1 Candor 233 2 Which is the Better Hunter, an Eagle or a Leopard? 234 3 A Lesson in Evolution 234 4 Parrot Standing on One Leg 235 5 A Question of Right of Inheritance 237 6 Tortoise Covers His Ignorance 238 7 A Question as to Age 239 8 Abundance: A Play on the Meaning of a Word 240 9 An Oath: With a Mental Reservation 242 10 The Treachery of Tortoise 243 11 A Chain of Circumstances 245 PART FIRST MPONGWE FOREWORD The following sixteen Tales were narrated to me, many years ago, by two members of the Mpongwe tribe (one now dead) at the town of Libreville, Gaboon river, equatorial West Africa. Both of them were well-educated persons, a man and a woman. They chose legends that were current in their own tribe. They spoke in Mpongwe; and, in my English rendition, I have retained some of their native idioms. As far as I am aware none of these legends have ever been printed in English, excepting Tale 5, a version of which appeared in a British magazine from a writer in Kamerun, after I had heard it at Gaboon. Also, excepting Tale 14. It appeared, in another form, more than fifty years ago, in Rev. Dr. J. L. Wilson's "Western Africa." But my narrator was not aware of that, when he told it to me. TALE 1 DO NOT TRUST YOUR FRIEND Place Country of the Animals Persons Njegâ (Leopard) Ntori (Wild Rat) Ra-Marânge (Medicine Man) Nyare (Ox) Ngowa (Hog) Nkambi (Antelope) Leopard's Wife; and others NOTE A story of the treachery of the Leopard as matched by the duplicity of the Rat. In public mourning for the dead, it is the custom for the nearest relative or dearest friend to claim the privilege of sitting closest to the corpse, and nursing the head on his or her lap. At a time long ago, the Animals were living in the Forest together. Most of them were at peace with each other. But Leopard was discovered to be a bad person. All the other animals refused to be friendly with him. Also, Wild Rat, a small animal, was found out to be a deceiver. One day, Rat went to visit Leopard, who politely gave him a chair, and Rat sat down. "Mbolo!" "Ai, Mbolo!" each saluted to the other. Leopard said to his visitor, "What's the news?" Rat replied, "Njegâ! news is bad. In all the villages I passed through, in coming today, your name is only ill-spoken of, people saying, 'Njegâ is bad! Njegâ is bad!'"