Where Animals Talk: West African Folk Lore Tales — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Where Animals Talk: West African Folk Lore Tales
John Stuart Mill · en
So, the next day, they went, Tortoise as if by himself, and Leopard
following, off to the great Goat. Arrived there, Leopard wondered
at the sight, "O! this great Goat! But, from where do you take its
meat?" Tortoise replied, "Wait for me! You will see!" He went, and
Leopard followed. Tortoise said to the Goat, "We have meat-hunger:
we come to seek meat from you." The Goat's mouth was open as usual;
Tortoise entered, and Leopard followed, to get flesh from inside. In
the Goat's interior was a house, full of meat; and they entered
it. Leopard wondered at its size; and Tortoise told him, "Cut where
you please, but not from the heart, lest the Goat die." And they began
to take meat. Leopard, with greediness, coveting the forbidden heart,
went with knife near to it.
Tortoise exclaimed, "There! there! be careful." But Leopard, though he
had enough other flesh, longed for the heart, and was not satisfied. He
again approached with the knife near it: and Tortoise warned and
protested. These very prohibitions caused Leopard to have his own
way, and his greediness overcame him. He cut the heart: and the Goat
fell dying.
Tortoise exclaimed, "Eh! Njegâ! I told you not to touch the
heart! Because of this matter I will inform on you." And he added,
"Since it is so, let us go."
But Leopard said, "Goat's mouth is shut. How shall we get out? Let us
hide in this house." And he asked, "Where will you hide?" Tortoise
replied, "In the stomach." Leopard said, "Stomach! It is the very
thing for me, Njegâ, myself!" So Ekaga consented, "Well! take it! I
will hide in the gall-bladder." So they hid, each in his place.
Soon, as they listened, they heard voices shouting, "The Goat is
dead! A fearful thing! The Goat is dead!"
That news spread, and all who had been accustomed to get flesh there,
came to see what was the matter. They all said that, as the Goat was
dead, it was best to cut and divide him. They slit open the belly,
and said, "Lay aside this big stomach; it is good; but throw away the
bitter gall-sac." They looked for the heart; but there was none! A
child, to whom had been handed the gall-bladder to throw it away,
was flinging it into some bushes. As he did so, out jumped something
from among the bushes; and the child asked, "Who are you?" The thing
replied, pretending to be vexed, "I am Ekaga; I come here with the
others to get meat, and you, just as I arrived, throw that dirty thing
in my face!" The other people pacified him, "Do not get angry. Excuse
the child. He did not see you. You shall have your share."
Then Tortoise called out, "Silence! silence! silence!"