Now I have told you four African tales of animals, and perhaps you are tired of such stories. If, however, I can remember a very good one before I am finished writing to you I shall put it into this chapter. Let me now tell you about the black boys and girls’ riddles, and there are one or two nursery rhymes that I know of. I am sure you would like to hear them, so I shall write them down for you as they are spoken here, and then translate them for you. Here is one of them:-- “Uyu ndi mtecheteche, Uyu ndi mpwache wa mteche, Uyu ndi mkala pakati, Uyu ndi mkomba mbale, Uyu ndi chitsiru chache, Tikumenya iwe: Go! Go!” Can you guess what this is all about? You have a rhyme that means just the same. Well this is what these funny words mean:-- “This is the shaky little finger, This is his younger brother, This is the one in the middle, This is the plate-scraper, This is an old fool, I beat you thus: Go! Go!” It is you see an African finger rhyme. You have all one of your own, but I am sure in it you never call your fore-finger a plate-scraper, nor your thumb an old fool. But if you had to eat without spoons and knives and forks, and wanted to make your plate very clean you would have to use your fore-finger a good deal, and you would then understand why the black children call it a plate-scraper. This is another finger rhyme for counting up all the fingers:-- “Mbewa zagwa; Zagweranji? Zagwera mapira; Ndikazikumbe; Ndiopa uluma. “Mzanga Likongwa, Ali kukaku; Amanga mpanda; Ndikamtandize; Wata Kale.” This is the English for it: “The mice have fallen; Why have they fallen? They have fallen for the millet; I go dig them; I fear to be bitten. “My friend Mr Weasel, He is at the chiefs house; He builds a fence; I go help him; He’s finished long ago.”