Part 14

Agbor and his wife then ran into their house and shut the door carefully behind them. Agbor told his wife that when night came he would go and get a supply of food, but that she was not to let anyone in and not to answer anybody who called. He also said that when he got food he would return, and that if there was no one about outside trying to catch him, he would knock at the door and she could then let him in.

During the next two nights, Agbor went out as soon as it was dark and got as much food as he could into the house and then fastened himself securely in.

When the chief returned to the town with his hunters, he sent some men to call Agbor, but although they knocked at his door for a long time and called both Agbor and his wife by name, they received no reply.

When the morning came, the chief sent for the animals to come in, and, as the elephant was the biggest and strongest, he chose him. He then told the elephant that he was to get hold of Agbor Adam, but he did not wish him to be killed, as he only wanted to find out why the bird Aictor had been calling his name and why he had left the hunting party. So the elephant went to Agbor Adam’s house and, having broken the door open, dragged him out with his trunk, and brought him before the chief.

Directly Aictor, who was sitting near the chief on a palm-tree, saw Agbor, he began to call his name, and said he had broken the hunting law.

As no one could understand the bird, the chief sent to Uman compound for a woman named Iman, who was a native of Abijon, and could, therefore, speak Ingor.

When she arrived, she told the chief and the people what the bird was saying, which was “Agbor Adam! Agbor Adam! Chief Alobi passed a law that women should not eat animals killed by the men in hunting, and that the men should not eat the fish caught by the women. But your wife eat a monkey which you had killed and you eat a fish caught by your wife, and then, when I called your name, you ran away with your wife and left the hunting party, but I followed you all the way, and although you tried to kill me, I am here to give evidence against you, as I promised.”

When Chief Alobi heard this he rose up in anger, and stamped his foot on the ground, saying, “Surely Agbor Adam shall die this day. For, first of all, he disobeyed my hunting law, and then he deserted the hunting party. Is there anyone present who does not agree?” But no one answered.

Then Chief Aboli pointed to the palm-tree on which Aictor was perched, and told Agbor Adam that he should be hanged there, but, first of all, he should climb up and down the tree six times, and when he got to the top for the seventh time he should place his head in a noose and hang himself.

When Agbor’s wife heard this, she ran and threw herself at the chief’s feet, and, beating her breasts and tearing her hair, she implored him to spare her husband, but the chief walked away from her.

Agbor then climbed up to the top of the tree and came down again. This he did six times, but when he had got to the top of the tree for the seventh time, and was just going to hang himself, Chief Ossima ’nkom of Yammi appeared, and called upon him to stop, saying, “I am the oldest and biggest chief in the town, and am going to beg for you.”

He then went to chief Alobi and said, “If a man kills another man he should be hanged, but if he breaks the hunter’s law he disobeys a chief’s order; he should be fined and not killed, and I think 260 rods would be a proper fine.”

To this Chief Aboli agreed, and thus Agbor Adam’s life was saved, so he climbed down the tree again and paid the fine.

From that time the people who disobeyed a chief were made to pay a fine in tombo, goats, or sheet, according to the order.

Told by Ennenni, an Okuni woman.--[E.D., 6.1.11.]

XXXIII.--HOW ESSAMA STOLE HER FATHER’S GOAT IN THE FATTING-HOUSE, AND HER BROTHER WAS PUNISHED FOR IT.

In the olden days at Okuni, when the women were circumcised, they were kept in the fatting-house for a long time and given plenty of food to eat. There was a wealthy chief at that time living in Okuni, called Okim. He had a daughter named Essama and a son called Ode. The chief was very fond of both his children, and when Essama grew up he bought a male goat and had it cut to make it grow bigger, so that when his daughter was circumcised and kept in the fatting-house he would be able to give her the goat to eat. Both the goat and Essama grew up together, until the time arrived for the girl to be circumcised and kept in the fatting-house. Then Chief Okim told his son Ode that he was to be his sister’s attendant while she was kept in the house, and that he was to look after the goat.

Essama stayed in the fatting-house for several months, until one day several of the girls of her company came to visit her. As she had nothing to give them to eat, she at last thought of her father’s goat, which was being kept for her, but she dared not kill it while her brother Ode was in the house. She therefore sent him down to the river with a basket, and told him to fill it with water and bring it back to her. Ode did as his sister told him and took the basket down to the river, but he found that the water ran out of the basket almost as quickly as it went in; he therefore remained at the water-side some time. This gave Essama a chance to kill and cook the goat, which she ate with her company. Essama reserved a leg, some of the soup, and a yam, which she placed in a pot and hung over the fire to keep warm for Ode when he returned from the river.

It was late when Ode came back to the house, and he told his sister that he was sorry he could not fill the basket with water. He then asked her where the goat was. Essama replied that she had not seen the goat walking about anywhere since he had gone down to the river, and advised him to search everywhere for him. Ode did so, but failed to find the goat. When he came back and told his sister, she pointed to the pot and said, “There is your food,” so Ode took the pot down, but as he did so some of the soup fell over him out of the pot, as it was quite full. He then sat down and began to eat. While he was eating, his father returned from the farm, and, missing the goat, asked Ode what had become of it. When he heard that the goat could not be found, the chief made a great palaver with Ode, who began to cry. His father then said he was convinced that someone must have stolen the goat, and that all his people, including his son and daughter, would have to go through the ordeal of crossing over the river on a rope, to find out who had stolen the goat. So the next day all the people assembled, and the spider was called upon to settle the palaver, as he was the chief man who settled these trials.

The spider went across the river, spinning his web as he went, and then returned to the side where the people were standing. The spider then told each man and woman to say before they started to cross the river, “If I stole Chief Okim’s goat, let the rope break with me when I get to the middle; but if I am not a thief, let me cross over in safety.”

One after the other the people crossed over the river on the spider’s web quite safely, until at last there were only left Essama and her brother. Ode went before his sister, and when he reached the middle of the river the web broke, and he fell into the water, disappearing at once.

The chief then began to lament, saying his goat had been stolen, and now his son was drowned. He then told the people to go into the river and try to recover Ode’s body. The young men at once dived in and searched everywhere, but could not find any trace of Ode.

As his son had been drowned, the chief would not allow his daughter to cross the river, and returned home with his people very sorrowfully. Chief Okim then ordered his people to tie up a bundle in a cloth to represent his son, and all people were ordered to mourn. A deep grave was then dug, and ten men were killed to accompany the Chief’s son to the spirit-land. The bodies of the ten men were then put in the grave, and the bundle representing the dead Ode was placed on top. The grave was then filled in, whilst drums were being beaten and farewells to the chief’s son were being shouted by the people. Several goats were killed, and a big feast was held, and the chief commanded all people to mourn for one year.

When the year of mourning was over, Chief Okim decided to build a new house, so he sent his boys to the river-side to get tie-tie. While they were engaged in drawing the tie-tie from the trees, one man named Oyonga heard a voice calling out, “Who is drawing the tie-tie there?” He stopped pulling and looked round everywhere, but as he could not see anybody, he went on pulling again at the tie-tie. The voice then called out again, saying, “Tell my father to bring a white goat, a white ram, a white cock, and a white chicken to the river-side and sacrifice them to the river ju-ju, and tell him that if he does this I shall be set free.” Oyonga then asked the voice who it was speaking, and the voice replied, “I am Ode, Chief Okim’s son who was lost, as when I took the pot down some of the soup made from my father’s goat, which my sister had stolen, fell over me, so that when I tried to cross the river on the spider’s web it broke by the ordeal and I was lost in the water.”

Oyonga then ran back to the town and told the chief what he had heard. When Chief Okim heard what Oyonga had to say, he was vexed, as he did not believe him, so he ordered him to be tied up to a tree and given fifty lashes. Oyonga pleaded with the chief in vain, and he was flogged.

When Oyonga had sufficiently recovered from the flogging he had received, he begged the chief to go with him to the river where he had heard the voice; at first the chief refused to go, but after much persuasion he consented. When they got to the place Oyonga pulled at the tie-tie, and the voice at once called out, “Who is pulling there? Have you told my father to bring the white goat, ram, cock, and chicken to sacrifice to the ju-ju?”

When the chief heard his son’s voice he went back to the town and got all the animals and birds as quickly as possible, and having brought them down to the water-side, sacrificed them to the river ju-ju. When the sacrifice was completed, the chief told all his young men to go into the river with a net; in case his son should not be able to get out of the water, they could then fish him out.

Very shortly the river ju-ju threw Ode up, and he tried to swim, but one of the men in a canoe pulled him out of the water and brought him to the bank. The people then beat drums and escorted the chief and his son back to the town, singing as they went.

As soon as they arrived, the whole of the townspeople came out with presents of various articles and gave them to Ode. Chief Okim then gave a great feast, and killed many cows and goats, and there was a big play and dancing in the town. When the play was over Chief Okim asked his son what he had found out while he was with the river ju-ju, and Ode replied that the river ju-ju made him understand that it was his sister Essama who stole the goat, but, as the ordeal found the scent of the goat on him, he disappeared in the water. Then Chief Okim called out Essama’s mother and told her what her daughter had done, nearly causing him to lose his son altogether. The chief and his wife had a quarrel, which ended in his fining her 1,200 rods, which was the price of a slave, and said that the whole of her family would have to help to pay. The rods were brought to the chief, and half the amount was given to Ode. The people then decided that it was because Essama was kept so long in the fatting-house which caused her to kill the goat, and they agreed that for the future girls should only stay in the fatting-house for a few days, as they would then not be tempted to steal and bring shame upon their families.

Told by Ennenni, a dancing-woman of Okuni.--[E. DAYRELL, 14.1.11.]

QUOMODO EVENIT UT PENIS PRIMUM CUM VAGINA COIIT.

Penis autem olim rure solus habitabat, hand procul a Testiculis, amico ejus, qui magus erat valde peritus, atque fundum proximum incolebat. Ultra tamen praedia Penis villam parvam habebat Vagina. Penis forte ad villam Vaginae vagatus, et fame afflictus, illam palmae nuces, quas nuper in horto collegerat, rogavit, scilicet quod ipse totam diem in agro laborasset nec sibi cibum parare potuisset. Nec abnuit Vagina, sed se pauperem esse dicebat, et Penem debitum reddere alio tempore opportere. Quo pacto Penis cum nucibus abiit. Paullo postea Vagina haud procul ab aedibus Penis ligna capite ferebat, et, debiti memor, domum ejus aggressa, “Esurio” inquit “O Penis, cum totam diem haec ligna collegi, nec mihi cibum parare potui. Redde igitur nuces quas debes.” Penis tamen noluit, et Vagina iterum vehementius nuces postulabat; deinde, cum se nihil profiteri sentiret, ligna in terram irata dejecit, seque insuper prostravit. Unum autem e lignis quod peracutum erat Vaginam inter crura altius vulneravit, gravique dolore afflixit. Quod visum Penis aegre ferebat, atque ligno extracto et vulnere aqua perluto Vaginam domum duxit. Haec tamen interdum, magno dolore pressa, lamentari non desinebat, quod maxime Penem pigebat, qui eam penitus amabat, etiamsi nuces debitas reddere noluerat. Itaque Penis domum regressus servum jussit in villam Vaginae properare atque vulneri medicamenta adhibere. Quo facto servus, cum Vagina nihilominus inter gemitus vociferabat se vehementer dolentem sanari a Pene opportere, qui causa malorum fuisset, ad Penem regressus ea quae dixerat Vagina nuntiavit. Quae audita Penis diu meditatus statim ire amicum suum, Testiculos, consultum statuit, qui maxime sapiens diceretur. At Testiculi, de Vaginae vulnere certior factus, dixit Penem Vaginam sanare posse si verbis suis obtemperet; et Penis laetus se velle omnia facere quae necesse essent asseverabat. Eo autem tempore Penis nunquam erectus fiebat. Itaque Testiculi “Liquore” inquit “te implebo ita ut erectus fias; deinde i ad Vaginam teque in vulnus insere; quo facto te paene foras extractum iterum atque iterum in vulnus impelle, dum tandem liquorem quo te implevi in vulnus vomes.” “At si quidam” inquit Penis “inimicus mihi gladio instabit jam in vulnere condito, inopinantem interficere poterit.” “Bono animo es” inquit Testiculi “ego enim a tergo vigilabo pro te ne quid infaustum accidat.” Itaque Penis ad Vaginam properavit et omnia quae amicus jusserat perfecit. At Vagina medicinam sibi magnopere profuisse dixit, et Penem precata est ut omni quaque nocte veniret eodem modo vulnus sanaturus. Paucis itaque diebus Vagina convaluit, sed rima alta in corpore manebat. Ex eo tempore etiam Testiculi et Penis in uno juncti sunt, ita ut Testiculi, quoties Penis Vaginam videat, eum liquore implet per quem validus fit. At si quid incommodi Vagina habeat, vel alio sit qui vehementius rixetur, tum Penis erectus non fit, nec rimam intrare potest.

(Told by Ennenni, a singing and dancing girl of Okuni. May 18th, 1911.)

LONDON: HARRISON AND SONS, PRINTERS IN ORDINARY TO HIS MAJESTY, ST. MARTIN’S LANE, W.C.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] _Author’s Note._--Okukum is the juice extracted from a fungus like a very small mushroom. It is painted on to the skin with a small stick, and is a fight brown liquid paste. Curious designs are made all over the body, the lines running parallel. The paste is then allowed to dry for about a day, and eventually rubs off. By this time the acid has eaten into the skin, and the dark marks remain, showing the pattern for several months. They cannot be washed off by water. The Okuni and Infoit people call this fungus _oboma_ and the Boki people _katium_. The indigo black markings last less than a week, and the Okuni people call it _ebim_.

[2] A sort of burrowing bush rat.

[3] _Author’s Note._--Koko yams are cooked for several hours. They are boiled in three different waters, and so that each water is steamed away before the fresh water is added. The yams are then left in the pot until the following morning. The ordinary yam is cooked and eaten at once.

[4] The “night” calabash was used by the witches when they were going to kill anyone for their feasts, as it prolonged the night, and the Okuni people still believe when the nights are unusually long that the witches are out with the “night” calabash and are killing people.

[5] These shelters are made out of palm leaves and are quickly put together, but they do not keep out the rain. They are, however, sufficient for the wants of the natives in the dry season.

[6] The native hunters say that if you shout at an iguana he does not move or take any notice, but if you point at him and whisper, “Look, there is an iguana,” he will run away at once. An iguana never runs more than about fifty yards at a time; he then stops to get his breath. If you find him again he will be killed easily, as he cannot run so far a second time; there is, therefore, a second saying amongst the hunters that “A first run is a run for life, and when you are in danger you should run as far as you can before you stop to rest, as when you run the second time you will not be able to go so far.”

[7] The natives believe that when a man whose first-born child is a boy happens to hit a toe on his right foot against a stone on his way to a town, that he will be badly received at that town, but if the toe which is hit by the stone is on his left foot, then the people will welcome him and treat him kindly.

[8] The origin of this saying is, that a man seeing a fine bird sitting on the branch of a tree threw a stone at it, but the stone hit the branch, and as the man was standing underneath the stone came back and hit him.

[9] “’Nda” in the Infor and Inde languages means “elephantiasis.”

[10] The native lamp was of earthenware, with a fibre wick in palm-oil.

[11] The four streams mentioned in this story are still called by the same names, and are well known to the inhabitants of Okuni.

Transcriber's Notes:

Italics are shown thus: _sloping_.

Variations in spelling and hyphenation are retained.

Perceived typographical errors have been changed.