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
When it again entered into the hole and searched, and did not find
him, it was very angry, and pursued him, going up to the very middle
of the village. For three days it was there barking in the village,
and trying to kill some one.
TALE 3
ORIGIN OF THE ELEPHANT
Persons
Uhâdwe, Bokume and Njâku Sons of Njambi the Creator
Towns-People, Sailors and Others
NOTE
I have never seen the place; but, intelligent natives, (though they
did not believe in the legend itself) told me there was the likeness
to a human foot-print in a rock on the beach of the north shore of
Corisco Bay. Doubtless a fossil.
Uhâdwe, Bokume, and Njâku were human beings, all three born of one
mother. (Afterwards Bokume was called "Njâpe.")
As time went on, Uhâdwe called his brethren, Bokume and Njâku, and
said, "My brothers! Let us separate; myself, I am going to the Great
Sea; you, Bokume go to the Forest; you, Njâku, also go to the Forest."
Bokume went to the forest and grew up there, and became the valuable
mahogany tree (Okume).
Njâku departed; but he went in anger, saying, "I will not remain
in the forest, I am going to build with the towns-people." He came
striding back to the town. As he emerged there from the forest, his
feet swelled and swelled, and became elephant feet. His ear extended
'way down. His teeth spreading, this one grew to a tusk, and that
one grew to a tusk. The towns-people began to hoot at him. And he
turned back to the forest. But, as he went, he said to them, "In my
going now to the Forest, I and whatever plants you shall plant in the
forest shall journey together," (i.e., that their plantations should
be destroyed by him). So Njâku went; and their food went.
When Uhâdwe had gone thence and emerged at the Sea, from the place
where he emerged there grew the stem of "bush-rope" (the Calamus palm);
and the staff he held became a mangrove forest. The footprints where
he and his dog trod are there on the beach of Corisco Bay until this
day. He created a sand-bank from where he stood, extending through the
ocean, by which he crossed over to the Land of the Great Sea. When he
reached that Land, he prepared a ship. He put into it every production
by which white people obtain wealth, and he said to the crew, "Go ye
and take for me my brother."
The ship came to Africa and put down anchor; but, for four days the
crew did not find any person coming from shore to set foot on the
ship, or to go from the ship to set foot ashore, the natives being
destitute of canoes.
Finally, Uhâdwe came and appeared to the towns-people in a dream,
and said, "Go ye to the forest and cut down Njâpe, dig out a canoe,
and go alongside the ship."