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NOTE
This story plays on the meaning of the name U-tige-bode. It is an ancient word, not now used, meaning, “He-Who-Saves-People.” In the Son’s given name; his saving of the unworthy, in response to their appeals for mercy; his bearing of his father’s wrath; his punishment on a tree; the derision of the very passers by, for whom he was to die, I think the legend echoes, even though faintly, the story of the Christ.
Njambo married two women. He begot twenty-three children. And they all died. Also one of the wives died. There were left only himself, and one wife.
The woman was old, and the man also was old. But, the woman was again to become a mother; and, at the proper time, she bore a child. The child was a male. The woman called the husband, saying, “Come! and give your boy a name.” The husband said, “The name of the child is Utigebode.”
After this, the child grew to be a large man. One day, he said to his father, “Paia! I’m going to set snares in the forest.” The father replied, “Yes! go! and catch me food!” He went. And he returned that morning. In the afternoon, he went back to examine the snares. And he found that two Partridges were caught. He exclaimed, “I’m very glad! My father shall eat one today, and the other shall be kept for tomorrow.” Then the Partridges asked him, “What is your name?” He answered, “One-Who-Saves-People.” Then the Partridges said, “If that is so, why are you about to kill us?”
On another day, in the morning, he went again to examine his snares. And he found two Antelope (Tragelephas). He was glad; and he said, “I feel very good! My father shall eat one; and the other can be cooked for another day.” The Antelopes asked him, “What’s your name?” He answered, “One-Who-Saves-People.” Again, they asked, “Why then are you about to kill us?” He replied, “That’s so! Well! go!” And he returned to town.
That afternoon he went out again, and found two Gazelles. And he said, “I’ll take these two to town at once; and my father shall eat one today, and the other tomorrow.” But the Gazelles said, “No!—you are the One-Who-Saves-People! Why then should you kill us?” So he loosed them, and let them go.
He did the same way to two Elephants. And with two Oxen. At another time he found two Tortoises. And the Tortoises spoke to him as had done the others. And on another day, he found two Leopards. And, he released the Leopards, in the same way. At another time, two Porcupines, in the same way.
One after another, almost all the Beasts were thus trapped and released. There was not one beast brought by Utigebode to his village; he freed them all.
So, his father said to him, “My child! since you have set your snares, I have not seen you bring in a single beast, even an Etoli. What are you doing? I shall change your name. For, now that I am old, it is right for you to save me, and help me with food.”
Utigebode replied evasively, “Since I set the snares, I have not caught even a Inâni.” The father said, “Well! if it is true that you have not killed any Beast or Bird, I will know tomorrow.”
The next day broke; and the father went to the village of Prophet Njambi. The Prophet saluted him, “What have you come for?” Njambo replied, “I come to you for you to tell me about my son, whether in his hunting he kills beasts, or whether he does not.” Njambi answered, “He snares them constantly; but, because of the name you gave him, he saves the lives of the people of the tribes of Beasts.”
The prophet added, “If there be a doubt, I will show you a way to prove my words. When you go back to town you will meet Ihĕli at the end of the village. When you meet with him, call for the people to set nets to catch him. But, yourself shall stand and watch what the Beast does before your eyes.”
Njambo arose to go, and bade goodbye, saying, “This is my return journey to my village.”
And it was so that, on nearing the end of the village, he met with Gazelle. Njambo shouted, “Men! spread your nets! Here is a Beast! Let us catch it!” His men brought their nets, and began to surround Gazelle. And the son Utigebode came to assist. The men were shouting, “Hâ-hâ! Hâ-hâ!” to frighten the animal towards the nets. Gazelle looked forward, watching Utigebode closely; and it said to itself, “If I go toward the nets, I shall be caught; but, I will go toward Utigebode and shall be saved.”
So, Gazelle ran toward Utigebode, and he caught it as if to kill it. But Gazelle cried out, “Eh! Utigebode! you, the savior, will you be the one to kill me?” So, Utigebode said, “Pass on! for, it is true that I am The-One-Who-Saves.” And Gazelle fled to the forest.
Then Njambo was very angry, and said to Utigebode, “Ah! my child! I have found you in your falsehood! Was it not you who said you caught no Beast? So! you have been releasing them!”
Then the company all went back to their village with their nets. They arrived there during the daytime. And the father ordered his son, “Go! climb that coco tree, and bring me a nut.” The son began to climb the tree. But, as he climbed, the father, by Magic-Power, caused the tree to grow rapidly upward. When, finally, Utigebode reached the top, he was unable to come down the excessively long tree-trunk. He began to call to his father for help, “My father!” But the father was still very angry, and replied, “Call your friends, the Beasts and Birds, to save you. I will not help you.” And Njambo went to sit down in his village, leaving his son in the treetop.
The son saw Eagle passing, and he called to it, “Yungu! Help me!” Eagle replied, “I am not able to carry a Man; you are heavy;” so, Eagle passed on. Utigebode saw many Beasts one after another passing below, and he called to them, “Save me!” But, they said, “We have no wings with which to go up to you. How can we get you down? We are not Birds that could let you down. We Beasts are unable to help you. Do not expect us.”
He was left there in the tree-top a period of two weeks, living only on the coconuts; and then he died, and his body fell to the earth. Njambo came out to see the corpse, and he said to it, “You have died through lack of obedience. You disobeyed me; and your beasts did not help you.”
The father and the mother lived another year in their village; and then they died, because they had no children to help them with food or clothes. And the people came from other villages to bury them.
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Ukanakâdi lived in his great house, having with him his many wives. One of them bore him a son whom he named Lombolokindi.
As time passed on, the child grew in size, and strength, and skill. Because of this, his mother was treated by Ukanakâdi with special favor. This aroused the jealousy of one of the other wives. She took the child one day, and secretly gave him a certain evil medicine, which caused him to be constantly hungry, hungry, hungry. Even when he ate enormously, no amount of food could fill his stomach or satisfy his appetite.
Ukanakâdi finally was angry at the child, and said to the mother, “All the food of my plantations is finished, eaten up by your child. We have no more plantains, no more cassava, no more eddoes, nor anything else in our plantations or in our kitchen-gardens. You have brought a curse upon us! Go away to your father’s house!” (He said this, not knowing that a Fetish-Medicine had caused all the trouble.)
So the mother went away with her child to her father’s house. But there too, the boy ate up all the food of the gardens, until there was none left. Then her father said to her, “All my food is done here; go with your child to your grandfather, and find food there.”
So, she went to her grandfather’s. But there the same trouble followed.
After she had been there some time, and the child was now a stout lad, and she saw that they were no longer welcome, she said to herself, “Alas! it is so! All my people are weary of me! I will not longer stay at grandfather’s. I will go wandering into the forest, and, with the child, will see what I can get.”
Taking with her only two ears of corn, she went far off with the lad into the forest. After much wandering, and eating only wild fruits, she selected a spot without having any idea of the locality, and built a shed for a camp in which to stay. At this place, she planted the corn. It quickly sprang up, and bore abundantly. And she planted other gardens. After a time came very many birds; and they began to eat up the corn. She exclaimed, “My son and I alone have come here, and have planted our corn. How is this that all the birds have come so soon to destroy it?” And the son, who by this time had grown to be almost a young man, said to her, “Mother, why do you allow the birds to eat? Why don’t you do something?” She replied, “Why do the birds thus destroy the corn? What can I do?” So he came out of the shed into the yard in front of their house and shouted at the birds, “You birds! who have come here to spoil my corn, with this stick I will kill you all!” But the birds jeered at him, saying, “No! not all! Only one shall die!”
The young man went into the house, took up a magic spear-head he owned, fitted it onto a stick as a shaft; and going out again, he hurled it at the birds. The spear flew at them, pursuing each one, and piercing every one of them in succession. Then it flew on and on, away out into the forest.
The young man took up another medicine-charm that he had with him, and, calling to his spear by name, shouted after it, “Tombeseki-o-o! Come back, back, back, Here! again, again, again, Return!” The spear heard him, and obeyed, and came back. He laid hold of it, and put it again in the shed. So, he and his mother lived there. She planted a very large garden of plantains, cassava, and many other vegetables, a very large quantity. And her gardens grew, and bore fruit in plenty.
Then there came all kinds of small Animals, hogs, and antelopes, and gazelles, very many; and they spoiled the gardens, eating the fruit, and breaking down the stalks. The mother exclaimed, “My son! the animals have finished all my food of the gardens; everything is lost! Why is this?” He replied, “Yes, it is so! And when they come again tomorrow, I know what I will do to them!”
When they came the next day, he went into the house, took the spear, flung it; and it flew from beast to beast, piercing all of them in succession. Then it went off, flying into the forest, as before. He called after it to return. The Spear heard, and obeyed, and came back to the house.
Then he and his mother sat down in the house, complaining of their hunger, and how the animals had spoiled their gardens. So the mother went out, and gathered up what little remained, brought it into the house, and cooked it, leaves and all.
When the mother had planted a third garden, and it had grown, a herd of elephants came to destroy it. She cried out, “Ah! Njâku! what shall I do? You have come to destroy all my gardens! Shall I die with hunger?” The son brought out his Spear, and shouting at the elephants, threatened to kill them all. But the herd laughed and said, “When you throw that spear, only one of us shall fall.” He threw the spear at the one that spoke. It struck him and all the elephants in succession; and they all died. The Spear kept on in its flight into the forest. The young man cried after it, “Spear! Spear! come back, come back!” And it came to him again.
Each time that the Spear had thus gone through the forest, it had mowed down the trees in its path; and thus was made the clearing which the mother had at once utilized for the planting of her successive gardens.
After the elephants, mother and son sat down again in their hunger; they had nothing to eat but leaves. These she cooked; and they ate them all at once.
Then she planted another garden, thinking that now there were no more beasts who would come to ravage. But she did not know that there was still left in the forest one very, very large Elephant that had not been in the company of the herd that the son had killed.
There was also, in that forest, one very, very large Ox. When the gardens had grown, that Ox came, and began to destroy. The young man hurled his Spear at the Ox. It was wounded, but did not fall; and it went away into the forest with the spear sticking in its side. The young man pursued the Ox, following, following, following far away. But he did not overtake it.
On his way, he reached unexpectedly a small, lonely hut, where an Old Woman was living by herself. When she saw him, she said to him, “Do not follow any longer. That Ox was a person like yourself. He is dead; and his people have hung up that Spear in their house.”
The young man told the old woman that he was very hungry. So she cut down for him an entire bunch of plantains. He was so exceedingly hungry that he could not wait; and before the plantains were entirely cooked, he began to eat of them, and ate them all. The old woman exclaimed, “What sort of a person is this who eats in this way?” In her wisdom, thinking over the matter, she felt sure it was some disease that caused his voracity.
The man, being tired with his journey, fell asleep; and she, by her magic power, caused him to hear or feel nothing. While he was in this state, she cut him open. As she did so, his disease rushed out with a whizzing sound; and she cut away, and removed a tumor, that looked like a stone of glass. That was the thing that had caused his excessive hunger all his life. By her Power, she closed the wound.
When he awoke, she cooked food for him, of which he ate, and was satisfied with an ordinary amount like any other person. She then told him what she had done, and said, “As you are now cured, you may pursue that Ox. You will reach his town, and you will obtain your Spear. But, as you go there, you must make a pretense. You must pretend that you are mourning for the dead. You must cry out in wailing, ‘Who killed my Uncle-o-o! who killed my Uncle-o-o!’” Thus he went on his way; and finally came to a town where was a crowd of people gathered in and about a house of mourning. Beginning to wail, he went among the mourners. They received him, with the idea that he was some distant relative who had come to attend the funeral. He walked up the street of this town of the Ox-Man, and entering into the house of mourning, said, “Had not the way been so long, my mother also would have come; but, I have come to look at that Thing that killed my Uncle.” They welcomed him, commended his devotion, and said, “You will not go today. Stay with us. Sleep here tonight; and tomorrow you shall see and take away with you, to show to your mother, that Thing.”
So, the next day, they gave him the Spear, and said, “Go, but do not delay. Return for the closing ceremony (the “Washing”) of the mourning.” He went away, and came again to the Old Woman. She said to him, when he showed her the Spear, “I told you truly that you would obtain it. But, go with it and this bundle I have made of the tumor of your disease, and show them to your mother.”
So he came back to his mother. She rejoiced; and, not knowing that he was cured, she cooked a very large and unusually varied quantity of food, for his unusual hunger, two whole bunches of plantains, and eddoes, and potatoes, and yams, etc. Of this he ate only a little, sufficient for an ordinary hunger. As he had not yet told her of his being cured, she cried out in surprise, “What is this? My son will die, for not eating!” And she asked him, “What is the matter?” He replied, “No, I have eaten, and am satisfied. And, mother, this bundle is what I was cured of.” Then he told her of what that old woman had done.
On another day, that great Elephant that had remained in the forest, came and began to eat in the garden. The son said, “Mother! what shall I do? I thought I had killed all the elephants. I did not know there was this great big one left!” (Nor did he just then know there were left a very great many more.)
Taking his Spear, he hurled it, and wounded the elephant. It did not fall, but went away with the Spear in its side. The man followed, followed, followed, pursuing the elephant, not, as the other animals had gone, into the forest, but away toward the sea; and it died on the sea beach. There the man found it and his Spear.
The Sea was new to him; he had not seen it since his childhood. He climbed up on the elephant’s body, in order to see all around. As he turned his eyes seaward, he saw a ship coming on the horizon. Also, the people on this ship were looking landward, and they said, “There is something standing on the shore like a person. Let the vessel go there, and see what is ashore.”
So, the ship anchored, and a surf-boat was launched into the water to go ashore. When the crew landed, they saw the carcass of the elephant, and a person standing with a spear who warned them, “Do not approach near to me!” But they replied, “We do not want you, nor will we hurt you. But we want these tusks of ivory of this elephant. We want elephants.” Wondering at this wish, he cut out the tusks, and gave them to the strangers, adding, “Off in the Forest are very, very many more tusks, more than I can number. You seem to like them; but they are of no use to me.” They earnestly said, “But, bring them, bring them! We will buy them of you with abundance of goods.” He agreed, and promised, “I am going now; but, let your ship wait, and I will bring all of those things as many as it is possible for me to carry.”
So, he went back to his mother; and he and she carried many, many tusks. They filled the ship full; and the crew of the ship sent ashore an immense quantity of goods. When the vessel went away, it left ashore two carpenters, with direction to build a fine house, and have it completed before the vessel should come again.
The man remained there awhile with the carpenters, after the ship had gone.
One day, looking, on a journey down the coast, at a point of land, he was surprised to recognize his father’s town, where he and his mother had lived in his childhood. He said to himself, “That’s my father’s town! I want them to come to me, and live at my town!” He sent word to them; they removed, and all of them came to live with him. And he married one of their young women. (In the meanwhile, he had brought his mother from the forest.)
While he was living at his new home, one day looking seaward, he saw the promised ship coming to get more ivory, and to give more goods. And he went off to the vessel.
Among the women who were still living of his father’s people who had known him as a child, was the one who had given him the evil “medicine” long ago; her object in giving it having been to kill him. After he had gone off to the vessel, this woman came to his wife’s home, and, seeing the Spear hanging tied from the roof, said, “What is that Thing tied there?” His wife replied, “It is a kind of “medicine” of my husband’s. It must not be touched.” But the woman said, “I know that Thing; and what it does.” Then she seized it, and put into it its handle the man had removed. She hurled the Spear out to sea, and it went on and on, passing over the ship. The man sitting in the saloon, said to the crew, as he recognized the Spear in its flight, “I saw something pass over the ship!” He went up on deck, and called after it, “My Spear! come back! come! come! come back!” And he told all the people of the vessel to go below lest they should be injured. The Spear turned and came back to him; and he took possession of it. Then said he to the crew, “Come! escort me ashore!” They landed him ashore, and waited to see what he intended doing.
He called all his father’s family, and asked, “Why is it that you have tried to kill me today with this Spear! For this, I will this day kill all of you.” He summoned all the people to come together. When they had come, he had his mother bring out that tumor bundle, and said, “This is the thing of long ago with which that woman (pointing to the one who in childhood had given him the evil disease) tried to injure me. And, for the same reason, she threw the Spear today; thus trying a second time to kill me. None of you have rebuked her. So, I shall kill you all as her associates.”
Though they were of his father’s family, he attacked and killed them all. The whole town died that day, excepting himself, his wife, his mother, and his sister. These four, not liking to remain at that evil place, went off and took passage on the ship.
So, he journeyed, and came to the country of the white people at Manga-Manĕne; and never returned to Africa. But, he kept up a trade in Ivory with his native country. But for him, that trade would not have been begun. For, besides his having brought the first elephant to the sea coast, he told the people of Manga-Manĕne beyond the Great Sea, about the tribes of people, and about the elephants that were so abundant, in Africa. And that is all.
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Njambu built a town; and married four women. This one, Ngwe-Konde, that one Ngwĕ-Legĕ, another one Ivenga, another Ngwe-Sape.
After Njambu had lived there a short time all his wives were about to become mothers. Then Ngwe-konde took a net, and (by Magic Art) threw it into the womb of Ngwe-lĕge. The net entered the belly of her child.
At the time of their confinement, they all gave birth. The infants were washed. They were dressed also, and were given suck. Also, they were assigned their names. That of Ngwe-lĕgĕ’s was Savulaka. When he was given the breast, he was not satisfied, he was only crying and crying; for, whoever held him, there were only cries and cries. When his mother would nurse him, there was only crying. His father said, “If it is like this, then, lest he die, feed him the food of adults.”
His mother cut down a plantain bunch; she boiled it; it was cooked. The child ate, and finished the plantains; and yet it was crying and crying. They cut down another bunch; it was boiled, it was cooked. At only one eating, he finished the food, with cries in his mouth. Two more bunches were boiled; he ate. All at once, though born only that day, he spoke, “My mother! Hunger!” Four bunches were cut down; they were cooked; he ate, and finished them, but with crying.
Then he was cooked for ten times; he ate; and at once finished. The people cooked, and he ate. The plantains of his father’s town were all cleared off, the entire town was left like a prairie. The father spoke to the mother, and said, “No! go away with him to your father’s town.”
Ngwe-lĕgĕ picked up her child, carrying him away. She with the child went on, to the town of her father.
Her father asked her, “My child! wherefore the crying, and your carrying the infant?” She replied, “My father! I know not! This one whom you see, since he was born, is not filled. He has made an end to all the plantains of his father’s town, leaving the town a prairie. And his father said to me, ‘Just go and take him to your father’s.’ So, I have brought him.”
The towns-people all were laughing, “Kyĕ! kyĕ! kyĕ!” They said, “What? Really, food? No! it’s something else, not food. But, enter into the house.” She says, “You are talking foolishly.” The child began to cry. They said, “Let us see!”
Then, at once, they began to cook; the food is ready; he eats; and finishes it. Other food was placed; he ate it at once. Food was cooked again. At once, all of it, and the dishes, and the jars, and the plates, were swallowed up by him. Food is cooked again, and he ate; and then said, “My mother! Hunger!” Food is cooked again; he ate until he finished all the pots. All the food of the town, and all the gardens were done.
Her father spoke to her saying, “My child! Just carry him to the town of your grandfather.”
She then carried the child, still crying with hunger, and made her journey, and came to her grandfather’s town.
The people there said, “What is it; for the crying?” She told all the whole affair to them. They inquired, “Food?” She replied, “Yes.” They cooked, and he ate, and finished. They cooked again; and he finished all, even to the leaves in which the food was wrapped. They said, “Such a kind of child has never been born before!”
Suddenly, the child Savulaka ceased to be a child; and, as a man, said to his mother, “My mother! Wash me some mekima (rolls of mashed boiled plantains).” So, his mother made the mekima.
In the morning, very early, Savulaka starts on a journey. He went stepping very quickly, on, still with his journey; and, as he went, he talked to himself. He said, “This thing which has been done to me, now, what is it?” He still went on with the journey, until, at night, he lay down in the forest. Early in the morning, he starts again for his journey. As he was going in the forest he met with a Person (a brother of his mother, who belonged to a town of the Mekuku). This Person inquired, “Where are you going to?” (Savulaka was still eating the mekima, even its leaves going into his mouth.) This Person also said to him, “Stop at once!” Then he stood still.
The Person said, “I, your Uncle, the brother of your mother, am the one who is inquiring of you.” Savulaka answered him, saying, “I’m not able to tell you.” But presently he did tell all the matter to him. So, the Uncle said to him, “Come, to my town.”
Then both of them returned on the path. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, they are at the town. The Uncle said, “My child, you are cured!” He put for him a medicine in a syringe, and gave him an injection. When he withdrew the syringe, here, at once, a net began to come out quick as ever it could move from the bowels! Then his Uncle spoke and told him, “It is thy father’s wife who put the net into your bowels.”
Food was cooked for him; he began to eat a little as people usually eat. His Uncle said unto him, “You shall go tomorrow.”
On the morrow, early in the morning, his Uncle took all kinds and sorts of vegetables; and he took also a Spear; and malagetta pepper (“Guinea-grains,” a species of cardomom), and handed them to him; and told him, “When you reach home, you must plant a garden.”
The Uncle said to him, “Close your eyes!” He closed his eyes tight. On opening his eyes, he at once found himself near his home, and his mother on the path, her form bent stooping down seeking for him. He then entered their house, and sat down, and his mother greeted him to her satisfaction.
The mother took food, and boiled it; it was cooked; she removed it from the fire; she sat the food before Savulaka. And he ate only two fingers of plantains. His mother began to wonder.
Then he said to himself, “Now, let me try to do as my Uncle has told me.” He said, “Ngalo! (a fetish charm) I want this forest here to be cleared, all of it.” (As quickly as I speak here, at once the garden was finished, like the passing of yesterday.) He said to his mother, “Take a list of all the plants I have brought; then let us go and plant them.” So, he and his mother went to plant; that very day the garden was completely finished.
Previously to that, his Uncle had warned him, “When the plants are sprung up, you will see Kĕnĕnĕ (a kind of small bird) coming to eat them. When they shall arrive, they will be many. Then you take the Spear; fail not to use the cardomoms with it.”
The food increased; and the small birds came in countless numbers. Savulaka took up the Spear, and threw it at them; and all, even to the young birds, perished. Then he returned to his mother, and said, “My mother! go and pick up the sĕlĕ” (another name of kĕnĕnĕ). She gathered them; leaving many remaining abandoned in the forest. The village was filled with the sĕlĕ.
The same thing happened with all other kinds of birds. The same with every Beast.
Then Elephants came to the garden. The man picked up the Spear and the cardomoms. When he came to the garden, he lifted up the Spear, and threw it, and wounded the Elephants. Numbers of Elephants that were eating in the garden, were killed. They were gathered, and the whole village was filled with the smell of the rotting meat; so that hardly any one would come to the village. I am not able to tell you the abundance of tusks; the mendanda (long ones), and the makubu (short thick ones), and the begĕgĕ (“scrivillers,” the small ones), that cannot be counted.
The next morning, other elephants came again. The man took up the Spear, but he forgot the cardomom-pepper. When he arrived where they were, he did not wait, but hastily threw the Spear after an elephant, the leader of the herd, who turned aside, and ran away with the Spear in its body. The man followed him, but he did not reach him. Then he returned to his mother; and said to her, “My mother! mash me some mekima.” (Food for a journey.)
In the next morning, the man started on the journey, stepping quickly as ever, until he came to his Uncle’s town. He was about to pass his Uncle by, not seeing him (a Spirit). The Uncle said to him, “Stand there!” So he stood. The Uncle directed, “Enter the house!” He entered, and sat down; and his Uncle said to him, “Did I not tell you that when you are going to kill an animal, you must not omit the pepper-grains? Sit down there; wait. Don’t you go out. I must go and take for you your Spear.”
But, lo! it was the Chief of that very town, whom he had wounded, and who had come back to the town, and died. (That chief had metamorphosed himself into the form of an elephant.) The uncle passed out, and went to the other end of the town; and there he found the Spear. He took it, and gave it to Savulaka, and said, “Go!” Savulaka went; and met his mother on the way, waiting for him. Then they went home to their village.
Next morning, he fastened the Spear handle. Elephants in the plantation shouted, “We have come!” The man stood up, and snatched his Spear. The Elephants stood waiting. The man said, “Here it is!” and flung it at them. And the carcasses of all fell in a heap. He said to the people of the village, “Go ye!” They went, and found dead bodies without number; the tusks the same, without number.
After that, White-Man came with a quantity of goods. The Town of Savulaka was crowded with goods in abundance; every kind of foreign article. White men came to see Ivory. The sailing-vessels and steamers came any day (not only on scheduled dates). Thus it was that Ivory was exported, and goods imported. Business of Trading was made. Savulaka had a great many traders. All his father’s brothers, and mother’s brothers, all their dwelling was in the town of Savulaka. Rum was drunk constantly, and they were constantly intoxicated. Ivory went to White Man’s Land. White men’s things came, and were sent up to the Interior.
This Trade is going on to the present days. It was a man who commenced with the thought of Trading; it was commenced by that one man. All the African tribes are now changed from what they were originally.
At first we negroes had no (proper) knowledge. They spoke with wonder over the things that are made in Europe by white men. They said, “These are made by the Spirits of the dead; they are not made by the living.” Because our people believed that the departed spirits have their home beyond the Sea. Why? Because Savulaka brought his wonderful Spear (by which so much ivory was obtained) from the Spirit-Town.
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NOTE
The origin of the hatred between dogs and leopards. Friends should not have arguments. An argument separates a company.
Dog and Leopard built a town. Dog then begot very many children. Leopard begot his many also. They had one table together. They conversed, they hunted, they ate, they drank.
One day, they were arguing: Leopard said, “If I hide myself, you are not able to see me.” Dog replied, “There is no place in which you can hide where I cannot see you.”
The next day, at the break of the day, Leopard emerged from his house at Batanga, and he went north as far as from there to Bahabane near Plantation. Dog, in the next morning, emerged. He asked, “Where is chum Njâ?” The women and children answered, “We do not know.” Dog also started, and went: and as he went, smelling, until he arrived at Plantation (about 15 miles). He came and stood under the tree up which Leopard was hidden; and he said, “Is not this you?”
Both of them returned, and came to their town. Food had been prepared; and they ate. Leopard said, “Chum! you will not see me here tomorrow.” When the next day began to break, Leopard started southward, as far as to Lolabe (about 15 miles). Next day, in the morning, Dog stood out in the street, lifted up his nose, and smelled. He also went down southward, clear on till he came to Lolabe; and standing at the foot of a tree, he said, “Is not this you?”
Leopard came down from the top of the tree; they stood; and then they returned to their town. Food was cooked for them; they ate, and finished.
Leopard said, “Chum! you will not see me tomorrow again, no matter what may take place.” Dog asked, “True?” Leopard replied, “Yes!”
In the morning, Leopard started southward, for a distance like from Batanga to Campo River (about 40 miles).
At the opening of the next day, Dog emerged, and, standing and smelling, he said, looking toward the south, “He went this way.” Dog also went to Campo. He reached Leopard, and said, “Is not this you?”
They came back to their town; they were made food; and they ate.
The next day, Leopard emerged early. He went northward, as far as from Batanga to Lokonje (about 40 miles). Dog sniffed the air, and followed north also. In a steady race, he was soon there; and he reached Leopard. So, Leopard said, “It is useless, I will not attempt to hide myself again from Mbwa.”
Thereupon, Dog spoke to Leopard and said, “It is I, whom, if I hide myself from you, you will not see.” Leopard replied, “What! even if you were able to find me, how much more should I be able to find you!” So, Dog said to him, “Wait, till daybreak.”
When the next day broke, Dog passed from his house like a flash unseen, vyu! to Leopard’s. And, underneath the bed of Leopard in his public Reception-house, he lay down. Then Leopard (who had not seen him) came to the house of Dog; he asked the women, “Where is Mbwa?” They said, “Thy friend, long ago, has gone out hence, very early.” Leopard returned to his house, and he said to his children, “That fellow! if I catch him! I do not know what I shall do to him!”
He started southward on the journey, as far as Lolabe; and did not see Dog. So he returned northward a few miles, as far as Boje, and did not see him. Down again south to Campo; and he did not see him. That first day, he did not find him at all. Then he returned toward Batanga, and went eastward to Nkâmakâk (about 60 miles); and he did not see him. He went on northward to Ebaluwa (about 60 miles); did not see him. Up north-west to Lokonje; he did not see him. And Leopard, wearied, went back to his town.
Coming to the bed (not knowing Dog was there) he lay down very tired. He said to his people, “If I had met him today, then you would be eating a good meat now.” All these words were said in the ears of Dog, the while that Dog was underneath the bed.
Then Dog leaped out, pwa! Leopard asked, “Where have you been?” Dog answered, “I saw you when you first passed out.” Leopard said, “True?” And Dog says, “Yes!”
Then Dog went out far to his end of the town. And, knowing that Leopard intended evil toward him, he said to his children, “Let us go and dig a pit.” So they went and dug a pit in the middle of the road.
Then Dog told his wives and children, “Go ye before, at once!” He also said, “I and this little Mbwa, which can run so fast, we shall remain behind.” Then the others went on in advance.
(Before that, Leopard, observing some movements of the Mbwa family, had been speaking to himself, “I do not know the place where Mbwa and his children will go today.”)
Dog warned this young one, “When you are pursued, you must jump clear across that pit.”
Then Dog, to cover the retreat of his family, came alone to Leopard’s end of the town. He and his children chased after him. Dog ran away rapidly, and escaped.
When Leopard’s company arrived at the house of Dog, they found there only that little dog. So they said, “Come ye! for there is no other choice than that we catch and eat this little thing.”
Thereupon, Leopard chased after the little dog; but it leaped away rapidly, and Leopard after him. When the little Dog was near the pit, it made a jump. (Leopard did not know of the pit, nor why the Dog jumped.) When Leopard was come to the pit, he fell inside, tumbling, volom!
His enemy Gorilla was following after Leopard, also in pursuit of Dog. He also fell into the pit, headlong, volom! Finding Leopard there, Gorilla said, “What is this?” Leopard stood at one side, and Gorilla at the other. When the one would be about to go near the other, if the other attempted to go near him, he would begin to growl, saying, “You must not approach here!”
Dog, standing at the edge above, was laughing at them, saying, “Fight ye your own fight! Did you want only me?”
But Leopard and Gorilla were not fighting in the pit. If the one approached, the other retreated.
Dog spoke to them and said in derision. “I have no strength; but as to your fight, was it seeking only me?”
Persons
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NOTE
Because of deaths and sicknesses, African natives are constantly changing the location of their villages, believing the old sites infested by malevolent Spirits.
The whole mass of Beasts were living in one place. They built houses; they cleared the forest for plantations.
After this, Tortoise said, “I’m going to find my own place.” So, he went and built in a place which he called Malĕndĕ-ma-Kudu. The fame of it was spread abroad, people talking about “Malĕndĕ-ma-Kudu.” Leopard arose, came to the town of Tortoise, and said, “I have come to build here.” Tortoise consented, “You may build.” Leopard said, “I’m going to build at the end of the path, and by the spring.” And he built there.
One day, a child of Tortoise was passing by near the spring; and Leopard seized him, ku!
Another day, another one was passing; Leopard seized him, also, ku!
Then Tortoise said, “This is an evil place, I’m going to move from here.” So he went and built another town called Jamba. Leopard came also, saying, “Kudu! I’m coming to build!” Then Tortoise said, “Really! what have your affairs to do with me? Nevertheless, come and build.” And Leopard built at the end, by the spring.
When the children of Tortoise were passing by the spring, Leopard constantly killed them.
Tortoise wondered, “This thing which is destroying my children, what is it?”
Thus day by day, Leopard was killing the children of Tortoise.
Tortoise prepared again to remove, saying that he would go away and build another town to be called Dang. He went there. And the fame of it was spread around, people saying, “Dang, the town of Kudu!” Everybody was saying, “We are going to the town of Kudu; Dang, the town of Kudu!”
Leopard comes again, and says, “I also have come to build here.” Tortoise said to him, “Wait! really; why did you leave the other people?” However, Tortoise said to him, “Build.” And Leopard built as usual. Also, when the children of Tortoise were passing to the spring, they were missing. And Tortoise felt sure that Leopard had seized them.
Thereupon Tortoise made a plan for himself. He called Wild-Rat privately, saying, “I have heard that you know how to dig holes.” Wild-Rat replied, “It is my work.” Tortoise said, “But, I want you to dig me a tunnel from this room here, out to, and up towards the street, by measure.” So, Wild-Rat dug a big hole, in size sufficient for Tortoise and his traveling-bag and his spears.
Then Tortoise went and gathered together his spears and his traveling-bag. He went out the next day, early in the morning, and stood and announced in the street, “All the Tribes must come! I want to tell them the news of what I have seen.”
Then all the Beasts came to meet in the town of Tortoise. It was full of every kind of beast. Tortoise spoke, and said, “I have called you to say, that really we are not worth anything at all. Actually, the only dwelling we have is in the grave. All those my children who have died here, is it possible that it is my Father (of Spirits) who takes them? I met them sitting down in the Reception-House of that father, playing.” The people said to him, “This is a Dream.” He replied, “No! it is open to sight.” Some said, “It is a lie.” But Tortoise said, “You have doubted me? Well, tomorrow you must dig me a grave; and you shall see how I am going.” They said, “Yes! let us see!”
On the next day, in the morning, they were called together. He said, “Dig me a pit here.” (He pointed to the privately measured spot over the tunnel which Wild-Rat had already made for him.) They dug it wide and deeply. Then, this Tortoise took his spears and his bag; and with these under his arm, he descended into the pit, and bade the people fill in the earth. He went to one side, until he reached and entered that tunnel of his which Wild-Rat had dug for him. And unseen he passed up to his room in his house, and lay down. Before that, he had promised the people, saying, “I shall lie there (in the pit) for six days.”
Before Tortoise had disappeared, the people (following his orders) began to throw back the earth into the pit, filling it solidly.
After Tortoise had laid in his house for six days, he suddenly appeared in the street; and he called all the mass of the Beasts, and he told them the news. He said, “Over there is so beautiful! I will not stay in this town any more for as long as ten days. But, as I am here, I shall lie here only for three days, and two days over there.” At once Tortoise was regarded as a person of great importance, and his fame was spread abroad.
Thereupon, Leopard, (feeling jealous of the wonderful experience of Tortoise) said to his children, “Even Kudu! How much rather that I should get to that beautiful place! Dig me mine own pit. I also am going to see my forefathers. I and they, we have not seen each other for a long time.” So, they dug a big pit. He announced, “I will lie there for seven days; on the eighth, then I shall come.”
Then he descended into the pit. And they rapidly filled it up with earth. Leopard, below, sought a cavity by which to pass on (as he thought) to the Land of Spirits; but, there was none. And he died.
His children waited eight days; but they saw not their father. Then they asked Tortoise, “As to our father, up to this day, what has happened to him?” Tortoise answered them, “Why are you asking me this? When I went, what did my family ask of you? Maybe, your father remained to follow the pleasures of over there!”
The women of Leopard had kept him some food, making it ready for him for the eighth day. But (giving up hope of him) they ate it. While they were still waiting, actually Leopard had begun to rot there (in the pit).
Tortoise, fearing possible difficulty, gathered together his wives and remaining children, and fled with them into the forest afar off.