by Amos Tutuola
The following morning, as I sat down seriously in the debris a little distance from this tree. There I saw that a number of gorillas were climbing this tree from the top of the rock down to its branches. They were coming to eat its fruits which were the most important food for them. When they climbed it to the fruits they ate as many as they could. After that they climbed the tree back to the top of the rock and from there they went back to the jungle.
When these gorillas went away and as I had noticed the way that they held the tree before they climbed it successfully. So I went back to it, I held it as the gorillas had held it and then I began to climb it along exactly as they had done, but I still failed to climb it to the top of the rock.
When I came down having failed to climb it, I sat down near it and then I was thinking in mind how to climb it successfully. After a while it came to my mind that if I could manage to tie one end of a strong rope to the neck of one of these gorillas and then to tie the other end of the rope to my waist, perhaps when that gorilla was climbing the tree back to the top of the rock so he would drag me with the rope to the top of the rock as well. Immediately this thought came to my mind I stood up with gladness and I started to look about for the rope. But unfortunately there was none. I went up and down this ruined town but there was none at all to be found. Then I came back to the tree. With my sharp cutlass I peeled plenty of the bark of this tree. I span all to a single strong rope. After that I tied my gun, the cutlass, the cudgel, hunting bag and the wonderful head together with another rope. Then I was waiting for these gorillas to come for the fruits again, so that I might do to one of them according to my plan.
But as I was still doubting that whether they would come back to eat the fruits that day again or it would be tomorrow morning, it came to my mind suddenly that none of these gorillas would be steady until I would tie the rope on his neck. When this thought came to my mind again, my body shrank up with sadness at the same time. After a while I began to think again the way that I could tie the rope on the neck of one of them without suspicion.
Luckily these gorillas did not come again until when I remembered how I had been once setting the ropes for animals when I was in my town. Then I stood up at the same time, I went to the tree. I set one end of this rope round a big and the most attractive fruit in such a perfect way that they would not be able to see this rope at all. After that I tied the other end round my waist while my gun, etc., were on my shoulder.
It was not so long from when I hid myself under the leaves of this tree when these gorillas were climbing the tree down. Immediately they came down they scattered all over the branches of this tree and everyone of them was eating any fruit that which he saw with greediness. After a while one of them saw this fruit and he ran to it so carelessly that he did not see the rope. As he was still enjoying this fruit I pulled the rope and it strangled his neck without missing it. But he never knew yet that he was already caught in my rope. After they ate the fruits to their satisfaction then everyone of them was climbing the fruit tree back to the top of the rock. And when this one was climbing along he felt that he was heavier and it was this time he noticed that a rope was on his neck.
When the rest saw me they climbed this tree as hastily as they could with great fear. This one tried to do so but he could not, because he was then dragging me along with himself. He was trying to cut this rope as he was dragging me along but he could not cut it. When he struggled hardly for about one hour before he could drag me to the halve length of the tree, he was unable to climb it further, for he was entirely tired, so he stopped and then he was trying again to cut the rope away. And as he was turning round this tree it was so I was dangling together with my gun, etc., and I was shouting with great fear of not being fallen down and it was so this gorilla was shouting greatly as well.
Having struggled for several times to cut the rope but failed then he continued to drag me along as usual But when he nearly to climb this tree to the top of the rock he lost the control of himself and then he slipped back. He reached halve of the tree before he could stop himself. Even I was very lucky that he did not slip to the ground before he could control himself otherwise I would fall on the debris and by that I would die at the same moment.
After he rested for a few minutes then with great noise he continued to climb along the tree, and it was so I was dangling here and there as if the rope would be cut soon. Immediately he climbed it to the top of the rock, I hastily cut the rope in the middle so that he might go away. The half of the rope was on my waist and he took away the rest half.
It was like that I came out from this ruined town, the town of the pigmies which I burnt to ashes after I had nearly killed the whole of them. When I rested for two hours on top of this rock, then I came down from it, and I went to the jungle.
From the Jungle to the Bachelors’ Town
There is no another thought when the hunger enters the stomach.
Snake is hungry and tortoise is bluffing, but both tortoise and snake are food.
Compare two things which are resemble one another.
The joy of one who gives birth to a child is different from the joy of one whose child is just dead.
After I rested on top of this rock for about two hours, I came down from it and I began to travel along in the jungle. As I was travelling along it was so I was keeping watch of those pigmies who were the survivors, perhaps they were still waiting for me to kill, because as it was a great joy to me as I had ruined their town it was a great sorrow to them as their town was ruined, so by that my own joy was quite different from their own.
I did not travel so far when I was forced to stop by hunger without my wish. Because I had had no sufficient food to eat throughout the whole period that I had spent in the ruined pigmies’ town, the town which was under the rock. When I stopped I looked for an animal to kill it for my food, because hunger did not allow me to decide within myself what I should do when I came back to this jungle this time, all my useful thoughts which were in my stomach escaped immediately the hunger came in. And I did not see any animal to pass this time. But when I travelled further I came across a big tortoise and a big snake. The snake was hungry and it was looking for its food. But the tortoise who was already satisfied with food, was going to and fro and it was bluffing before this hungry snake. Of course I did not see this bluffing tortoise at first except the snake. After I killed this snake and when I bent down to take it then I saw that the tortoise was there as well. And as I saw this tortoise as well I said within myself that—Oh, while I was hungry badly both of you are here when the flesh of both of you is food.
So without hesitation I picked it up as it was still going to and fro with the intention that the snake could not eat it because of its hard shells. After that I went back to the spot that I put the rest of my things. I roasted both of them with fire and I ate them to my satisfaction. I hardly satisfied my hunger when I heard the cry of a dove which reminded me that it was six o’clock evening. When I believed that it was six o’clock and that the darkness was approaching and to be able to get a suitable place to sleep, so I stood up and I began to travel along at the same time, because at the same time that I had satisfied my hunger I could decide within myself what I should do. Of course I could not travel so far when the darkness came but I used the usual “reflecting eyes” as I called it.
After a while I travelled to a big dead wood which had fallen down from a long time. I climbed it and I slept on it till morning and there was nothing happened to me throughout. Because I had nearly killed all the wild animals of this jungle before I had been captured by the stern huge pigmy.
The following morning, having eaten some ripen fruits, I continued to roam about in the jungle, I was looking for the “snake of snakes”, the most fearful and dangerous boa constrictor. Before I left my town, my father had warned me very seriously about this boa constrictor, that he was one of the most dangerous creatures of this jungle. Of course I had already killed one of the dangerous birds of this ju
ngle, which had the voice that which was similar to that of the human being, when I was in the Ibembe town. This bird was going from this jungle to Ibembe town and it was carrying the people of that town to the jungle. It was half-bird and half-human in form.
So I was looking for this boa constrictor to be killed, because I wanted to see that I cleared up all the dangerous creatures before I would leave this jungle, so that anybody who wished to go there after I did so might go there without being killed by any dangerous creatures. But unfortunately, as I was looking about for this “snake of snakes” (boa constrictor) I did not know when I was entirely lost in this jungle. I tried my best to trace out my former track which I made before I had been captured, but I could not. Not knowing that immediately I came down from the top of that rock, I travelled to another part of this jungle instead. Anyhow, I was still travelling along and looking for him.
One morning, having taken my breakfast, I continued to travel along at once. But after a while I travelled to a river. I wondered greatly to see a big river as this in this jungle. It had very strong tides which never stopped or quiet in a moment. This river was so deep and wide that several hippopotami were swimming about on the surface of the water as they liked without any disturbance.
Immediately I came to this river, I stopped on its bank, I put all my things down and then I began to enjoy these hippopotami as they were swimming about, because I had never seen this kind of water animals in my life. As I was still looking at them with wonder they began to swim along to where the river was flowing. But as I wanted to see more about them so I left all my things on the bank of this river and I was following them with the hope to come back in a few minutes time. Unfortunately I did not follow them so far when I found myself amongst of snakes in the bush which was hung overhead near the river.
To my fear I hardly ran to a distance of about three feet when they covered me from feet to head. Although their bites could not do me anything because I had already taken the medicine which could not allow the snake-bites to affect me before I left my town. Not knowing that these snakes were living together with this dangerous boa constrictor (the snake of snakes) which I was seeking for all the while before I came to this river. His home was near the river.
But as I was still struggling with great excitement to safe myself from these snakes, I did not know that this “snake of snakes” was coming behind and he butted me unexpectedly. I fell down so heavily that these snakes were scattered to different direction with fear. But before they came back to me and as this “snake of snakes” was preparing to kill me, I hastily sprang up and I held one twig of a dead tree that which my hands reached. But as I was trying to hold this twig firmly so that I might not fall down on them and as I did not aware that this twig was already dried, so as I began to dangle to left and right, it broke suddenly and I fell into this river and without hesitation strong tides began to carry me away.
It was like that I left this jungle and my fighting weapons. I was struggling hardly to safe myself from the water but the river was very deep and its tides were too strong and unluckily I did not know how to swim. After I struggled very hardly for about twenty minutes to swim on to the bank but I failed then I left myself to death. At last the tides carried me to a part of the river where there were rocks. And as I was just sinking into the bottom of the water but the tides were still pushing me up continuously. Luckily my head hit one of these rocks and at the same moment I held the rough part of it and then I climbed it to the top. When I sat down I began to breathe quickly and audibly because I was too tired before the kind tides were pushed me there.
After two hours my mind became at rest but I was unable to go away from this rock. I stood up, I looked at my left, but this river went along without end. Then I watched whether I would see a canoe which was paddling along this time and then to beg the paddler to come and rescue me, but there was nothing on this river that which resembled a canoe. After that I looked at my back and there was nothing like a living creature on the surface of the river except the tides which were making great noises as they were hitting the rocks frequently.
At last when I did not see anyone who would rescue me from this rock which was in the middle of the river, I sat down again and I began to think with sorrow till when it was night and then I fell asleep unnoticed. And I woke suddenly from sleep when it was midnight by hunger and the noises of the hippopotami. But when I believed that if I kept longer than this on top of this rock I would die soon, the hunger would kill me. Then I sold my “death” at once, and I crept cautiously from this rock on to the back of one of those hippopotamuses. Luckily, it did not feel that anything was on its back.
After a while these hippopotami left this rock and they were finding their food to another part of the river. And it was like that they were swimming along till when it was nearly daybreak. And after a while they came to another part of this river where there was a big rock which, a part of it reached the ground. Having seen this rock, I hastily jumped from its back on to this rock and the whole of them swam away.
In the Bachelors’ Town
There is no one who is rich beyond temptation.
When the front teeth fall away, the beauty of the mouth falls.
Tiger looks at the skylark in vain. (He cannot fly to him.)
I sat on this rock till the daybreak. This day was the “Day of Immortality” which was Sunday and I was very lucky indeed as this day was so. When I saw every part of this rock clearly then I walk on it to the forest which was near this river and I began to travel along in it at the same time. I was looking for food or fruits to eat because I was badly hungry this time. My intention was that when I satisfied my hunger then I would come back to this river, I would find my way at all costs to go back to the Jungle of the Pigmies and then to see that I killed that boa constrictor (snake of snakes) and after that to take all my things and then to go round the jungle and if I saw that there was no more any harmful creature in it, then I would find my way to go back to my town.
But to my surprise, I did not see anything which I could eat until when I was entirely lost in this forest, except those minute birds which were perching on top of every high tree, but I had nothing with me with which to kill them, and I was simply looking at them in vain as when the tigers were looking at the skylarks in vain. When I tried my best to find the way to come back to that river but all my efforts were in vain, then I left myself to the death’s hand and then I began to wander about hopelessly perhaps before I would die I might reach a town or a village.
Within two days that I was wandering about in this thick forest, the thorns had torn my clothes to rags, burrs were so covered my head that my hairs were not seen again except these burrs. The skin of my legs and arms were nearly finished for the thorns which were scratching them as I was going along. Because this forest was so thick that it was hardly for a person to travel even one mile in it for twenty hours. And the worst of it was that I had no cutlass with which to be clearing my way as I was going along in it.
When it was fourth day that I had started to wander about in this forest, I came to a part of it where there was a fruit-tree. The fruits of this tree were very long and very fleshy. Of course I was not quite sure whether they were not poisonous for eating but anyhow, as I was already powerless in respect of hunger before I travelled to this tree. So I did not mind whether the fruits were poisonous or not before I began to eat those which had fallen down. After I ate them to my satisfaction, then I looked at my body but I saw that I was already half naked for the thorns which had torn my clothes to rags. Again when I touched my head the burrs were so covered it that except the whole hairs of it were cleared away before these burrs could come out.
But as I was still checking every part of my body, which was so rough and dirty that if somebody saw me that time would fear that I was insane, I heard that several cocks were crowing loudly from a long distance. When I heard like that I stood up and I began to travel to that direction at the same moment, for I bel
ieved that a town or a village must be near there.
Within one hour I travelled to one big town unexpectedly. And to my surprise was that immediately I came to this town thousands of young and old men rushed to me when they saw that I was a lady. I was first ashamed of my rough and dirty appearance when these people embraced me. But when each of them held me in a lovely way and wanted to take me to his house, then I was not ashamed again. But when I began to shout greatly for pain when my arms were about to tear away as they were scrambling me very greedily, so those old men who were scrambling me as well told the young men that the whole of them must leave me alone and the whole of them did so at the same time. After that they were arguing between themselves who would take me among them as his wife.
But when I heard the word of wife from them it revealed to me that each of them wanted me to be his wife. And as they were still arguing between themselves many young men ran back to their houses, they brought food and they gave it to me to eat it. Each of them gave the food to me in such a charming way so that I might agree to choose him as my husband. Having argued for a few minutes then they arranged between themselves that they must give me chance to choose one of them for myself whom I wished to be my husband, and then they set themselves in a single line. So after I finished with the food, I started to inspect them. But as my intention was only to find my way back to the Jungle of the Pigmies at all costs. So with a trick, I simply chose an old man who was among them. This old man was so old and weary that he could not even distinguish man from woman.