And the knife said, "If I were the chief, should I be consumed by the fire?"
And they went and took the fire and beat it. And the fire said, "Do you beat me? what have I done?" And they said, "You are the fire which consumes the knife, and the knife cuts the cord, and the cord ties the cat, and the cat eats the rat, and the rat bores through the mud wall, and the mud wall stops the south wind, and the south wind threw down the calabash, and it struck our teacher Goso: you should not do it." And the fire said, "If I were the chief should I be put out by water?"
And they went and took the water and beat it. And the water said, "Do you beat me? what have I done?" And they said, "You are the water which puts out the fire, and the fire consumes the knife, and the knife cuts the rope, and the rope ties the cat, and the cat eats the rat, and the rat bores through the mud wall, and the mud wall stops the south wind, and the south wind threw down the calabash, and it struck our teacher Goso: you should not do it." And the water said, "If I were the chief should I be drunk by the ox?"
And they went and took the ox and beat it. And the ox said, "Do you beat me? what have I done?" And they said, "You are the ox which drinks the water, and the water puts out the fire, and the fire consumes the knife, and the knife cuts the rope, and the rope ties the cat, and the cat eats the rat, and the rat bores through the mud wall, and the mud wall stops the south wind, and the south wind threw down the calabash, and it struck our teacher Goso: you should not do it." And the ox said, "If I, the ox, were the chief, should I be stuck to by a tick."
And they went and took the tick and beat it. And the tick said, "Do you beat me? what have I done?" And
