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
It being night, they went to their sleeping-room, Leopard accompanied
by his wife. He and she carefully jumped over the other pit that was
inside of the door-way of that house. Gazelle also jumped, with careful
observation, the while that people stood outside expecting him to fall
into it. They retired for the night, Leopard and his wife on the bed;
Gazelle on a mat on the floor. Said Gazelle, "Uncle, if you hear me
stertorously snoring, then I am awake; but, if silently, then I am
asleep." In a little while, Gazelle feigned gentle snoring. Leopard
thinking Gazelle was asleep, took an iron rod, and thrust it into the
fire. Gazelle saw what he was doing. When it was red-hot, he removed
it, and, stepping softly, was about to stab Gazelle with it; who,
quickly moving aside, exclaimed, "Eh! what are you doing?" Leopard
coolly replied, "Nothing; I was only brushing away an insect that was
biting you." Gazelle thought within himself, "Njâ will surely kill
me to-night." So, he took chalk, and secretly marked circles around
his eyes, making himself look as if his eyes were open and he awake,
even if he should actually be asleep. After a while, Leopard slept,
sound asleep with his wife. Then Gazelle passed over to Leopard's bed,
and lifting the woman (unconscious in her sleep) to his mat on the
floor, laid down in her place, beside Leopard in the bed. During the
night, Leopard awoke, and, not noticing, in the darkness, the change
at his side, went with the rod, to the mat where he supposed Gazelle
was sleeping, and stabbed the woman to death.
Then Gazelle (who had remained awake) cried out, "Eh! you kill
another person? You are killing your wife!" Leopard exclaimed,
"Umph! Is that you? I said to myself that this was you!" Gazelle said,
"Yes! what did you go to my bed for? So, then! I am the one you wanted
to kill!" Leopard confessed, "It is true that I came here to kill you,
thinking this was you. But, as the matter is thus, say no more about
it. Let us cut up and eat this woman. Come, cut up!" But, Gazelle said,
"I? When the town's-people hear the chopping, then won't they say,
'What animal has Iheli killed in his brother-in-law's town, that he
is cutting it up at night?' Yourself, cut her to pieces."
So, Leopard said, "Well, leave the work on the body of the woman to
me; but, do you attend to the cooking." Said Gazelle, "I? When the
town's people shall hear the kettle boiling, then will they say,
'Whom has Iheli killed in the town of his brother-in-law, that he
cooks at night?'"