Part 11

As the Man started homeward carrying his load of animals, Tortoise in the bag, mourning over his fate, said to the dead Igwana and the others, "I told you to call to Kâ to warn Kema and Lonani; and, now death has come to us all! If you, Kema and Lonani, in the beginning, on the tree-top, had not made such a noise, Man would not have come to kill us. This all comes from you."

And Man took all these animals to his town, and divided them among his people.

TALE 14

TORTOISE AND THE BOJABI TREE

Place

Country of All-The-Beasts

Persons

Mbâmâ (Boa Constrictor) Kudu (Tortoise) Etoli (House Rat) Vyâdu (Antelope) Njâku (Elephant) Iheli (Gazelle) Ngomba (Porcupine) Nyati (Ox) And the Bojabi Tree

NOTE

African natives hesitate to eat of an unknown fruit or vegetable, unless they see it first partaken of by some lower animal.

All the tribes of Beasts were living in one region, except one beast, which was staying in its separate place. Its name was Boa Constrictor. His place was about thirty miles away from the others.

In the region of all those Beasts, there was a very large tree. Its name was Bojabi. But none of those beasts knew that that was its name.

There fell a great famine on that Country-of-all-the-Beasts. In their search for food, they looked at that tree; and they said, "This tree has fine-looking fruit; but, we do not know its name. How then shall we know whether it is fit to be eaten?" After some discussion, they said, "We think our Father Mbâmâ will be able to know this tree's name." So they agreed, "Let us send a person to Mbâmâ to cause us to know the name of the tree." They selected Rat, and said to him, "You, Etoli, are young; go you, and inquire." They also decided that, "Whoever goes shall not go by land along the beach, but by sea." (This they said, in order to prove the messenger's strength and perseverance; whether he would dally by the way ashore, or paddle steadily by sea.) Also, they told Rat that, in going, he should take one of the fruits of the tree in his hand, so that Boa might know it. So, Rat took the Bojabi fruit, stepped into a canoe, and began to paddle. He started about sun-rise in the morning. In the middle of the afternoon, he arrived at his journey's end.

He entered into the reception-room of Boa's house, and found him sitting there. Boa welcomed him, and said to his wife, "Prepare food for our guest, Etoli!" And he said to Rat, "Stranger! eat! And then you will tell me what is the message you have brought."

Rat ate and finished, and began to tell his message thus:--He said, "In our country we have nothing there but hunger. But there is there a tree, and this is its fruit. Whether it is fit to be eaten or not, you will tell us." Boa replied, "That tree is Bojabi; this fruit is Njabi; and it is to be eaten."

Then the day darkened to night. And they slept their sleep.

And then the next day broke.

And Boa said to Rat, "Begin your journey, Etoli! The name of the tree is Bojabi. Do not forget it!"

Rat stepped into his canoe, and began to paddle. He reached his country late in the afternoon. He landed. And he remained a little while on the beach, dragging the canoe ashore. So occupied was he in doing this, that he forgot the tree's name. Then he went up into the town. The tribes of All-the-Beasts met him, exclaiming, "Tell us! tell us!" Rat confessed, "I have forgotten the name just this very now." Then, in their disappointment, they all beat him.

On another day, they said to Porcupine, "Ngomba! go you!" But they warned Rat, "If Ngomba brings the name, you, Etoli, shall not eat of the fruit."

Porcupine made his journey also by sea, and came to the town of Boa. When Porcupine had stated his errand, Boa told him, "The tree's name is Bojabi. Now, go!"

Porcupine returned by sea, and kept the name in his memory, until he was actually entering the town of his home; and, then, he suddenly forgot it. The tribes of All-the-Beasts called out to him, as they saw him coming, "Ngomba! tell us! tell us!" When he informed them that he had forgotten it, they beat him, as they had done to Rat.

They had also in that country, another plant which was thought not proper to be eaten. They did not know that its leaves were really good for food.

On another day, they said to Antelope, "Go you; and tell Mbâmâ, and ask him which shall we eat, this fruit or these leaves. What shall we Beasts do?"

Antelope went by sea; and came to Boa's town. And he asked Boa, "What do you here eat? Tell us." Boa replied, "I eat leaves of the plants, and I drink water; that is all I do. And the name of the tree that bears that fruit is Bojabi. You, all the Beasts, what are you to eat? I have told you."

Antelope slept there that night. And the next day, he started on his return journey. At his journey's end, as he was about to land on the beach, a wave upset the canoe, and he fell into the sea. In the excitement, he forgot the name. The anxious tribes of All-the-Beasts had come down to the beach to meet him, and were asking, "What is the name? Tell us!" He replied, "Had I not fallen into the water, I would not have forgotten the name." Then, in their anger, they beat him.

Almost all the beasts were thus tried for that journey; and they all failed in the same way, with the name forgotten, even the big beasts like Ox and Elephant. There was no one of them who had succeeded in bringing home the name.

But there was left still, one who had not been tried. That was Tortoise. So, he said, "Let me try to go." They were all vexed with him, at what they thought his audacity and presumption. They began to beat him, saying, "Even the less for us, and more so for you! You will not be able!" But Gazelle interposed, saying, "Let Kudu alone! Why do you beat him? Let him go on the errand. We all have failed; and it is well that he should fail too."

Tortoise went to his mother's hut, and said to her, "I'm going! How shall I do it?" His mother told him, "In your going on this journey, do not drink any water while at sea, only while ashore. Also, do not eat any food on the way, but only in the town. Do not perform any call of Nature at sea, only ashore. For, if you do any of these things on the way, you will be unable to return with the name. For, all those who did these things on the way, forgot the name." So Tortoise promised, "Yes, my mother, I shall not do them."

On another day, Tortoise began his journey to Boa, early. He paddled and he paddled, not stopping to eat or drink, until he had gone about two-thirds of the way. Then hunger and thirst and calls of Nature seized him. But he restrained himself, and went on paddling harder and faster. These feelings had seized him about noon; and they ceased an hour later. He continued the journey; and, before four o'clock in the afternoon, had arrived at Boa's. There Tortoise entered Boa's house, and found him sitting. Boa saluted, and said, "Legs rest; but the mouth will not. Wife! bring food for Kudu!" The wife brought food, and Tortoise ate.

Then Boa said to Tortoise, "Tell me what the journey is about." Tortoise told him, "A great hunger is in our place. There also we have two plants; the one,--this is its fruit; and this grass,--the leaves. Are they eaten?" Boa replied, "The tree of this fruit, its name is Bojabi; and it is eaten. But, I, Mbâmâ, here, I eat leaves and drink water; and that is enough for me. These things are the food for All-us Beasts. We have no other food. Go and tell All-the-Beasts so." Tortoise replied, "Yes; it is well."

Then the day darkened, and they slept.

And another day came. And Tortoise began his journey of return to his home. As he went, he sang this song, to help remember the name:--"Njâku! Jaka Njabi. De! De! De!" (Elephant! eat the Bojabi fruit. Straight! Straight! Straight!) The chorus was "Bojabi," And, in each repetition of the line, he changed the name of the animal, thus:--"Nyati! jaka njabi. De! De! De. Bojabi" (Ox! eat the Bojabi fruit. Straight! straight! straight! Bojabi!)

He thus nerved himself to keep straight on in his journey. And, as he went, he kept repeating the chorus. "Bojabi, bojabi! bojabi!"

He had gone about one-third of the way, when a large wave came and upset the canoe, and threw him, pwim! into the water. He clung to the canoe, and the wave carried it and him clear ashore, he still repeating the word, "Bojabi! bojabi!" Ashore, he began to mend the canoe; but, all the while, he continued singing, "Bojabi!" When he had repaired the canoe, he started the journey again, and went on his way, still crying out, "Bojabi!"

By that time, All-the-Beasts had gathered on the beach to wait the coming of Tortoise. He came on and on, through the surf near to the landing-place of the town. As he was about to land, a great wave caught him, njim! and the canoe. But, he still was shouting, "Bojabi!" Though All-the-Beasts heard the word, they did not know what it meant, or why Tortoise was saying it. They ran into the surf, and carried the canoe and Tortoise himself up to the top of the beach. And they, all in a hurry, begged, "Tell us!" He replied, "I will tell you only when in the town." In gladness, they carried him on their shoulders up into the town. Then he said, "Before I tell you, let me take my share of these fruits lying out there in the yard." They agreed; and he carried a large number, hundreds of them, into his house. Then he stated, "Mbâmâ said, 'Its name is Bojabi.'" And All-the-Beasts shouted in unison, "Yes! Bojabi!"

Then they all began to scramble with each other in gathering the fruit; so that Tortoise would have been unable to get any, had he not first taken his share to his mother, whose advice had brought him success.

He also reported to them, "Mbâmâ told me to tell you that himself eats leaves and grass, and drinks water, and is satisfied. For, that is the food of All-the-Beasts."

Had it not been for Boa, the Beasts would not have known about eating leaves. But, though that is so, the diligence and skill, in this affair, was of Tortoise.

So, All-the-Beasts agreed:--"We shall have two Kings, Kudu and Mbâmâ, each at his end of the country. For, the one with his wisdom told what was fit to be eaten; and, the other, with his skill, brought the news."

TALE 15

THE SUITORS OF NJAMBO'S DAUGHTER

Place

In Njambo's Town

Persons

Njambo and His Daughter Ndenga Etoli (House Rat) Njâ (Leopard) Ko (Forest Rat) Nyati (Ox) Kudu (Tortoise) Njâku (Elephant)

NOTE

Africans cut down trees, not at the base, but some 12 or 20 feet up where the diameter is less. They sit in the circle of a rope enclosing the tree and their own body, the rope resting against their backbone at the loins, and their feet braced against the tree trunk.

The reason why Tortoise lives in brooks is his fear of Leopard.

All the Beasts were living long ago in one place, separate from the towns of Mankind; but they had friendship for and married with each other.

Among the towns of Mankind was living a man named Njambo. There was born to him a female child named Ndenga. In the town, at one end of it, there was a very large tree.

Njambo said of his daughter, "This child shall be married only with Beasts." So when the Beasts heard of that one of them, House-Rat, said, "I'm going to marry that woman!" So he went to the father to arrange what things he should pay on the dowry. Njambo said to him, "I do not want goods. But, if any one shall be able to hew down this tree, he shall marry my child."

At once, Rat took the axe that Njambo handed him, and began to hack at the Tree. He tried and tried, but was not able to make the axe enter at all. At last, he wearied of trying and stopped. He said to himself, "If I go to Njambo, and tell him I am unable to do the task, he will kill me." So, he left the axe, at the foot of the tree, and fled to his town.

Njambo waited a while, but seeing no signs of Rat's coming to him to report, himself came to the Tree, and found only the axe, but saw no person. He took up the axe, and went with it back to his house.

Off in the Forest, all-Beasts saw Rat returning, and were surprised that he came alone. They asked him, "Where is the woman?" Rat answered, "I wearied of trying to get the woman, by reason of the greatness of the task of cutting down a tree. So, I gave up the work, and fled, and have come home."

Then all the Beasts derided him, saying, "You like to live in another person's house, and scramble around, and nibble at other people's food, but you are not able to marry a wife!"

Then Forest-Rat said, "I will marry that woman!" So he went to Njambo for the marriage, and came to the town. Njambo said to him, "I do not object to anybody for the marriage, but, I will only test you by that Tree off yonder. If you are willing to hew the Tree, you may marry this woman!"

This Forest-Rat replied, "Yes! I shall wait here today; and will cut down the Tree early tomorrow morning." That day darkened. And Njambo's people cooked food for Forest-Rat as their guest. They all ate; and then they went to lie down to sleep.

Then after awhile, the light of another day began to break.

They arose. And they gave Forest-Rat an axe. He took it, and went to the foot of the Tree. He fastened two cords, with which to climb up to where the Tree was at half its thickness. There he tried to cut the Tree. But he was unable to cut away even the smallest chip. At last he exclaimed, "Ah! brother Etoli is justified! I am not able to cut this tree, because of its hardness."

So, he came down the Tree, and left the axe at the foot, saying, "If I go back to the house of this Man, he will kill me. No! I am fleeing."

When he arrived at his town, the other people asked him, "Where's the woman?" He answered, "The woman is a thing easy to marry, but the Tree was a hard thing to cut."

After waiting awhile for the Forest-Rat, Njambo came to the foot of the Tree; and, seeing the axe lying, took it, and went with it to his House.

Then Leopard tried for the woman; and failed in the same way as the two who preceded him.

Next, Elephant tried, and failed in the same way.

So did Ox in the same way.

And all the other Beasts, one after another, in the same way, wearied of the task for obtaining this woman.

But, there was left still one Beast, Tortoise, that had not made the attempt at the marriage. He stood up, and said, "I will go; and I shall marry that woman at Njambo's town!" Ox heard Tortoise say that; and struck him, saying, "Why! even more so we; and the less so you, to attempt to obtain her!" But Elephant said to Ox, "Let Kudu alone! Let us see him marry the woman!"

So, Tortoise made his journey to Njambo's town, and came there late in the afternoon. He said to Njambo, "I have come to marry your child." Njambo replied, "Well! let it be so!"

Tortoise said to Njambo, "First, call your daughter, to see if she shall like me." When she entered the room, Tortoise asked her, "Do you love me?" She answered, "Yes! I love you with all my heart." This made Tortoise glad; for the woman was very beautiful to look upon. Then Njambo told him, "Kudu, I want no goods for her; only the cutting of the Tree." Tortoise assented, "Yes! I will try."

So they all went to sleep that night.

And then the next day broke.

An hour after sunrise, Njambo called Tortoise, and, showing him the axe, said, "This is the axe for the tree." Tortoise took the axe, and went to the foot of the Tree. He looked at its sides closely, and saw there was a difference in them. He also looked very steadily at the top of the tree. Then he took rattan ropes, and mounted to the middle of the thickness of the Tree. He chose also the side opposite that at which the others had cut. He found it soft when he began to cut; and, at once the chips began to fall to the ground. He had begun the chopping early, and by the middle of the morning, the Tree began to fall. And it fell to the ground with a great crash, nji-i!

Njambo heard the fall of the tree, and he came to see it. And he said to Tortoise, "You have done well, because you have cut down the Tree. But, finish the job by cutting off the top end with its branches. That will leave the trunk clear." Tortoise asked Njambo, "What will you do with the log?" Njambo answered him, "To make a canoe."

So, Tortoise cut off also the end of the Tree with its branches.

Then Njambo told him, "Come on, into the town, to take your wife; because you have cut down the tree; that is the price I asked." The two came to the house in the town; and Njambo brought his daughter to Tortoise, saying, "This is your wife. And I give with the woman these other things." Those things were only different kinds of food.

Tortoise made his journey with his wife towards his town. He journeyed, going, going on, until he had reached half of the way. Then he said to his wife, "What shall I do? For, Njâ is ahead in the way?" The wife replied, "No! go on! I think Njâ will do nothing to us."

Shortly afterward, they met with Leopard in the path. Leopard said to Tortoise, "Ah! Chum! this wife is not proper for you to marry, only with me, Njâ." Tortoise said "No!" But Leopard insisted, "No! I take this one! I will give you another wife in her place." So, he snatched the woman from Tortoise, and ran away with her to his town.

Tortoise went on his way, as he went, crying, till he came to his own village. There Elephant asked him, "Why do you cry as you go? Has Njambo struck you about the affair of the marriage? For, we had heard the news that you had cut down the tree, and had taken the woman. What then is the reason?"

Tortoise answered, "Yes! I married the woman, because I had cut down the Tree. But Njâ took the woman away."

Then Elephant called all the Beasts together to take counsel. He said to them, "What shall we do, because Njâ has taken away the wife of Kudu?" They all replied, "We are all afraid of Njâ. None of us can dare to say anything to him. For, he kills us people. So, our decision is: Let Kudu give up his wife to Njâ."

But Tortoise said, "I am unable to leave her. If it be death, I will die because of my wife."

So, they all dispersed from the house of Tortoise, and went to their own houses.

At that time, Leopard had eight wives.

Tortoise removed from the Town-of-all-the-Beasts, and built a village for himself, about one-and-a-half miles away. He built on the public highway, where passed by all people. He put a very large stone in front of his door-yard, large enough for one to sit down on it. He made also a bench near the stone. And he put a plate with water in it on the ground by the stone. Then he placed a certain magic-medicine on the seat of the bench. And he uttered a Charm: "Let any one else who sits on this seat go free from it. But, if it be Njâ, let him not go from it."

He finished all these things late in the afternoon. The day darkened, and he went to his house, and slept his sleep.

Soon the day broke.

That day, Elephant said, "I'm going to the forest, and my wives with me." As he came on his way, he passed by the street of Tortoise's House. He observed the stone and the bench and the water. He exclaimed, "Ah! I'll sharpen my machete here!" So, he sat down on the bench, and sharpened his machete. Then, went on his way into the forest with his wives.

After a while, Ox came on his journey, and saw the stone and water. He also sat down on the bench, and sharpened his machete. And then went on his way into the forest with his wives.

Soon afterward, Leopard journeyed along with all his eight, and the new one, the ninth, the wife of Tortoise. He came to the house of Tortoise. Looking into the door-yard, he exclaimed, "Ah! good! and fine! that Kudu has prepared these things."

Tortoise was in the house; he saw Leopard coming, and he rejoiced, "Very good! indeed! for the coming of this person." Leopard sat down on the bench, and sharpened his machete on the stone with the water of the plate. His women standing by, waited for him to finish the sharpening. When he had finished, he said, "I will get up, and start the journey again." But, he stuck fast to the bench. He exclaimed, "My women! I am unable to rise! What shall I do?"

The "medicine" on the bench began to sting him like bees. And he cried out, "Ah! I'm dead! For, I am unable to rise!"

Tortoise, coming out into the yard, said to Leopard, "I am the one who caused you this. You will not move thence until you give me back my wife. If you do not, you will remain there a whole month, a whole year."

At this, Leopard felt very much grieved; and he inquired of his women, "The wife of Kudu is here in this company?" The woman answered, "Yes! I'm here." Then Leopard said, "Please, Kudu, take your wife, and remove me from this bench. It hurts me." So, Tortoise took his wife. And he added, "I want also my food you took from us in the path."

Leopard sent a child back to his town in haste to cut plantains. The child went; and the plantains were brought. Tortoise took them, and said, "Njâ! you are done, for your part. I have taken all I owned. But, if I release you, you will kill me, and take again my wife. You shall be released only after I have fled."

So, Tortoise fled with his wife and all his goods into a stream of water. When safely there, he shouted, "Let Njâ remove from that seat!"

At once, Leopard stood up, and was free. And he went back to his town, giving up his intended journey into the forest.

TALE 16

TORTOISE, DOG, LEOPARD AND THE NJABI FRUIT

Persons

Njâ (Leopard) Mbwa (Dog) Kudu (Tortoise) Inâni (A Bird) And Other Beasts

Note: Observe the cannibalism of the human-animals.

At first, all Animals were living in one region. Of these, Tortoise and Dog lived together in one place, and built a town by themselves. But, all the others, Leopard, Hippopotamus, Elephant, Ox, etc., lived together in another place.

After some time, a great famine fell on the part of the country where Tortoise and Dog lived; and they had to seek for any kind of food.

One day Tortoise said to Dog, "I'm going awalking into the forest." So, early at daybreak, he started off to seek for mushrooms. All those other Beasts that were living together had a kind of tree called Bojabi, bearing a very large heavy fruit called Njabi. And they had all agreed, "There are no other Animals, but our own companies, who shall eat of the fruit of this Tree." They were accustomed, whenever they had eaten of this fruit, to go to an adjacent prairie, to play.

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."