Where Animals Talk: West African Folk Lore TalesNassau, Robert Hamill
Philosophy
Where Animals Talk: West African Folk Lore Tales
Nassau, Robert Hamill
Animals -- Folklore; Tales -- Africa, West
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 Iheli 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!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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