THE NGINAS TRAVEL TO A PLANTAIN FIELD; THEIR STRANGE ADVENTURES
One day the big ngina said to his mate: “Dear, do you remember the large
field of plantain-trees that we discovered last rainy season? The trees
must be big now and bearing fruit. How juicy must be the large bunches
they bear! It is about time for us to travel toward them. Oh, what a
feast we will have!” his face showing joy at the prospect, for he
fancied he was already in the field and eating the succulent plantains.
Of all the fruits growing in the forest, the ngina likes the plantain
best.
“We shall have to hurry on our journey,” said the big fellow, “lest the
njokoos get to the place before us.”
So the following morning they departed, the baby ngina walking close to
his mother. They knew the way to the plantain field.
It was the height of the rainy season, and tornadoes were common, and
these were followed by very heavy rains, accompanied by terrific thunder
and lightning. “The plantain-trees,” said the ngina to his mate, “are a
long way off, and if the huge njokoos, who are such great eaters, reach
the place before we do, they will eat everything, and we shall have made
our journey in vain. Let us hurry as fast as we can, so as to be there
before their arrival, for the njokoos ramble far and wide in the forest,
and some of them may have discovered the place also.” So they started on
their journey.
The nginas met with many adventures on their way to the plantain fields
that day. Toward sunset it began to rain very hard, and there was heavy
thunder and sharp lightning. Soon they came to a place where they saw
three huge boulders close together, and these were sheltered by the
thick foliage of a large tree. The two nginas looked at each other,
saying: “This is a good place to be in for the night. We will sleep
under this tree.” They set their backs against one of the large
boulders, and the baby ngina went to sleep in the lap of his mother. The
rain dropped heavily from the leaves upon them. They slept with their
heads hanging down on their chests. Their sleep was very light, and the
falling of a leaf would have waked them. Besides, they were on the
lookout for njegos, snakes, and other creatures.
When the morning came they saluted each other. The big fellow came close
to his mate, and uttered certain sounds which meant, “Dear, I love you.”
Then he extended his long arm and petted his little one, and soon they
started again on their journey to the plantain field. Nothing unusual
happened. They met two or three omembas (snakes) and some kambis
(antelopes), and found enough to eat to satisfy their hunger.
When evening came, they saw a fine large tree, where the little ngina
and his mother could rest comfortably. Both ascended the tree, and the
old fellow slept at the foot. Toward midnight there was a great
thunderstorm, the rain fell in torrents, the claps of thunder were
incessant, and the lightning was most vivid, and after one terrific clap
of thunder, a vivid flash pierced through the forest, and the
thunderbolt struck the tree next to theirs. The nginas gave a terrific
yell of alarm. They fled, and wandered about in the darkness, for they
could not see their way well. Suddenly the big ngina stepped on a huge
python and gave another yell; but before the serpent could attack him,
he gave him a terrible bite and killed him. Ere long they found another
good tree for sleeping in, and ascended it for the rest of the night.
They were delighted when morning came. “What an awful night we have
had!” the old fellow said to his mate. “That is the first time in my
life that I have seen lightning strike so near us. We have narrowly
escaped with our lives.”
In the course of the day they came to a part of the forest where the
ground was soft. The big ngina saw the footprints of a njego. At this
sight his hair stood erect on his body, this being a sign of fear and
anger. Looking at his mate, he said, “Here are the footprints of a
njego.” Then both inspected them closely and she said, “We must be
careful to-night, for the njego makes such tremendous leaps that one is
never sure of his life.”
[Illustration: “_He gave him a terrible bite_”]
It happened that the njego was famished on that day, and left his lair
before the night had come, to prowl in the forest in search of prey, for
the leopard can see in the daytime, though he sees much better at night.
The big ngina, who was on a tree busy eating fruit, suddenly saw the
njego coming toward his tree. At this sight his hair became erect again,
his eyes showing some fright at first, but he recovered himself
speedily, and soon they looked full of anger. He remained silent and
waited for the leopard to pass under his tree. He had not to wait long,
and then, quick as an arrow, he fell upon the njego’s back and with one
of his powerful vise-like feet seized the nape of the leopard’s neck
with such force, holding it down, that the leopard could not move his
head, and with his other foot on his back near his tail he held his body
on the ground. Then he gave a quick jerk, stretched the body of the
njego, and broke his spine. The njego gave a terrific scream, a few
groans, and was dead.
The ngina dropped the njego from his clutches, looked fiercely at his
body, and, seated on his haunches, gave several yells, and with open
hands struck it with tremendous force, breaking some of the ribs and
severing the body almost in two. While he was doing this, his mate
appeared with their baby ngina. At the sight she uttered a fearful
scream, and the little fellow, full of fear, climbed into a small tree.
The following morning, as they were enjoying a breakfast of nuts,
suddenly they heard a great crash through the jungle. A herd of
elephants was coming toward them. Forthwith they ascended a tree, and
soon after the njokoos passed near them. When they were gone, the nginas
said: “These njokoos are not going our way. They are going in an
opposite direction and are foraging. It is a good thing they know
nothing about our plantain field; if they did, we should find no
plantains upon our arrival there.” That very same afternoon, they saw a
huge omemba (snake) coiled round a tree and looking them steadily in the
face. The big ngina at the sight gave a tremendous yell of anger, but he
and his family passed safely by.
They continued their journey and came to a river. Some kambis on the
opposite shore were drinking. As they raised their heads, they saw the
nginas and said: “The nginas are not among our enemies, for they do not
live on blood, and we do not eat the same kind of food. We need not be
worried, anyhow, for nginas do not swim across rivers.” Whereupon the
kambis went their way in peace and unconcerned.