Page:Swahili tales.djvu/469

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STORY OF LIONGO.
449

another climb up, till we have finished." And he said to them "Very well."

And the first climbed up, and they ate. And the second climbed up, and they ate. And the third climbed up, and they ate. And they had plotted that when Liongo should climb up, "Let us shoot him with arrows there, up above."

But Liongo saw through it by his intelligence. So when all had finished they said to him, "Come, it is your turn." And he said, "Very well." And he took his bow in his hand, and his arrows, and said—

"Tafuma wivu la angania, tule cha yayi."

Which means, "I will strike the ripe above, that we may eat in the midst." And he shot, and a bough was broken off; and he shot again, and a second was broken off; and he gave them a whole koma tree, and the ground was covered with fruit. And they ate. And when they had done, the men said among themselves, "He has seen through it; now what are we to do?" And they said, "Let us go away." And they took leave of him, and said—

"Kukuingia hadaani Liongo fumo si mtu,
Yunga jini Liongo okoka."

Which means, "Liongo the chief, you have not been taken in, you are not a man, you have got out of it like a devil."

And they went away and gave their answer to their head-man there in the town, and said, "We could do nothing."

And they advised together, "Who will be able to kill him?" And they said, "Perhaps his nephew will." And they went and called him. And he came. And they said to him. "Go and ask your father what it is that will kill him. When you know, come and tell us, and when he