys. And also big birds. All crowded at the top. They all began to eat the fruit. As they ate, they played, and made a great deal of noise. Tortoise hearing this noise, and dreading that it might attract the notice of some enemy, called to Igwana, “Ngambi! tell Ka to say to those people there at the top of the tree, to eat quietly, and not with so much noise. ” Tortoise himself did not call to Snail, lest his shout should add to the noise. He only spoke in a low voice to Igwana. But, to confirm his words, he quoted a proverb, “Iwedo a yalakendi na moto umbaka” (death begins by one person). This meant that they all should be watchful, lest Danger 128 WHERE ANIMALS TALK come to them all by the indiscretion of a few. But Igwana did not hear; and was silent. Tortoise called again, “Ngambi! tell Ka to tell those people to eat quietly, and without noise.” Igwana was silent, and made no answer. A third and a fourth time, Tortoise called out thus to Igwana; but he did not hear. So, Tortoise said to himself, “I won’t say any more!” A man from Njambo’s Town had gone out to hunt, having with him bow and arrow, a machete, and a gun. In his wandering, he happened to come to that tree. Hearing the noise of voices, he looked up and saw the many monkeys and birds on the tree. He exclaimed to himself, “Ah! how very many on one tree, more than I have ever seen!” He shot his arrow; and three monkeys fell. He fired his gun, and killed seven birds. Then the Birds and the Monkeys all scattered and fled in fear. The Man also looked at the foot of the tree, and saw Tortoise in the hole. He drew him out, and thrust him into his hunting-bag. Then he looked on the other side of the tree, and saw Igwana within reach. He rejoiced in his success, “Oh! Igwana here too!” He struck him with the machete; and Igwana died. Observing the vine, the Man gave it a pull. And down fell Snail! The Man exclaimed, “So! this is Snail!” As the Man started hbmeward carrying his load of animals, Tortoise in the bag, mourning over his fate, said to the dead Igwana and the others, “I told you to call to Ka to warn Kema and Lonani; and, now death has come to us all! If you, Kema and Lonani, in the beginning, on the tree-top, had not made such a noise, Man would not have come to kill us. This all comes from you.” And Man took all these animals to his town, and divided them among his people. WHERE ANIMALS TALK 129 TALE 14 Tortoise and the Bojabi Tree Place Country of All-The-Beasts Persons Mbam£ (Boa Constrictor) Njaku (Elephant) Kudu (Tortoise) Iheli (Gazelle)* Etoli (House Rat) Ngomba (Porcupine) Vyadu (Antelope) Nyati (Ox) And the Bojabi Tree NOTE African natives hesitate to eat of an unknown fruit or vegetable, unless they see it first partaken of by some lower animal. All the tribes of Beasts were living in one region, except one beast, which was staying in its separate place. Its name was Boa Constrictor. His place was about thirty miles away from the others. In the region of all those Beasts, there was a very large tree. Its name was Bojabi. But none of those beasts knew that that was its name. There fell a great famine on that Country-of-all-the-Beasts. In their search for food, they looked at that tree; and they said, “This tree has fine-looking fruit; but, we do not know its name. How then shall we know whether it is fit to be eaten?” After some discussion, they said, “We think our Father Mbaimi will be able to know this tree’s name.” So they agreed, “Let us send a person to Mbama to cause us to know the name of the tree.” They selected Rat, and 130 WHERE ANIMALS TALK said to him, “You, Etoli, are young; go you, and inquire.” They also decided that, “Whoever goes shall not go by land along the beach, but by sea.” (This they said, in order to prove the messenger’s strength and perseverance; whether he would dally by the way ashore, or paddle steadily by sea.) Also, they told Rat that, in going, he should take one of the fruits of the tree in his hand, so that Boa might know it. So, Rat took the Bojabi fruit, stepped into a canoe, and began to paddle. He started about sun-rise in the morning. In the middle of the afternoon, he arrived at his journey’s end. He entered into the reception-room of Boa’s house, and found him sitting there. Boa welcomed him, and said to his wife, “Prepare food for our guest, Etoli!” And he said to Rat, “Stranger! eat! And then you will tell me what is the message you have brought. ” Rat ate and finished, and began to tell his message thus : — He said, “In our country we have nothing there but hunger. But there is there a tree, and this is its fruit. Whether it is fit to be eaten or not, you will tell us.” Boa replied, “That tree is Bojabi; this fruit is Njabi; and it is to be eaten.” Then the day darkened to night. And they slept their sleep. And then the next day broke. And Boa said to Rat, “Begin your journey, Etoli! The name of the tree is Bojabi. Do not forget it!” Rat stepped into his canoe, and began to paddle. He reached his country late in the afternoon. He landed. And he remained a little while on the beach, dragging the canoe ashore. So occupied was he in doing this, that he forgot the tree’s name. Then he went up into the town. The tribes of All-the-Beasts met him, exclaiming, “Tell us! tell us!” Rat confessed, “I have forgotten the name just this very now.” Then, in their disappointment, they all beat him. On another day, they said to Porcupine, “Ngomba! go you!” But they warned Rat, “If Ngomba brings the name, you, Etoli, shall not eat of the fruit.” Porcupine made his journey also by sea, and came to the town of Boa. When Porcupine had stated his errand, Boa told him, “The tree’s name is Bojabi. Now, go!” WHERE ANIMALS TALK 131 Porcupine returned by sea, and kept the name in his memory, until he was actually entering the town of his home; and, then, he suddenly forgot it. The tribes of All- the-Beasts called out to him, as they saw him coming, “Ngomba! tell us! tell us!” When he informed them that he had forgotten it, they beat him, as they had done to Rat. They had also in that country, another plant which was thought not proper to be eaten. They did not know that its leaves were really good for food. On another day, they said to Antelope, “Go you; and tell Mbama, and ask him which shall we eat, this fruit or these leaves. What shall we Beasts do?” Antelope went by sea; and came to Boa’s town. And he asked Boa, “What do you here eat? Tell us. ” Boa replied, “I eat leaves of the plants, and I drink water; that is all I do. And the name of the tree that bears that fruit is Bojabi. You, all the Beasts, what are you to eat? I have told you.” Antelope slept there that night. And the next day, he started on his return journey. At his journey’s end, as he was about to land on the beach, a wave upset the canoe, and he fell into the sea. In the excitement, he forgot the name. The anxious tribes of All-the-Beasts had comedown to the beach to meet him, and were asking, “What is the name? Tell us!” He replied, “Had I not fallen into the water, I would not have forgotten the name. ” Then, in their anger, they beat him. Almost all the beasts were thus tried for that journey; and they all failed in the same way, with the name forgotten, even the big beasts like Ox and Elephant. There was no one of them who had succeeded in bringing home the name. But there was left still, one who had not been tried. That was Tortoise. So, he said, “Let me try to go.” They were all vexed with him, at what they thought his audacity and presumption. They began to beat him, saying, “Even the less for us, and more so for you! You will not be able!” But Gazelle interposed, saying, “Let Kudu alone! Why do you beat him? Let him go on the errand. We all have failed; and it is well that he should fail too.” Tortoise went to his mother’s hut, and said to her, “I’m going! How shall I do it?” His mother told him, “In your going on this journey, do not drink any water while at 132 WHERE ANIMALS TALK sea, only while ashore. Also, do not eat any food on the way, but only in the town. Do not perform any call of Nature at sea, only ashore. For, if you do any of these things on the way, you will be unable to return with the name. For, all those who did these things on the way, forgot the name.” So Tortoise promised, “Yes, my mother, I shall not do them.” On another day, Tortoise began his journey to Boa, early. He paddled and he paddled, not stopping to eat or drink, until he had gone about two-thirds of the way. Then hunger and thirst and calls of Nature seized him. But he restrained himself, and went on paddling harder and faster. These feelings had seized him about noon; and they ceased an hour later. He continued the journey; and, before four o’clock in the afternoon, had arrived at Boa’s. There Tortoise entered Boa’s house, and found him sitting. Boa saluted, and said, “Legs rest; but the mouth will not. Wife! bring food for Kudu!” The wife brought food, and Tortoise ate. Then Boa said to Tortoise, “Tell me what the journey is about.” Tortoise told him, “A great hunger is in our place. There also we have two plants; the one, — this is its fruit; and this grass, — the leaves. Are they eaten?” Boa replied, “The tree of this fruit, its name is Bojabi; and it is eaten. But, I, Mbama, here, I eat leaves and drink water; and that is enough for me. These things are the food for All-us Beasts. We have no other food. Go and tell All-the- Beasts so.” Tortoise replied, “Yes; it is well.” Then the day darkened, and they slept. And another day came. And Tortoise began his journey of return to his home. As he went, he sang this song, to help remember the name: — “Njaku! Jaka Njabi. De! De! De!” (Elephant! eat the Bojabi fruit. Straight! Straight! Straight!) The chorus was “Bojabi,” And, in each repeti- tion of the line, he changed the name of the animal, thus: — Nyati! jaka njabi. De! De! De. Bojabi” (Ox! eat the Bojabi fruit. Straight! straight! straight! Bojabi!) He thus nerved himself to keep straight on in his journey. And, as he went, he kept repeating the chorus. “Bojabi, bojabi! bojabi!” He had gone about one-third of the way, when a large wave came and upset the canoe, and threw him, pwim! into WHERE ANIMALS TALK 133 the water. He clung to the canoe, and the wave carried it and him clear ashore, he still repeating the word, “Bojabi! bojabi!” Ashore, he began to mend the canoe; but, all the while, he continued singing, “Bojabi!” When he had re- paired the canoe, he started the journey again, and went on his way, still crying out, “Bojabi!” By that time, All-the-Beasts had gathered on the beach to wait the coming of Tortoise. He came on and on, through the surf near to the landing-place of the town. As he was about to land, a great wave caught him, njim! and the canoe. But, he still was shouting, “Bojabi!” Though All-the-Beasts heard the word, they did not know what it meant, or why Tortoise was saying it. They ran into the surf, and carried the canoe and Tortoise himself up to the top of the beach. And they, all in a hurry, begged, “Tell us !” He replied, “I will tell you only when in the town.” In gladness, they carried him on their shoulders up into the town. Then he said, “ Before I tell you, let me take my share of these fruits lying out there in the yard.” They agreed; and he carried a large number, hundreds of them, into his house. Then he stated, “Mbama said, ‘Its name is Bojabi.’ And All-the-Beasts shouted in unison, “Yes! Bojabi!” Then they all began to scramble with each other in gather- ing the fruit; so that Tortoise would have been unable to get any, had he not first taken his share to his mother, whose advice had brought him success. He also reported to them, “Mbama told me to tell you that himself eats leaves and grass, and drinks water, and is satisfied. For, that is the food of All-the-Beasts.” Had it not been for Boa, the Beasts would not have known about eating leaves. But, though that is so, the diligence and skill, in this affair, was of Tortoise. So, All-the-Beasts agreed: — “We shall have two Kings, Kudu and Mbama, each at his end of the country. For, the one with his wisdom told what was fit to be eaten; and, the other, with his skill, brought the news. ” 134 WHERE ANIMALS TALK TALE 15 The Suitors of Njambo’s Daughter Place In Njambo’s Town Persons Njambo and His Daughter Ndenga Etoli (House Rat) Nja (Leopard) NOTE Africans cut down trees, not at the base, but some 12 or 20 feet up where the diameter is less. They sit in the circle of a rope enclosing the tree and their own body, the rope resting against their backbone at the loins, and their feet braced against the tree trunk. The reason why Tortoise lives in brooks is his fear of Leopard. Ko (Forest Rat) Nyati (Ox) Kudu (Tortoise) Njaku (Elephant) All the Beasts were living long ago in one place, separate from the towns of Mankind; but they had friendship for and married with each other. Among the towns of Mankind was living a man named Njambo. There was born to him a female child named Ndenga. In the town, at one end of it, there was a very large tree. Njambo said of his daughter, “This child shall be married only with Beasts.” So when the Beasts heard of that one of them, House-Rat, said, “I’m going to marry that woman!” So he went to the father to arrange what things he should pay on the dowry. Njambo said to him, “I do WHERE ANIMALS TALK 135 not want goods. But, if any one shall be able to hew down this tree, he shall marry my child.” At once, Rat took the axe that Njambo handed him, and began to hack at the Tree. He tried and tried, but was not able to make the axe enter at all. At last, he wearied of trying and stopped. He said to himself, “If I go to Njambo, and tell him I am unable to do the task, he will kill me.” So, he left the axe, at the foot of the tree, and fled to his town. Njambo waited a while, but seeing no signs of Rat’s com- ing to him to report, himself came to the Tree, and found only the axe, but saw no person. He took up the axe, and went with it back to his house. Off in the Forest, all-Beasts saw Rat returning, and were surprised that he came alone. They asked him, “Where is the woman?” Rat answered, “I wearied of trying to get the woman, by reason of the greatness of the task of cutting down a tree. So, I gave up the work, and fled, and have come home. ” Then all the Beasts derided him, saying, “You like to live in another person’s house, and scramble around, and nibble at other people’s food, but you are not able to marry a wife!” Then Forest-Rat said, “I will marry that woman ! ” So he went to Njambo for the marriage, and came to the town. Njambo said to him, “I do not object to anybody for the marriage, but, I will only test you by that Tree off yonder. If you are willing to hew the Tree, you may marry this woman!” This Forest-Rat replied, “Yes! I shall wait here today; and will cut down the Tree early tomorrow morning.” That day darkened. And Njambo’s people cooked food for Forest-Rat as their guest. They all ate; and then they went to he down to sleep. Then after awhile, the light of another day began to break. They arose. And they gave Forest-Rat an axe. He took it, and went to the foot of the Tree. He fastened two cords, with which to climb up to where the Tree was at half its thickness. There he tried to cut the Tree. But he was unable to cut away even the smallest chip. At last he exclaimed, “Ah! brother Etoli is justified! I am not able to cut this tree, because of its hardness.” 136 WHERE ANIMALS TALK So, he came down the Tree, and left the axe at the foot, saying, “If I go back to the house of this Man, he will kill me. No! I am fleeing. ” When he arrived at his town, the other people asked him, “Where’s the woman?” He answered, “The woman is a thing easy to marry, but the Tree was a hard thing to cut. ” After waiting awhile for the Forest-Rat, Njambo came to the foot of the Tree; and, seeing the axe lying, took it, and w^ent with it to his House. Then Leopard tried for the woman; and failed in the same way as the two who preceded him. Next, Elephant tried, and failed in the same way. So did Ox in the same way. And all the other Beasts, one after another, in the same way, wearied of the task for obtaining this woman. But, there was left still one Beast, Tortoise, that had not made the attempt at the marriage. He stood up, and said, “ I will go; and I shall marry that woman at Njambo’s town ! ” Ox heard Tortoise say that; and struck him, saying, “Why! even more so we; and the less so you, to attempt to obtain her!” But Elephant said to Ox, “Let Kudu alone! Let us see him marry the woman!” So, Tortoise made his journey to Njambo’s town, and came there late in the afternoon. He said to Njambo, “I have come to marry your child.” Njambo replied, “Well! let it be so!” Tortoise said to Njambo, “First, call your daughter, to see if she shall like me.” When she entered the room, Tortoise asked her, “Do you love me?” She answered, “Yes! I love you with all my heart.” This made Tortoise glad; for the woman was very beautiful to look upon. Then Njambo told him, “Kudu, I want no goods for her; only the cutting of the Tree.” Tortoise assented, “Yes! I will try.” So they all went to sleep that night. And then the next day broke. An hour after sunrise, Njambo called Tortoise, and, showing him the axe, said, “This is the axe for the tree.” Tortoise took the axe, and went to the foot of the Tree. He looked at its sides closely, and saw there was a difference in them. He also looked very steadily at the top of the tree. WHERE ANIMALS TALK 137 Then he took rattan ropes, and mounted to the middle of the thickness of the Tree. He chose also the side opposite that at which the others had cut. He found it soft when he began to cut; and, at once the chips began to fall to the ground. He had begun the chopping early, and by the middle of the morning, the Tree began to fall. And it fell to the ground with a great crash, nji-i! Njambo heard the fall of the tree, and he came to see it. And he said to Tortoise, “You have done well, because you have cut down the Tree. But, finish the job by cutting off the top end with its branches. That will leave the trunk clear.” Tortoise asked Njambo, “What will you do with the log?” Njambo answered him, “To make a canoe.” So, Tortoise cut off also the end of the Tree with its branches. Then Njambo told him, “Come on, into the town, to take your wife; because you have cut down the tree; that is the price I asked.” The two came to the house in the town; and Njambo brought his daughter to Tortoise, saying, “This is your wife. And I give with the woman these other things.” Those things were only different kinds of food. Tortoise made his journey with his wife towards his town. He journeyed, going, going on, until he had reached half of the way. Then he said to his wife, “What shall I do? For. Nja is ahead in the way?” The wife replied, “No! go on! I think Nja will do nothing to us. ” Shortly afterward, they met with Leopard in the path. Leopard said to Tortoise, “Ah! Chum! this wife is not proper for you to marry, only with me, Nja. ” Tortoise said “No!” But Leopard insisted, “No! I take this one! I will give you another wife in her place.” So, he snatched the woman from Tortoise, and ran away with her to his town. Tortoise went on his way, as he went, crying, till he came to his own village. There Elephant asked him, “Why do you cry as you go? Has Njambo struck you about the affair of the marriage? For, we had heard the news that you had cut down the tree, and had taken the woman. What then is the reason?” Tortoise answered, “Yes! I married the woman, because I had cut down the Tree. But Nja took the woman away. ” 138 WHERE ANIMALS TALK Then Elephant called all the Beasts together to take coun- sel. He said to them, “What shall we do, because Nja has taken away the wife of Kudu?” They all replied, “We are all afraid of Nja. None of us can dare to say anything to him. For, he kills us people. So, our decision is: Let Kudu give up his wife to Nja. ” But Tortoise said, “I am unable to leave her. If it be death, I will die because of my wife. ” So, they all dispersed from the house of Tortoise, and went to their own houses. At that time, Leopard had eight wives. Tortoise removed from the Town-of-all-the-B easts, and built a village for himself, about one-and-a-half miles away. He built on the public highway, where passed by all people. He put a very large stone in front of his door-yard, large enough for one to sit down on it. He made also a bench near the stone. And he put a plate with water in it on the ground by the stone. Then he placed a certain magic- medicine on the seat of the bench. And he uttered a Charm: “Let any one else who sits on this seat go free from it. But, if it be Nja, let him not go from it.” He finished all these things late in the afternoon. The day darkened, and he went to his house, and slept his sleep. Soon the day broke. That day, Elephant said, “I’m going to the forest, and my wives with me. ” As he came on his way, he passed by the street of Tortoise’s House. He observed the stone and the bench and the water. He exclaimed, “Ah! I’ll sharpen my machete here!” So, he sat down on the bench, and sharpened his machete. Then, went on his way into the forest with his wives. After a while, Ox came on his journey, and saw the stone and water. He also sat down on the bench, and sharpened his machete. And then went on his way into the forest with his wives. Soon afterward, Leopard journeyed along with all his eight, and the new one, the ninth, the wife of Tortoise. He came to the house of Tortoise. Looking into the door-yard, he exclaimed, “Ah! good! and fine! that Kudu has prepared these things. ” Tortoise was in the house; he saw Leopard coming, and he WHERE ANIMALS TALK 139 rejoiced, “Very good! indeed! for the coming of this person.” Leopard sat down on the bench, and sharpened his machete on the stone with the water of the plate. His women stand- ing by, waited for him to finish the sharpening. When he had finished, he said, “I will get up, and start the journey again.” But, he stuck fast to the bench. He exlcaimed, “ My women ! I am unable to rise ! What shall I do? ” The “medicine” on the bench began to sting him like bees. And he cried out, “Ah! I’m dead! For, I am unable to rise!” Tortoise, coming out into the yard, said to Leopard, “I am the one who caused you this. You will not move thence until you give me back my wife. If you do not, you will remain there a whole month, a whole year. ” At this, Leopard felt very much grieved; and he inquired of his women, “The wife of Kudu is here in this company?” The woman answered, “Yes! I’m here.” Then Leopard said, “Please, Kudu, take your wife, and remove me from this bench. It hurts me.” So, Tortoise took his wife. And he added, “I want also my food you took from us in the path. ” Leopard sent a child back to his town in haste to cut plan- tains. The child went; and the plantains were brought. Tortoise took them, and said, “Nja! you are done, for your part. I have taken all I owned. But, if I release you, you will kill me, and take again my wife. You shall be released only after I have fled. ” So, Tortoise fled with his wife and all his goods into a stream of water. When safely there, he shouted, “Let Nja remove from that seat!” At once, Leopard stood up, and was free. And he went back to his town, giving up his intended journey into the forest. 140 WHERE ANIMALS TALK TALE 16 Tortoise, Dog, Leopard and the Njabi Fruit Persons Nja (Leopard) Kudu (Tortoise) Mbwa (Dog) Inani (A Bird) And Other Beasts Note: Observe the cannibalism of the human-animals. At first, all Animals were living in one region. Of these, Tortoise and Dog lived together in one place, and built a town by themselves. But, all the others, Leopard, Hippo- potamus, Elephant, Ox, etc., lived together in another place. After some time, a great famine fell on the part of the country where Tortoise and Dog lived; and they had to seek for any kind of food. One day Tortoise said to Dog, “I’m going awalking into the forest.” So, early at daybreak, he started off to seek for mushrooms. All those other Beasts that were living together had a kind of tree called Bojabi, bearing a very large heavy fruit called Njabi. And they had all agreed, “There are no other Animals, but our own com- panies, who shall eat of the fruit of this Tree.” They were accustomed, whenever they had eaten of this fruit, to go to an adjacent prairie, to play. So that day, on his journey, Tortoise happened to come to the foot of that Tree. The ripe fruit were falling from it, and quantities were lying on the ground. He exclaimed “Erne! (indeed!), Ibele! (splendid), Erne! Abundance of food!” He gathered, and ate, and stayed a while gathering others, which he would carry back to his town. While doing this, a fruit fell from the branch above, and struck him hard on the back. The blow hurt him; but he only said, “Ah! the back of an aged person!” (My back feels like that of an aged person.) This he said because of the pain it gave him; but he made no out-cry. He had with him a bag, into which he put food on a journey. So, he filled it with the fruits, and resumed his journey to WHERE ANIMALS TALK 141 go back to bis town. On his arrival at his house, his wife said to him, “Why did you delay so long?” He replied, “I found a Tree belonging to the Tribes-of-All-the-Beasts. Had they seen me, they would have killed me.” And, he drew the fruits from the bag, and gave his wife and children, saying, “Eat ye!” But, he added, “While you eat of it, do not allow Mbwa to see it. ” One of the children ran out into the street, with the fruit grasped in his hand. Just then, Dog happened to meet the child in the street, and asked him, “Who gave you this fruit, child of Kudu? ” The child answered, “ My father came from the forest, and brought this fruit with him. ” In the evening, when the day had darkened, Dog came and said to Tortoise, “My friend! you are a bad fellow; for, we live together in one place, and you do not share with me! Chum! is it possible that you eat such good things here? Where did you discover them?” Tortoise then gave Dog and his children a share. But, he was not willing to tell the place of that Tree. He evaded, by saying, “As I went, I forced my way through the jungle of the forest. But, I did not find any mushrooms; they are about done. Also, we are not allowed to go to the place where this fruit grows.” So it went on for some time. On another evening, Tortoise remarked, in conversation with Dog, that he would be going into the forest next day. Dog said nothing, but went back to his house, as if to sleep; while Tortoise remained in his house, and went to bed. Tortoise had left his hunting-bag hanging in the public reception-room by his house. At night, Dog arose from his house, and slowly and stealthily went to the house of Tortoise, clear into that room. Entering it secretly, and finding the bag, he threw ashes into its mouth and then, with his knife, made holes in it at the lower end. For, he said to himself, “When Tortoise shall go out early, then I will follow him.” Then he went back to his house, and laid down again. When day-light began to break, early in the morning, Tortoise arose, took the bag, and started on a journey to that forest tree which belonged to the Beasts. As he went the ashes sifted through the holes in the bottom of the bag, and fell on the path. He finally arrived at the tree. Dog also arose early, and found which way Tortoise had 142 WHERE ANIMALS TALK gone, by the dropping of the ashes ; for, as he went, Dog was looking out for the marks on the way; and, following the signs, they clearly showed him the route, until he reached the tree, soon after Tortoise had arrived. Tortoise exclaimed, “Ah! Chum! What have you come here to do? Who called you, you with your loud howling? Do you know who own this Tree? Can you endure if one of these fruits should fall down on you? For, if you cry out in pain, then the owners of this Tree will catch both you and me. If they seize me, who am Kudu, what shall I do? For, I, Kudu, do not know how to run rapidly.” Then Dog said, “If they come to seize you, I will come to take you from their hands.” At this, Tortoise laughed out aloud, “Those beasts of strength! When they seize me, you will come and take me from them? Really?” Just then while they were thus speaking, two of the fruits fell on Tortoise’s back, at the same time, with a thud, ndu! ndu! Though in pain, he only unconcernedly remarked, “The hardened skin of an aged person! Ah! the back of an old man!” and went on eating. Dog exclaimed, “O! Chum! that big thing struck you, and you were able to refrain from crying!” Tortoise replied, “Wait till yours also!” Presently a very small fruit thus fell, and hit Dog on the head. He howled lustily, “Ow! ow! ow! ow!” Tortoise said to him, “Did I not tell you so!” There came down another fruit, and fell on Tortoise; he quietly disregarded it. Another then fell on Dog with a thump, ngomu! And he ran off howling, “mwa! mwa!” All this while, Leopard had been up the Tree. It was he who had flung the fruit at Dog and Tortoise. When Dog ran, Leopard instantly descended the Tree, and, disregarding Tortoise, chased Dog; but could not over- take him. Had he caught Dog, seizing him tightly, he would have killed him with one blow of his paw, ndi! and would have eaten him on the spot. While Leopard was away, Tortoise was in fear and did not know what to do, for he knew that he could not run from Leopard. A Bird whistled, “Pu! pu! pu! Chum Kudu, Hide! hide!” So Tortoise went into a hole at the base of the tree, and hid there. Leopard, on his return, sought for Tortoise, but could not WHERE ANIMALS TALK 143 find him. So, he climbed the Tree again, and gathered his fruits, and went off towards the town of the Beasts. But, he met those Beasts coming; for, they had heard the howls of Dog, and had shouted at him, “He! e. e. ! Wait for us! Don’t be afraid!” All those People-of-the-Tree came an