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 that day, on his journey, Tortoise happened to come to the foot of
that Tree. The ripe fruit were falling from it, and quantities were
lying on the ground. He exclaimed "Eme! (indeed!), Ibele! (splendid),
Eme! Abundance of food!" He gathered, and ate, and stayed a while
gathering others, which he would carry back to his town.
While doing this, a fruit fell from the branch above, and struck him
hard on the back. The blow hurt him; but he only said, "Ah! the back
of an aged person!" (My back feels like that of an aged person.) This
he said because of the pain it gave him; but he made no out-cry.
He had with him a bag, into which he put food on a journey. So,
he filled it with the fruits, and resumed his journey to go back
to his town. On his arrival at his house, his wife said to him,
"Why did you delay so long?" He replied, "I found a Tree belonging
to the Tribes-of-All-the-Beasts. Had they seen me, they would have
killed me." And, he drew the fruits from the bag, and gave his wife
and children, saying, "Eat ye!" But, he added, "While you eat of it,
do not allow Mbwa to see it."
One of the children ran out into the street, with the fruit grasped
in his hand. Just then, Dog happened to meet the child in the street,
and asked him, "Who gave you this fruit, child of Kudu?" The child
answered, "My father came from the forest, and brought this fruit
with him." In the evening, when the day had darkened, Dog came and
said to Tortoise, "My friend! you are a bad fellow; for, we live
together in one place, and you do not share with me! Chum! is it
possible that you eat such good things here? Where did you discover
them?" Tortoise then gave Dog and his children a share. But, he was
not willing to tell the place of that Tree. He evaded, by saying,
"As I went, I forced my way through the jungle of the forest. But,
I did not find any mushrooms; they are about done. Also, we are not
allowed to go to the place where this fruit grows." So it went on
for some time.
On another evening, Tortoise remarked, in conversation with Dog,
that he would be going into the forest next day. Dog said nothing,
but went back to his house, as if to sleep; while Tortoise remained
in his house, and went to bed.
Tortoise had left his hunting-bag hanging in the public
reception-room by his house. At night, Dog arose from his house,
and slowly and stealthily went to the house of Tortoise, clear into
that room. Entering it secretly, and finding the bag, he threw ashes
into its mouth and then, with his knife, made holes in it at the lower
end. For, he said to himself, "When Tortoise shall go out early, then I
will follow him." Then he went back to his house, and laid down again.
When day-light began to break, early in the morning, Tortoise arose,
took the bag, and started on a journey to that forest tree which
belonged to the Beasts. As he went the ashes sifted through the holes
in the bottom of the bag, and fell on the path. He finally arrived
at the tree.