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
They started, on, on, on, until they found him sitting down in the
path. They brought out the food from their traveling-bag, and they
said, "We have come to give you food." They prepared the meal, and
they ate. And they slept that night in the forest.
Next morning, they started again, and they walked on, on, on, with
their journey. As they came on their way, they listened ahead, and
they heard something, saying, "Eh! fellows, eh! eh! fellows eh! Nobody
shall pass! Nobody shall pass here!"
When they drew near, they met an immense quantity of Red stinging
Ants spread from the ground up to the tree-tops, entirely closing the
way. Mbuma-tyetye and his company said, "Ah! these are they who were
shouting here!" He advanced to the fight, and called to his younger
sister, "Come on!"
She lifted her foot just to tread upon the Ants; and they instantly
entirely covered her. He and his company tried in vain to draw her
back. The Ants shouted, to strengthen themselves. "Eh! fellows, eh!"
He, still fighting, called to the elder sister, "On ahead!" Just as
she lifted her foot, there came all the Tribe of Red Ants, and would
have covered her up. The woman jumped to one side vigorously, and
stood there in that spot, fanning away the sweat of her exertions, pe,
pe, pe. She returned again to the Ants; and they met. She called out,
"Ngalo! hot water!" and it appeared. She took it, and dashed it at the
Red Ants. But they all went into their holes; and came out at another
opening, again closing the path. She still stood there ready to fight;
but they covered her, and dragged her behind them.
The Ants shouted over their victory, "Eh! fellows, eh! Today no person
passes here!"
The son called to his mother, "Mother! come on!" His mother said,
"My child! I am unable." He called, "Ngalo! Fire!" Fire at once
appeared. Having drawn back the corpses of his sisters, he seized
the fire, and thrust it into the nests of the Ants. He thrust it also
among the trees. The flame ignited them; and the surrounding forest
burned to ashes with all the trees. And the Ants were all burned too.
Then he brought his sisters to life, by taking that ashes, and throwing
it over them, and down their throats into their stomachs.
When the day darkened, he said, "Ngalo! a house!" A tent at once
appeared, with a table, and tumblers, and water, and all food. They
sat there and ate. When they finished eating, they set tea on the
table. They drank; they talked of their experiences. When they ended,
they said, "Let us lie down together." So they lay down for the night.
As the next day was coming, a Partridge gave forth its voice,
"Rise! tyâtyâ lâ! tyâtyâ lâ!" And the day broke also. They wash
their faces; they set tea on the table, and drank it. They folded
the tent-house, and swallowed it, (as a mode of carrying it). They
started with their journey, and went conversing on the way.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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