They began at first at Leopard's end of the town; and, going from house to house, opened the houses and killed rats. They passed on toward Tortoise's end of the town, opening houses, and killing rats. When they came to the room of Tortoise himself, his children said to the others, "No!" The children of Leopard asked them, "Why?" As they arrived at the door, the children of Tortoise said, "Our father said that, even for catching rats, we should not enter that room." But the children of Leopard broke down the door, and entered into the room. There they lifted their eyes, and discovered the skin of their father Leopard hanging! At once, they all hasted out of the house. But, suppressing their sorrow and indignation, shortly after this, they all said, "To go to throw wheels on the beach!" (a game; solid wheels, about eight or ten inches in diameter, and some three inches thick, chopped out of an enormous tuber). They made ready their little spears, and they all went in a company. Their challenge was, "To the beach!" These arranged themselves on one side, and those on the other. The children of Tortoise began the game, rolling the wheel to the children of Leopard. These latter, as the wheel rolled by, pierced its center with all their spears; none failed. The Leopard company shouted in victory. "Boho, eh?" And the Tortoise company dared them with, "Iwâ!" Then the Leopard company insultingly retorted, "We are the ones who are accustomed to sleep with people's sisters, and continue to eat with them!" (i.e., that they could commit crimes with impunity, and still be allowed the intimate friendship of eating together, without the others daring to punish them). Then the Leopard company bowled the wheel toward the side of the Tortoise company. These latter pierced the wheel with all their spears; none missed. The Tortoise company shouted for victory, "Boho! eh?" And the Leopard company dared them with, "Iwâ!" Then the Tortoise children shouted boastfully, "We are those who are accustomed to kill people's fathers, and hang up their skins, eh?" At this, the Leopard children began to rage, and joined a fight with the children of Tortoise. The children of Tortoise, and himself, and their wives and their children, fled and scattered over the logs into the stream of water, and hid themselves in holes, and never came back to town. TALE 33 THE FIGHTS OF MBUMA-TYETYE AND AN ORIGIN OF THE LEOPARD Persons Mekuku, and Two of His Sons Mbuma-Tyetye and Njâ King Njambu Betoli (Rats) Mwamba (Snakes) Ngângâlâ (Millepedes) Kedi (Stinging Ants) Njambu Ya Mekuku (Spirits), and His Town Women Hidden in Chests Ngwaye (Partridge) Kâ (Snails) Ihonga-Honga (A Giant Tooth) Hova (A Magic Gourd) Tângâ (Horn) Ibumbu (Bundle of Medicine) Kanja (A Bowl) Ikanga (Spear) Ngalo (A Magic Amulet) NOTE Ngalo is a powerful fetish-charm. Sitting in a visitor's lap for a few moments, is a mode of welcome.