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
Now, when Leopard had finished eating all the food, Crab's claws
were all gone, and he had not been able to eat at all, and was left
hungry. So Leopard says to Crab, "Now, as you are so helpless, what
must I do for you?" He hoped that Crab, in despair, would tell him
to eat him. But Leopard really was not hungry just then; and, when
Crab said, "If you will just put me into some shallow water for two
months, then all my claws will grow all right again," Leopard replied,
"Good!" and he took Crab and placed him in a small stream of water.
The next day, Leopard, being now hungry to eat Crab, came to the water
and called out, "Igâmbâ! Igâmbâ! have you your claws grown now?" The
reply was, "Why! No! I told you two months yesterday, when you put
me in here."
On the third day, Leopard came again to the water, and cried out to
Crab, "Have your claws sprouted? Have they grown again?" "No!" said
Crab curtly.
Leopard continued thus day by day, vexing Crab with inquiries, as if
anxious about his health, but really desirous of an excuse to eat him,
yet ashamed to do so by violence, because of Crab's kindness to him
when he had the water-colic.
At last, Crab became tired of Leopard's visits. Hopeless to defend
himself if Leopard should finally use force, he gave up in despair,
and said, "So! I see why you ask me every day. You know that I told
you two months. If you are determined to eat me, come on, and end
the trouble at once!" With this permission as an excuse, Leopard was
glad. He stepped to the edge of the water and took away Crab for his
dinner. That was the return for Crab's kindness to him. After this,
Leopard went out again to try to find Rat, but he never found him.
TALE 7
"NUTS ARE EATEN BECAUSE OF ANGÂNGWE"; A PROVERB
Places
Kingdom of the Hogs; The Forest; and Towns
Persons
Angângwe, King of Hogs
A Hunter
Ingowa (Hogs; singular Ngowa)
Njina (Gorilla)
Nyare (Ox)
Nkambi (Antelope)
Njâgu (Elephant)
NOTE
"Inkula si nyo o'kângâ 'Ngângwe."
This is a proverb expressing the obligation we all owe to some superior
protecting powers.
The Hogs had cleared a space in the forest, for the building of their
town. They were many; men and women and children.
In another place, a Hunter was sitting in his town. Every day, at
daybreak, he went out to hunt. When he returned in the afternoons with
his prey, he left it a short distance from the town, and entering his
house, would say to his women and children, "Go to the outskirts of
the town, and bring what animal you find I have left there."
One day, having gone hunting, he killed Elephant. The children went
out to cut it up and bring it in.
Another day, he killed Gorilla.
And so, each day, he killed some animal. He never failed of obtaining
something.