by Yoti Lane
Suddenly there was silence, and Tinou looked round to see what had happened. A woman was standing in the firelight. A woman who made everyone stare and gasp because she was so beautiful. She was dressed in clothes such as no one had ever seen before. Her dress seemed to reflect all the colours of the firelight, almost as if she were covered in jewels.
“Why it’s Yere,” Tinou whispered in amazement. Sako was so surprised that he rose to his feet and went towards her, which made Tinou furious. Then the others began to crowd round Yere also, telling her how beautiful she was, and how pleased they were to see her looking well once more.
Sako led her to the fire, and everyone made much of her. After this had gone on for some time Tinou became furious. She rushed at Yere and shouted, “Where did you get the dress? Did you steal it, or did you steal something from my husband to obtain it? It is disgraceful that the wife of a farmer should wear such clothes.”
“I came by the dress honestly,” Yere said quietly. “Sako’s goods have not paid for it.”
“I don’t believe you,” screamed Tinou. “Sako, send her home. She is lying.”
At this the people began to murmur because they had known Yere all their lives, and they did not believe that she would do anything dishonourable. Besides one did not make scenes at a feast.
“We have no wish that Yere should go,” said an old woman. “If you cannot keep your temper, Tinou, it would be better for you to go.”
“Very well,” flared Tinou. “Come, Sako!”
But Sako was displeased by her bad manners.
“I will come in good time. I think it best that you go now,” he told her and walked away. Tinou could do nothing but go home by herself. When she had gone Sako walked back and sat by Yere. He found her very beautiful, and very pleasant company, and he began to realise that he had misjudged her, and that he had allowed Tinou to influence him overmuch. He did not know it, but for the first time since he had seen Tinou, he was free from her spell. In halting tones he tried to tell Yere how sorry he was for the way he had treated her. The neighbours also felt that they had neglected Yere lately so everyone tried to make amends, and the feast went on merrily. Everyone ate, drank, danced, and enjoyed themselves thoroughly.
At the end Sako walked home with Yere, and promised her that she would always be treated as chief wife in future, and that if Tinou did not treat her with respect he would send Tinou home to her family. In short Yere’s plan to regain her place in Sako’s affections seemed to have completely succeeded. Because she was kind and gentle Yere told Sako she was sure that the second wife had not really meant to be unkind, and that they must all try and live happily together.
This wish, however, was unshared by Tinou. She had arrived home in such a rage that she had torn up everything in the hut that she could tear, and smashed all the cooking pots. Then she lay raging and biting her nails. For a time she hoped Sako would follow her, but when she heard him walk home with Yere her fury knew no bounds, and she resolved to have revenge on Yere whatever happened.
She got up quietly, and listened to Sako talking to Yere.
“Perhaps I had better tell you where got this beautiful dress,” Yere was saying, and then she told Sako the whole story of the snake. When Tinou heard this she knew she had just the chance she wanted.
The powerful snake was famous. Everyone feared and respected him. Lots of people even left offerings for him in the forest. Tinou had never done this because she was too greedy, and also too cowardly to go near his lair. This was not really surprising because many a man who had tried to penetrate into the lair, and steal the cast off skins had been killed. Tinou felt certain that if only she could destroy the skin Yere would be killed also.
So she waited until Yere was asleep, and then crept into the hut. She took a chopper and the snakeskin, and went a little way into the bush. Here she chopped the skin to pieces. It then occurred to her that if Yere was too terrified to take back the pieces to the snake he might take revenge on the whole village, and she did not want to be there when he came. So she packed all her possessions. When Sako waked she was all ready to leave.
“I am going away on a visit to my Uncle,” she told him. “I am very much hurt and offended at what ocurred last night, and I prefer to go away for a time.”
She fully expected Sako to try and dissuade her, but he was only too pleased with this temporary solution of the trouble between his two wives, and much to Tinou’s annoyance he said a visit to her Uncle seemed a very good idea. Tinou was in no way pleased at this, but there was nothing she could do but go, so off she went.
Yere rose full of hope and happiness, and set about preparing food for her husband. When she had tidied the hut she went to look at the snakeskin, and then she discovered it had gone. In dismay she rushed outside, and there lying on the ground were the fragments of the skin. Yere cried out, and sank to her knees. Hearing her cry Sako came to see what was the matter.
“Oh look,” cried Yere. “The snake’s beautiful skin. He trusted me with it, and now look what has befallen. Tinou found it and has chopped it into pieces. Oh, I should have taken better care of it. The snake will never forgive me.”
Hearing the commotion the villagers came out, and Sako and Yere told them the whole story of the snakeskin.
“You must not take it back, Yere. The snake might kill you.”
“Oh, but I must,” said Yere. “Don’t you see he trusted me.”
“If she doesn’t take it back he will come and look for her,” said an old man.
“She could hide,” suggested Sako.
“If she does that he might wreck the whole village,” the old man told them.
“Then I shall take it,” said Sako.
Yere cried out against this.
“It is only fair that he should,” said the old man. “After all none of these things would have happened if he had not taken a second wife.”
“Let Tinou take it back then,” someone else shouted. “She was the one who destroyed it. She was the one who caused all the trouble. Where is she?”
“She has gone,” said Sako. “Gone on a visit to her Uncle.”
“The traitoress. She guessed that the snake might take revenge on us all.”
While they were talking Yere gathered the snakeskin up in her arms, and turned towards the forest.
“Stop,” cried Sako. “You must not go.”
“I must go,” said Yere. “I know Tinou was to blame, but I know that you, Sako, are partly to blame, but I feel I am most of all to blame. I should not have borrowed the skin in the first place. If the snake kills me it cannot be helped.”
“But I can’t let you go,” protested her husband.
“You must let me go,” said Yere.
“No, I am coming also,” said Sako.
“We cannot let our friends go alone,” cried the old man. “Let us all go.”
So they all formed themselves into a very sad procession and set off through the forest. When they came to the cleft in the rocks Yere firmly refused to allow them to come any further.
“You made me very happy,” she told them. “And so have you Sako. But this is my business, and I have to go through with it myself. Whatever happens I am not unhappy because I know I have your love and confidence.”
With that she slipped into the crack between the rocks, and disappeared. Sako and the villagers fell on their faces and wept. Through the dark tunnel went Yere, and then into the light.
“May I come in?” she called out.
“Why, of course,” replied the snake in surprise. He regarded Yere curiously while stammering and sobbing she told him what had happened, and showed him the tattered skin.
“I don’t suppose you will believe me,” she ended. “I suppose you think I was careless, and left the skin where Tinou could get at it easily, but I didn’t. Now do what you will. Kill me if you like, but don’t hurt Sako or my people.”
The snake had been puffing himself larger and larger while Yere spoke, and his
eyes gleamed red with rage. Now he stopped still, as if carved in stone. Yere thought him the most terrifying thing she had ever seen. She hid her eyes, and gave herself up for lost. Her heart beat so loudly that she could scarcely hear the snake when he began to speak.
“I believe you,” he told her. “I believe you because very little goes on that I don’t know about. Tinou was vengeful, and greedy. You know she never once left me an offering. I shall see that she pays for it all now.”
“You aren’t going to kill her?” Yere gasped.
“Not if she stays where she is now—she won’t like that. But if she ever attempts to come back to these parts again I shall certainly kill her!”
“And what about me? I am quite willing to accept all the blame,” said Yere. “But please spare my husband and my people.”
“What do you think I am?” asked the snake. “A human being? Why should I be so stupid as to want to punish your husband and your neighbours?”
“Oh, thank you,” said Yere. “Thank you. Do with me what you will.”
“I am getting old and lazy,” replied the snake. “I think I should like some more offerings, more often. I charge you to see that I get them.”
“You mean you are going to let me go?” exclaimed Yere.
“Yes, you aren’t to blame for the loss of my skin—and it was only my second best skin anyhow,” the snake added slyly.
Yere jumped joyfully to her feet.
“Oh, you’re wonderful. I’m so happy. I’m the happiest person in the world, and I owe everything to you!”
The snake glowed pink with embarrassment, right from his jaws to the tip of his tail. Yere stared at him in amazement.
“That’s right,” he said gruffly. “It’s been a pleasure. If you want the loan of another dress sometime, just let me know. Only don’t overdo it.”
With a last cry of thanks Yere turned towards the tunnel, ran through it as fast as she could, and came out to find Sako and the people with their faces on the ground, crying.
She laughed and cried all at once, and told them what had happened. They showered thanks on the snake, and set off back to the village greatly rejoicing.
As their voices died away the snake curled up comfortably. The blush faded out of his jaws, and out of his body, and the last gleam of it flickered away in his tail. He was all green and gold once more. He felt very content. As he dozed off to sleep he reminded himself that next time he saw Yere he must remind her that all snakes were not like him. It didn’t do to get too friendly with snakes.
THE GREEDY MONKEY
LIFE IN THE jungle is never easy. Animals and birds have to keep very busy in order to feed themselves and their families. Usually they find enough food, but sometimes, owing to drought or floods, no one has enough to eat.
Once there was a particularly severe drought, and the jungle folk suffered severe hardships. They roved for miles to find sufficient to keep them alive. One of the most persistent food hunters was a monkey. She was very fond of food herself, and also prided herself on being a very good housewife, and mother. Her name was Mala. Mala had a baby of whom she was very proud. It had a beautiful shiny coat and Mala believed this was because she always managed to include palm nuts in the baby’s diet. Mala was very clever about finding these nuts, and she set off early every morning, leaving her husband at home to mind the baby.
One day, after travelling for miles, Mala had almost given up in despair, when she at last came across a palm with a few nuts on it. In her eagerness to gather them as quickly as possible, she dropped one. Being such a careful housewife, she hated to think the nut might be wasted, and slid down the tree so quickly, that she reached the ground at the same time as the falling nut. To her disgust the nut rolled into a hole. Determined not to lose the nut Mala scrambled in after it. Ahead of her she could hear the nut rolling down further and further. Undaunted she followed. Still the nut went on, and Mala realised that this was no ordinary hole she had found, but a long tunnel leading down into the depths of the earth.
Some people might have become nervous, and turned back, but not Mala the monkey. When there was a possibility of food Mala was not to be put off by darkness, or even danger. So on and on she went, and then suddenly the tunnel came to an end.
Beyond the tunnel Mala saw a clearing with beautiful green grass, trees full of fruit, and flowers, and beyond a lovely river sparkling in the sunlight. Some of the trees and fruits Mala had seen before, but many others were quite unfamiliar. In the clearing many animals, looking very well fed, were gambolling cheerily. All this was so unexpected, and so unlike the world Mala had left up above that she paused in sheer amazement.
The pause lost her the nut she had been following for it rolled out of the hole on to the ground, and a small monkey playing by himself, picked it up, and proceeded to eat it.
With a screech of dismay Mala leapt out of the hole, and began to chatter angrily. Startled by her sudden appearance and the noise she was making, the baby monkey dropped the nut. But he had already taken a big bite out of it. Mala began to weep.
As she wept the animals began to gather round and asked anxiously what ailed her. Tearfully Mala told the story of the famine in the world above, how she had been hunting for a nut for her baby, and how the nut had rolled down the hole. How she had bravely followed, and the nut had been spoiled by the baby monkey.
On hearing this the animals became very sympathetic, invited Mala in, offered her a meal, and asked for further information about the world above. Mala told them all she knew, and asked if the drought had not affected them. They said it had not, and then Mala gradually learned that they never had droughts or floods in this wonderful country, never anything but sunshine or gentle rain, and food was always plentiful.
Mala sat back in amazement and envy. No one liked good food better than she did, and a country where food was never scarce seemed like Paradise. She could think of no more glorious prospect than living in a place where she could eat as much as she wanted at any hour of the day or night. She was astounded that her hosts seemed to take their blessings casually, but wishing to appear just as casual as they were she chatted about the beauties of the scenery instead of dwelling on the subject of food. She was quite sure that she had told her hosts quite sufficient about that, to ensure that they wouldn’t allow her to go away empty-handed.
She was therefore greatly chagrined when the time came to leave that the subject of food was not mentioned. The only present she received was a very large and handsome drum. Mala did her best to seem tremendously grateful for this fine but useless gift and started off home feeling very dispirited.
When she arrived home her husband and baby were waiting very anxiously. They were much disappointed when they found she had no food, and far too hungry to take much interest in the tale of her strange adventure in the wonderful world under the ground.
“Are you sure you didn’t fall asleep and dream it all?” her husband asked.
“I did not,” Mala said indignantly. “Here is proof; look at this splendid drum they gave me!”
“I wish they had given you a few nuts instead,” her husband complained, and gave the drum a kick. Immediately there was a strange rattle inside the drum.
“Why there is something in it,” Mala exclaimed, and rushing to the drum she struck it as hard as she could. As she did so food of all kinds began to fall from the inside of the drum.
Chattering with joy and excitement the three of them leapt on the food, and began to consume it as fast as they could.
The noise of the drum had attracted all the animals in the vicinity, and they peered curiously through the trees, and then hurried forward when they saw all the food.
“Has it fallen from the skies?” asked a wise old tortoise.
“Some friends gave it to me,” Mala explained. All the animals gazed at her in awe, and Mala suddenly realised that she had become a person of great importance. Greedy as she was for food, Mala was greedy for popularity also.
“There is plenty for everyone,” she told them. “Get ready for a feast!”
Immediately the animals broke into a great hubbub, and hurried around making preparations.
“Do you think it wise to let everyone eat as much as they like?” the tortoise asked Mala. “Wouldn’t it be better to give everyone a little at a time? The food would then last much longer.”
But Mala only looked at him scornfully. Never before had she been in a position to shine socially, and she felt far too exalted to listen to reason.
“There is plenty more where that came from,” she said loftily. The tortoise shook his head doubtfully, and retired under his shell.
For the next two days Mala was the most popular person in the jungle. Everyone made merry, everyone was very grateful to Mala, and very flattering. But after that food began to run short, and finally it was all gone. Mala found she was no longer an important person, worse still she and her family were hungry once more. The same miserable routine of hunting round for food went on, and the drought showed no sign of ending.
“Why don’t you go back to your powerful friends for more food?” asked Mala’s husband.
“I will very soon,” Mala snapped, and pretended to be very busy about her toilet. Although she would never have admitted it, Mala actually felt a little nervous about going back to the underworld again. The people there had seemed so wise and sensible. No one had boasted as Mala and her friends did, no one had chattered unnecessarily, no one had quarrelled. No one had shown the least desire to create any false impression. The way in which they had bestowed the food on her showed the delicacy of their feelings. Still perhaps it was easy to show all these good qualities when you lived in a world where there was no hunger. “But,” came the uneasy thought, “why didn’t you act as the tortoise suggested? Why did you squander the food? If the people in the underworld knew about that would they be so generous another time?” Mala lacked the courage to find out.
As the days passed Mala thought hard and finally hit upon a plan. She decided to go back to the underworld again, but to make her visit appear accidental. So early one morning she set off. When she arrived at the palm tree over the entrance to the tunnel, she searched anxiously for a palm nut, and eventually found one. Carrying it very carefully to the ground she deliberately rolled it down the hole, and then went after it. Down, down through the long dark tunnel went Mala, and the nut went rolling along before her. At last she saw light ahead.