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
"Njambu" is one of their forms of spelling the name of the Creator;
very commonly used also for human beings. The account of the
wrestling-match is suggestive of the surroundings of a modern
athletic field.
Njambu built a Town. He continued there a long time. After he had
finished the town, he married very many wives. After a short time
they all of them bore children. Those births were of many sons. He
gave them names: Among them were, Upuma-mwa-penda (Year-of-doubt),
and Njâ (Leopard).
And again, his wives, after a short time, all of them became
mothers. This time, they gave birth to a large number of daughters. He
gave them also names.
His town was full with men and women; they were crowded. And all
busy. They that worked at stakes, went to cut saplings; those that
made rattan-ropes, went to cut the rattan-vine; they that shaped the
bamboo for building, went to cut the bamboo-palms; they that made
thatch went to gather the palm-leaves; they that set up the stakes of
the house-frame went to thrust them into the ground; they who fastened
the walls, fastened them; they who tied thatch on the roof, tied it;
they who split the rattan vines for tying, split them.
The town was full of noise. The children of Njambu kept their father's
town in motion. They rejoiced in the abundance of people and their
force. They took dowries also for their sisters, and gave them in
marriage to young men of other towns.
Arguments were discussed; stories about White Men were told; amusements
were played; food was eaten; and the sons of Njambu married wives.
One of Njambu's sons, Upuma-mwa-penda, said to his mother, "Make me
mekima," (mashed plantain). His mother asked him, "Where are you going
with the mekima?" He answered, "I'm going to seek a marriage." And
she said "Good!"
In the morning, he took his rolls of mashed plantains, and started to
go on his journey. He said to his mother, "You must keep my house." She
replied, "It is well."
He went on, on, on, until, on the road ahead, he met with two Rats,
who were fighting. He took an ukima-roll, divided it, and gave
to them, saying, "Take ye and eat." They accepted, and told him,
"You shall arrive at the end."
He goes on stepping quickly, quickly; and meets two Snakes fighting. He
parted them. He took an ukima-roll and gave to them; they ate. They
said to him, "You shall reach the end."
He goes on with his journey, until ahead were two Millepedes
fighting. He said to them, "For what are you killing each other?" He
parted them, and gave them an ukima-roll. They took it and said,
"You shall reach the end!"
He lay down in the forest at night. At midnight, his mother saw, in her
sleep, something that said, "Go with thy two daughters in the morning,
and take food for Mbuma-Tyetye (another name for Upuma-mwa-penda)."
Early in the morning, she awoke her two daughters, and said, "Come! let
us go to follow after your brother; he is still on his way."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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