The Brave African Huntress

by Amos Tutuola

  But when I raised up my head I saw that there were still many of this fruit on another branch of this tree. So I climbed that branch again, I sat down on it and then I started to eat the fruits one by one until when I was satisfied. After that I continued to look at the wonderful things of this jungle. And again I saw that the thick smoke was very common to see rushing out from the ground which was near the big trees, hills, rivers, ponds, etc. As this thick smoke was rushing out in large quantity it was so the sweet smell of food was rushing out as well and this showed me that many of the pigmies who were the inhabitants and owners of this jungle were living under the ground.

  Truly speaking—“Before we can see the animal like that of elephant will be in a very far jungle and before we can see a jungle like that of the Jungle of the Pigmies will be in the right place as this” because when it was three o’clock p.m. prompt, there I heard suddenly that a bugle was blown from a long distance as I was still looking at the wonders of the jungle. The tone of this bugle was so powerful that it was heard clearly everywhere in the jungle and it shook both ground and mighty trees. A few seconds after the bugle had blasted, there I saw that a very strong wind started to blow. In this wind there I saw that animals, big birds, pigmies, etc., of this jungle were running up and down and they were making fearful noises all over the jungle. As the wind was stronger it was so they were making more fearful noises and within five minutes the whole of the jungle was in disorder.

  After a while all the trees were blowing here and there, they were touching the ground with their tops. As I still held the branch of the tree on which I was so tightly that I might not fall down, the wild animals as lions, tigers, wolves, etc., came to that spot. As they were running to and fro, they raised up their heads and they were sniffing my smell. After a while they saw me as I sat on the branch of that tree and by this time their attitudes were more terrible because they wanted to eat me. As they were surrounded the tree closely it was so the strong wind was forcing it to touch the ground repeatedly. Each time that it touched the ground these wild animals were hastily jumping to where I sat on the branch, but they were unable to touch me before the tree would stand upright again. It was like that these wild animals were jumping to me every time that the tree was bending down and getting up again. Luckily they were unable to take me away from the top of this tree until when the strong wind was stopped at about seven o’clock in the evening. But as their attitudes were too terrible so I shouted with fear until my voice was not heard clearly again before the wind was stopped. I attempted to be shooting these wild animals to death with my gun but the wind was blowing the tree so swiftly that I was unable to sight anything by that time.

  But after the wind stopped blowing and all the trees stood quietly, I thought that these wild animals would go away but they did not attempt, they surrounded the tree and were looking at me as I sat on the branch of that tree. When I believed that they would not attempt to go away, then I began to shoot them with my “shakabullah” gun and when I killed nearly half of them the rest went away with fear. When I kept watch for a few minutes perhaps they hid near there but they had gone away then I came down from this tree. I took the smallest one of those which I killed and then I left that area as soon as possible.

  When I travelled far away in the darkness, as it was then nine o’clock, for I heard when a dove gave the sign of time by that time. So I stopped under a tree which was almost covered by the running plants. I made a big fire, after I cut that animal into several parts then I started to roast them with this fire. One hour later they were roasted enough and I ate as much as I could from them. After that I gathered refuses and dried leaves together near this fire, I lay down on them, I put my head on my hunting bag as if it was a pillow. I lay the two poisonous cudgels at my left and my gun at my right, but I still held it with fear until I fell asleep unnoticed.

  Of course, I was woken very early in the morning with great fear of the numerous birds which were surrounded me and they were crying repeatedly because I was curious to them. At the same time that I woke and I saw that I was already surrounded by these birds, I simply took my gun, hunting bag, cudgels and my cutlass and I left that spot. But to my fear these birds were still following me and they were still crying with their loudest voices. I was running away from them so that they might not suspect me to those super-human creatures. Luckily when I travelled to the darkest part of this jungle they could not see me again and then they went back from me.

  It was like that I was travelling along and I was looking here and there perhaps I would see my four brothers in respect of whom I came to hunt in this jungle, till the light of the sun came down to all over the jungle when it was about nine o’clock and then I stopped. But when I felt to eat and there was nothing inside my hunting bag to eat. I started to look for a small animal to be killed. After a while I came across a small porcupine and I shot it to death at once. I made a fire and I roasted it in it and I ate the whole of it at a time because it was fatty. After I ate the porcupine to my satisfaction, I began to think in mind whether to kill the whole of the wild animals first, which would be the great obstacles to me when I would be looking for my four brothers or to be looking for my brothers first, before I would come back to these wild animals or to be looking for where the pigmies were living in this jungle first before I would come back to kill those wild animals. Because I ought to do all these three works—“To see that I kill the whole of the wild animals. To see that I kill the whole of the pigmies who were detaining many hunters or to drive them away from this jungle and the third work was to see that I bring my four brothers back to my town, because I had promised my people and the people of my town to do these three works before I left them for this jungle.”

  After a while it came to my mind to see that I killed the whole of the wild animals first so that there would be no any obstacle for me when I would start to look for my brothers and the pigmies. But immediately I concluded this thought, to my fear there I saw that a very small round hill which was at a little distance from me, splitted or parted into two suddenly and at the same moment a heavy black smoke was rushing out in large quantity. When I saw this again I feared greatly and I started to take all my things and then to leave there at once. But I was unable to take the whole of them when I saw that this smoke had covered the whole of that area and I could not see well as before. And as I was running along just to go out of this smoke, because I believed that no doubt something which was dangerous would come out of it very soon. As I was mistakingly dashing to both trees and rocks and all these things were distopping me to go out of this fearful smoke in time, I did not know when several creeping plants were twisted to both my legs in such a way that I fell down heavily unexpectedly. My gun, cudgels and cutlass were sprung away from me. But as I was hastily trying to take myself away from these ropes and then to continue to be running away for my life as before, there I saw a huge man appearing from this thick smoke and he was coming to me direct and I was greatly feared immediately I saw him.

  This huge man was one of the “obstacles” of this jungle. He was one of the strongest and the most cruel pigmies who were keeping watch of the jungle always. His work was to be bringing any hunter or anyone who came to the jungle, to the town of the pigmies, for punishment. And indeed this huge pigmy was the “obstacle” of this jungle because he was too cruel and fearful. He was so huge and short that if he stood at a distance you could not believe that he was a living creature but the stump of a mighty tree. Each of his fingers was as big as a big plantain and it was permanently slightly curved. His arms were very long and thick. He had a big half fall goitre on his neck and he had a very big belly which, whenever he was going or running along, would be shaking here and there and sounding heavily.

  Before he reached the place that I was held up by the ropes or the creeping plants, I had taken these creeping plants away from my legs and I had taken my gun, cudgels and my cutlass and then I continued to run away as before. As he was chasing me along to
catch and when his palms were touching me slightly, then I started to run to left. But to my surprise there I saw him at my front, he was laughing and coming to me. When I saw him that he did so I ran to my right perhaps I would be saved. But to my fear again I saw “obstacle” with heavy cudgel in hand and he appeared at my front and before I could do anything which could prevent me from him again he had held me and given me several slaps on both ears. Having done that for a few minutes then he mercilessly flung me away. And I dashed to a big tree which was near by and my head hit this tree so heavily that I was unable to stand up for some minutes.

  When I believed that he had already caught me and I could not run away from him any more so I prepared to wait and fight with him to the last point. Although I could not conquer him but when I remembered that—“Adebisi is lazy to fight but she has a bold sister who is helping her to fight her enemies” and that was my “shakabullah” gun, then I became brave again. Therefore, at the same time I leaned my gun and the poisonous cudgels on the tree under which I was going to fight him. After that I told him loudly and without fear that he should come along and I was ready to fight with him and he came to me with the intention that he would easily kill me within a few seconds.

  We first wrestled for about fifteen minutes. And each time that he was flinging me away with great anger, to his surprise, I was standing up and gripping him before my feet were touching the ground. He raised me very high and he flung me to a rock, with the intention that I would die at the same time, but I hastily held his big goitre when I was about to hit that rock, but both of us were slightly hit the rock instead, of course none of us had any injury. Within a few minutes we had scattered away all the dried leaves and refuses of that spot with our feet. After a while I became tired but “obstacle” did not. When I had no more power I loosened both my hands away from his body by force and then I ran to where I leaned the gun and I shot him unexpectedly. But to my surprise and fear was that my “shakabullah” gun simply sounded—“shaka—bul—laha” but I saw no where the gun-shots hit him.

  When he saw that I shot him, he stood on one place, he was looking and laughing at me and this showed me that he was thinking in mind that I believed my gun was a harmful thing which could harm him, because he looked at the gun as if it was a mere stick. Again, as he was still looking on, I ran to the tree on which I leaned the two poisonous cudgels, I took one and with all my power I beat “obstacle” with it, for I thought the poison of this cudgel would kill him. But to my surprise this cudgel simply broke into several pieces instead to kill or make him powerless, and he was still greatly laughing at me.

  When I believed that my gun and the poisonous cudgel could not do anything to “obstacle” then I sat down on the prop of the tree under which we were fighting. I was thinking how to safe myself from him. Although I still had many kinds of the charms or incantations in my mind but my mind was not at rest this moment to remember any of them. As I was still resting and thinking what to do again, he ran to me and he cut away my left foot unexpectedly. When he cut it off I fell down at once and I was crying loudly for pain. As I was doing like that and blaming myself that if I had known I should had not come to the Jungle of the Pigmies, he came and stood at my front. After he listened to what I said he bursted into a great laugh which lasted for about thirty minutes. At last when I could no longer bear the pain I shouted greatly for help because I believed that within a few minutes I might die.

  To my surprise I hardly shouted for help when I saw that many pigmies like this “obstacle” gathered round me. But instead to help me fight him, all of them were laughing at me and were telling him repeatedly to cut my head away as well, but luckily he told them that he would not do so because he wanted to take me to their town. Having explained like that he simply picked up my left foot which he had cut away, he touched it with the remaining stump and to my surprise both were joined together at once as if it was not cut away before and I felt no pain again.

  After he did so he wanted to take me to their town, for he thought I had already entirely powerless. But when I believed that once he took me to their town, there I would remain throughout my life time. Then I held the tree under which we were fighting with all my power. He was pulling me with all his power but I did not loose my hands away from this tree. As he was trying hardly to take me away it was so I was shouting greatly that you would not take me away and he too was saying that at all costs he would take me away. And as both of us were pulling each other to and fro in a very rough way, and it was like that we were doing until when he overpowered me. But God was so good as he was dragging me along as hastily as he could he did not know when he hit his head on the branch of a tree which was full of bees and wasps. When they covered him and were stinging him bitterly, he did not know when he left my hands and then he started to defend himself from these insects. But as he was defending himself it was so these insects were increasing and stinging him badly. As he was still staggering here and there I hastily ran back to the tree on which I leaned my gun. I loaded it with plenty of gun-powder and gun-shots, I ran back to him and I shot him on the head. So he fell down and died after a few minutes. That was how I conquered “obstacle”. After that I left that area at once.

  The Animal that Died but his Eyes still Alive

  The big gun that stops the voices of the soldiers.

  Animals are surplus in the town in which the people have no teeth.

  After I killed “obstacle” I travelled in this jungle till six o’clock in the evening. As I was travelling along it was so I was killing all the wild animals that I was seeing on the way. When I saw that the night was approaching I shot one small animal to death. I made a big fire and I roasted this animal which was an antelope, in the fire. Before I ate it to my satisfaction it was about ten o’clock in the night. But anyhow I ate out of it as I could and I kept the rest of it near the fire which I would eat in the morning. After that I lay down near this fire and then I slept but there was nothing which was happened to me throughout this night.

  When I woke up in the morning by the crying of birds and when the dove gave the sign of eight o’clock, then I ate the rest of that roasted animal. After that I hung my gun and hunting bag on my shoulder having checked the gun and saw that it was in good order. Then I started to look for the wild animals to be killed. And within three days I nearly killed the whole of the wild animals of this jungle. It was very scarcely to see one or two and I was very happy about this, but it still remained three big troubles—how to drive away all the pigmies from this jungle as they used to detain hunters in their custody. How to kill the dangerous animals who had light on eyes and how to kill a very curious and dangerous boa constrictor which was very dangerous to the hunters as well.

  After I nearly killed the whole of the wild animals, I did not travel more than seven days when I came across a big wild animal. It was as big as an elephant. I had never seen the kind of this animal before. Because he had a very big head. Several horns were on his forehead. Each of the horns was as long and thick and sharp as cows’ horns. Very long black and brown hairs were full this head and they were fallen downward, they were also very dirty. All the horns were stood upright on his forehead as if a person carried a bunch of sticks vertically. His beard was so plenty and long that it covered his chest and belly as well. The teeth of his mouth were so plenty and long that whenever he was eating a person who was in two miles away would be hearing the noises which they were making. Even as the teeth and the horns of his mouth and head were so fearful many of the wild animals who saw him when he was coming to kill them with all these things were dying for themselves before he would reach them instead to kill them with his teeth and horns, because they were too fearful to them.

  He had two curious eyes which were as accurate as full moon of the dry season. Both were on the right part of his head as the other animals did, but each was bigger and could see everywhere without moving head. The powerful light that these eyes were bringing out could not go far or straig
ht but they were bringing out the clear and round light. The ray of this light was always round him and it could be seen clearly from a long distance.

  He had a kind of a terrible shout with which he was frightening the animals and his humming was also terrible to hear. All the rest animals were so hated and feared him that they never went near the place that he travelled for one week.

  There was none part of his body which was not terrible and which was not frightened neither human being nor other creature of this world.

  Immediately I saw this “super-animal” as I could call him, in that morning through the round clear light of his eyes, was that I stopped in one place and I first breathed out heavily with great fear. Because I could not escape again, I had already approached him too closely before I saw him. And at the same moment that he too saw me, although I was still quite aloof when he first saw me. He first sighted all his horns towards me and then he was running to me as fast as he could. But when I thought within myself that if I stood on the ground and shot him, he would kill me instantaneously, because my “shakabullah” gun would not be able to kill him in one shot, therefore I hastily climbed a tree to the top.

  But when he ran to the place that I had stood before and he did not meet me there again. He was going round and round until when he saw me on top of this tree. As I was on top of this tree I thought that I was saved but not at all. Because at the same moment that he saw me on top of this tree, he started to bite the tree at the bottom. And to my fear within two minutes he had nearly bitten the whole bottom of this tree. When I saw that the tree was just toppling to the ground, just to safe my life, I hastily jumped from there to the top of another mighty tree which was nearby. And when he saw me on top of this mighty tree again, he started to bite the bottom of it as well and he was in great anger this time because he wanted to eat me without much trouble as this.