How It Came About That When Nwansana, the Fly, Settles on Kraman, the Dog, He Snaps at It, Kam! Kam!
We do not really mean, we do not really mean, (that what we are going to say is true).
A CERTAIN hunter had four dogs; one was called Sniff-sniff; another was called Lick-lick; another was called Tie-in-knots; and another was called Gulp-down. He used to hunt with his dogs. Always, when he went to the bush, he and they went together. One day he went to the bush and he saw a certain kola-tree; it was covered with fruit hanging down in bunches like this. Then he returned home, and told his wife the news, saying, “A certain kola-tree, which I have seen, is covered with fruit hanging down in bunches like this.” His wife said, “Go and pick them, for you know we have not even a single kola-nut to chew and none to sell.”—The Hunter set out on the road, but he left the dogs at home, and he went to where the kola-tree was. Then he climbed it, and picked some of the kola-nuts. Now he heard from over yonder, “Twa! be! kukuru! kukuru! hu! pi!” A Sasabonsam (stood) before him. He said, “Who has plucked my kola-nuts?” The hunter said, “I.” The Sasabonsam said, “I shall kill you immediately on account of this thing which you have done.” The hunter said, “If you are going to kill me, let me first call my dogs.” He said, “Call, but when you have had three attempts to call them and they do not come, then I shall kill you.” Then the hunter lifted up (his voice):
“Sniff-sniff, (come and) meet me,
Lick-lick, (come and) meet me,
Tie-in-knots, (come and) meet me,
Gulp-down, (come and) meet me.
Wai, wai, wai,
They are long in coming!
Wai, wai, wai,
They are long in coming!
Wai, wai, wai,
They are long in coming!
Wai, wai, wai,
They are long in coming!
Wai, wai, wai,
They are long in coming!”
And the dogs at home heard him very, very faintly, and they ran to the outskirts of the town. Then the hunter lifted up (his voice) again:
“Sniff-sniff, (come and) meet me,
Lick-lick, (come and) meet me,
Tie-in-knots, (come and) meet me,
Gulp-down, (come and) meet me.
Wai, wai, wai,
They are long in coming!
Wai, wai, wai,
They are long in coming!
Wai, wai, wai,
They are long in coming!
Wai, wai, wai,
They are long in coming!
Wai, wai, wai,
They are long in coming!”
Now the dogs have heard; they ran, prada! prada! The Sasabonsam said, “Call again, and that completes the third time.” The hunter lifted up (his voice) very loudly:
“Sniff-sniff, (come and) meet me,
Lick-lick, (come and) meet me,
Tie-in-knots, (come and) meet me,
Gulp-down, (come and) meet me.
Wai, wai, wai,
They are long in coming!
Wai, wai, wai,
They are long in coming!
Wai, wai, wai,
They are long in coming!
Wai, wai, wai,
They are long in coming!
Wai, wai, wai,
They are long in coming!”
His mouth had not stood still, when the dogs were before him. The hunter said, “Sniff-sniff, here is a Sasabonsam, sniff him.” And Sniff-sniff sniffed him. He said, “Lick-lick, lick him over.” He said, “Tie-in-knots, tie him in a knot.” Tie-in-knots tied his throat in knots; and the Sasabonsam fell down there, kum! Then Gulp-down took him away and gulped him down. The hunter and the dogs gathered up the kola-nuts and brought them home. When the hunter returned, he came and cooked a full dish of ground-nut soup, and set it aside there for the dogs; he splashed water and placed it there, and went off to his wife there to eat. When he had finished eating, he went out on to the street and sat down under a gyedua (tree). Now the hunter’s slave, Fly, went and saw the food (placed in readiness for the dogs), and he lifted it up and placed it on the ceiling. The dogs came in from the street and they were hungry. Lick-lick said to the others, “You have seen what we have done for our master, but up to now, he has not even given us any food to eat, therefore let us go and kill him.” They replied, “You do not lie, you do not lie.” Lick-lick went out into the street and licked the hunter’s body, and he and the hunter played; and Sniff-sniff came also; and he sniffed the hunter’s body; and he also went away. Then no sooner did Tie-in-knots come and tie his throat in knots, than
Gulp-down, too, came and gulped him down. Now the dogs returned to the house; they were about to look into the pato, when they saw drops of soup there. They said, “Fly, perhaps the hunter left us food and you have eaten it?” Fly said, “I have not seen it anywhere.” Sniff-sniff, when he lifted up his eyes, saw the food set there (on the ceiling). He said, “Oh, father! we have killed our master for nothing, for truly there is the food he had set aside for us, and it’s neither one, nor is it two, it’s the Fly who took it and placed it there.” The Fly escaped from there and went off. That is why, when a dog is sitting there, and a fly settles on him, he wants to catch it.
This, my story, which I have related, if it be sweet, (or) if it be not sweet, take some elsewhere, and let some come back to me.
How It Came About That the Parrot’s Tail Became Red
We do not really mean, we do not really mean, (that what we are going to say is true).
THEY say there once was a Queen Mother, and that she bore a beautiful girl. There she was; but when they gave her in marriage to any one, she refused to marry. Always when (her) people went and spoke (to her, about marriage), she said, “Certainly not.” Now the creature, Onini (the Python), was somewhere in the bush, and he lived in a huge cave. One day when he was there (in his cave) he heard some hunters passing, and they were discussing the subject of the beautiful maiden, how, when she was given to any one in marriage, she said she did not want him. The Python lay there, and he said (to himself), “I shall change myself into a fine young man, and go and marry the Queen Mother’s child.” Of a truth, the Python turned himself into a youth; to gaze at whom long, was not possible. He set out for the village. As he was going, he was chewing kola-nuts. When he reached the entrance of the town, the Queen Mother’s child, who had gone to beat the washing, had returned and was spreading out the clothes to dry. The Python spat, and it fell on the bustle of the Queen Mother’s child. The Queen Mother’s child said, “Why do you spit on my bustle?” The Python said, “You are the right (in saying so), Amu.” She said, “My nton salutation is not Amu.” He replied, “You are in the right (in saying so), Eson.” She said, “My nton salutation is not Eson.” He replied, “You are right (in saying so), my wife.” She said, “Then I have married you.” The Queen Mother’s child and the Python set off for (her) house. Immediately the Queen Mother’s child went there to her mother and said, “Eh! eh! eh! (she was stammering with excitement), I have seen the one I desire.’” The Queen Mother said, “At last! where is my son-in-law?” He said, “Here I am, grandmother.” The Queen Mother shook hands with the Python, and said to him, “May you and your wife live together happily.” When evening fell cool, he went to rest with his wife. It was thus for eight days. At length he said, “My wife, I am going to my village but shall return.” His wife said, “Then I and you shall go (together).” The Python said, “No.” The Python talked and talked (and tried to persuade her not to go), but the Queen Mother’s child did not listen (to him). When things became visible, she and her husband set out. As they went along, the Python branched (off the path) and took to the bush. The Queen Mother’s child said, “What are you doing, is this the path?” The Python said, “As for you, shut your mouth and follow me.” She and he set off, and on they went, and (then at last) the Python disappeared into a cave. The Queen Mother’s child also entered. Immediately, the Python transformed himself into a beast; then he addressed the Queen Mother’s child, saying, “This is what I really am, for I changed myself in order to marry you, for you used to sit on your mother’s and on your father’s laps and declare, “There is nothing anywhere (I fear) ’; I shall (now) kill you; scratch my head and catch the lice for me; if you don’t get some, you are finished with food.” The Queen Mother’s child sat beside him, scratching and searching for lice. Now, there they were, when the Queen Mother’s child saw a Parrot was passing by. ‘The Queen Mother’s child was about to open her mouth to say, “Father Parrot,” when the Parrot put his hand on his mouth. The Parrot took his gun, made it all ready, and placed (the butt) on his chest. The Python said, “Scratch my head.” The Queen Mother’s child said, “I am weary of scratching it; if you must kill me, then kill me.” The Python was on the point of raising up his head to seize the Queen Mother’s child, when the Parrot made the gun to cry out, pomm! The Parrot went into the cave to get the Queen Mother’s child and the Python to take them home to give the news how it came about that he had seen the Queen Mother’s child and the Python, and he told them the way he had killed the Python. The Queen Mother’s child, too, gave all her version of the story. The Queen Mother said, “Parrot, what must I take to thank you?” The Parrot said, “Grandmother, I don’t want anything, for myself I only want some palm-oil.” The Queen Mother went and brought palm-oil. He said, “Grandmother, I am taking my tail and dipping it in this palm-oil, and thus make it a symbol (of this adventure).” That is how a Parrot’s tail became red. This, my story, which I have related, if it be sweet, (or) if it be not sweet, take some elsewhere, and let some come back to me.