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
Entering into the King's house, Tortoise stood up the Drum; with his
palm he struck it, ve! saying, "Let every kind of food appear!" It
appeared. The town was like a table, covered with every variety
of food. The entire community ate, and were satisfied; and they
dispersed. Tortoise took the Drum, and journeyed back to his town. He
spoke to his hungry family, "Come ye!" They came. They struck the
Drum; it was motionless; and nothing came from it! They struck it
again. Silent! (It was indignant at having been used by other hands
than those of Tortoise.) So, they sat down with hunger.
The next day, Tortoise went rapidly off to the coco tree, climbed it,
gathered two nuts, threw one into the river, dropped into the stream,
and followed the nut as he had done before. He came as before to that
landing-place, and to the Woman, and told her about the failure of
the Drum. She told him that she knew of it, and directed him to go
and take another. He went on to that House, and to those People. And
they, as before, asked him, "Kudu! whither goest thou?" He replied,
"You know I have come to take my coco-nut." But they said, "No! leave
the nut, and take a Drum." And, as before, they advised him to take a
silent one. So, he came to the House of Drums. These called to him,
"Take me! take me!" Then, he thought to himself, "Yes! I'll take
one of those Drums that talk. Perhaps they will have even better
things than the other." So, he took one, and came out of the House,
and told those People "I have taken. And, now, for my journey."
He started from the landing-place, and on up the river, to the foot of
the coco-tree. He tied the Drum to the tree with a cord, as before,
set it up, and gave it a slap, ve! And a table stood there! He said,
"Ngâmâ! do as you usually do!" Instantly, there were thrown down on
the table, mbwâ! whips instead of food. Tortoise, surprised, said,
"As usual!" The Drum picked up one of the whips, and beat Tortoise,
ve! He cried out with pain, and said to the Drum, "But, now do also
as you do. Take these things away." And Drum returned the table and
whips to itself. Tortoise regretfully said to himself, "Those People
told me not to take a Drum that talked; but my heart deceived me."
However, a plan occurred to him by which to obtain a revenge on
Leopard and the King for the trouble he had been put to.
So, taking up the Drum, he came to his own town, and went at once to
the house of Leopard. To whom he said, "To-morrow come with your people
and mine to the town of King Maseni." Leopard rejoiced at the thought,
"This is the Drum of food!"
Then Tortoise journeyed to the King's town, and said, "I have found
food, according to your order. Call the people tomorrow."
In the morning, the King's bell was rung, and his people, accompanied
by those of Tortoise and Leopard, came to his house. Tortoise privately
spoke to his own people, "No one of you must follow me into the
house. Remain outside of the window."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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