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214
Thirty-two Folk-Tales of Nigeria.

to meet in seven days and tell stories. So B told his story to the ground and covered it with a calabash, and A did the same. When they came back, they found two kola trees bearing fruit; so they gathered their bags full and broke one and roasted it, but it would not cook; so they got a pot and boiled it, but it was not done after being on the fire all day. So Osa came and cut the kola with a knife, and told the kola that all men should eat him raw and should take no harm. Then he gave one piece to each and put the rest at the foot of the tree. Since that day men have eaten kola raw.

Agbede, Kukuruku Tribe.

v.

Once there was a boy whose father and mother were dead; and he had a farm. He went to weed it and weeded a little and left it, and his father and mother came and went on with the weeding; the boy saw their hoe, and was astonished. When the corn was ripe he took a little of it and his parents took the remainder; so he set a trap and caught them. Then Osa said that was not good. Since then dead people have not come back.

vi.

One day the tortoise went to his garden and met the leopard; and the tortoise said he wanted to play; so the leopard told him to get a rope and then the tortoise tied him to a tree so that he could not get loose.

The tortoise went home and told his wife not to go to the garden; but the wife went to get wood and saw the leopard and shouted. And the leopard asked her to release him; but she said, “You will kill me,” but he said he would not. So she released him and then he tried to kill her, and she said it was not right. So the leopard fears the tortoise now and runs away; and the tortoise beat his wife and said