kind of food appear!" It appeared. The town was like a table, covered with every variety of food. The entire community ate, and were satisfied; and they dispersed. Tortoise took the Drum, and journeyed back to his town. He spoke to his hungry family, "Come ye!" They came. They struck the Drum; it was motionless; and nothing came from it! They struck it again. Silent! (It was indignant at having been used by other hands than those of Tortoise.) So, they sat down with hunger.
The next day. Tortoise went rapidly off to the coco tree, climbed it, gathered two nuts, threw one into the river, dropped into the stream, and followed the nut as he had done before. He came as before to that landing-place, and to the Woman, and told her about the failure of the Drum. She told him that she knew of it, and directed him to go and take another. He went on to that House, and to those People. And they, as before, asked him, "Kudu! whither goest thou?" He replied, "You know I have come to take my coco-nut." But they said, "No! leave the nut, and take a Drum." And, as before, they advised him to take a silent one. So, he came to the House of Drums. These called to him, "Take me! take me!" Then, he thought to himself, "Yes! I'll take one of those Drums that talk. Perhaps they will have even better things than the other." So, he took one, and came out of the House, and told those People "I have taken. And, now, for my journey."
He started from the landing-place, and on up the river, to the foot of the coco-tree. He tied the Drum to the tree with a cord, as before, set it up, and gave it a slap, vĕ! And a table stood there! He said, "Ngâmâ! do as you usually do!" Instantly, there were thrown down on the table, mbwâ! whips instead of food. Tortoise, surprised, said, "As usual!" The Drum picked up one of the whips, and beat Tortoise, vĕ! He cried out with pain, and said to the Drum, "But, now do also as you do. Take these things away." And Drum returned the table and whips to itself. Tortoise regretfully said to himself, "Those People told me not to take a Drum that talked; but my heart deceived me."
However, a plan occurred to him by which to obtain a revenge on Leopard and the King for the trouble he had been put to.
