Her lover replied, “Over there where we’re going is far. Therefore, don’t follow me!”
“Koo,” she said, “my dear, since you’ve already loved me, I love you. Over there where you really stay, where you come from …”
He said, “Ee?”
She said, “You and I are going there.”
Then they went. While they were going, they came to a small stream and they crossed it. He had a kola nut; he split it and gave part to her and kept part himself. So they went a while longer …
Audience: Don’t tell lies
Storyteller III: If I’m lying, when frogs make their croaking … I’ll stop there, I’ll say no more.
Then they crossed a small stream, and he split the kola va, and he gave his girl her own, and he kept his own. Then he said, “Don’t go back!”
She said, “I won’t go back.” So they went on. They went on a long way, then va, a chain came down from the sky. Yoyoyoyo, it came down.
He said, “Girl …”
She said, “Ee?”
He said, “With this chain, you and I will go to that town.”
She said, “Ee.”
He said, “Hold this chain well.”
She said, “Ee.”
He said, “Hold on to my waist tightly. I’ll hold this chain, and you hold me tightly, hold on to my waist tightly. If one lets go of this chain, he’ll fall and die.”
So he held that chain and said:
JeNG jeNG jeNG jeNG jeNG
Ma jeNG ki jeNG
JeNG jeNG jeNG jeNG jeNG
Ma jeNG ki jeNG
Let’s hold the rope well, let’s go.
I told you long ago
My destination is Bugbalee.
JeNG jeNG jeNG
Ma jeNG ki jeNG.
Let’s hold the rope well, let’s go.
He would say, “Let me say to you …”
She said, “Ee?”
He said, “When you joined me, as we were going, I explained to you that when we reach that town, if you see a frog, or an earthworm, or a person with sores, or a sick person, or a leper, and if they come up to you with joy, you must greet them. You must not back away; do you understand?”
She said, “Ee.”
He said, “You must not back away, do you understand?”
She said, “Ee.”
He said, “Do you understand?”
She said, “Ee.”
JeNG jeNG jeNG
Ma jeNG ki jeNG
Let’s hold the rope well; let’s go.
They continued going; they continued going; they continued going; they reached a town like Mattru is now. They reached there and he said, “You see that town there?”
She said, “Ee.”
He said, “Love …”
She said, “Ee.”
He said, “I told you we love each other. For three days I stayed in your town, you said you and I should come; I said, ‘don’t come,’ I said, ‘my sleeping place is far:’ you came closer, KoniiiNG. Now, as we’re going [to the town], if you see a person with a sore, or a frog, or a worm, if it comes to you jogba jogba [saying] my wife has come! Mother has come! Something has come!,’ don’t back away! If you back away from them, you’ll be severely punished.”
JeNG jeNG jeNG
Ma jeNG ki jeNG
Let’s hold the rope well; let’s go.
KpuNGame, they arrived in the town. People rushed to them: Kpi, you’ll see that one coming, tiNG, big balls is coming diNGde, all sorts are coming [shouting]: “Our wife! Our brother has come with our wife. Our brother is coming …”
Then that one came and she hugged him, vigba, they embraced. Then that one came, vigba, they embraced. Then that one came, vigba …
They entered the house, kote. He said to her, “I said to you …”
She said, “Ee?”
He said, “If my real mother who bore me, if you see her and if she has a sore, if she has a sore on her and there is nowhere that pus doesn’t come out of her, and blood comes out of her, don’t back away from it, okay? Whatever sort of person comes, even a leper, remain seated. If she cooks food and gives it to you, don’t back away from it, okay? Whatever sort of person comes, even a leper, remain seated. If she cooks food and gives it to you, don’t back away from it, okay?”
She said, “Yes.”
When she went, they all did [as he has said] with her. One month finished there, kpoNGjoNG. Behold—all those people were good people!
So at daybreak her husband’s mother said to her, “Young lady, boil a little water so I might wash, okay?”
Then she boiled that water and she gave it to her. She washed with it. She showed her woman’s strength for three days. Twice she brought the boiled water. On the third day she said, “Girl …”
She replied, “Ee?”
She said, “This water you’ve boiled for me so I could wash. Go in that forest now. You’ll really see a wood which is very hard, like this nikii whip; it’s really tough klekle.
She replied, “Ee.”
She said, “You break it. Shake the leaves off, tie it tightly and come with it. Then you wash this sore, treat it seNG, and then strike it voli. When you see something jump out at you, that will be yours.”
Then that girl left her washing and cut that thing—that nikii whip—quickly. She came with it. She cleaned the leaves off, poli; she tied it like the koogba bundle which Wunde Society people had long ago. When she came to that sore, she whipped it; she whipped it, toNG-joNG. A gold ring which was the first on a chain jumped out. ToNG-joNG: iron boxes, three iron boxes which were huge jumped out; all the iron boxes were her own. She went back and she whipped it again. She got that thing, that leopard’s tooth, which if you had long ago, you were rich. So they lifted that big box, and the girl got up then, and she went with it to her house.
Then he said to her, “Yombo …”
She said, “Ee?”
He said, “When you take leave of me (your leaving-time is approaching), let me tell you: don’t spoil things! When you take leave of me (your leave-time approaching), I’ll report it to my family. When you go …” She said, “Ee?”
He said, “That box in that house, that iron box, if you see a very, very dirty one … are you listening?—don’t pick out the shiny one! Okay?”
She said, “Ee.”
He said, “Don’t pick out the shiny one! Okay?”
(Cowives’ jealousy is what I’m getting to now.)
She said she agreed. They slept two nights. On the third she was going. So he went and arranged her leave-taking with his family.
He said, “This girl who came accompanying me says she is leaving now.”
They said, “Koo—Kpana, let’s sleep on this. At daybreak we’ll discuss it.”
In the morning the girl washed herself completely. She brought her own mother-in-law’s water and she washed. They said, “Let’s go there.”
Behold this they had built, a round house. It was a round house they had built. There is a center pole, one hundred people could sit on that seat around that pole. People of olden times used wood like that over there to circle a pillar with a seat.
So they crowded about venjeNG. They said to her, “Come and sit.” Then they gave her a chair. They said, “My dear …”
She said, “Ee?”
“Our brother has come with you, but you say you are bidding us goodbye, you are going. Therefore, of those boxes standing there, which ones do you want to go back with?”
Then she pointed at one dirty one. So they took that one and set it over there. Then she pointed at another, and they took it and set it over there. Then she pointed at another, and they took it and set it over there. All three boxes, they are really boxes. Those who don’t lie say that box—those three boxes—which that person pointed at stretched from here to that bridge over there. As for me, who am a liar … well, I’ll stop there.
Then she went. The road they had gone on long ago was very far; her journey wasn’t short.
One mile—that second one—then chachala she jumped out there. Her family cried out; they were very happy; they were very happy; they were very happy.
Her cowife and her own child are there. (This fornicating we’re doing, we and these women are doing it … the ending of jealousy is what I’m getting at now …) That girl handed over those gifts to her family—goats … all sorts of things—my father, that family was now rich! That woman nagged her child all the time, “Look at your mate. You’re forever looking to get laid, but you get nothing for it. Look at your mate, she and you from one house! Those fellows came long ago, you hung around with them, but now she comes back with all that wealth for her family!”
God Almighty said, “This [affair]—yes, I’ll also see the end of this!”
After a short time, another dance was held again. Wujugu, a lot of people came again to that dance. When they came feNG, her child hung around with that fellow. Her own now, he too slept for two nights. On the third …
Audience: Was it the same fellow?
Storyteller III: No, it was another. They slept for two nights. She said, “Let’s you and I go.”
“Let’s you and I go.”
“Koo,” he said, “girl, don’t go!”
“Sweetie, my dear,” she said, “let’s you and I go there.”
He said, “Don’t go!”
“My dear,” she said, “as I’ve said, let’s go there!”
They went far. As they were going he said:
Swing me gently vio, swing me gently-o.
A chain was entwined around her. I’ll sing this song:
Swing me gently vio, swing me gently-o.
It was a chain. You know how quick tricks are!
Swing me gently vio, swing me gently-o.
Kunje, they jumped down and landed in the town. Behold the town over there.
He said, “Girl …”
She said, “Ee?”
He said, “When we go there, you and I, you will see sick people. You will see a worm, you will see a millipede, you will see all sorts of things. Don’t back away from them! Do you understand?”
She said, “Ee.”
He said, “Now that we’re reaching the town, have you understood me?”
She said, “Ee.”
He said, “You’ve seen the town, have you understood me?”
She said, “Ee.”
He said, “This instruction I’m giving you, don’t disregard it!”
Swing me gently vio, swing me gently-o.
Swing me gently vio, swing me gently-o.
Kunje, they landed in the town—“Our brother’s come with our wife!”
“Koo,” she said, “what the hell is this? Good heavens, my dear family, look at these nasty things—the filth I’ve entered into—ah, this screwing around will really throw someone’s head off! God Almighty, don’t let such filth get on me here.”
While she sits there then a person comes, his balls swinging tiNGbeNG. “Koo,” she says, “what kind of dangerous thing is coming?”
Since she came as a guest they cooked food that night. They cooked food and gave it to her. She ate it, “haaaa” (she was vomiting). On the third day she still hadn’t eaten. The fellow said, “This marriage is bothersome to me.”
“Koo,” she said, “my dear, my dear, if it’s like this here, since you brought me here, then try to help me for I’m going. I’m returning tomorrow.”
The fellow said, “Is that right?”
She said, “Ee!”
He said, “Let me report this tomorrow to my family since you’re going back.”
That night he reported to his family, he did everything seNG. He said, “This girl I came with wants to return; therefore, I’m reporting to you.”
The people again said, “We agree.”
At daybreak the following day, as the dawn was breaking, they filled their huge round house full to the top: kpa. Then they said to her, “Girl, you came with our brother, you and he came and we loved you boundlessly, yet, nonetheless, you’re going back. From among all these boxes …”
She said, “Ee?”
They said, “… take your heart’s choice. The one you choose you may take and go with.”
Then her head went like this, she showed her choice like this: “That’s it. I want that very shiny one with gold rubbed all over it, the one with gold rubbed all over it!” (Really, if you didn’t squint your eyes, or when you open them, if you didn’t squeeze them hard, you wouldn’t be able to set your eyes on it.)
So he took that one and he set it aside. Then she looked at another and he set it aside. Her mate had taken three but she took four! They set them on her head …
Swing me gently vio, swing me gently-o.
Swing me gently vio, swing me gently-o.
She’s gone. Behold—she’s gone.
Kule: suddenly she reached the town. Her mother said, “Oyaya, my child …” That huge box, ngwungwungwungwungwu (they struggled to pick it up).
Audience: Will they be rich soon?
Storyteller III: Ah, my family, those boxes, none of the people could set their eyes on them unless they hung a cloth before their eyes. Then they could set their eyes on them.
Audience I: Manungo, why didn’t he, her husband or lover, explain about those boxes to her?
Audience 2: She didn’t listen to his words so he didn’t explain to her … don’t make her go backwards!
Storyteller III: They went and spent the day; then they slept the night gbu. At dawn then she assembled her family like a wife who has returned from her husband’s place laden with gifts her man had given her. Audience: Just her family?
Storyteller III: Mm-m. Just her family. Then that girl said, “My family, let’s lock our house up tightly.” So they locked up the house tightly. They closed their bedroom doors tightly kpaNG kpaNG kpaNG. Like our house is right now closed kpaNG, so it was the same with their own. Then that person opened the big boxes and all those Things’ teeth were like this. They killed them all! They cut their heads off!
Ah, therefore, to have your eyes set on a thing is not good. I’ve heard that little story and I’ve told it. My story now reaches to you …
—Mende
Part II
Stories to Discuss and Even Argue About
Introduction
T
hese are short stories about the moral aspect of behaving, told to initiate deep discussion on important topics, for example, how to live within the family and the community. They focus closely on the fundamental and recurrent problems of social relations: the qualities of love, the nature of obedience, the ethics of choice under stress conditions.
But, in spite of the fact that they deal with everyday problems, these are among the most fanciful and even ridiculous tales in this book. They epitomize the central paradox of hearing, reading, and dealing with stories, because they are fictions about truths—a contradiction that does not go unrecognized by their critical African audiences. These tales are subject to the same criteria of judgment as the wonder tales and the heroic stories. If any narrative is badly told, this will seem to the audience to compromise the continuity of group tradition. The community will respond with judgments that impugn the veracity, as well as the fluency of the storyteller. From the perspective of the listeners, truth will out, as much from an eloquent and lively recounting, as from an appeal to experience.
This chapter brings together two types of short narrative that appear to be diametrically opposed. The first eighteen are dilemma tales, tales without an end; the rest are profound moral examples, stories that explicate a lesson, or answer a central question. The two types are discussed in different contexts, the latter, in those situations in which a purportedly wiser person speaks to those less knowledgeable in the ways of the world; the former among cohorts of equal experience and power.
Because dilemma or enigma tales are, as I have argued, both characteristically Black African and atypical of the stories usually found in tale collections, it seems u
seful to briefly describe the situations in which these stories arise.
Virtue, in the context of African storytelling, resides both in the ability to argue eloquently and in the ability to demonstrate a command of tradition. In arguments over the problems set by the stories, it cannot be stressed too strongly that it is the flow of the discussion that counts, not the finding of a solution. Through argument, the customary practices of the community are rehearsed and celebrated. When the Kpelle of Sierra Leone, for instance, gather together to tell tales like this, the argument that follows the story is pursued by extended analogies with everyday activities.
Each person tries to put his interpretation of the situation “in the best possible light. There is no argument over the facts of the case, but over the interpretation.” Decision-making becomes “something of a corporate process.” Finally, this discussion comes to a halt, not because a definitive response is given by someone, but rather because “an influential town elder … expresses the concerns of the group,” to which everybody assents because of his eloquent summation.1
These “folk problems” are reported in a range of styles, from that of the wonder tale, as in “An Eye for an Eye,” or “The Contest of Riddles,” to the typical dilemma tale, as in “Leopard, Goat, and Yam” (an African version of a classic logical puzzle).
Because most of the stories have claims for superior virtue or power embedded within them, in a sense they reflect the argumentative context of their telling. The moral tales, like the dilemma tales, are short and sharp. Their message, however, is usually clear, and often epigrammatic. Most of these are domestic dramas, focusing on questions arising from the mishandling of relationships or problems brought about through misfortune.
Many of the moral stories reflect upon the condition of the community and family under stress: how people act when they don’t have enough to eat. Perhaps most important here is the emphasis placed on the sharing of food, usually illustrated by the selfishness of one character or another. Thus, in “Rich Man, Poor Man,” the disparity between the two is illustrated by their approach to sharing; and in “Finders Keepers” the action is instigated by a theft of food (the monitor lizard claims to have “found” it).
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