How It Came About That the Vulture Always Sits Among Filth
THERE once lived a Vulture and a Crow, and the Crow said, “Let us go and cut out a drum and play on it.” They set out for the bush, and they came across a silk-cotton tree. As soon as the Vulture saw the silk-cotton tree, he said, “This one is mine, for, as for me, I am the elder, therefore I shall cut down this great one.” The Crow said, “I have heard.” The Crow also, as he was looking about, saw a “Cedar” tree standing there, he also went and cut it. They both carved out drums. When the Vulture beat his drum it sounded just like this:
Futuru! Futuru! I have got (mine) quickly!
Vulture Kwakye! I have got (mine) quickly!
When the Crow beat his, it sounded like this:
Crow, Kwa! Kwa!
Crow, Kwa! Kwa!
They kept on playing, and the Sky-god heard, and he sent the Hawk (to summon them); and the Hawk came, (and hailed them) “Ago!” And they answered, “Ame!” He said, “The Sky-god says he has heard some dance-music here and therefore you must bring it along and play it for him to hear.” The creatures set out and went before the Sky-god’s face; and they played, and played, and played, and the Sky-god said, “I have heard that it is sweet; the two tunes are sweet, therefore I present you (each) with something.” Then the Sky-god went and fetched two boxes and set them down there, the exterior of one was very beautiful to see; filth to brim like this within; the other also, a very nasty one; gold to the brim like this within. The Sky-god spoke, (saying), “Each of you two come and take.” The Vulture said, “I am the elder, so let me go and take one first.” When he went, he picked out the very beautiful one, while the Crow also took the very nasty one. They lifted them up and went off to their village. When they went to open them, the Vulture, when he looked inside his, filthy slime. In the Crow’s, when he looked inside, gold shining red as anything. It was not very long after that a messenger arrived and told the Vulture (saying), “I am sent to say that your mother-in-law is dead.” He (the Vulture) said, “Crow, give me one gold nugget to bind on my arm that I may go to the funeral.” He got the nugget and bound it on, and went off to the funeral. Arrived there, he said he must go and ease himself; he squatted down, but when he was about to rise up, the nugget fell off, and was lost. He said, “Oh, the property of the Crow is lost, and how can I return home?” So he jumped into the filth and searched (for the nugget). That is why you will see the Vulture, always he is scratching, scratching, at the latrine, for he is looking for the Crow’s nugget to bring it to him.
That is why the Elders say, “Greed is not good.”
This, my story, which I have related, if it be sweet, (or) if it be not sweet, some you may take as true, and the rest you may praise me (for the telling of it).
If Some One Does Good to You, Show Your Thanks by Doing Him Good in Return
THEY say there (once) was an Eagle, and in her wanderings she went and met a certain old woman who had a sore on her leg. And the Eagle said, “Gracious me! This is a sore in a class by itself; with one like this, however hard you try, are you able to walk?” The old woman said, “Oh, just a very little.” The Eagle said, “You people, nowadays, if I were to do something good for you (to-day), to-morrow you would take something bad to thank me.” The old woman said, “Oh, I could not do (that). The Eagle said, “If you cannot behave like that, I have heard.” She said, “Shut your eyes and open them.” And the old woman shut her eyes and opened them. The Eagle said, “Look at your sore.” And when the old woman came to look—not a vestige of it. Then she made her close (her eyes) again; she opened them, and she saw that all the land had been cleared. She said, “Close them again.” She closed them, and she opened them, and houses stood there, firmly. And she made her close them again. She opened them to see a town this size; there it was—huge. The Eagle said, “Old woman, it’s yours (lit. in your hands). The old woman said, “Thanks I give to you.” Then the old woman said, “What must I take to thank you?” The Eagle said, “I do not want even a trifling thing, as for me, (all) I desire is this Silk-cotton-tree that stands there.” The old woman said, ‘This thing (you ask for) what of it, take it.’ Then the Eagle flew off, and alighted on it, and wove a nest, and laid two eggs, depositing them in it. And she hatched the two eggs, and went off to seek for something for her children to eat. The old woman’s grandchild, who lived with her, began to whimper, “Ehe! Ehe!” The old woman said, “What’s the matter?” She said, “Let me chew an Eagle’s children.” The old woman said, “Where am I to get an Eagle’s children?” The small grandchild commenced again, whimper! whimper! The old woman said, “What’s the matter?’ The child said, “Let me chew an Eagle’s children, for if I don’t get some to chew, I shall die.” The old woman said, “Ah! must this, my grandchild die for want of an Eagle’s children to chew? Up you get, take axes and go and strike the silk-cotton-tree and bring me the Eagle’s children.” The village folk went there, (the axes sounded), Pinpin! Pinpin! Pinpin! It was as if the tree was going down, when the elder of the Eagle’s children jumped up, and came and stood on the edge of the nest, and raised a cry; she called the mother, saying:
Sango, the bird e!
Sango, the bird, the Eagle’s child!
Sango, the bird e!
Sango, if she went to eat, come back!
Sango, the bird e!
Sango, o! o
The mother heard that her child was crying; she rose up, (and the sound of her wings flapping was,) fa! She came; she said, “Sanguri,” and that tree (which was nearly severed) came together again, and all the people who had been striking it, were swallowed up. Then she took the food which she had brought and gave to her children. Then she bade them good-bye, saying, “I am going, if the old woman comes to take you away, let her take you.” And the old woman said, “Go and strike the tree and bring the creatures for my grandchild to chew.” And they went there a second time, Pinpin! Pinpin! Pinpin! It was as if the tree was to go to the ground, when the (Eagle’s) child came out and came and stood on the edge of the nest, and called its mother, saying:
Sango, the bird e!
Sango, the bird, the Eagle’s child!
Sango, the bird e!
Sango, if she went to eat, come back!
Sango, the bird e!
Sango, o! o!
She called her mother, and called, and called, and called—no answer—and now the tree spoke as it hit the ground, “Brim!” (it said). They took away the Eagle’s children; they gave one to the old woman, but one that remained flew away and alighted on a Wawa-tree. One, they roasted, and gave it to the old woman’s grandchild, who added it to the roasted plantain (she was eating). Not long after, the Eagle came. When she reached the tree which they had felled, she saw one of her children sitting there; she asked her what had happened, and she told her all the news. The Eagle set off for the old woman’s village. When she went there, the old woman’s grandchild was eating one of her children. She said, “Old woman, I congratulate you.” She came out from the old woman’s house and commenced (her magic) at the outskirts of the town. She said, “Sanguri,” and every person disappeared, and again she said, “Sanguri,” and every house broke up at once and not a dwelling remained. “Sanguri,” the village once again became the forest. “Sanguri,” and the old woman’s sore came back. And she said, “Old woman, you have seen, that is why the elders say, if some does good to you, thank him by doing good to him and do not take evil to thank him.” This, my story, which I have related, if it be sweet, (or) if it be not sweet, some you may take as true, and the rest you may praise me (for the telling of it).
How the Leopard’s Body Became Spotted
THERE (once) lived a Fly and a Leopard, there, and the Leopard said to the Fly, “Let us go and look for women to marry.” The Fly said, “Ho.” Then the Leopard bathed, and oiled, and adorned himself with his gold ornaments, and he tied up his old sleeping-mat, and gave it to the Fly to carry on his head. And they set out; they came to a certain village. Thereupon the Fly said, “Mothers all and Fathers all, I give you evening greetings.” They replied, “Our good husband.” The Leopard also reached there; he said, “Mothers all and Fathers all, I give you evening greetings.” They answered, “You with the foul mouth you dare to give us evening greetings?” They set off, and reached the next village. ’Wansana, the Fly, said, “Mothers all and Fathers all, I give you evening greetings.” They answered in the same way. The Leopard also reached there, and he greeted them, and they answered, Vad ’
“You with the foul mouth, do you wish us evening greetings?” They set out; they got on to the path, the Leopard said, “Look here! bring me the old mat and you take these gold trinkets and adorn yourself, if it is because of the old mat that the girls love you, I shall see.” And (the Fly) received (the ornaments), adorned himself, and they set off and arrived at the next village. The Leopard was in front, and the old mat on his head; he saluted (the villagers). They said, “Don’t salute us, you with the foul mouth; it is fitting that you carry this old sleeping-mat.” Then the Fly arrived there; he said, “Mothers all and Fathers all, I give you evening greetings.” And they replied, saying, “Oh you darling; here indeed is a youth worth looking at; gold trinkets; how they become you; if it were not for the beating we would get, we would accompany you on your journey.” And they went on. No sooner had they reached the path than the Leopard said, “Hey! friend, stand still there, slip off my golden trinkets and give me quickly, quickly, quickly.” When the Fly had finished slipping off the ornaments and giving them to him, the Leopard looked about the path and plucked a creeper with which to bind the Fly. He said, “I shall tie you up, and what have you got to say?” And the Fly said, “I have nothing to say.” The Leopard continued, “I and you have not even reached our destination... (and yet the women are already falling in love with you).” Then the Leopard seized hold of him and fastened him against a tree. And he also went and hid elsewhere. Not long after, the Plantain passed by on the way to market, and when he saw him (the Fly) he said:
“Who is hanging there so very black?
Who is hanging there so very glossy?”
(The Fly) said:
“It is I, the Fly, Kwao Boakye.
Adenen!
Gyahene Kofi Amo,
Adenen!
He said to me that I must come, that we might go in search of girls.
Adenen!
The girls say they do not love him.
Adenen!
He has bound me.
Adenen!
He has bound me completely.
Adenen!
Rescuer, save me.
Adenen!
When you have saved me, take the path and go.
Adenen!”
But the Plantain said, “The Leopard has tied you up, so I cannot let you loose”; and he went off. Amankani, the Coco-yam, came (and went) in like manner; Aburo, the Corn, came (and went) in like manner; Atwibo, the Yam, came (and went) in like manner; Adua, the Bean, came (and went) in like manner; Akam, the Potato, came (and went) in like manner; Akapinkye, the Red-roasted plantain, came (and went) in like manner; Bankye, the Cassava, came (and went) in like manner; Brofere, the Paw-paw, came (and went) in like manner; Emo, the Rice, came (and went) in like manner; Efrere, the Pumpkin, came (and went) in like manner; Habayere, the Bush-yam, came (and went) in like manner; Kwadu, the Banana, came (and went) in like manner; Kontomere, the Coco-yam leaves, came (and went) in like manner; Krobona, the Bean, came (and went) in like manner; Mako, the red-pepper, came (and went) in like manner; Nkatee, the Ground-nut, came (and went) in like manner; Nwiadowa, the Garden-egg, came (and went) in like manner; Nkuruma, the Okro, came (and went) in like manner; and now Dokon’fa, Half-a-ball-of-Kenki (Boiled-pounded-corn), came past and said:
“Who is hanging there so very black?
Who is hanging there so very glossy?”
(The Fly) said:
“It is I, the Fly, Kwao Boakye,
Adenen!
Gyahene Kofi Amo,
Adenen!
He said to me that I must come, that we might go in search of girls,
Adenen!
The girls say they do not love him.
Adenen!
He has bound me.
Adenen!
He has bound me completely.
Adenen!
Rescuer, save me.
Adenen!
When you have saved me, take the path and go.
Adenen!”
Half-a-ball-of-Kenki said, “I have heard, I shall loosen you.” He went there, and loosened him. When he had finished doing so, suddenly the Leopard appeared. He said, “Why have you loosened my man?” He (the Half-a-ball-of-Kenki) said, “I have loosened him, and what you will do, do.” He (the Leopard) said, “For my part, I and you will not do anything at all, only I and you will fight with our fists.” Half-a-ball-of-Kenki said, “If we are going to fight, let us go to the bush, and let us break firewood and set it alight.” So they went and broke firewood, and returned. And he (Half-a-ball-of-Kenki) said, “Let’s set fire to it.” And the Leopard set it alight. Simultaneously they joined battle, (and the sound of it was like) Yiri! Yiri! Yiri! And the Leopard has torn Half-a-ball-of-Kenki (from him), and thrown him, bam! Half-a-ball-of-Kenki said, “(A thing like that is nothing), one takes such a thing and uses it to wash down the place where one’s wife baths.” And they met again. And Half-a-ball-of-Kenki also has cast the Leopard from him, bam! And the Leopard said, “I also take a thing like that to wash down my wife’s bathroom, (but) in our next encounter, when one casts the other off him, then that is the final throw.” And they joined (battle, the sound was like) Kikiri! Kikiri! Kikiri! And Half-a-ball-of-Kenki lifted up the Leopard and threw him in the fire. The Leopard said, “Me firim, me firim, me firim” (I am out, I am out, I am out. That is how the Leopard got his cry “Me firim”.) (Then) they saw that his body was like this, all kurukyire, kurukyire, kurukyire (that is, all spotted); where the white was, that was where the ashes had touched him; and where the black was, that, too, was where the black charcoal had touched him. And when you are walking, and you see the leaf lying there in which Half-a-ball-of-Kenki (has been wrapped), you will see many flies swarming upon it; and that is not for any other reason (save only this), they are thanking him.
This, my story, which I have related, if it be sweet, (or) if it be not sweet, some you may take as true, and the rest you may praise me (for the telling of it).