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
In a very little while, Leopard arrived at the tree. He lifted up his
eyes to the top and saw Rat there. To him Leopard said, "Who owns
this palm-tree?" Rat replied, "My Chum, Kudu." But, Leopard asked,
"This Kudu, where is he?" Then Leopard flung one of his claws at
Rat. It stuck in him, and Rat fell dead.
Leopard took Rat's body and went away with it to his town. And he
said to his wife, "Cook this; this is our meat."
Soon after Leopard had gone from the tree, Tortoise came out of his
hiding, and climbed the tree a second time. Then, having drank again,
he shouted, as before, "I'm drunk! I'm drunk!"
In his hole off among the rocks, Porcupine heard Tortoise shouting;
and he came to the tree, and asked for a drink. Tortoise told him
to climb; adding, "What are you afraid of?" So, Porcupine followed
Tortoise up the tree, and drank two glassfuls of the wine.
Again Tortoise heard Leopard coming, recognizing the thud of his
steps as he leaped on the way. So, Tortoise cried out, as if in pain,
"O! my stomach hurts me! I'm going down!" At the base, he hid himself
again in the cavity of the tree.
In a little while, Leopard appeared standing at the foot of
the tree. Looking up, he saw Porcupine there. And he inquired,
"Ngomba! who owns this tree?" Porcupine answered, "Chum Kudu!" Leopard
asked, "This Kudu, who is he? I want to see him." Porcupine replied,
"Kudu has gone off, his stomach paining him." Then Leopard exclaimed,
"So! indeed! you are the ones who use up all my wine here!" And he
added, "What day I shall meet Kudu I do not know. But, that day we
will meet in fight." While he was saying all this, Tortoise, in the
hole at the tree, heard.
Then Leopard threw a claw at Porcupine. Porcupine fell down to the
ground a corpse. Leopard taking it, went away with it to his town,
and said to his wife, "Cook this meat, and let us eat it."
After Leopard had left the tree, Tortoise emerged from his
hiding-place. He climbed the tree a third time, and took a cup, and
drank two glassfuls. Again he shouted, "I, Kudu, I'm drunk! I, Kudu,
I'm drunk!"
Out on a prairie, Antelope heard the shouting; and he came to
the tree. Seeing Tortoise, he said, "Chum, give me a glass of
wine!" Tortoise directed him, "Climb up! Of what are you afraid?" So,
Antelope went up the tree, and drank.
Soon Tortoise heard Leopard coming, bounding through the forest. And
Tortoise said to Antelope, "Chum! my bowels pain me; I'll soon
return." He descended, and hid his body as before. Leopard arrived as
before. And he spoke to Antelope; and then killed it with another of
his claws. He took its carcass to his town, and bade his wife cook it,
as had been done with the others.
After Leopard had gone from the tree, Tortoise climbed the tree a
fourth time, again he drank; and again he shouted, changing his words
slightly, "I've drank! I've drank!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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