African Myths and Folk Tales
Page 9
“Oh, do let me out, dear jackal, do let me out!” shouted the little antelope in anguish, having found out too late that he had allowed himself to be trapped by the stupid jackal.
“Not yet, my friend. I am too busy. Look at all the wood I have to pile up to roast you.”
The Antelope escapes from the Jackal.
And he went on piling up wood while the little antelope retired to the deepest recess of the hollow, trying to think of some way to escape. When the jackal had all the wood he wanted, he went to the tree and shouted!
“Halloo, antelope!” he shouted again, “are you there?”
“No,” answered the little antelope.
“What!” exclaimed the jackal furiously, “how can you say that?”
“I am not telling a falsehood; I am not here.”
“But are you sure of that?” asked the jackal anxiously.
“Well,” giggled the little antelope, “who should know better than I? But if you doubt, take a look.”
In all haste the jackal removed the twigs and then the stone; as soon a he had done so the little antelope threw some dirt into his eyes, and while the jackal was trying to remove it the little antelope slipped out of the tree. The blinded jackal soon was banging his head against the stone, against the tree, and tumbling over the twigs, while the antelope was running home as fast as he could.
Good Traits
If one knows thee not or a blind man scolds thee, do not get angry.
He who forgives ends the quarrel.
Hope is the pillar of the world.
At the bottom of patience there is heaven.
Patience is the best of qualities; he who possesses it has all things.
Property is the prop of life.
A wealthy man always has followers.
If one does good, God will interpret it to him for good.
The coming year is not out of sight, let us be up and work.
The Leopard and the Hare
Once upon a time there was some trouble between a leopard and a hare. The leopard had cheated the hare of his goat. As the leopard could not find the means to repay the hare, the leopard asked the hare to go with him to visit some kinsfolk on an island where he might obtain a goat to pay the debt.
The Leopard and the Hare on the way
The leopard said to the hare, “Make up four lunches, because the part of the lake we have to cross is dangerous, and unless you throw some food into it to appease the lake spirit you cannot cross it safely. I will also take four lunches and throw them into the lake.”
The leopard, however, instead of tying up food, tied up four stones as packages and took his food in a bag. When they had floated some distance on a raft, the leopard said to the hare, “Throw over your food here.”
So the hare threw his lunches into the lake.
When they reached the island, and were walking up from the shore, the leopard said, “In the bag of a great person there is always something to eat,” and he took out some food and began to eat it, but he did not give the hare any.
The hare understood then that the leopard meant to starve him to death to escape paying his debt.
When they had gone a little further, the leopard said, “When the host brings us beer to drink in the place to which we are going, you go and bring a beer tube with which to drink it.”
The hare promised to do so. When they arrived at the garden, they were given some beer, and the hare went to bring a beer tube, but when he came back he found the leopard had drunk all the beer.
In like manner when they were about to have a meal, the leopard said to the hare, “Go and bring a plantain stem with which we may wash our hands.”
The hare went, but before he could return with it, the leopard had eaten all the food without washing his hands. The hare was very hungry, but said nothing.
In the evening after dark the leopard, unobserved, slipped out quietly, stole a little goat from the neighbors, and killed and ate it. He took some of the blood and smeared it over the head and eyebrows of the hare while he was asleep.
Early the next morning the people missed their little goat and accused the visitors of stealing it, because they traced the footprints to the house.
The leopard came out saying, “I know nothing about it, perhaps my companion does.”
When the hare came out, the blood was on his head, and he was accused, tried, and condemned.
The Leopard stealing
The leopard pretended before the people that he was very angry, saying, “I will not go about with a thief; take him and kill him.” The hare was then killed.
When the leopard returned home, he told a long story and pretended to be sorry for his companion who had thus been caught and killed. The brother of the hare did not believe the story. He, therefore, went to one of the spirits and asked his advice. The brother was told how the leopard had caused the death of the hare.
The brother, therefore, went to the leopard and said, “You must pay me that debt now that my brother is dead.”
The leopard agreed to do so, and also expressed his sorrow for the death of the hare.
The Leopard and the Hare crossing over to the island
The leopard said, “Let us go to the island where my people live; they may help me to pay the debt.”
The brother of the hare agreed, and the leopard told him he must take four lunches to appease the lake spirit.
The brother of the hare had been warned of the trick, and therefore put stones into the packages as the leopard had done; he also put two very white cowry shells and some food into his bag, and went off to meet the leopard at the lake.
When they reached the place where the leopard said the lake spirit had to be appeased, they dropped their packages into the lake, and then proceeded on the raft to the island.
When they arrived and were walking up from the lake, the leopard said, “In the bag of a great person there is always food.”
The brother of the hare said, “No.” He put his hand into his bag and brought out some food.
When the leopard saw this he was very angry and said, “Eat mine also; I don’t like impertinent people.”
When they reached the border of the garden, the leopard said, “When we come to these people and they offer us beer, you must run and bring a beer tube.”
The brother of the hare thought for a moment what he could do to be even with the leopard, so he said, “I feel sick, wait while I turn aside into the grass.” He had, however, gone to cut a beer tube, which he hid away in his clothing to be a match for the leopard in the next trick he would try to play.
When they reached the garden the leopard said, “When we are given food you bring a plantain stem to wash our hands.”
The brother of the hare said he would, but he made an excuse to turn aside again; and while he was away he got the plantain stem and hid that also in his clothing.
When they were given beer, the leopard said, “Bring a tube for us to drink the beer.”
The brother of the hare ran away, then, to get it, and came back at once with it, saying, “Do you see how quickly I run? Here is the tube.”
When they were given food the leopard said, “Bring a plantain stem for us to wash our hands.”
The brother of the hare ran off and came back almost at once, saying, “See how fast I run; here it is.”
After sunset when they went to rest, the brother of the hare took his two cowry shells and fixed them on his eyes and went to bed. Presently the leopard slipped out quietly and stole a goat from their neighbors, which he killed and ate.
Then he brought some of the blood to put on the brother of the hare; but, seeing the white shells shining, he thought they were his open eyes and said, “Are you not asleep?”
This waked the brother of the hare and he replied, “No, I am sick.”
The leopard went away for a time and then tried again, but again he found the brother of the hare apparently awake, and stole back to his bed.
By this time it
was daylight and the people had missed their goat and followed the footprints to the house in which the guests were. There they called out, saying, “The visitors have stolen our goat.”
The brother of the hare ran out and said, “I am no thief; examine me and see.”
When the leopard came out they saw the blood on his mouth and fingers; so he was tried and condemned to death.
The brother of the hare said, “I will not go with a thief; let him be killed.”
The leopard was taken and killed. The brother of the hare was thus avenged of the hare’s death.
The Rabbit and the Antelope
It was during an almost rainless “hot season,” when all who had no wells were beginning to feel the pangs of thirst. The rabbit and the antelope, therefore, formed a partnership to dig a deep well so that they could never be in want of water.
“Let us finish our food,” said the antelope, “and be off to our work.” The well must be dug at once. “Nay,” said the rabbit; “had we not better keep the food for later on, when we are tired and hungry after our work?”
Rabbit and the Antelope
“Very well, hide the food, rabbit; and let us get to work, I am very thirsty.”
They arrived at the place where they purposed having the well, and worked hard for a short time.
“Listen!” said the rabbit; “they are calling me to go back to town.”
“Nay, I do not hear them.”
“Yes, they are certainly calling me, and I must be off. My wife is about to present me with some children, and I must name them.”
“Go then, dear rabbit, but come back as soon as you can.”
The rabbit ran off to where he had hidden the food, and ate some of it, and then went back to his work.
“Well!” said the antelope, “what have you called your little one?”
“Uncompleted one,” said the rabbit.
“A strange name,” said the antelope.
Then they worked for awhile.
“Again they are calling me,” cried the rabbit. “I must be off, so please excuse me. Cannot you hear them calling me?”
“No,” said the antelope, “I hear nothing.”
Away ran the rabbit, leaving the poor antelope to do all the work, while he ate some more of the food that really belonged to them both. When he had had enough, he hid the food again, and ran back to the well.
“And what have you called your last, rabbit?”
“Half-completed one.”
“What a funny little fellow you are! But come, get on with the digging; see how hard I have worked.”
Then they worked hard for quite a long time. “Listen, now!” said the rabbit. “Surely you heard them calling me this time!”
“Nay, dear rabbit. I can hear nothing; but go, and get back quickly.”
Away ran the rabbit, and this time he finished the food before going back to his work.
“Well, little one, what have you called your third child?”
“Completed,” answered the rabbit.
Then they worked hard and as night was coming on returned to their village.
“I am terribly tired, rabbit; run and get the food, or I shall faint.”
The rabbit went to look for the food, and then calling out to the antelope, told him that some horrid cat must have been there, as the food was all gone, and the pot quite clean. The antelope groaned, and went hungry to bed.
The next day the naughty little rabbit played the antelope the same trick. And the next day he again tricked the antelope. And the next, and the next, until at last the antelope accused the rabbit of stealing the food. Then the rabbit got angry, and dared him to take some medicine.
“Let us do it,” said the antelope, “and let him who vomits first be considered the guilty one.”
So they took the medicine. And as the medicine began to take effect upon the rabbit, he cried out to the antelope:
“See, you are vomiting first!”
“Nay, it is not!”
“Yes, it is!”
“No, it is you, dear rabbit; see there!”
Then the rabbit feared greatly, and tried to run away. But the antelope said: “Fear not, rabbit; I will do you no harm. Only you must promise not to drink of the water of my well, and to leave my company forever.”
Accordingly the rabbit left him and went his way.
Some time after this, a bird told the antelope that the rabbit used to drink the water of the well every day. Then the antelope was greatly enraged, and determined to kill the rabbit. So the antelope laid a trap for the silly little rabbit. He cut a piece of wood, and shaped it into the figure of an animal about the size of the rabbit; and then he placed this figure firmly in the ground near to the well, and smeared it all over with bird lime.
The rabbit went as usual to drink the waters of the well, and was much annoyed to find an animal there, as he thought, drinking the water also.
“And what may you be doing here, sir?” said the rabbit to the figure.
The figure answered not.
Then the rabbit, thinking that it was afraid of him, went close up to it, and again asked what he was doing there.
But the figure made no answer.
“What!” said the rabbit, “do you mean to insult me? Answer me at once, or I will strike you.”
The figure answered not.
Then the little rabbit lifted up his right hand, and smacked the figure in the face. His hand stuck to the figure.
“What’s the matter?” said the rabbit. “Let my hand go, sir, at once, or I will hit you again.”
The Rabbit caught
The figure held fast to the rabbit’s right hand. Then the rabbit hit the figure a swinging blow with his left. The left hand stuck to the figure also.
“What can be the matter with you, sir? You are excessively silly. Let my hands go at once, or I will kick you.”
And the rabbit kicked the figure with his right foot; but his right foot stuck there. Then he got into a great rage, and kicked the figure with his left. And his left leg stuck to the figure also. Then, overcome with rage, he bumped the figure with his head and stomach, but these parts stuck to the figure. Then the rabbit cried with rage.
The antelope, just about this time, came along to drink water; and when he saw the rabbit helplessly fastened to the figure, he laughed at him, and then killed him.
Beware of Bad Company
The rabbit and the big snake made for themselves a big town in the ground. The ground squirrel came and said, “I want to stay with you all.”
The snake replied, “All right; I agree.”
But the rabbit said, “No.”
The snake asked the rabbit, “Why do you not want the squirrel to stay with us?”
“Because,” said the rabbit, “this ground squirrel is a rascal; he does not sit down in one place; by and by he will bring trouble on us.”
“Never mind,” replied the snake; “the ground squirrel shall come and stay with us; I will mind you and I will mind your little brother. What is the matter? Are you jealous of your little brother?”
Thus they lived for three months.
The rabbit remarked, “You have the power. All right; let him stay.” So the rabbit went and made a little hole by himself.
Thus they lived for three months when the people came and made a farm near the town. Everything the people planted the squirrel would get up soon in the morning and dig up; he took up the corn, the potatoes, the cassava, and the ground nuts.
Every time the people got after the squirrel he would run to the same place. So the people decided to follow him and catch him. All the people went after the squirrel, and after digging a great deal in the ground they found him and killed him.
They said: “This squirrel is not alone. Plenty things live in this hole.” So they dug on.
The rabbit whispered over to the snake: “I told you so, but this trouble is your trouble and that of your son squirrel, so I am going to my own little hiding-place.”
The people, happy for having caught the stealing squirrel and the big snake, did not dig farther, and the rabbit was safe in his little home. “Bad company is sure to lead to trouble.”
The Partnership of the Elephant and the Rabbit
Once upon a time a rabbit and an elephant, coming from different ways, met on a road one day, and being old friends, stopped to greet one another, and chat about the weather and the crops, and to exchange opinions about trade. Finally the rabbit proposed that the elephant should join him in a partnership to go on a little trading trip to some shepherds, “Because,” said he, “I hear there are some good chances to make profit among them. Cloth, I am told, is very scarce there, and I think we might find a good bargain awaiting us.”
The elephant was delighted and accepted the offer of his little friend. Two bales of goods were prepared for the journey.
They set out on good terms with each other, and the rabbit, with his many experiences, amused the elephant greatly. By and by the friends arrived at a river, and the elephant, to whom the water was agreeable, stepped in to cross it, but halted on hearing the rabbit exclaim: