When Chicken was about to go away to return to his place, Tortoise said
to him, "Come back! work for me this fine bellows!" As Chicken, willing
to return a favor, was about to stand at it, he looked around and
saw Genet coming in the street. Chicken said to Tortoise, "Alas! I'm
afraid that Uhingi will see me, where shall I go?" So, Tortoise says,
"Go! and hide!" Chicken did so. When Genet came, he, seeing the spear,
asked, "Is it not so that this is Etanda's Spear?" Tortoise replied,
"Yes." Genet asked him, "Where is Etanda?" He replied, "Chicken has
swallowed him." Genet inquired, "And where is Chicken?" Tortoise
showed him the place where Chicken was hidden. And Genet went and
caught and ate Chicken.
When Genet was about to go, Tortoise called to him, "No! come! to
work this fine bellows." Genet set to work; but, when he looked into
the street, he hesitated; for, he saw Leopard coming. Genet said to
Tortoise, "I must go, lest Nje should see me!" Then Tortoise said,
"Go! and hide in the grass." So, Genet hid himself in the grass.
Leopard, having arrived and wondering about the Spear, asked Tortoise,
"Is it not so that this is the Spear of Etanda?" Tortoise answered,
"Yes." Then Leopard asked, "Where is Etanda?" Tortoise replied, "Kuba
has swallowed him." "And, where is Kuba?" Tortoise answered, "Uhingi
has eaten him." Then Leopard asked, "Where then is Uhingi?" Tortoise
asked, "Do you want him? Go and catch him! He is hidden yonder
there." Then Leopard caught and killed Genet.
Leopard was going away, but Tortoise told him, "Wait! come! to work
this fine bellows." When Leopard was about to comply, he looked around
the street, and he saw a Human Being coming with a gun carried on
his shoulder. Leopard exclaimed, "Kudu-O! I do not want to see a Man,
let me go!" Then Tortoise said to him, "Go! and hide." Leopard did so.
When the Man had come, and he saw the Spear of Cockroach, he inquired,
"Is it not so that this is Cockroach's wonderful Spear?" Tortoise
answered, "Yes."
And the Man asked, "Where then is Cockroach?" Tortoise answered,
"Kuba has swallowed him."
Man asked, "And where is Chicken?" Tortoise answered, "Uhingi has
eaten him."
Man asked, "And where is Genet?" Tortoise answered, "Nje has killed
him."
Man asked, "And where is Leopard?" Tortoise did not at once reply;
and Man asked again, "Where is Leopard?" The Tortoise said, "Do you
want him? Go! and catch him. He had hidden himself over there."
Then the Man went and shot Leopard,
Who had killed Genet,
Who had eaten Chicken,
Who had swallowed Cockroach,
Who owned the wonderful Spear,
At the smithy of Tortoise.
INDEX
of Names of Animals, etc., among Certain Tribes on the West African
Equator.