Part 19

He went on his journey, on, on, on, on, until the town of the Tooth. Said he, "Here's your Hova!" The Tooth requested, "Tell me the news from there." The Gourd whispered to Tooth, "Let this worthless fellow be! Let him go! He did not marry a real woman. So, he is not a person."

The man at once went on with his journey, continuously, until he came to the spring by his own town. Said he, "Let me bathe!" He put down the chest, and threw his body with a plunge, into the water. He bathed himself thoroughly, and emerged on the bank. Then he said to himself, "Now, then, let me open the chest!" The key clicked, and the chest opened. A sick woman stepped out! He demanded, "Who brought you here?" She replied, "You." Said he in astonishment, "I?" "Yes," answered she. He, in anger, said, "Go back! Do not come at all to the town!" He at once started to go to the town; and the woman slowly followed.

There were two children who were going to the spring. As they went, they met with her; and they cried out in fear, "Aye! aye! aye! a Ghost! aye!" And they went back together in haste to the town. The town's-people asked them, "What's the matter?" They said, "Come! there's a Ghost at the spring!" The woman continued slowly coming. Other children said, "Let us go! Does a Ghost come in the daytime? That is not so!"

As they came on the path, they met her. They asked her, "Who has married you?" She replied, "Isn't it Njâ?" The children excitedly cried out shrilly, "A! lâ! lâ!" They went back quickly to the town, saying, "Come ye! see the wife of Njâ!" The town emptied itself to go and see her. And they inquired of her, "Who is it who has married you?" She answered, "Is it not Njâ?" And the shrill cry of surprise rose again, "A! lâ! lâ! lâ!"

When they reached the town, Njâ rose in anger from his house, picked up his spear, stood facing them, and threatened with his spear, "This is it!"

He passed by them into the back-yard, and changed his body to that of a new kind of beast, with spots all over his skin. At once he stooped low on four legs; and thrust out his claws; and begun a fight with the people of the town, as a Leopard. Then he went, leaping off into the Forest.

From there, he kept the name "Njâ," and has continued his fight with Mankind. The hatred between leopards and mankind dates from that time. Some of the people of that country had said to Mbuma-Tyetye that he would not be able to marry at the town of the Spirits, and had tried to hinder him. But he did go, and succeeded in marrying a daughter of Njambu-ya-Mekuku; while Njâ, attempting to do the same, and not waiting for advice from his brother, and treating with disrespect the Spirits on the way, failed.

TALE 34

A SNAKE'S SKIN LOOKS LIKE A SNAKE

Persons

Bokeli, Son of Njambe-Ya-Manga Jâmbâ, Daughter of Njambe-Ya-Madiki Ko (Wild Rat) Mbindi (Wild Goat) Etungi, A Town Idler Kuba (Chicken)

NOTE

Bokeli was like a snake. When a snake changes and throws off his old skin, that slough, when it is left lying at any place, is almost as fearful to see, as the snake itself.

The list of the dowry goods for Jâmbâ is a good illustration of native exaggeration.

Njambe-of-the-Interior begot a daughter called Jâmbâ. And Njambe-of-the-Sea-Coast begot a son called Bokeli.

Many men arrived at the town of Njambe-of-the-Interior, asking Jâmbâ for marriage. There they were killed (Njambe's people were cannibals), not being able to fulfill the tests to which they were subjected. So, people said, "Jâmbâ will not be married!"

Finally Bokeli, the son of Njambe-of-the-Sea-Coast, said, "I am going to take Jâmbâ for marriage." He prepared for his journey; he went; and he arrived at the town. He at once entered into the public Reception-House, and sat down. There the people of the town exclaimed, "A fine-looking man!" And they saluted him, "Mbolo!" The young women at once went to tell Jâmbâ, saying, "What a fine-looking man has come to marry you!"

Previous to this, the mother of Jâmbâ, who was lame with sores, was lying in the house. If a prospective son-in-law laughed in her presence, she would say to her husband, "He is mocking at me!" Then that visitor would die. All the men who had come there to marry, were killed in that way.

Before this (as Bokeli understood the speech of all Beasts and of Birds) when he entered into the Reception-House, a Cock in the town spoke to him, and said, "If your hope for food rests on me, you will not eat! I will not be killed for you; neither shall you eat at all!" Also a loin of Wild-Goat meat, hanging in the kitchen, said, "For me, you will not eat!"

But Njambe (who had overheard the Cock, and who was thinking of food for his guest) ordered, "Today, catch ye Kuba!" But Cock ran off to the forest. Then the people said, "Take the leg of Mbindi!" The leg of Wild-Goat protested, "I?" And it rotted. They sought some other thing to cook for Bokeli; but, there was nothing. So, Njambe sent his sons hunting to kill wild beasts.

Then, the mother of Jâmbâ called for Bokeli, saying, "He must come; let me see him." So, he entered into her house, and he sat down. They began to converse. It was but a little while then that the mother said to her daughter, "Search for me on the drying frame (over the fire-place); you will find Ko there; take it for the guest, and cook it." The Wild-Rat spoke, saying, "If it is I, he will not possibly eat!"

At this, Bokeli broke into a laugh. The mother was displeased, and said, "You are laughing at me!" Bokeli replied, "No!" But, the woman flung into a rage, and threw herself down on the ground, ndi! She exclaimed, "Ah! Njambe! He laughed at me! Catch him! And let him go to die!"

They laid hold of him, and brought him out of the house. They were about to go a little further to the end of the town, when he suddenly pretended he was a corpse, and leaving his body, his spirit went back home, and assumed another body. They became quiet, all of them being startled. When they moved him, he was as cold as cold victuals. They said, "What shall we do here?" Some of them advised, "Let us take Jâmbâ and this corpse, and let us go together to his father, and explain, 'Bokeli is dead, but this woman is his wife.'" Others said, "What! lest his father will kill us!" Then they decided, "Not so! but, let us send as messenger some Etungi (useless person; no loss if he should be killed) to the father's town."

The Etungi went on that errand. When he arrived at Bokeli's town, he met Bokeli sitting at the village smithy, and, not recognizing him, was intending to pass him by. Thereupon, Bokeli called to him, "Brother-in-law! what are you doing? You have found me sitting here, but you seem about to entirely pass me by. Though all your family do not like me, come in to the Reception-House." The Etungi thought to himself, "Ah! I am dead! Is not this a brother of Bokeli?" Bokeli called to his mother, and told her, "Bring out that food of mine quickly that is there! My brother-in-law has come; he feels hungry!"

They set the food as soon as possible. And the Etungi ate.

Bokeli asked him, "Where are you going to?" The Etungi replied, "I'm on my way going to tell Njambe that his son Bokeli is dead." Bokeli said to him, "This is I." Then he gave the Etungi a shirt and a cloth and a hat, as proofs of his reality.

The Etungi returned to his town. And he reported to the people in the town, "Bokeli is not dead; I met him at the bellows, working." They thought he was lying, and they said, "Let him be beaten!" But the Etungi replied, "True! see ye this shirt, and the cloth, and this hat!" He added, "He that doubts must first go and see."

Then went Kombe. When he arrived, he found Bokeli at the bellows. When Bokeli saw him coming, he arose at once, and went to his mother in the house; he seized a machete, and cut down a plantain bunch, yo! And he said to his mother, "Make haste to cook it!"

Kombe had by that time entered the Reception-House. Bokeli welcomed him, sa-a! and said, "Sit down!" Kombe sat down. Food had been cooked; and he ate. Kombe then says, "I'm going back!" Bokeli at once put down at his feet the dowry for Jâmbâ, cloths, shirts, hats, etc, etc. Kombe carried away the things. And having arrived at his town, he says, "It is true!"

Their father Njambe directed, "Come ye! over there with a present as a propitiation!" Then he gathered goats, fowls, ducks, plantains, dried meats, fishes, all sorts and kinds. He ordered, "Make ye a bier, and carry the corpse. I am going, even if I die!" (He still had a doubt about the real Bokeli.) They did so. They carried the presents, and they went, going on the journey.

When those in front had arrived at the half-way of the road, the father said to his children, "You must now remain here. I shall first go to the town. If you hear a sound of guns, you will know that I am killed; then ye must go back." The father Njambe took Jâmbâ to accompany him, and his wives with him.

When Bokeli saw them coming, at once the cannon were loaded, and were fired in a salute of welcome, and all the guns and musical instruments sounded, and people saying, "The bride is come!"

The children of Njambe who were left on the way, when they heard the sounds of the cannons and guns, said to themselves that their father was killed, and they scattered and hid themselves. But he hastily started and went back to the place where he had left them; and he found nobody there. He called them; and they came out of their hiding. He commanded, "Throw away this thing (the supposed corpse); take up the goods; come to the town of Bokeli."

Then they went to the town. They found Jâmbâ and her husband Bokeli sitting and playing. And they were treated with much kindness. Oxen and pigs were killed; they ate; they drank; and had great fun and very much enjoyment.

Njambe-of-the-Interior then said that he was ready to journey back to his town. But his friend Njambe-of-the-Sea-Coast said, "Not today, but tomorrow in the morning; then I will give you the dowry."

On the next day, they delivered the dowry; five millions of spear-heads (an iron currency); knives also, a million; one thousand hats; one thousand shirts; one hundred cloths; bags and trunks one hundred; bales of all kinds of white man's things; and native things in abundance; cattle also in abundance. Then they went away with them to their town.

And Bokeli and Jâmbâ remained in the seaside town with their marriage.

PART THIRD

FANG TRIBE

FOREWORD

In this Part, are tales told me by an old Batanga man, of the Banâkâ Tribe. He could not give me the time to come to my room, and tell me, sentence by sentence, as the other two narrators had done. But, having some education, he wrote the stories in his native language, and, at my leisure, I translated them. The translation is literal, except when the short phrases, clear to native thought, would have been an imperfect sentence to an English eye; or, where an allusion to well-known native customs, perfectly obvious to a native, would have been obscure to most readers. In such cases, I have sacrificed to clearness the concise native idiom. To a student of higher criticism, the sentences which are mine will reveal themselves. In my literal translations of the native, I have used very simple short words, mostly of Anglo-Saxon origin. In my own paraphrases, words of Latin origin have appeared.

Some tales of this Part are of Fang origin from the Bulu Tribe of the interior. My Batanga friend told me he heard them from Bulu people visiting at the Coast, and he wrote them as they were then current on the coast. After I had translated them from his Banâkâ vernacular, I found, and pointed out to him, that some of them had already been printed in Fang, as specimens of Bulu idioms, in a published Grammar of the Bulu-Fang Language ("Handbook of Bulu, by G. S. Bates"). This explanation is proper to be made, that while, unknown to me, Mr. Bates was collecting direct from his Bulu informants in the interior, my Batanga friend had collected for me, from his Bulu visitors; and the tales were in my possession, translated into English by myself, before I saw Mr. Bates' book, or even knew of its existence.

TALE 1

CANDOR

Persons

Ngiya (Gorilla) Ingenda (A Small Monkey)

Gorilla, among all Beasts, was derided and jeered at by them. They called him "Broken-face."

So, he spoke to Ingenda of the Monkey Tribe, and ordered it, "Just examine for me this face of mine; whether it is really so, you tell me." The monkey was afraid to refuse, and afraid also to tell the truth. So it ascended a tree; and, as it went, it plucked the fruits. It said to Gorilla, "I must first eat before answering your question; I feel hungry." (As an excuse to give itself time to escape.)

So Ingenda went; and, by the time it had eaten two of the fruits, it was near the tree-top. Then it called to Gorilla "Look here! with your face turned upward." So the Gorilla looked, with its face upward. And Ingenda, being in a safe place, acknowledged, "It is really so, really so." Gorilla was angry; but was helpless to revenge itself on Ingenda for its candid statement; for, he had no way by which to catch him. And Ingenda went off, leaping as it went from tree-top to tree-top.

TALE 2

WHICH IS THE BETTER HUNTER, AN EAGLE OR A LEOPARD?

Persons

Mbela (Eagle) Nje (Leopard)

Eagle and Leopard had a discussion about obtaining prey.

Eagle said, "I am the one who can surpass you in preying." Leopard said, "Not so! Is it not I?"

Then Eagle said, "Wait; see whether you are the one to surpass me in preying." Thereupon he descended from above, seized a child of Leopard, and flew up with it to his nest.

Leopard exclaimed, "Alas! what shall I do?" And he went, and went, walking about, coming to one place, and going to another, wishing to fly in order to go to the rescue of his child. He could not fly, for want of wings; therefore it was the other one who flew up and away.

So it was that the eagle proved that he surpassed the leopard in seeking prey.

TALE 3

A LESSON IN EVOLUTION

Persons

Unyunge (The Shrew-Mouse) Po (A Lemur)

NOTE

The development of the Shrew's long nose, and of the Lemur's big eyes.

Shrew and Lemur were neighbors in the town of Beasts. At that time, the Animals did not possess fire. Lemur said to Shrew, "Go! and take for us fire from the town of Mankind." Shrew consented, but said, "If I go, do not look, while I am gone, toward any other place except the path on which I go. Do not even wink. Watch for me."

So Shrew went, and came to a Town of Men; and found that the people had all emigrated from that town. Yet, he went on, and on, seeking for fire; and for a long time found none. But, as he continued moving forward from house to house, he at last found a very little fire on a hearth. He began blowing it; and kept on blowing, and blowing; for, the fire did not soon ignite into a flame. He continued so long at this that his mouth extended forward permanently, with the blowing.

Then he went back, and found Lemur faithfully watching with his eyes standing very wide open. Shrew asked him, "What has made your eyes so big?" In return, Lemur asked him, "What has so lengthened your mouth to a snout?"

TALE 4

PARROT STANDING ON ONE LEG

Persons

Njâku (Elephant) Koho (Parrot) Iwedo (Death)

NOTE

In former times, in the days of Witchcraft, it was the custom not to bury a corpse until the question was settled who or what had caused the death. This investigation sometimes occupied several days; during which time decomposition was hindered by the application of salt, and even by drying the remains in the smoke of a fire.

Elephant built his own town; and Parrot built also his.

Then the children of Parrot went a-hunting every day; and when they came back, the town had wild meat in abundance, hida! hida!

One day Elephant announced, "I must go on an excursion to the town of Chum Koho." He arrived there and found him, with that fashion of his, of standing with one leg bent up under his feathers hidden. His friend Elephant asked him, "Chum! what have you done to your leg?" He answered him (falsely), "My children have gone with it a-hunting." Elephant being astonished said, "On your oath?" He replied, "Truly!"

Then Elephant said, "I came to see you, only to see. I'm going back." The other said, "Yes; very good."

Elephant returned to his town, and said to his children, "Arrange the nets today; tomorrow for a hunt!"

The next day, the children made ready. And he, ashamed that a small Bird should do a greater act than himself said, "Take ye a saw, and cut off my leg." His children did not hesitate at his command, as they were accustomed to implicit obedience. So, they cut it off; and they carried with them, as he directed, the leg, on their hunt.

When they were gone, to their father Elephant came Death, saying, "I have arrived!" People of the town cried for help, "Come ye! Njâku is not well!" But, the children were beyond hearing, being still away at the hunt. During their absence, Elephant died. When they arrived, they found their father a corpse.

People wondered, saying, "What is this? Since we were born, we have not heard this, that hunting is carried on with the legs of one who remains behind in the town." When others, coming to the funeral, from other towns, asked the children, "Who was the person who counseled you such advice as that?" they said, "Himself it was who told us; he said to us 'Cut.' So we cut."

Then, on farther investigation, the people said, "The blame belongs to Koho," so, they called Parrot to account. But, Parrot said, "It is not mine. I did not tell him to cut off his leg." So, the charge was dismissed. And the burial proceeded.

TALE 5

A QUESTION OF RIGHT OF INHERITANCE

Persons

Utati-Mboka (A Sparrow) Koho (Parrot) A Man

NOTE

Sparrow based his claim on the grounds of companionship, and community of interests.

Parrot's claim is based on a very common line of argument in native disputes not only about property, but in all questions of liability.

Parrot and Sparrow argued about their right to inherit the property that a Man had left.

The Sparrow said, "The Man and I lived all our days in the same town. If he moved, I also moved. Our interests were similar. At whatever place he went to live, there also I stood in the street."

The Parrot spoke, and based his claim on the ground that he was the original cause of the Man's wealth. He said, "I was born in the tree-tops; then the Man came and took me, to live with him.

"When my tail began to grow, he and his people took my feathers; With which they made a handsome head-dress; Which they sold for very many goods; With which they bought a wife; And that woman bore daughters; Who, for much money, were sold into marriages; And their children also bore other children; Wherefore, for that reason, it is that I say that I caused for them all these women, and was the foundation of all this wealth."

This was what Parrot declared.

So, the people decided, "Koho is the source of those things." And he was allowed to inherit.

TALE 6

TORTOISE COVERS HIS IGNORANCE

Persons

Kudu (Tortoise) Iheli (Gazelle) Nje (Leopard) A Vine

NOTE

It is customary for men to do some service for their fathers and mothers-in-law.

Tortoise arose and went to the town of his father-in-law Leopard. Leopard sent him on an errand, saying, "Go, and cut for me utamba-mwa-Ivâtâ." (The fiber of a vine is used for making nets.)

Then he went. But, while he still remembered the object, he forgot the name of the kind of Vine that was used for that purpose. And he was ashamed to confess his ignorance. So, he came back to call the people of the town, and said, "Come ye and help me! I have enclosed Iheli in a thicket."

The people came, and at once they made a circle around the spot. But when they closed in, they saw no beasts there.

Then Tortoise called out, "Let someone of you cut for me, utamba-mwa-Ivâtâ." (As if that was the only thing needed to catch the animal which he had said was there.)

Thereupon, his brother-in-law cut for him a vine which he brought to him, saying, "Here is an Ihenga vine which we use for making nets." Whereupon Tortoise exclaimed, "Is it possible that it was the Ihenga vine that I mistook?"

TALE 7

A QUESTION AS TO AGE

Persons

Asanze (A Shrike) Kudu (Tortoise) And other Animals Njâbâ (Civet) Uhingi (Genet) Edubu (Snake)

NOTE

Differences in age as revealed by differences in taste for food.

Shrike was a blacksmith. So, all the Beasts went to the forge at his town. Each day, when they had finished at the anvil, they took all their tools and laid them on the ground (as pledges). Before they should go back to their towns, they would say to the Bird, "Show us which is the eldest, and then you give us the things, if you are able to decide our question."

He looked at and examined them; but he did not know, for they were all apparently of the same age; and they went away empty-handed, leaving their tools as a challenge. Every day it was that same way.

On another day, Tortoise being a friend of the Bird, started to go to work for him at the bellows. Also, he cooked three bundles of food; one of Civet with the entrails of a red Antelope; and one of Genet; and one of an Edubu-Snake. (Suited for different tastes and ages.) Then he blew at the bellows.

When the others were hungry at meal time, Tortoise took up the jomba-bundles; and he said, "Come ye! take up this jomba of Njâbâ with the entrails, and eat." (They were the old ones who chose to come and eat it.)

Again Tortoise said, "Come ye! take up the jomba of Uhingi." (They were the younger men who chose to pick it up and eat it.)

He then took up the jomba of the Snake. And he said, "Come ye! and take of the jomba of Edubu." (Those who took it were the youngest.)

After awhile they all finished their work at the bellows. They still left their tools lying on the ground, and came near to the Bird, and they said, as on other occasions, "Show us who is the eldest."

Then Tortoise at the request of the Bird, announced the decision, as if it was its own, "Ye who ate of the Njâbâ are the ones who are oldest; ye who ate of Uhingi are the ones who are younger men; and ye who ate of the Edubu are the ones who are the youngest."

So, they assented to the decision, and took away their belongings.

TALE 8

ABUNDANCE: A PLAY ON THE MEANING OF A WORD

Persons

A Hunter; Man Mbindi (Wild Goat) A Dwarf, with Magic-Power Bwinge (Abundance, or "More") Ngweya (Hog) Ungumba (Riches)

NOTE

The Man's patience finally brought to him the Plenty which was promised him.

"Bwinge" might be the name of a person or of a thing; or, it could be the "abundance" for which the hunter hoped.

There was a certain Man who was very poor; he had no goods with which to buy a wife. He went one day into the forest to set snares. On the morrow, he went off to examine them; and found a Wild-Goat caught in the snares. He rejoiced and said, "I must eat Mbindi today!"

But the Wild-Goat said to that Man, "Let me alone, Bwinge is coming after awhile."

So, the Man, thinking that "Bwinge" was the name of some other and more desirable animal, at once let the Wild-Goat loose, and went off to his town. On the next day, the Man went to examine the snare, to see whether Bwinge was there, and found Hog caught fast in the net. And he exclaimed, "I must eat Ngweya today!"

But the Hog said, "Let me go. Bwinge is coming." The man at once left the Hog, (still thinking that many more were coming); and it went away.

The Man wondered, and said to himself, "What Thing is it that is named 'Bwinge'?"