his wife, and told (her) to bring him water to wash with, he had returned from work. This went on and on until the time of the ground-nut harvest came. Then the wife said she had seen ground-nuts at everyone's house ripening (looking well); (therefore) those which her husband had sown must be ripe by now. So she said she wanted to go to the farm and grub. Then he said,—"Oh no, it was not you (who) sowed the ground-nuts for me. I shall go and dig them." In reality he was going to steal from the Half-man. So he went and stole ground-nuts, and brought (them) to his wife. Then the Half-man came, and saw that he had been robbed, and said he would make a trap with a rubber girl and catch (the thief). Then the Spider came and saw a fine girl, with a fine neck (look at the neck), with fine breasts. So he came and touched the breasts, and said,—" Oh, Girl." Then the rubber held him. Then he said,—"Ah, Girl, let me go. Do you want me?" Then he placed one hand (on her) also. Then the hand stuck. Then he said,—"You Girls, do you like a man enough to hold him? I will kick you." So he kicked with one foot. The rubber held him. Then he got angry, and used an abusive epithet. He kicked also with the other foot. When he had kicked, the rubber caught him all over. He was bent up. Then he said,—"Very well, I am going to butt you." So he butted her, but his head stuck. Just then[1] the Half-man saw (him). Then he said,—"Thanks be to God." He got a switch of the tamarind tree, and put it in the fire. Then he brought some butter and rubbed (it on). Then he came, and fell upon the Spider until (his) back peeled. His whole body was peeled. Then he loosened the Spider from the rubber. He said,—"Here, you Spider," so said the Half-man, "if you come here again, I the Half-man will kill you."[2]
(To be continued.)
- ↑ Lit. "from there," so it may mean "just then," or "from where (he was)."
- ↑ I have met no other reference to the Half-man in Hausa tales (A. J. N. T.) Cf. vol. XX. pp. 209-11; Journal of the African Society, 1904, pp. 59-60 ("Duala Fables: I. The Man and his Wife"); and, for the Half-man, Cronise and Ward, op. cit., pp. 178-86 ("Marry the Devil, there's the Devil to pay").
