Persons
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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 village. 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.
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 Ngâmbi, 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 Monkeys 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, “Ngâmbi! tell Kâ 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 yalakĕndi na moto umbaka” (death begins by one person). This meant that they all should be watchful, lest Danger come to them all by the indiscretion of a few. But Igwana did not hear; and was silent.
Tortoise called again, “Ngâmbi! tell Kâ 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 homeward 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 Kâ 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.
Place
Country of All-The-Beasts
Persons
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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 Mbâmâ will be able to know this tree’s name.” So they agreed, “Let us send a person to Mbâmâ to cause us to know the name of the tree.” They selected Rat, and 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!”
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 Mbâmâ, 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 come down 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 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, Mbâmâ, 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:—“Njâku! Jaka Njabi. De! De! De!” (Elephant! eat the Bojabi fruit. Straight! Straight! Straight!) The chorus was “Bojabi,” And, in each repetition 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 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 repaired 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, “Mbâmâ said, ‘Its name is Bojabi.’” And All-the-Beasts shouted in unison, “Yes! Bojabi!”
Then they all began to scramble with each other in gathering 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, “Mbâmâ 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 Mbâmâ, 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.”
Place
In Njambo’s Town
Persons
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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.
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 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 coming 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 lie 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.”
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 went 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. 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, Njâ is ahead in the way?” The wife replied, “No! go on! I think Njâ 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, Njâ.” 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 Njâ took the woman away.”
Then Elephant called all the Beasts together to take counsel. He said to them, “What shall we do, because Njâ has taken away the wife of Kudu?” They all replied, “We are all afraid of Njâ. 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 Njâ.”
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-Beasts, 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 Njâ, 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 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 standing 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 exclaimed, “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 plantains. The child went; and the plantains were brought. Tortoise took them, and said, “Njâ! 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 Njâ 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.
Persons
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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, Hippopotamus, 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 companies, 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 “Emĕ! (indeed!), Ibĕlĕ! (splendid), Emĕ! 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 go back to his 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 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, “mwâ! mwâ!”
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 overtake 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 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 and gathered about its trunk. They searched; and presently they saw Tortoise. They exclaimed, “So! you are the one who eats for us the fruit of this tree! You shall die!”
They tied him, and took him with them to their town. There they suspended him from the roof of a house, saying, “To-morrow, you will be eaten!” Off at his town, the wife of Tortoise asked Dog, “Where is my husband?” Dog answered, “I think that the Tribes-of-all-the-Beasts have caught him.” After a while, Dog, thinking, said to himself, “I remember my word that I said to Kudu, ‘If they seize you, I will come to take you.’ ” So, Dog went and gathered shells of a very large snail named Kâ. He took a large number, pierced each one with a hole, and strung them all on a string. These he placed about his neck; and, as he went along, he wriggled his body, and the shells struck together like little bells. Then said he to himself, “The time is fulfilled for taking away my friend.” So, he went rapidly to where the Tribes-of-the-Beasts had a spring for their drinking-water. Those Beasts had sent one of their lads to get water with which to cook Tortoise. The lad came to the spring. Dog jingled the shells; and, the lad ran back to town screaming, “There’s some Thing at the spring, which kills!”
Then the Tribes sent a young man stronger than the lad, and said to him, “Go you, and get water at the spring.” When the young man came near the spring, Dog jingled the shells, as before. And, the young man fled in fear. So, the people of the town said, “Let us all go to the spring together; for, that Thing can not hurt us all.”
So they came to the spring. Dog seeing that all were coming, left the spring, and ran around to their town by another path, to take Tortoise away. Dog found Tortoise suspended by a rope. He bit through the rope, and, with Tortoise on his back, he ran rapidly to their town.
Those of the Tribes who first arrived at the spring, searched, inquiring, “Where is It? Where is It? Where is It?” Discovering nothing, they returned to the town. Then, they could not find Tortoise. And they said, “Let be! Kudu has slipped away.”
One day after this, the wife of Dog and the wife of Tortoise went into the forest to their gardens to seek for food. And their children went out on the prairie, to play. Dog and Tortoise both remained in the town. Notwithstanding that Dog had saved his life, Tortoise was still angry at him for having spoiled their going to the Njabi Tree. Tortoise came to Dog’s end of the town and said to him, “Let us shave our foreheads.” Dog was pleased, and said, “Kudu, you first do me; then I will do you.”
So Tortoise took the razor, and he shaved away Dog’s front locks.
Then Tortoise said to Dog, “Let me shave also your neck.” Dog bent down his head. Tortoise slashed the entire neck, cutting Dog’s head off. And Dog fell down a corpse.
Tortoise cut up the body, and put the pieces in a kettle of water on the fire. Also, he gathered pepper pods, and ground them for the seasoning. He looked for salt, and saw it was up on top of a shelf. So, he took three chairs, putting them on top of one another, by which to climb up. As he was creeping up, the chairs fell over on the ground. As they fell, he tumbled also down, almost into the kettle of hot water, where were boiling the pieces of Dog. But, Tortoise scrambled away, and went off to his end of the town.
After a while the children of Dog came back from their play, and not finding their father in his house, they came to the house of his friend Tortoise, and asked, “Where is our father?” Tortoise replied, “As for me, where I was, I did not see him. When he went from here, who sent for him?”
When the two women returned, Dog’s wife found, but did not recognize, the pieces of meat in her kettle. She wailed and mourned for him as dead. When, by the next day, the people of Dog did not find him, they said, “He is dead.” But they suspected Tortoise. The wife of Tortoise also doubted him, and deserting him, returned to the house of her father. So, Tortoise left them all, and went to another place, fearing they would charge him with the death of Dog.
Persons
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NOTE
Interior tribes formerly obtained their salt from sea-water evaporated by the coast tribes in large shallow brass pans, called “neptunes,” imported by foreign traders.
All these four Beasts were neighbors, living together in one town.
One time, in the evening, about an hour after the regular six o’clock sunset, they all, were sitting conversing in the street. Then Tortoise said to the others, “Here! I have something to say! I wish to talk with you. Tomorrow, let us go on a journey, to take a walk through the forest down to the Sea, to buy salt.” They all assented, “Yes! so let it be!”
Late at night, they dispersed to their houses, to lie down for sleep.
After awhile, the day began to break.
Early in the morning, they prepared for their journey. And Tortoise said to them, “I have here another thing to say; my last word. That is: As we go, no one of us is to start any new affair on the way; only steadily down to the Seacoast.” They all said, “Yes! we are agreed.”
So, they started through the forest, going on their journey. They went, and they went, on and on, expecting to go a long way, until they should by evening come to their camping-place for the night. But, on the way, Civet began to say, “Ah! my stomach aches! Ah! my stomach aches!” Tortoise asked, “What do you mean by ‘stomach-ache?’ ” Civet answered, “ ‘Stomach-ache’ means that my bowels trouble me, and that I need to go.”
Tortoise said, “Well! go! step aside from the path into the bushes, and we will wait for you here.” But Civet said, “No! not in the bushes; for, I must go back to the kitchen-garden of my mother in our town.” Tortoise exclaimed, “By no means! When we arranged for this journey, what did I say in the town?” They all admitted, “You said that none of us should start any affair on the way.” Therefore Tortoise said, “But, you, Njâbu, have begun a new matter on the way. If so, this journey is going to end in trouble!”
Nevertheless, Civet ran rapidly back before night to his mother’s kitchen-garden in his town, at the place where he usually went, while the three others sat down in the path to await his return. After a long time, Civet, having relieved himself, came again by night to his companions, saying, “I am feeling very well.”
The next day, they all rose, saying, “Now! Let us resume our journey!” and they started again.
They walked, and they walked, until Boa cried, “O! my stomach! O! my stomach aches!” Then Tortoise asked him, “What is ‘stomach ache’?” Boa replied, “It means that hunger has seized me.” So Tortoise said, “Yes, that’s right. We have with us food for the journey ready. So, come, all of you, let us all eat.” But Boa said, “No! not this food. I must go and seek other food.” Tortoise inquired, “What other kind of food?” Boa said, “Let me go over yonder a little way; and I shall return.”
As he was going, he came in sight of a red Antelope. Boa curled his body in folds, according to his manner of crushing his prey. The Antelope happened along; and Boa seized and killed it. He covered it with saliva very much, as is its manner in swallowing its prey. And, carrying it to their camp, Boa lay down with it. Tortoise said, “We will all eat together of it.” But Boa replied, “We do not give each other in the town; shall we give each other on the journey?” Then he swallowed the entire carcass. Presently he called the other three; and they went to him. And he said to them, “I have finished eating, and I am satisfied.”
So, Tortoise said, “Come on, then; let us continue our journey.” But Boa said, “No! I shall leave this place only when this Beast I have eaten dissolves.” Tortoise expostulated, “Indeed! Chum! I said in the town, ‘Let no one begin any matter on the way,’ yet, first Njâbu began his affair; and now you, Mbâmâ, begin yours!”
However, they all sat down, and waited for Boa’s food to digest. For an entire month they waited there, delaying while that food was being digested. Finally, Boa said, “Now, we will journey, but first I will go to the river to drink.” He drank a very great deal of water, which acted as a purgative to relieve his bowels of the bones of the Antelope. Then he reported to the others, “I am feeling very well. Let us go.”
They went, and they went. And they came to a large tree so recently fallen across the path that its leaves were still green. Hog jumped over to the other side of it. Also, Boa crawled over it. And Civet leaped over it. They called to Tortoise, who was vainly trying to climb over it, “Come on! Let us go ahead! Jump!”
But, Tortoise being vexed, said, “No! I won’t go! You know I have no long legs. What can I do! So, I shall leave this spot only when this tree has rotted through, giving me an open way!” They all wondered, and said, “No! this tree is new and fresh. It will rot in how many days?”
Tortoise replied, “Not me! you! For, had not you two, Njâbu and Mbâmâ, delayed us, we would already have passed this spot long before this tree fell. You, Njâbu, first began a matter; soon, you, Mbâmâ, began your matter; now, this is my matter. Now wait for me.” So, they waited and waited.
But, while waiting, the other three went out sometimes by early daylight in the morning to an adjacent plantation, and found there corn, yams, plantains, and all kinds of food. Civet and Hog said, “We must eat!” They ate up the corn, and finished the plantains.
One day, a Man of another town, was wandering in the forest. As he journeyed, he was looking from side to side on the way, peering for what he might find. And he saw many tracks of Beasts. Examining them closely, he said, “This track looks like that of a tortoise! Yes, and this like a hog’s! And, here, O! this other is of a civet! And, ha! ha! a trail of a boa is this!” He exclaimed, “How many Beasts this place has! I will call the townspeople to come and kill these Beasts; for, there must be many.” So, he hurried rapidly back, and arrived at the town.
When there, he shouted, “Come on, men! Come to the forest! I’ve found many Beasts!” The owner of the Plantation came along. His people took their guns; and some took machetes; and some, spears and knives. Others took nets. And they all went together at once. They also had with them, dogs, to whose necks they tied little bells.
When they came to that place where the four Beasts were, the dogs barked and shook their bells as they raced. And the men began to shout “Hâ! hâ!” to drive the Beasts into the net. They first came upon Hog, fired a gun at him, and he died. Next, they came upon Civet, and pierced him with a spear. They killed also Boa, who was lying dormant by the log. And they saw the other Beast, Tortoise, on one side of the log, trying to conceal itself among the decayed leaves, and seized it. Having the three dead bodies, they kept Tortoise alive, and tied him with a cord.
They had begun the killing of these Beasts late in the afternoon, and they reached their town about sunset. And they said, “Put all the carcasses in one house; but suspend Tortoise from the roof.” They consulted, “We shall eat those Beasts only tomorrow; for, the evening is too late to cut them up and cook them.” So, they all went to sleep.
Near midnight, Tortoise, after a long effort, wriggled out of the coils of the cord. He came to the corner of the room where were the bodies of the other three Beasts. He said over Civet’s body, “Did I not say to you, ‘Begin no new matter on the way?’ And now you are a corpse.” And over Boa, he said, “You too; I told you not to begin a matter; and now you are a dead body. Had we not begun these matters on the way, we would have finished our journey safely.”
Then he scratched a hole under the wall of the house, and escaped to the forest.
After that, the day broke. And the townspeople said among themselves, “Bring the Beasts outside of the house; let us cut them up.” They did so with the three dead bodies. And they told a lad, “Bring the Kudu that is suspended from the rafters.”
The lad looked and reported, “I have seen no Kudu.” They all went to look for it, and could see nothing of it. So, they said, “Let us eat these. Let the other go; for, it has run away.”