The following story of the cunning Terrapin and the Crane established
Kadu's reputation among us, and the Zanzibaris were never so amused as
on this evening.
"Master," began Kadu, after we had made ourselves comfortable before a
bright and crackling fire, "some men say that animals do not reason, and
cannot express themselves, but I should like to know how it is that we
perceive that there is great cunning in their actions, as though they
calculated beforehand how to act, and what would be the result. We
Waganda think animals are very clever. We observe the cock in the yard,
and the hen with her chickens; the leopard, as he is about to pounce on
his prey; the lion, as he is about to attack; the crocodile, as he
prepares for his rush; the buffalo in the shade, as he awaits the
hunter; the elephant, as he stands at attention; and we say to
ourselves, how intelligent they are! Our legends are all founded on
these things, and we interpret the actions of animals from having seen
their methods; and I think men placed in the same circumstances could
not have acted much better. It may appear to you, as though we were
telling you mere idle tales to raise a laugh. Well, it may be very
amusing to hear and talk about them, but it is still more amusing to
watch the tricks of animals and insects, and our old men are fond of
quoting the actions of animals to teach us, while we are children, what
we ought to do. Indeed, there is scarcely a saying but what is founded
upon something that an animal was seen to do at one time or another.
"Now the story that I am about to relate, is a very old one in Uganda.
I heard it when a child, and from the fact that a Terrapin was said to
be so cunning, I have never liked to ill-treat a Terrapin, and every
time I see one, the story comes to my mind in all its freshness."
A Terrapin and a Crane were one time travelling together very sociably.
They began their conversation by the Terrapin asking:
"How is your family to-day, Miss Crane?"
"Oh, very well. Mamma, who is getting old, complains now and then,
that's all."
"But do you know that it strikes me that she is very fat?" said
Terrapin. "Now a thought has just entered my head, which I beg to
propose to you. My mother, too, is ailing, and I am rather tired of
hearing her complaints day after day; but she is exceedingly lean and
tough, though there is plenty of her. I wonder what you will say to my
plan? We are both hungry. So let us go and kill your mother, and eat
her; and to-morrow, you will come to me, and we will kill my mother. We
thus shall be supplied with meat for some days."
Replied the Crane, "I like the idea greatly, and agree to it. Let us go
about it at once, for hunger is an exacting mistress, and the days of
fasting are more frequent than those of fulness."
The matricides turned upon their tracks, and, arriving at the house of
Mrs Crane, the two cruel creatures seized upon Mamma Crane, and put her
to death. They then plucked her clean, and placed her body in the
stew-pot, and both Terrapin and Crane feasted.
Terrapin then crawled home, leaving Crane to sleep, and the process of
digestion. But, alas! Crane soon became very ill. Whether some qualms
of conscience disturbed digestion or not, I cannot say, but she passed a
troublesome night, and for several days afterwards she did not stir from
her house.
Terrapin, on reaching the house of its mamma, which was in the hollow of
a tree, cried out:
"Tu-no-no-no!" upon which Mrs Terrapin said, "Oh, that is my child,"
and she let down a cord, to which young Terrapin made himself fast, and
was assisted to the nest where the parent had already prepared a nice
supper for him.
Several days later, Terrapin was proceeding through the woods to the
pool where he was accustomed to bathe, when at the water-side he met
Miss Crane apparently quite spruce and strong again.
She hailed Terrapin and said, "Oh, here you are, at last. I have been
waiting to see you for some time."
"Yes," replied Terrapin, "here I am, and you--how do you feel now? My
neighbours told me you were very ill."
"I am all right again," said Miss Crane, "but I think my old ma
disagreed with me, and I was quite poorly for some days; but I am now
anxious to know when you are going to keep your part of the bargain
which we made."
"What--you mean about the disposing of my old ma?"
"Yes, to be sure," answered Crane, "I feel quite hungry."
"Well, well. Bargains should always be kept, for if the blood-oath be
broken misfortune follows. Your mother's death rests on my head, and I
mean to return your hospitality with interest, otherwise, may my shell
be soon empty of its tenant. Stay here awhile and I will bring her."
So saying, Terrapin departed, and crept to where he had secretly stowed
a quantity of india-rubber, in readiness for the occasion. After taking
out quite a mass of it, he returned to the pond, where Miss Crane stood
on one leg, expectant and winking pleasantly.
"I fear, sister Crane," said Terrapin, as he laid his burden down, "that
you will find my old ma tough. She turned out to be much leaner than I
anticipated. There is no more fat on her bones, than there is on my
back. But now, fall to, and welcome. There is plenty there. I am not
hungry myself, as I have just finished my dinner."
Miss Crane, with her empty stomach, was not fastidious, and stepped out
eagerly to the feast so faithfully provided, and began to tear away at
what Terrapin had brought. The rubber, however, stretched by the greedy
Crane, suddenly flew from her foot, and rebounding, struck her in the
face a smart blow.
"Oh! oh!" cried Crane, confused with the blow. "Your old ma is most
tough."
"Yes, she is. I suspected she would prove a little tough," answered
Terrapin, with a chuckle. "But don't be bashful. Eat away, and
welcome."
Again Miss Crane tugged at the rubber to tear it, but the more it was
stretched, the more severe were the shocks she received, and her left
eye was almost blinded.
"Well, I never," exclaimed Miss Crane. "She is too tough altogether."
"Try again," cried Terrapin. "Try again; little by little, it is said,
a fly eats a cow's tail. You will get a rare and tender bit in time."
Miss Crane thus pressed, did so, and seizing a piece lay back, and drew
on it so hard that when the rubber at last slipped, it bounded back with
such force, that she was sent sprawling to the ground.
"Why, what is the matter?" asked Terrapin, pretending to be astonished.
"She is tough, I admit; but loh! our family are famous for toughness.
However, the tougher it is, the longer it lasts on the stomach. Try
again, sister Crane; I warrant you will manage it next time."
"Oh, bother your old ma. Eat her yourself. I have had enough of that
kind of meat."
"You give it up, do you?" cried Terrapin. "Well, well, it is a pity to
throw good meat away. Maybe, if I keep it longer it will get tenderer
by and by."
They thus parted, Terrapin bearing his share of rubber away in one
direction, and Miss Crane sadly disgusted, striding grandly off in
another, but looking keenly about for something to satisfy her hunger.
When she had gone a great distance a parrot flew across her path, and
perching on a branch near her, cried out, "Oh, royal bird, say since
when has rubber become the food of the bird-king's family?"
"What do you mean, Parrot?" she asked.
"Well, I saw you tearing at a piece of rubber just now, and when you
marched off Terrapin carried it away, and I heard him say--because he
has a habit of speaking his thoughts aloud--Oh, how stupid my sister
Crane is! She thinks my ma is dead. Ho, ho, ho! what a stupid! And
all the way he chuckled and laughed as though he was filled with
plantain wine."
"Is his ma not dead then?" asked Miss Crane.
"Dead! Not a bit of it," replied Parrot. "I saw old Ma Terrapin but a
moment ago as I flew by her tree, waiting for her son, and the cord is
ready for his cry of `Tu-no-no-no. Ano-no-no. We-no-no-no!'"
"Ah, Parrot, your words are good. When we know what another is saying
behind our backs, we discover the workings of his heart. The words of
Terrapin are like the bush that covers the trap. Good-by, Parrot. When
we next meet, we shall have another story to tell."
On the next day, Terrapin observed Miss Crane approaching his house, and
he advanced a little way to meet her.
"Well, sister Crane, I hope you are all right this morning?" he asked.
"Oh yes, so so, brother Terrapin. But you must excuse me just now; I've
heard bad news from my family. A brother and sister of mine are
suddenly taken ill, and I am bound to go and visit them," answered
Crane.
"Ah, Miss Crane, that reminds me of my own brother and sister, who are
much younger than I am, but very soft and tender. What do you say now
to making another bargain?" asked Terrapin with a wink.
"You are very good, Terrapin. I will think of it as I go along. I
shall be back before noon to-morrow, and we will talk of a trade then."
They were very civil to one another as they parted. Terrapin went for
his usual walk to the pond, Miss Crane proceeded to visit her family,
but muttered:
"Ha, ha, Terrapin, you are great at a trade; but you will not make
another with me in a hurry till our first one is squared."
After she had gone a little way she turned suddenly round and came back
to the foot of Terrapin's tree, and cried,
"Tu-no-no-no. Ano-no-no-no. We-no-no-no!"
"Ah, that is my child's voice," said Ma Terrapin to herself, and let
down the cord.
Miss Crane caught hold and climbed up towards the nest. Ma Terrapin
craned her neck out far to welcome her child, but before she could
discover by what means little Terrapin had changed its dress, Miss Crane
struck Ma Terrapin with her long sharp bill in the place where the neck
joins the shoulder, and in a short time Ma Terrapin was as dead as Miss
Crane's own mother.
The body was rolled from the nest, and it went falling down, and Miss
Crane slid quickly after it.
In a quiet place screened by thick bushes Miss Crane made a great fire,
with which Ma Terrapin's thick shell was cracked. She then scooped out
the flesh, and carried it to her own home, and stowed it in a big black
pot.
On the next day as Miss Crane was standing on one leg by the pond, with
her head half buried in her feathers, who should come along but
Terrapin, crying bitterly, and saying, "Ah, my ma is dead. My old ma
has been killed. Who will assist me now?"
Miss Crane affected to be asleep, but heard every word. When, however,
Terrapin was near, she woke up suddenly and said, cheerfully,
"Ah! it is Terrapin, my little brother Terrapin. How do you do to-day?"
Now as Terrapin had already slain his mother, according to his own
confession, it struck him that it would not do to accuse Miss Crane of
the murder, because by doing so he would expose his breach of faith with
her, but the scent of the roasted flesh of Ma Terrapin came strong just
then, and he knew that it was Crane who, discovering his trick, had
killed her.
He managed, however, to reply briskly:
"Sissy, dear, I am but tolerable. But how is your family to-day?"
"My brother and sister are much improved, Terrapin. They are both as
fat as tallow. By-the-bye, what about that trade you proposed to me?"
"I am ready, Miss Crane, for a trade any day. When shall it be?"
"No time so good as the present, and if you jog along to the other end
of the pond, I will fix my house here, and soon catch up with you."
Terrapin professed great delight, and toddled along; but when he had
gone a little way his bad habit of thinking aloud came on him, and he
was heard to say:--
"My poor ma! my poor ma is dead! O you wicked Crane! I know by the
scent of the meat that you have killed my ma. What can I do now?"
Miss Crane knew then that she had been discovered, and she began to
think that it was time to remove to another district, for Terrapin had
many friends in the woods, such as rabbits, jackals, lions, and
serpents, and if Terrapin moaned so loud, all the people of the woods
would know what she had done, and many would no doubt assist him to
punish her. Casting about in her mind for the best place, she
remembered an extremely tall tree which was not far from Terrapin's
house, a very lofty clean-shafted tree, on the top of which she would be
safe from surprise.
Thither she hastily removed her belongings, and soon established herself
comfortably. She had also provided herself with a store of strong
sticks to be used as weapons in case of necessity.
Terrapin meanwhile crawled along, moaning loudly his lamentations.
Suddenly Rabbit popped out of the woods, and stood in his path. He soon
was made aware of Terrapin's bereavement, and strongly sympathised with
him. Terrapin related the story in such a way that made Miss Crane
appear to be a murderess, against whom the people of the woods should
take vengeance.
"Then," said Rabbit, "that must be Miss Crane, who is building her house
on the very top of that tall tree near your place."
"Is she?" asked Terrapin. "I did not know that. She was to have met me
here; but I see she knows that she is detected, and is already taking
measures to protect herself. But, Rabbit, you who are always wise, tell
me how I may avenge myself?"
"There is only one way that I know of," answered Rabbit, dubiously. "Go
to the Soko (Gorilla?), but he is a hard dealer who will make you pay
handsomely for his help. Soko is the king of the ape kind. If you pay
him well, he will fasten a cord to Crane's nest, up which you can climb
when she is absent. Once there, lie quietly, and when she alights seize
her."
The plan pleased Terrapin immensely, and possessing a comfortable
property upon the loss of his mother, he thought he had sufficient to
purchase Soko's assistance.
Through the good offices of Rabbit negotiations were entered into with
Soko, who agreed for a potful of good nuts, ten bunches of ripe bananas,
one hundred eggs, and sundry other trifles, to hang a stout rattan
climber to Crane's nest, long enough to reach the ground.
The royal bird was soon informed of the conspiracy against her by the
Parrot, who loves to carry tales, and Miss Crane resolved to be absent
from home while Soko was fastening the climber, but commissioned her
friend the Parrot to observe the proceedings, and to report to her when
Soko had completed his task.
Soko performed his part expeditiously. Terrapin tested the strength of
the rattan, and had to confess that Soko had earned his pay, and Rabbit
accompanied Terrapin and Soko to Terrapin's house to see the Soko
receive his commission.
As they departed Parrot flew to inform Miss Crane, who immediately
returned to her house to await her enemy.
Not long after Terrapin came to the foot of Crane's tree and commenced
to climb up. He had nearly reached the top when Miss Crane stood up and
delivered such a thwacking blow on Terrapin's back that it caused him to
loose his hold and fall to the ground. When Terrapin recovered his
senses, he heard Miss Crane cry out--
"Ha! brother Terrapin, that was a nasty fall. You remember the rubber,
don't you? There is nothing like the advice you gave me. Try again,
Terrapin, my brother. Try again."
"You killed my ma, did you not?" asked Terrapin.
"I thought you told me that you had killed her according to agreement.
Then how can you say that I killed her?" asked Miss Crane.
"That was not my ma I gave you. It was only a lump of rubber."
"Ho, ho! You confess it then? Well, we are now quits. You induced me
to kill my ma, and as you could not keep your part of the bargain, I
saved you the trouble. My ma was as much to me as your ma was to you.
We have both lost our ma's now. So let us call it even, and be friends
again."
Terrapin hesitated, but the memory of his ma's loss soon produced the
old bitterness, and he became as unforgiving as ever. Miss Crane must,
however, be persuaded that the matter was forgiven, otherwise he would
never have the opportunity to avenge his ma's death.
"All right, Crane," he answered; "but let me come up, and embrace you
over it, or do you descend and let us shake hands."
"Come up, by all means, Terrapin. I am always at home to friends," said
Miss Crane.
Terrapin upon this began to climb, but as he was ascending he foolishly
began to think aloud again, and he was heard saying--
"Oh, yes, sister Crane. Just wait a little, and you will see. He, he,
he!"
Miss Crane, who was quietly listening, heard Terrapin's chuckle and
muttering, and prepared to receive him properly. When he was within
reach, she cried, "Hold hard, Terrapin," and at once proceeded to shower
mighty blows on his back, then laid the stick on his feet so sharply
that, to protect them, he had to withdraw them into his shell, in doing
which he lost his hold and fell to the ground with such force that to
anything but a terrapin the great fall would have been instantly fatal.
"Try again, Terrapin; try again, my brother. Another time and you will
succeed," cried Miss Crane, mockingly.
Terrapin slowly recovered his faculties from the second fall, and
exclaimed, "Ah, Crane, Crane. If I heed you a second time, call me
fool. Yesterday and to-day you triumphed, to-morrow will be my turn."
"_Kwa-le, kwa-le_," Miss Crane shrilly cried. "My tree will stand
to-morrow where it stood to-day. You know the way to it; if not, your
hate will find it."
Terrapin toddled away upon this to seek the Lion, to whom, when he had
found him, he pleaded so powerfully that the Lion pitied him greatly,
and answered, "I may not help you in this matter, for I was not made to
climb trees. Go you, and tell Jackal your story, and he will be able to
advise you."
Acting on the friendly advice, Terrapin sought out the Jackal, to whom
he repeated his lamentable tale. The Jackal rewarded him with a
sympathetic sigh, and said, "Friend Terrapin, my teeth are sharp and my
feet are swift, but, though I am so happily endowed, I have no wings to
fly. Go and seek Elephant. His strength is so great that perhaps he
will be able to pull the tree down for you."
Terrapin proceeded on his way to search out the Elephant, and, after
much patient travel, discovered him brooding under a thick shade. To
him at once Terrapin unburdened his breast of its load of grief, and
appealed piteously for his assistance.
"Little Terrapin," replied the kindly Elephant, "your tale is dour. But
though I am strong, there are some things that I cannot do. Miss
Crane's house is built on one of the biggest trees of the forest, and it
would require two score of elephants to drag it down. It is wisdom, and
not strength, that you need. Go you and seek Serpent, and he will
assist you."
Thence Terrapin went to seek Serpent, and, after long seeking, found him
coiled, in many shining folds, in the fork of a sturdy tree.
"Ah, Serpent," he cried, "you are a kinsman of mine, and I have long
sought you. I am in dire distress, my friend," and he proceeded to
inveigh against Miss Crane passionately, and concluded by invoking his
assistance.
"Help me this day," cried Terrapin, "and you shall be my father and my
mother, and all my nearest relations in one."
"It is well," replied the Serpent, in his slow, deliberate manner.
"Miss Crane shall die, and here I make a pact with you. There shall be
no enmity for all future time between your family and mine. Go now, and
rest in peace, for the fate of Crane is fixed."
In the darkness of the night Serpent roused himself from his sleep and,
uncoiling himself, descended the tree and glided noiselessly along the
ground towards Miss Crane's tree. The tall clean shaft could not arrest
those spiring movements, and the Serpent steadily ascended until he
gained the fork. Thence, by an almost imperceptible motion, he advanced
towards the nest. Poor Miss Crane was fast asleep, dreaming of the fall
of Terrapin, while the Serpent folded his extremity around a stout
branch and stood up prepared to strike. Quick as one could wink the
Serpent flung himself upon the bird-queen, and in a moment she lay
crushed and mangled. Then, seizing her body with his jaws, the Serpent
slid down the shaft of the tree and sought Terrapin's house, and laid
her remains before him. Terrapin was overjoyed, and invited Serpent to
share with him the dainty feast which the body of Miss Crane supplied.
From that day to this Serpent and Terrapin have remained close friends,
and neither has ever been known to break the solemn agreement that was
made between them on that day that Terrapin solicited the help of
Serpent against the bird-queen.