Part 7

Okhabi woke up in great fear and yelled for help, he tried to stand up but could not do so, as his leg was down the snake’s throat. He then called for his hunting knife which one of the slaves gave him, the other slave called Odo snatched a burning stick from the fire and ran off to call Okpa to come and help. But before Okpa arrived Oghabi had cut the snake’s mouth and body right down with his hunting knife and released his leg. The leg was so swollen and inflamed that he could not walk. Okpa arrived shortly afterwards with his wife and together with the help of the slaves they carried Oghabi and the meat he had killed back to his house. Okpa then went home with his wife, but the next morning he went to enquire after his friend, and having stayed a short time he went home again. Later in the day Okpa’s wife came to see Oghabi and had a conversation with his wife. She said she thought there must be something wrong about what had happened the night before as it was not usual for a snake to try and swallow a man, she therefore advised Oghabi’s wife to consult a ju-ju man upon the matter. After she had gone home Oghabi’s wife told her husband what Okpa’s wife had said, and Oghabi agreed and sent off for the ju-ju man at once. When the man came he consulted his skull and then said: “It was your best friend who sent the snake to kill you but I will not mention his name unless you promise to revenge yourself upon him.” As Oghabi only had one good friend he did not want to promise what the ju-ju man asked, but his wife, who had great faith in the ju-ju man, at last persuaded him to pass his word. The ju-ju man then said, “It was your friend Okpa who sent the big snake to swallow you as he is envious of your being a hunter and making more money than him.” Oghabi would not believe this at first, but his wife convinced him after much argument that what the ju-ju man had said was true. From that day Oghabi grew to hate his friend, and when he recovered from the injuries he had received from the snake he began to plot as to how he should revenge himself upon Okpa and his wife. At last he decided to poison them as he did not wish to kill them openly with a matchet. Having got some strong poison from the ju-ju man he told his wife to prepare palm oil chop for Okpa and his family. While she was getting the food ready Oghabi went out and made some tombo, and when he returned he divided the tombo into two calabashes, one large and one small. Into the large calabash he placed some of the poison, and the remainder he put in the palm oil chop. He then got ready and went with his wife to Okpa’s house taking the two calabashes of tombo and the palm oil chop with him. When they arrived Okpa received them gladly and ordered food to be prepared at once. When the food was ready Okpa and his wife sat down and eat it and drank the tombo from the small calabash. Oghabi then told Okpa and his wife that they could eat the food which they had brought for them, and when they had finished they could drink the tombo in the big calabash. Okpa and his wife then called their children together and sat down and eat the poisoned food and drank the tombo, but Okpa’s youngest son would not eat or drink anything.

When they had finished Oghabi said he should go home but Okpa begged him to stay. Oghabi, however, refused and started off home with his wife. When they had reached half way and were sitting down to rest, Okpa’s youngest son came running up to them and implored them to return with him and help his father as they were all very ill and in great pain. Oghabi said, “run back home at once and tell your father that I will come directly I have been home, and will bring some medicine which will make them vomit and they will then get well.”

But Oghabi never went back to Okpa’s house until the next morning, when he found they were all dead except Okpa’s youngest son who was crying. Oghabi was very glad at what he saw, and the boy noticed that Oghabi did not cry, so he went and reported everything to the chief.

The chief sent for Oghabi and his wife and called the chiefs of the town together to hold palaver. The boy told them how Oghabi had brought food for his people the previous night and that he was the only one who had not eaten any, and all the others had died soon after Oghabi left the house. He also told the chief that Oghabi and his wife had not eaten any of the food, and that when he saw his friend and all his family were dead that he had not cried. The chief then asked Oghabi whether he had tasted the food he brought for Okpa, and Oghabi replied that he had done so and that his wife had cooked and eaten some of the food. As there was no one besides the boy to give evidence the chief said he could not treat Oghabi as a poisoner. He therefore took him to his ju-ju and made him swear that he had not killed Okpa, and that if he had the ju-ju should kill him. Oghabi’s wife swore also.

The chief then sent word all round the towns that as Okpa and his family had been poisoned, for the future whenever anyone gave another person tombo, foo-foo, palm oil chop, or anything else to eat or drink, they must first partake of it themselves, to show that it was not poisoned.

Told by Abassi of Inkum.--[20.6.10.]

_Author’s Note._

It is a universal custom throughout the district that when food or drink is brought for strangers the provider of the food should first taste it, to show that it is not poisoned.

In connection with the above it may be of interest to note the formalities which are invariably observed whenever tombo is brought for people to drink, even when there are only a few present.

The “pourer out” (Ka-ammum (Ingor) pour drink) takes the demijon or calabash of tombo in his right hand and places it on his knee, then he takes a glass or small calabash in his left hand and having poured a little tombo into the glass he presents it to the chief or the head man present, who makes a little speech asking God (Ossor wor) to be good to them to prevent their children from dying, and to give them good yam crops, etc. He then throws the tombo on the ground. Having handed the glass back, it is filled and given to the chief’s small boy, who stands behind him, to drink. The “pourer out” then pours out a glass and drinks it himself. After that the next glass is given to the chief who throws it on the ground as a libation to the dead ancestors, then the glass will be filled again, and the chief drinks it.

The tombo is then poured out glass after glass and handed round until there is only one glass left in the calabash and that is drunk by the chief’s small boy who drank the first glass, he leaves a little in the bottom of the glass and gives it to the chief who throws the contents on the ground to propitiate the evil spirits.

The reason that the glass is presented with the left hand of the “pourer out” is, that formerly the natives were afraid of being seized by the hand, when they held out the tombo, by some man who would seize them on behalf of a third person who owed him a debt, and if they held the glass out in their right hand and were caught by it they could not get at their knives which are worn on their right side, to protect themselves. On all other occasions things are given and taken with the right hand as the left hand is looked upon as “unclean” for certain reasons, and it is considered in consequence an insult to offer or take anything with the left hand. Natives eat their food with their right hands only.--[E.D., 20.6.10.]

XVII.--HOW CHIEF ALANKOR AND ALL HIS FAMILY WERE KILLED BY A BIG FROG, OR WHY THE COCK CROWS AT DAWN.

A long time ago, Chief Alankor was one of the head chiefs of Ikom, he was rich and powerful. This chief had five wives and several children by each, but he disliked them all with the exception of the last born whose name was Eba. Wherever he went, whether it was into the forest to fell timber for making canvas, or to visit neighbouring towns, he used to take his little son with him and spoil him in many ways.

When all the people were working, including the women and children on the farm, Eba always stood with his father in the shade of a tree throughout the heat of the day, and when it was time to go home in the evening, and all the others were carrying heavy loads, some of firewood, and others of food, Eba only carried his father’s bag, containing his snuff and horn. After the bush had been cut and burnt, and the ground prepared for the farm the Chief waited until some heavy rains had fallen, and then proceeded to distribute the yams for planting. Eba carried the yams round for the others to plant. As he was putting the yams into the basket, he took a great fancy to one particular yam-tail which he thought he would like to take home and eat, so he placed the yam-tail behind the tree where his father was standing, and then took the remaining yams out to the people on the farm to plant. When the work for the day was finished, and it was time to go home, Chief Alankor called his people together and started off, Eba carrying his father’s bag as usual, but he entirely forgot his yam-tail which he had left behind the tree until they got half way home. Eba then told his father, that he wished to return to the farm as he had left something behind which he wanted to get.

His father told him that it was most unusual for anyone to return to the farm after the work was over as it was well known that anyone going back might meet some evil thing. But Eba said he was not afraid, and as his father did not like to refuse his favourite son anything he allowed him to go, and told his people to sit down and wait until Eba came back. Eba then hurried back to the place where he had left his yam-tail, but when he got there he found the yam-tail was turning itself into a frog, which grew larger and larger every moment. Eba was very frightened, but continued to look at the frog until suddenly he caught its eye, when he dropped down dead.

Chief Alankor waited for some time for Eba, and as he did not come, sent two of his slaves back to fetch him, and then went on with the rest of his people.

Soon after they reached the house, food was brought for the chief, but he could not eat anything as he was anxious about his favourite son, and was expecting him to return with the two slaves every minute. When it became dark, as they did not return, Alankor sent four more slaves after the other two, and told them to search the farm all over for his son, but they did not return either.

The chief became more anxious as it got later, and there were no signs of any of the people he had sent out, so just before midnight he sent eight more slaves with fire-brands, to help in the search. When the day was about to break, and there was no message from any of his people, Chief Alankor became thoroughly frightened, and called the rest of his slaves together, and having armed them with bows and arrows to protect themselves, he sent them off after the others and warned them to be very careful how they went. As nothing was heard from the last lot, the chief armed himself and his sons, and told his wives that he was going himself to look for Eba and the slaves who were lost.

He then started off. As the chief did not return, the wives and daughters went out to the farm to look for him and try to find out what had happened to everybody, thus leaving the house deserted except for the cattle and the fowls. When the morning came, the cock went to the cow, the sheep and goats, and said, “As our master is missing we should all go and look for him.” So they started off, the cow leading the way, followed by the goats and sheep, and then came the hens and chickens, but the cock stayed some distance behind them all.

When they reached the farm, the cock flew up to the top of a high tree to watch and see what happened to everybody. On looking round the farm he saw the bodies of Chief Alankor and all his family, including the slaves, lying on the ground apparently dead. Some little distance off he saw a creature like a gigantic frog covered with hair, sitting down with its head bent down, as he watched the cow and other animals walked past the monster, and as they looked in its eyes they fell down dead, one after the other.

The cock was very frightened, and flew down from the top of his tree and ran off as fast as he could to his friend the rabbit, and told him what had happened to his master and all his household, including the animals and hens.

The rabbit said that he thought he could bring the Chief and all his people back to life again, but they must be very careful not to let the frog look at them as if he did they would surely die. They then set off together for the farm, but they went by a different path so as to come in at the back of the frog. The rabbit then began burrowing, and the cock went into the bush and cut some strong tie-tie one end of which he made fast to a tree. He then sat down to wait for the rabbit. After a time, the rabbit came out and said that he had burrowed away until he had come just under where the frog was sitting, and that he had made holes so that they could get at both his hind legs without being seen. The rabbit then led the way into the hole, and the cock followed dragging the tie-tie with him. When they got to the place where the evil monster was, they tied both of his legs very securely with the tie-tie, and then went back by the way they had come. When they got to the mouth of the hole, the cock cut a small piece of tie-tie and flew to the top of a tree, taking great care not to look in the direction of the frog.

He then tied his head in such a way that he could not catch the frog’s eye. The rabbit remained in the hole so that he could not see or be seen. The cock then called out to the frog to make all the people come to life again at once or else he and the rabbit would kill him.

The frog tried to jump away, but found that he was helpless as both of his hind legs were fast. Then the frog promised to cure the people, but begged the cock and the rabbit not to kill him but to throw him into the water to drown, this they agreed to do. The frog then pointed to some leaves growing near and told the cock to gather them, and to squeeze the juice into the eyes of the people and animals, and they would all wake up. The cock and the rabbit then untied the frog and threw him into the river: they then returned and squeezed the juice of the leaves into the eyes of all the people and animals, and they woke up immediately, none the worse for their experience but very frightened.

They all went home and were shortly afterwards joined by the cock and the rabbit. The chief then asked who it was that had redeemed him from death with all his household? When he heard it was the cock and the rabbit, he appointed the cock to be the head man of the house, and gave him power to wake everybody at daylight and tell them it was time to go and work. As a reward to the rabbit, the chief pointed to his farm and said, “you can eat as much as you like of the yams, cassava, and of the palm-nuts which fall to the ground, and take them home and nobody will take them from you.”

From that day, the frog lived in the water, and seldom came to land except for food, and, ever since, the young of the frog have had tails which show that they come from the frog which was made from the tail of a yam.

Told by Ewonkom, an Ikom woman.--[E.D., 22.6.10.]

XVIII.--HOW THE RIVER CAME INTO EXISTENCE; OR, WHY A CRAB HAS NO HEAD.

When the Creator made the earth he appointed the elephant ruler of the world. In those days there were no rivers but the Creator made a pond for the elephant to drink out of. One day the elephant told his friends, the hawk and the crab, that he was going to hunt in the forest on a certain day. When the appointed day arrived the elephant and the hawk went off with their bows and arrows, and having surrounded a part of the forest, commenced to hunt.

Now the crab was a poor thing and could not walk fast, neither could he use a bow and arrow, so he took a long net with him into the forest and waited for the animals to run into it. When an animal which had been wounded by the elephant or the hawk ran into the net it very soon became entangled in the meshes of the net. The crab then went up to the animal and killed it with a stick; having thrown the arrow away he would put the animal on one side as his own.

At the end of the day the elephant had killed five buck and the hawk three, but the crab had secured ten animals all much bigger than himself. When the hunt was over the elephant told the hawk and the crab to bring to him all the animals they had killed, but when he saw that the crab had killed ten animals to his five he was very angry and told the hawk to put him down on the ground and cut his head off.

But the crab begged the elephant so hard to forgive him, and offered to give up the animals he had killed, that at last the elephant trumpeted: “Go!” in a very loud voice, and the crab went, leaving the ten animals behind him.

The crab was very angry at losing all the meat, so he thought he would revenge himself upon the elephant. He therefore crawled along sideways to the elephant’s house, and told the elephant’s wife that the place where they had been hunting was very cold and that her husband wished her to make him some good soup and that she was not to forget to put plenty of peppers in it.

The mammie elephant did as she was told, and the crab went down to the elephant’s pond and filled it up with earth, so that there would be no place where the elephant could drink. When he had finished he dug a small hole where the pond had been and buried himself in it.

Shortly after this the elephant returned home, carrying the meat, and bringing his friend the hawk with him. The elephant’s wife then brought the soup she had made, and the elephant and the hawk sat down together and finished it.

When the meal was over, the elephant told his wife to bring some water for them to drink, as the soup was so hot from the peppers that he had become quite thirsty, but his wife said that she had not got any water that morning, so they had better go to the pond, as it was not so far. The elephant went down to the pond but found to his intense surprise and disgust that there was no water, and that the pond was full of mud. At this he was very angry and went home and told the hawk.

Then the hawk, who was also very thirsty, went down to the pond with the elephant, and together they dug the mud out until at last they came across the crab. The elephant at once guessed that it was the crab who had filled up his drinking pond, and being in a furious rage, he cut the crab’s head off and threw him into the pond.

The water came back into the pond at once and both the elephant and the hawk had a good drink and wash. After a time he thought that if he left the crab in the water that he would fill the pond up again, so he told the hawk to dig away at the lower end, so that the water could flow out of the pond. The hawk did as he was told and made a running stream. This stream became larger and larger until it grew into a big river. The crab then went into the river, but having no head he could not see, so he went to the fish and asked him to cure his wounds and give him a pair of eyes to see with. The fish cured his wounds after a time, but, having no eyes to spare, he sent the crab on to his friend the prawn.

The prawn got some eyes, which he placed on the shoulders of the crab, and they grew there, so that he could see quite well, but the crab has never had a head since that time.

Told by Ewonkom, an Ikom woman.--[E.D., 22.6.10.]

XIX.--WHY THE MIST RISES FROM THE WATER.

Ogbaja of Ikom was the son of Chief ’Njum, and his mother was called Nara. Chief ’Njum was a poor man, but he had a farm and a few slaves to work for him. When Ogbaja grew up, he became a hunter, and being a good shot with his bow and arrows he nearly always succeeded in bringing back some meat, which he took to his father.

One year the season was so dry and the sun so hot that Chief ’Njum could not plant his yams in time, and when he did plant them it was too late, and there was a very bad crop in consequence.

When the food began to get scarce, Chief ’Njum told his son to go hunting every day to supply meat for everybody.

Ogbaja went out every morning with his bow and arrows, and generally returned in the evening just before it was dark, carrying the animals he had killed. He also used to bring some bush mangoes with him as well, as they were useful for making soup.

His father always sent Ogbaja to the chiefs every day with a small piece of meat and one mango for each, and after a time they got to know him quite well.

Just at that time there were eight wicked people who had been driven out of the town. Some of them were witches and others were poisoners, but one of them was a cripple, and could only scramble along on his hands and knees. These people were not allowed to make farms, so they were forced to live on the fruits and seeds which they found in the forest.

Ogbaja knew all about these men, and was afraid to meet them, so he always gathered mangoes at a time when he knew they would not be near the tree.

One day Ogbaja’s mother Nara said she wished to go with him to gather some fruit, but he told her that she could not go, as the witches were dangerous men and might kill her.

Nara, however, made up her mind to go, so she put ashes in Ogbaja’s bag which he always carried, and made holes in the bottom, so that she could follow him.

Ogbaja got up early in the morning, and took his bow and arrows with him to hunt; then as he went along he left a trail of ashes behind him, which Nara followed, and at last came to the mango tree, where she found Ogbaja picking up the fruit.

Her son said “Why do you come here? If you had waited at home, I would have brought you some fruit.” But his mother told him that she wanted to get the fruit herself, and commenced gathering the mangoes and eating some of the ripe ones.

Ogbaja said, “I cannot take you home, as I must go out hunting to get food. I will therefore leave you at the top of the tree, where you will be safe from the wicked men, but you must be careful to keep very quiet and not move when they come.” He then helped his mother up the tree, and left her sitting on a branch, telling her that he would return the same way after he had finished hunting, late in the afternoon, and take her home. He then went away.

At midday when the sun was high up, the witches came and started to pick up the mangoes, but they left the cripple underneath the tree.

When they had finished, they told him they were going to the stream to get water and would return to him later.

Nara was very frightened when she saw the witches, and kept quite quiet, but when she saw them go down to the stream she thought they had all gone, so she moved about in the branches and looked all round.

This movement soon attracted the attention of the cripple, who was lying on his back, and he looked up and saw Nara sitting on the branch.

Shortly afterwards the seven bad men returned with the water, and after he had taken a drink he told the others what he had seen in the tree. They looked up and saw Nara, so one of the witches climbed up the tree and threw her down. She was killed at once, and they cut the body up and divided it and took it home to eat. The cripple claimed the head for his share. As he was unable to walk, he crawled along the path on his hands and knees, rolling the head in front of him.

When Ogbaja returned to the mango tree after his hunting to take his mother home, he could not find her, but on looking about on the ground he saw the bloodstains where his mother’s body had been cut up, and at once knew that she must have been killed by the witches. He never gathered any fruit, but returned home empty-handed.