The reason that Palm-tree had given this direction to Plantain was, that, as her own custom, in bearing her palm-nuts, was to have several bunches in sight at one time, and ripening in succession, she wished her daughter to have the same habit. After Plantain had borne her child, it grew well and became very strong. One day, strangers came to the town on a visit; and, when the villagers looked for food for the visitors, to their shame, they found they had none. Then one of the women of the village said, "Well! let us cut down this Akândâ, and cook it and eat it." So, a machete was seized, and Plantain's stalk was slashed, and Palm-tree's child Plantain was taken and cooked and eaten. At this, people went and told Palm-tree, saying, "Your child is cut down, and is cooked and eaten." The mother Palm-tree helplessly replied, "What can I do?" All this while, the husband Goat had been away on a journey. When he returned, and came to his town, and found that his wife, Palm-tree's child, was not there, he asked, "My wife; is she dead?" The people answered him, "Yes!" "But," he asked, "for what reason did she die?" They answered, "Because the people of the town had no food for their guests." Mbindi complained further, saying, "So! when Akândâ was cooked, you gave your guests only plantains; were you so inhospitable as to give them also no meat or fish?" At this the people were vexed, and they said, "Well then! let this husband be killed and eaten as the meat!" So they killed and ate him. This news, people also carried to Palm-tree, telling her that Plantain's husband was also killed and eaten. Then Palm-tree came to the town to speak about the death of Plantain. The people justified themselves, saying, "But, what else could we do? It was necessary to provide for the guests." Palm-tree submitted, "Truly, had Akândâ obeyed me and come to me and borne her child in my presence, she would have had abundance, and would not have died." PART SECOND BENGA TRIBE FOREWORD The tales of this second part had their source with narrators of Benga-speaking tribes of Corisco Island, the region of the Bonito River, and Batanga. Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4 were written in Benga by the pioneer missionaries, Rev. Messrs. Mackey and Clemens, from the dictation in Benga by natives of Corisco, more than 40 years ago; and were printed as reading-lessons in the Primer used in their schools. I have translated them into English. They having thus passed twice through foreign thought, have lost most of their native idioms. Tale 4 was independently re-told me at Batanga within the past few years, by a narrator living there. It differs from the version printed in the Primer, and I have combined the two.