Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 21, 1910.djvu/250

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214
Collectanea.

you as a present." So the Tortoise ate up the liver. When he (Spider) saw (that) he had eaten (it), and they had gone on a little way, he said,—"Tortoise, give me my liver." Then he (Tortoise) said,—"Oh no, I have no liver." Then the Spider said,—"You are a liar. You must kill your bull, and give me (his) liver." So he killed the bull, he the Tortoise, and gave (it to) the Spider. Then the Spider said his liver was bigger than that (thus). Then the Tortoise got angry. He divided his bull, and gave him half. But the Spider said, oh no, his liver was bigger than that, he must give him the whole bull. So he took the whole of the meat, he the Spider, and he said he was revenged. The Tortoise said,—"Very well, I also shall revenge (myself)." Then the Tortoise ignored the Spider; he took a different road, and found some chalk and blue dye, and put (it) on his body in spots. Then he went and lay down in the road. The sun sank. Evening had come. Then the Spider came, and saw him; (he was) afraid. He smote his breast, and said,—"O Spotted One, gave me room to pass." He (Tortoise) remained silent. Then he (Spider) said,—"Do you want the bull?" The Tortoise did not move. Then he (Spider) took a leg, and threw (it) to him. The Tortoise did not move. Then he threw more to him. (There was) only silence, no movement. Then he said,—"Do you want the whole of the flesh of the bull?" He took (it). He threw him the whole of the flesh. The Tortoise refused to move. Then the Spider said,—"Do you want my coat and trousers?" So he took (them) off. He gave him all. He became naked. Then the Tortoise moved to one side, gave him room, and he (Spider) passed by. So the Tortoise arose and took the flesh, he took all the booty, and said,—"I also am revenged."


9. The Spider and the Rubber Baby. (B. G.).

This is about the Spider. He said to measure him out some ground-nuts. He said,—"Peel and cook (them)." So (they were) peeled and cooked, salt and oil were put in, (and) he said he was going to sow. So he took his hoe, and found a shady, cool place near (the) water. Then he ate (until) he was satisfied, he drank water, he lay down, and went to sleep. When he got up, he took some mud and plastered (it) on his body. Then he came to