He then took up the jomba of the Snake. And he said, "Come y_Where Animals Talk: West African Folk Lore Tales

take of the jomba of Edubu." (Those who took it were the youngest.)

After awhile they all finished their work at the bellows. They still

left their tools lying on the ground, and came near to the Bird,

and they said, as on other occasions, "Show us who is the eldest."

Then Tortoise at the request of the Bird, announced the decision,

as if it was its own, "Ye who ate of the Njâbâ are the ones who are

oldest; ye who ate of Uhingi are the ones who are younger men; and

ye who ate of the Edubu are the ones who are the youngest."

So, they assented to the decision, and took away their belongings.

TALE 8

ABUNDANCE: A PLAY ON THE MEANING OF A WORD

Persons

A Hunter; Man

Mbindi (Wild Goat)

A Dwarf, with Magic-Power

Bwinge (Abundance, or "More")

Ngweya (Hog)

Ungumba (Riches)

NOTE

The Man's patience finally brought to him the Plenty which was

promised him.

"Bwinge" might be the name of a person or of a thing; or, it could

be the "abundance" for which the hunter hoped.

There was a certain Man who was very poor; he had no goods with which

to buy a wife. He went one day into the forest to set snares. On the

morrow, he went off to examine them; and found a Wild-Goat caught in

the snares. He rejoiced and said, "I must eat Mbindi today!"

But the Wild-Goat said to that Man, "Let me alone, Bwinge is coming

after awhile."

So, the Man, thinking that "Bwinge" was the name of some other and

more desirable animal, at once let the Wild-Goat loose, and went off

to his town. On the next day, the Man went to examine the snare,

to see whether Bwinge was there, and found Hog caught fast in the

net. And he exclaimed, "I must eat Ngweya today!"

But the Hog said, "Let me go. Bwinge is coming." The man at once left

the Hog, (still thinking that many more were coming); and it went away.

The Man wondered, and said to himself, "What Thing is it that is named

'Bwinge'?"

On another day, he went to set his snare. He found there a dwarf child

of a Human Being; and, in anger, he said, "You are the one who has

caused me to send away the beasts? Is it possible that you are he who

is 'Bwinge'? I shall kill you." But the dwarf said, "No! don't kill

me. I will call Ungumba for you." So, the Man said, "Call in a hurry!"

The Dwarf ordered, "Let guns come!" And they at once came. (This

was done by the Dwarf's Magic-Power.) The Man again said, "Call,

in a hurry!" The Dwarf called for women; and they came. The Man

again said to him, "Call for Goats, in a hurry!" And they came,

with abundance of other things.

Then the Man freed him, and said to him, "Go!"

The Man also went his way with his riches. And he became a great

man. This was because of his patient waiting.

TALE 9

AN OATH, WITH A MENTAL RESERVATION

Persons

Ibembe (Dove)

Nje (Leopard)

Ngando (Crocodile)

NOTE

Covenants among natives are made under oath, by the two parties

eating together of some fetish-mixture, called a "Medicine"; which,

being connected with some Spirit, is supposed to be able to punish

any infraction of the covenant.

Because Dove "abused" Leopard, that is, deceived him, the dove no

longer builds its nest on the ground, through fear of leopards.

Dove was building in a tree-trunk by a river, because it preferred

to walk on the ground. And Crocodile just then emerged from the river

to the bank, and lay on his log where he usually rested.

They two said, "Let us eat a Medicine-charm."

So, Dove agreed, and swore, saying, "I say to you that, when anything

at all shall happen openly, if I do not tell it to you, then may this

Medicine find me out and kill me." Crocodile also uttered his oath,

"When whatever thing shall come out from the river onto the ground, if

I do not tell it to you, this Medicine must find me out and kill me!"

When they had finished their Covenant, Crocodile returned to his

hollow in the ground by the river. Dove also arose, and went away,

walking to his place. Then he and Leopard suddenly met, on the path.

Leopard asked, "Are you able to see Ngando for me? I want to eat

it." Dove answered, "Ah! would that you and I were living in one place

with an Agreement!" Leopard replied, "Come then! let us, I and you,

eat a Medicine."

So Leopard began. He said as his oath: "Anything at all that shall come

to my place where I dwell, if I be there, and it wants to get hold of

you, if I tell it not to you, let this Medicine find and certainly

kill me!" Dove also with his oath, said, "If I see Ngando, and I do

not tell you, let this Medicine find me and certainly kill me!"

So, they made their promise; then they separated; and each one went

to his own village.

Thus Dove and Leopard ate their kind of "Medicine," after Dove and

Crocodile had already eaten theirs.

Then, one day, Crocodile came out from the river. Dove at once began

to tell Leopard, saying, "He has emerged from the river and is about

to settle on the log!" So, Leopard began slowly to come, and watching

Crocodile, as he came. When he was near, in his advance, Dove spoke,

telling Crocodile, and said, "Your watcher! Your watcher is coming! Do

not approach here!"

Thereat, Crocodile slipped back into the water.

The next time that Dove and Leopard met, Leopard demanded, "What is

this you have done to me? You swore to me this: 'If I see Crocodile I

will tell you; and you must come catch him.' Now, as soon as you saw

me, you turned around, and told Crocodile, 'Fall into the River!' You

have mocked me!"

And Leopard grew very angry.

TALE 10

THE TREACHERY OF TORTOISE

Persons

Mbâmâ (Boa Constrictor)

Kudu (Tortoise)

Nje (Leopard)

NOTE

Observe the cannibalism of the story.

Leopard married a wife. After awhile she was about to become a mother.

Boa also married a wife; and, after awhile, she also, was about to

become a mother.

In a short time, like the drinking of a draught of water, the

month passed, both for Leopard's wife and for Boa's wife also. Then

Boa's wife said, "It is time for the birth!" So she gave birth to a

child. And she lay down on her mother's bed. When they were about to

cook food for her, she said, "I want to eat nothing but Nje!"

The next day, the wife of Leopard said, "It is time for the birth!" And

she also gave birth to a child. Food was given to her. But she said,

"I am wanting only Mbâmâ!"

When told of his wife's wish, Boa said, "What shall I do? Where shall

I go? Where shall I find Mangwata?" (A nickname for Leopard.) Also,

Leopard said, in regard to his wife's wish, "Where shall I find

Mbâmâ?" Then Leopard went walking, on and on, and looking. He met

with Manima-ma-Evosolo (a nickname for Tortoise). Leopard asked him,

"Can you catch me Mbâmâ?" Manima said, "What's that?" And he laughed,

Kye! Kye! Kye; and said, "That is as easy as play." Leopard said,

"Chum, please do such a thing for me." And Tortoise said, "Very good!"

When they separated, and Tortoise was about to go a little

further on ahead, at once he met with Boa. And Boa asked him,

"Chum! Manima-ma-Evosolo! Where have you come from?" Tortoise answered,

"I have come, going on an excursion." Boa asked to Tortoise, "But,

could you catch me Nje?" He replied, "That is a little thing." Then

Boa begged him, "Please, since my wife has born a child, she has not

eaten anything. She says she wants to eat only Nje."

Tortoise returned back at once to his village. He called to the

people of his village, saying, "Come ye! to make for me a pit." They

at once went, and dug a pit. When they had finished it, Tortoise went

to Leopard, and said to him, "Come on!"

Leopard at once started on the journey (thinking he was going to get

Boa). When they came to the place of the pit, Leopard fell suddenly

into it headlong, volomu! He called to Tortoise, saying, "Chum! Where

is Mbâmâ?" (Leopard did not understand that he was being deceived.)

Tortoise did not reply, but started off clear to the village of

Boa. He said to Boa, "Come on!" Boa did not doubt at all that he was

going to get Leopard. He started, and went with Tortoise towards the

pit. When he was passing near the spot, Boa fell headlong into the pit,

volumu! And Leopard exclaimed, "Ah! now, what is this?"

Tortoise only said to them, "You yourselves can kill each other."

TALE 11

A CHAIN OF CIRCUMSTANCES

Persons

Etanda (Cockroach)

Kudu (Tortoise)

Kuba (Chicken)

Uhingi (Genet)

Nje (Leopard)

A Man

NOTE

A Cause, from which came the enmity between Leopards, and other wild

animals, and Mankind.

Observe the resemblance to "The House that Jack Built."

Tortoise was a blacksmith, and allowed other people to use his

bellows. Cockroach had a spear that was known of by all people and

things. One day, he went to the smithy at the village of Tortoise. When

he started to work the bellows, as he looked out in the street, he

saw Chicken coming; and he said to Tortoise, "I'm afraid of Kuba,

that he will catch me. What shall I do?" So Tortoise told him,

"Go! and hide yourself off there in the grass." At once he hid himself.

Then arrived Chicken, and he, observing a spear lying on the ground,

asked Tortoise, "Is not this Etanda's Spear?" Tortoise assented,

"Yes, do you want him?" And Chicken said, "Yes, where is he?" So

Tortoise said, "He hid himself in the grass on the ground yonder;

catch him." Then Chicken went and caught Cockroach, and swallowed him.

When Chicken was about to go away to return to his place, Tortoise said

to him, "Come back! work for me this fine bellows!" As Chicken, willing

to return a favor, was about to stand at it, he looked around and

saw Genet coming in the street. Chicken said to Tortoise, "Alas! I'm

afraid that Uhingi will see me, where shall I go?" So, Tortoise says,

"Go! and hide!" Chicken did so. When Genet came, he, seeing the spear,

asked, "Is it not so that this is Etanda's Spear?" Tortoise replied,

"Yes." Genet asked him, "Where is Etanda?" He replied, "Chicken has

swallowed him." Genet inquired, "And where is Chicken?" Tortoise

showed him the place where Chicken was hidden. And Genet went and

caught and ate Chicken.

When Genet was about to go, Tortoise called to him, "No! come! to

work this fine bellows." Genet set to work; but, when he looked into

the street, he hesitated; for, he saw Leopard coming. Genet said to

Tortoise, "I must go, lest Nje should see me!" Then Tortoise said,

"Go! and hide in the grass." So, Genet hid himself in the grass.

Leopard, having arrived and wondering about the Spear, asked Tortoise,

"Is it not so that this is the Spear of Etanda?" Tortoise answered,

"Yes." Then Leopard asked, "Where is Etanda?" Tortoise replied, "Kuba

has swallowed him." "And, where is Kuba?" Tortoise answered, "Uhingi

has eaten him." Then Leopard asked, "Where then is Uhingi?" Tortoise

asked, "Do you want him? Go and catch him! He is hidden yonder

there." Then Leopard caught and killed Genet.

Leopard was going away, but Tortoise told him, "Wait! come! to work

this fine bellows." When Leopard was about to comply, he looked around

the street, and he saw a Human Being coming with a gun carried on

his shoulder. Leopard exclaimed, "Kudu-O! I do not want to see a Man,

let me go!" Then Tortoise said to him, "Go! and hide." Leopard did so.

When the Man had come, and he saw the Spear of Cockroach, he inquired,

"Is it not so that this is Cockroach's wonderful Spear?" Tortoise

answered, "Yes."

And the Man asked, "Where then is Cockroach?" Tortoise answered,

"Kuba has swallowed him."

Man asked, "And where is Chicken?" Tortoise answered, "Uhingi has

eaten him."

Man asked, "And where is Genet?" Tortoise answered, "Nje has killed

him."

Man asked, "And where is Leopard?" Tortoise did not at once reply;

and Man asked again, "Where is Leopard?" The Tortoise said, "Do you

want him? Go! and catch him. He had hidden himself over there."

Then the Man went and shot Leopard,

Who had killed Genet,

Who had eaten Chicken,

Who had swallowed Cockroach,

Who owned the wonderful Spear,

At the smithy of Tortoise.

INDEX

of Names of Animals, etc., among Certain Tribes on the West African

Equator.

==================+=============+===========+===========+=========+=========

------------------+-------------+-----------+-----------+---------+---------

Antelope, red | Ehibo | { Njivo | Ehibo | |

| | { Eziwo | | |

Bat | Ndemi | | | |

Leopard | Njâ | Njegâ | | | Nje

Monkey | Kema | { Ingenda | | |

| | { Telinga | | Tyema | Kowe

Rat (wild) | Ko | | | |

Snail | Kâ | | | |

Viper | Pe | Ompene | Pe | |

------------------+-------------+-----------+-----------+---------+---------

End of Project Gutenberg's Where Animals Talk, by Robert Hamill Nassau

He then took up the jomba of the Snake. And he said, "Come ye! and