How Divorce Came into the Tribe

We do not really mean, we do not really mean, (that what we are going to say is true).

A CERTAIN hunter, who was called Kwasi Gyaba, and his wife once went to reside in a camp in order to hunt. Now, when Kwasi Gyaba went to the bush, he did not bring any meat. He never brought back any meat. Now, one day his wife questioned him, saying, “I believe, when you kill meat, you sell it, and eat (the proceeds) or else you give it away in presents, so to-day, if you go to the forest, and do not return with meat, I am going off to my mother yonder, for I am sick of living on rats, and fish, and snails, and such-like.” The hunter, Kwasi Gyaba, set out for the bush. He saw a duyker going past. He said (to himself), “Duyker, where you sleep, there shall I rest with you.” The Duyker went and stood beneath a tree. He (the hunter) raised the gun, pam! A Python—where it came from goodness only knows—landed on the Duyker, and a Leopard, too, leaped upon it. ‘The hunter remained hidden and silent. He said (to himself), “Alas! what misfortune I have beheld.” The Python said, “Father hunter, come, what one head is thinking, another head has sometimes heard, so, hunter, come hither, and let us go to our village, and let us share this duyker, for we will not do you any harm.’ The hunter took his gun and followed them. They went and shared up the meat. The Python said, “Father hunter, I like you, so sleep here to-day, and I shall give you medicine; now this medicine, when you put it in your ears, you will hear the voice of the leaves, of the trees, and of rivers, and the speech of all animals. Therefore this night go and sleep, but do not breathe.” The hunter went to sleep; he left off breathing. The Python took medicine and put it in his ears. Next morning, when things became visible, the hunter understood the language of all things. He set out, and came to his village. Now, when he came, he heard that his mother-in-law had come to her daughter’s (house). Now his mother-in-law was blind in her right eye. The hunter went and sat down in the room. Now, speech and its left-behinds (i. e. I forgot to mention), said that when he met his mother-in-law, she was pounding corn. The hunter sat there in silence, and two fowls who were there (began to talk); one asked the other, saying, “How do you manage to get the corn, while, when I go (to pick it up), I get chased away by her?” The other replied, “Why, have you not noticed that she is blind in her right eye, so when (you want) to pick up corn, if you pass by the damaged one, she can’t see you?” Kwasi Gyaba heard (this); he threw himself on his back and laughed, twe! twe! twe! His mother-in-law said, ‘Ah, my son-in-law, why are you laughing at me like this?” But Kwasi Gyaba lay on the ground laughing, and he kept on laughing. There and then, his mother-in-law uttered the forbidden word of the Sky-god upon him, saying that Kwasi Gyaba should show the cause of his laughter before the face of the Sky-god. The Sky-god sent messengers to bring Kwasi Gyaba. When he reached the end of the town, he lifted up his song:

“Now I am going to speak and die, Kwasi Gyaba e!

I am going to speak and die, when this happens you must not weep for me.

Kwasi Mpuroko Gyaba, he is going,

When this happens you must not weep for me.”

The Sky-god’s elders said, “Listen to the prisoner’s song.” They took Kwasi Gyaba before the Sky-god. The Okyeame (spokesman) rose up and said, “Kwasi Gyaba, did you really laugh at your mother-in-law, or is she lying?” Kwasi Gyaba replied, “Sire, owing to certain medicine, under the influence of which I am, if I reveal the reason (of my laughter) I shall die.” The Sky-god said, “Because you are my hunter, I shall not allow you to die.” His mother-in-law said, “Sire, he is lying, he was just laughing at me, so I shall be content with nothing else but an explanation.” The spokesman said, “Kwasi Gyaba, have you heard? ’? Kwasi Gyaba replied, “Then I beg for a grave, and when I am dead, lay me in it.” No sooner had his mouth stood still, than a Cock and a Hen came by; and the Cock said to the Hen, “Stand still and let me mount you.” The Hen said, “What, in front of these people?” The Cock said, “If you don’t stand still there, I shall speak the forbidden word to the effect that you can take yourself off.” Now Kwasi Gyaba heard that. Immediately he said, “Sire, Sky-god, let them stop digging a grave, for I have something to say.” The Sky-god said, “Speak.” Kwasi Gyaba said, “I speak the forbidden word, that my mother-in-law may take her child away.” All the elders said, “That is true, that is true, the case is finished.” There and then the Sky-god made a law to the effect that, ‘any one, even your friend, if he troubles you, speak the forbidden word upon him, or if it be your wife who does so, speak the forbidden word and divorce her.” Thus it came about that divorce came into the tribe. It is the Cock we copied.

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.