called out, "Ngalo! a helmet!" It appeared. He fitted it to his
head. He called again, "Ngalo! a glass of strong drink, and of water
too!" It appeared. He asked for tobacco. It appeared. "Matches!" They
appeared. He struck a match, and smoked. As he thrust the cigar in
his mouth, it stimulated him; it told him things of the future in its
clouds of smoke. After he had rested, he stood up, again for the fight.
The Snails tuned their song:
"Iyâ! Dingâlâ! disabete!
Iyâ! Dingâlâ! sâlâlâsâlâ! Disabete!
Iyâ! Dingâlâ! Iyâ! Dingâlâ!
Iyâ! Dingâlâ! Sâlâlâsâlâ!
Iyâ! Dingâlâ! Eh! Bamo-eh!"
The Snails, in their fierce charge, killed him, and were about
to take away the corpse; when, his Ngalo returning him to life,
he sprang erect, and cried out, "Ah! my Father Njambu! Dibadi-O!"
And he took up his war-song:--
"Tata Njambu ya milole, milole mi we.
Ta' Njambu! milole mi we.
Ta' Njambu! milole mi we.
Milole mi we. Ta' Njambu!"
All that while, the mother and his sisters were lying dead.
The Snails were shouting in their victory, "Tâkâ!"
Mbuma-tyetye took a short broad knife in his hands, and shouted,
"Dibadi!" He girded his body firmly, and stood erect. He called out in
challenge, "I've come!" The Snails answered, "You've reached the end!"
They fought. The man took his sword. The Snails fell down on him,
ndwa! But the man stood up, and moved forward. He laid hold of a
small tree. He cut it, and whirled it about at the Snails. And the
Snails fell down on the ground, po! But they rose up again flinging
themselves upon the man, ndwa! The man jumped aside crying out,
"Ah! My father Njambu! Dibadi-O!"
He took fire, thrust it among the tribe of Snails, and every one fell
down on the ground, mbwâ!
Then he shaped a leaf into a funnel, and dropped a medicine into the
noses of his mother and sisters. They slowly rose and tried to sit
up. He poured the ashes of the Snails over them, po! They breathed
it into their stomachs, kii! and they came fully to life.
Then they said, "You are safe! Now! for our return home!" He said,
"Good!" And they returned.
Mbuma-tyetye continued his own journey, on, on, on, until at a
cross-roads, he found a giant Tooth, as large as a man. Tooth asked,
"Where are you going?" Said he, "I'm going to seek a marriage at a
town of Njambu-ya-Mekuku." Then, with his axe in hand, he turned aside
from the path; chopped firewood, chop, chop, chop, chop, mbwâ! Then he
kindly carried a lot of it, and presented it to Tooth. He also opened
his bag, and taking out an ukima roll, laid it down at the feet of
Tooth; also a bundle of gourd-seeds, and laid it down; and then he
said, "I'm going." But the giant Tooth, pleased with him, said to him,
"Just wait!"
So, he waited; and, while waiting, said, "Ngalo! a fine house!" It
appeared there. "A table!" There! "Good food!" There! "Fine
drink!" There! They two ate, and drank, and had conversation together.
Tooth said to him, "Where you go, do not fear." It brought out from
its hut a water-gourd, and said, "I will not show you more, nor will
I tell you anything at all, but this Hova itself will tell you." Then
Tooth said to him, "Go well!"
The man took the Gourd and clung to it as if it was a treasure.
He started again on his journey, and had gone but a little way, when he
found Kuda-nuts in immense abundance. He took up one, drew his knife,
cracked the nut, and threw the kernel into his mouth. He stooped
again, and was about to pick up another, when the Gourd warned him,
"I! I!" So, he left the nuts.
He came on in his journey, and found in abundance wild Mangoes. He
took one, split it, and bit out a piece; and was about to add
another, when the warning came, "I! I!" So, he left the Mangoes;
yet his belly felt full. Still on his journey, thirst for water
seized him at a stream. He took his cup, plunged it into the water,
filled it, drank, and was about to take more, when the warning said,
"I! I!" And he left the water. Yet his belly felt full.
On his journey still, till he came to a large river. There he stood,
and listened, as he heard a boat-song, "Ayehe! âhe! âyehe! e!" There
passed by the sound of paddles, wom'! wom'! but he saw no person; nor
did he see any canoe. Gourd said to him, "Call!" Then he called out,
"Who are these? Bring me a canoe!" A voice replied, "Who are you?" He
answered, "I!" The canoe came nearer, its crew singing, singing, until
it grounded on the beach. He saw what seemed only a great log! Gourd
said to him, "Embark!" He got in. The crew also (apparently) got in
again; for, the sound of paddles was again heard, worom'! worom'!
Instead of going straight across the river, they pulled far up stream,
and then came all the way down again on the other side. As they came,
they were constantly keeping up the song, until they grounded at
the landing-place at that other side. Still he saw nothing of the
invisible boatmen, when he landed.
Ascending the bank of the stream, he saw a strange new town. He entered
its public reception-house, and sat down. As he was looking for some
one to come, a Horn came and sat on his lap, and then moved away. A
Bundle of Medicine came, sat, and moved away. A Bowl came and sat. A
Spear came and sat. All these Things saluted him. Behold! they were
the People of that Town (in disguise); but he saw none of them.
Gourd said to him, "Come and escort me into the back-yard." He at once
stepped out; and, when in the back-yard, It said. "Put me down." (It
had been carried suspended from his shoulder.) He put It down, standing
It at the foot of a plantain-stalk. Gourd making a leaf funnel,
dropped something into his eyes. His eyes suddenly, kaa! were opened,
and he saw everything, and all the people, and the whole street.
Returning to the house, he sat down. Maidens came. Such goodness as
you have scarcely known! Forms lovely to see!
The Chief of the town said, "Make ye food!" It was made at once. Then
one whom he chose was given him for his wife.
She and this young son-in-law were left sitting in the house. The
wife began to weep, saying to herself, "What will be his manner of
eating?" (a test to be applied to him as suitor). The Gourd called
him with a voice like the stroke of a bell, ngeng! He went out to
the Gourd, and It said to him, "When you shall eat, take one piece
of plantain, flesh of the fowl, and then dip one spoonful of the
udika (wild-mango gravy), put them in your mouth; and thou shalt say
unto her, 'Take; you may remove the food.' You shall see what will
happen." He did so. His wife laughed in her heart; and she went and
told her mother, "He is a person of sense." The towns-people said to
her, "What did he do?" She evasively said to them. "Let us see!"
In the evening, the father-in-law said to him, "You have found us here
in the midst of a work of garden-making for your mother-in-law." (A
man is always expected to do some work for his wife's mother.) He
said. "That's good, Father!"
Gourd called to him, and told him, "It is not a garden; it is an
entire forest; it is not planted; it is all wild country. But,
tomorrow, at daylight, early, you say to your wife that she must go
and show you. You must take one young plantain-set, and a machete,
and an axe. When you shall arrive there, then you shall say to
her, 'Go back!' And she will go back. Then, you will slash with the
machete, kwa! and leave it. You take also the axe and cut, ka! and say,
'Ngunga-O! Mekud' O! Makako ma dibake manjeya-O!' You shall see what
will happen. Then you insert the plantain-set in the ground. Then
you set up a bellows, and work it. And you shall see what will happen."
(All that Garden-Plan was made by the townspeople in order that
he might weary of the task, and they then find excuse for killing
him. For they were Cannibals.)
At daybreak, he did so. He called his wife. He and she went on until
they came to the chosen spot. Said he, "Go back!" The woman went
back. He did just as he had been directed, as to the clearing, and
the felling, the incantation, and the planting. The plantains bore,
and ripened at once. Every kind of food developed in that very hour.
The man went back to the town, and sat down. They set before him food.
They sent a child to spy the garden. The child returned, excitedly
saying, "Men! the entire forest! with all such foods! only ripe
ones!" They said to him, "You're telling a falsehood!" And they said,
"Let another go and see." He went; and returned thence with a ripe
plantain held in his hand.
In the evening, the Chief said to him, "Sir! tomorrow, people will have
been filled with hunger for meat. A little pond of your mother-in-law
is over there. Tomorrow it is to be bailed out." (In order to get
the fish that would be left in the bottom pools.)
Gourd called him, ngeng! He went to It, and It said, "That is not a
pond, it is a great river, (like the Lobi at Batanga). However, when
you shall go, you must take one log up stream and one log down stream
(for a pretence of dams). You shall see what will happen. Then you
must bail only once, and say, 'Itata-O!' You shall see."
Next morning, he did so. And the whole river was drained; and the
fish were left in the middle, alone. He returned to the town, and
sat down. The people went to see; and, they were frightened at the
abundance of fish. For a whole month, fish were gathered; and fish
still were left.
The Chief went to call his townspeople, saying, "We will do nothing
to this fellow. Let him alone; for, you have tried him with every
test." They said, "Yes; and he has lingered here," (i.e., was no
longer a stranger; and therefore should not be eaten). But, they said,
"Tomorrow there will be only wrestling." (This was said deceitfully.)
In the evening, the father-in-law called him, saying, "Mbuma-tyetye,
tomorrow there is only wrestling. You have stayed long here. As you
are about to go away with my child, there is left only one thing more
that she wants to see, that is, the wrestling tomorrow."
Gourd called him, and said to him, "It is not only for wrestling. You
know the part of the village where is the Wrestling-Ground. There
is a big pit there. You will take care if you are near that pit;
and you must push them in."
In the evening, food was made, and soon it was ready. He and his wife
ate, and finished. They engaged in conversation. They took pleasure
over their love that night.
The next day, in the morning, very early, the drums, both the elimbi
and the common, began promptly to tell things in the street. (The
Elimbi is a specially made drum used to transmit information by
a system of signal strokes. News is thus carried very far and
very rapidly.) The Gourd called him, and handed him a leaf of
magic-medicine, to hold in his hand, saying, "Go; fear not!"
The townspeople began to shout back and forth a song (to arouse
enthusiasm). Two companies ranged on each side of the street,
singing. "Engolongolo! hâ! hâ! Engolongolo! hâ! hâ!"
"Engolongolo! hâ! hâ!
Engolongolo! hâ! hâ!"
Hearing their song as a challenge, the young man went out of the
house into the street. Up to this point, the strongest wrestler of the
town, named Ekwamekwa, was not with them; he was out in the forest,
felling trees.
When the towns-people saw the young man standing in the street, they
advanced as many as a hundred all at once. He laid his hands upon
them, and they all went back; he also went back. Soon he advanced
again, and his single opponent advanced. They two laid their hands
on each other's shoulders. The townspeople began another song, as if
in derision. "O! O! A! O! O! A! O! O! A!"
At once, he seized his opponent, and threw him into the pit. Thereupon,
his father-in-law shouted in commendation, "Iwâ!"
Another one came forward; Mbuma-tyetye advanced; and as they met
together, he took him, and threw him into the pit. Again the shout,
"Iwâ!"
The sisters of the two men in the pit began to cry. The others said
to the girls, "What are you doing? He shall die today! It is we who
shall eat those entrails today!" (Among cannibals, a choice portion.)
Another one was coming, and, as they met together, again the shout
of derision, "O! O! O! A! O! O! O! A! O! O! O! A!" But, at one fling,
Mbuma-tyetye cast him into the pit. "Iwâ" was repeated.
The sister of him who was thrown thus into the pit began to cry. The
people rebuked her, "Mbâbâ! mbâbâ! Join in the singing!"
Another one was coming; Mbuma-tyetye advanced; and as they came
together, he lifted him, holding him by the foot. The singers, to
encourage their man, said responsively, "Dikubwe! Dikubwe! Fear not
an elephant with his tusks! Take off! take off!" Mbuma-tyetye lifted
him, and promptly pushed him down into the pit, with a thud, 'kodom'!
The people began to call out anxiously, "We-e! we-e! O! They are
overcome! They are overcome! O! Some one must go hastily, and call
Ekwamekwa, and tell him that people are being destroyed in the town,
and he must come quickly."
Some one got up, and ran to call Ekwamekwa, wailing as he went,
"Iyâ! Iyâ! Iyâ! Ekwamekwa, iyâ-O! Come! People are exterminated in
the town!"
He heard with one ear (i.e. at once). He snatched up his machete and
axe, saying, "What is it?" The messenger repeated, "Come! a being
from above has destroyed many a one in the town!"
The man Ekwamekwa, full of boasting, said, "Is it possible there is no
man in the town?" He came, already shaking the muscles of his chest,
pwâ! pwâ (a custom with native wrestlers, as a lion his mane). His
muscles were quivering with rage, nyâ! nyâ! nyâ!
The drums, both the elimbi-telegraph and the common, were being beaten,
and were sounding without intermission. The singers were shouting;
the wrestlers' bodies had perspiration flowing from them. The noise
of the people, of the telegraph drums and other drums, and sticks
(sticks beating time) were rattling kwa! kwa! kwa!
As Ekwamekwa appeared, the women and children raised their shrill
voices. The shouters yelled, "A! lâ! lâ! lâ! â!"
Mbuma-tyetye advanced at once. He and Ekwamekwa laid hold of
one another, and alternately pressed each other backward and
forward. The one tried tricks to trip the other, and the other
tried the same. Ekwamekwa held him, and was about to throw him on
the ground. The other jumped to one side, and stood, his muscles
quivering, po! po! po! tensely. Ekwamekwa seized him about the waist
and loins. The people all were saying, "Let no one shout!" (lest
Ekwamekwa be confused). They said, "Make no noise! He is soon going
to be eaten!" And it was a woman who said, "Get ready the kettle!"
Ekwamekwa still held him by the loins. So, they called out, "Down
with him! Down with him!" But Mbuma-tyetye shouted, "I'm here!" He
put his foot behind Ekwamekwa's leg, and lifted him, and threw him
into the pit, kodom!
Then there was a shout of distress by the people, "A! â! â! â!" and
Ekwamekwa called out, "Catch him! catch him!" Mbuma-tyetye, lifting
his feet, ran to his father-in-law's end of the town, and all the men
came after him. His father-in-law protected him, and said to them,
"You can do nothing with this stranger!"
At night, the Chief said to him, "Sir, you may go away tomorrow."
At daybreak, food was cooked. The Chief Njambu-ya-Mekuku, put his
daughters into large chests. In one was a lame one; another, covered
with skin disease; and another, with a crooked nose; and others,
with other defects in other chests, each in her own chest. But,
he put the wife into a poor chest all dirty outside with droppings
of fowls, and human excrement, and ashes. In it also, he placed a
servant and all kinds of fine clothing. Then said he to Mbuma-tyetye,
"Choose which chest contains your wife."
The Gourd at once called him, and It said to him, "Lift me up!" It
whispered to him, "The chest which is covered with dirt and filth,
it is the one which contains your wife. Even if they say, 'Ha! ha! he
has had all his trouble for nothing; he has left his wife,' do you
nevertheless carry it, and go on with your journey."
He came to the spot where the chests were. The Chief said
again, "Choose, from the chests, the one which contains your
wife." Mbuma-tyetye picked up the poor one. They shouted. But, he
at once started on his journey, and on, until he came to the river,
stepped into a canoe, paddled to the other side, landed, and went on,
carrying the chest. Almost in an instant (by his magic Ngalo) he was at
the place of the Great Tooth. It asked, "How is it there?" He replied,
"Good!" The Gourd, in leaving, reported to Its mother, the Tooth,
"A fine fellow, that person there!"
He went on with his journey, his feet treading firmly. Almost with
one stride (by aid of his Ngalo), in the twinkling of eyes, he was
near the spring at his own town.
Then he said, "Now let me open the chest here!" On his opening it,
a maiden attended by her servant came stepping out, arrayed in the
clothing which had been placed in the chest for her dress. One's eyes
would ache at sight of her silks, and the fine form of her person. And
you or any other one could say, "Yes! you are a bride! truly a bride!"
Two young women rose up in the town to go to the spring to dip up
water. They were just about to come to the spring, when they saw their
brother and his wife and her servant. They two went back together
rapidly to the town, saying, "Well! if there isn't the woman whom
Mbuma-tyetye has married! They are two women and himself!"
The town emptied itself to go and meet them on the path. His father
took powder and guns, with which to announce the arrival; and cannon
were roaring. When the young woman came and stood there in the street,
there was only shouting and shouting, in admiration.
Another brother, named Njâ, when he came to see her, was so impressed
to get a wife like her, that, without waiting for the salutations to be
made, he said to his mother, "My mother! make for me my mekima, too."
Mbuma-tyetye entered into the house, he and his wife. At once hot water
was set before them, and they went to bathe. When they had finished,
they entered the public Reception-Room. Njâ, impatient to get away
and, in impolite haste, said, "Now, for my journey!" His brother
advised him, "First wait; let me tell you how the way is." He replied,
"Not so!" And he started off on his journey.
The others sat down to tell, and to hear the news. They told
Mbuma-tyetye the affairs of the town; and he responded as to how
he had come. When he had completely finished, he was welcomed,
"Iye! Oka! oka-O! But now, sit down and stay."
Now, when Njâ had gone, he met the two Millepedes fighting. He
exclaimed, "By my father Njambu! what is this?" He stood
there with laughter, "Kye! kye! kye!" He clapped his hands,
"Kwâ! kwâ! You! there! let me pass!" They asked, "Give us an ukima." He
stood laughing, kwa! kwa! saying, "I will see this today! Food that
is eaten by a human being! Is it so that they have teeth? As I see it,
they, having no mouths, how can they eat?" But he opened his food-bag,
took an ukima, and gave them a small piece. They rebuked him for
his meanness, and laid a curse on him, "Aye! You will not reach the
end." He responded, "I won't reach my end, eh? Humph! I'm going on
my journey!" He left them; and they grabbed at the very little piece
of ukima he had given them.
He cried out, "Journey!" and went on both by day and by night,
traveling until he met the two Snakes fighting. He derided them,
and took a club, and was about to strike them, when they cursed him,
"You will not reach the end!" However, he gave them, at their request,
an ukima, and passed on. As he turned to go, and was leaving them,
they made signs behind him, repeating their curse, "He will not reach
safely!" And they added, "He has no good sense; let us leave him."
He still cried out, "Journey!" and went on to that place of
Ihonga-na-Ihonga whose size filled all the width of the way. He
made a shout, raising it very loud, and repeated his exclamation,
"By my father, Njambu! Thou who hast begotten me, thou hast not seen
such as this!" Tooth asked, "Where are you going?" He, astonished,
exclaimed, "Ah! It can talk! Alas! for me!" And he added a shout
again, with laughter, "Kwati! kwati! kwati!" It spoke and said,
"Please, split for me fire-wood." He replied, "What will fire-wood
do for you?" He, however, split the wood hastily, ko! ko! ke! and
left it in a pile. It said, "Leave me an ukima." He responded, "Yes;
let me see what It will do with it now!" He opened his food-bag,
and laid an ukima down disrespectfully, and said, "Eat! let me see!"
Tooth said to him, "Sleep here!" Said he, "If I sleep here, what
is there for me to sit on?" It replied only, "Sleep here!" He said,
"Yes!" Then he invoked his Ngalo, "A seat!" It appeared, and he sat
down. In the evening, he invoked, "Ngalo, a house!" It appeared. "A
bed!" It appeared. "A table!" It appeared. "Food!" It was set out. He
ate, but did not offer any to Tooth, and fell into a deep sleep.
At daybreak, he was given water to wash his face, and food; and
he ate it. Then the Tooth said to him, "Now, this is a Hova; go;
the Hova will tell you what you should do." Said he sarcastically
"Good! a good thing!" And he started on his journey. But, when he
was gone, he despised the Gourd, and said to himself, "What can this
water-jar do for me? I shall leave it here." And he laid it down
at the foot of a Buda tree. There were many kuda (nuts of the Buda)
lying on the ground. He prepared a seat, and sat down. He gathered
the kuda nuts in one place. He took up a nut, broke it, threw its
kernel into his mouth, and chewed it. He picked up another one, and
was going to break it. Gourd warningly said, "I! I!" He replied,
"Is it that you want me to give it to you?" Gourd answered only,
"I-I!" And he said, "But, then, your 'I! I!' what is it for?" He
broke many of the nuts, taking them up quickly; and finished eating
all. And still his stomach felt empty, as if he had eaten nothing.
He then said, "The Journey!" He started, still carrying with him the
Gourd, going on, on, until he came to the Bwibe tree (wild mango). That
Bwibe was sweet. He collected the mibe fruits, and began to split
them. He split many in a pile, and then said, "Now! let me suck!" He
sucked them all, but he felt no sense of repletion, although the Gourd
had warned him. He took the skins of the mibe fruit, and angrily thrust
them inside the Gourd's mouth, saying, "Eat! You who have no teeth,
what makes you say I must not eat? But, take you!"
He goes on with his journey. And he found water. He took his
drinking-vessel, plunged it into the water, dipped, put it to
his mouth, drank, and drained the vessel. He wanted more, plunged
the vessel, and drank, draining the vessel. He took more again,
disregarding the warnings of Gourd. The water said to him, "Here am I,
I remain myself." (i.e. I will not satisfy you.) He gave up drinking,
and started his journey again, journeying, journeying, crossed some
small creeks, and passed clear on, until he came to the River. As he
listened, he heard songs passing by. He said to himself. "Now! those
who sing, where are they?"
The Gourd spoke to him, saying, "Call for the canoe!" He replied,
"How shall I call for a canoe, while I see no people?" Gourd repeated
to him, "Call!" Then he shouted out, "You, bring me the canoe!" Voices
asked, "Who art thou?" He answered, "I! Njâ!" Some of the voices said,
"Come! let us ferry him across." Others said, "No!" But the rest
answered, "Come on!" Then they entered their canoe, laid hold of
their paddles, and came singing,
"Kapi, madi, madi, sa!
Kapi, mada, mada, sa!"
And they came to the landing. He saw nothing but what seemed a log,
and exclaimed, "How shall I embark in a log, while there is neither
paddle, nor a person for a crew?" But Gourd directed him, "Embark!" So,
he went in the log. They paddled, and brought him to the other side. He
jumped ashore, and stood for a moment. Then he moved on with the
journey, walking on to a certain town (that town of the Spirits). He
saw nobody, but entered into the public Reception-House, and sat down.
Gourd spoke to him, saying, "Come, and escort me to the back-yard." He
curtly answered, "Yes." He carried It, and stood It at the foot of a
plantain stalk. Then he went back to the Reception-House and sat down.
A Bundle of Medicines came to salute him, and was about to sit on his
lap. He jumped up saying, "What is this?" He sat down again. Another
Bundle fell on his lap. He exclaimed, "Hump! what is that?" The Bundle
being displeased, replied, "You will not come to the end." (i.e. you
will not have a successful journey.)