Where Animals Talk; West African Folk Lore Tales/Part 1/Tale 9
Who is King of Birds?
Places
The Country of Birds in Njambi's Kingdom
Njambi's Town
Persons
| Ra-Njambi (Lord or Master of all) | Ngwanyâni (Eagle) |
| Njâgâni (Chicken) | Ugulungu (Schizorhis, Plantain-Eater) |
| Ngozo (Parrot) |
NOTE
1st—Ability to Speak a greater gift than ability in Walking, Flying, or any other Force.
2nd—Why Chickens live with Mankind.
All the Birds had their dwelling-place in a certain country of Njambi's Kingdom. The pelicans, chickens, eagles, parrots and all other winged kinds all lived together, separated from other animals, in that country under the Great Lord Njambi.
One day, they were discussing together on the question, "Who is King of the Birds?" They all, each one, named himself, e. g., the Chicken said, "I!;" the Parrot, "I!" the Eagle "I!" and so on. Every day they had this same discussion. They were not able to settle it, or to agree to choose any one of their number. So, they said, "Let us go to Ra-Njambi, and refer the question to him." They agreed; and all went to him so that he might name who was the superior among them. When they all had arrived at Njambi's Town, he asked, "What is the affair on which you have come?" They replied, "We have come together here, not to visit, but for a purpose. We have a discussion and a doubt among ourselves. We wish to know, of all the Birds, who is Head or Chief. Each one says for himself that he is the superior. This one, because he knows how to fly well; that one because he can speak well; and another one, because he is strong. But, of these three things,—flight, speech, and strength, we ask you, which is the greatest?"
Immediately all the Birds began a competition, each one saying, "Choose me; I know how to speak!" Njambi silenced them, and bade them, "Well, then, come here! I know that you all speak. But, show me, each one of you, your manner of speaking."
So Eagle stood up to be examined. Njambi asked him, "How do you speak? What is your manner of talking?" Eagle began to scream, "So-o-we! so-o-we! so-o-we!" Njambi said, "Good! Now call me your wife!" The wife of Eagle came, and Njambi said to her, "You are the wife of Ngwanyâni, how do you talk?" The wife replied, "I say, 'So-o-we! So-o-we! So-o-we!'" Ra-Njambi said to Eagle, "Indeed! you and your wife speak the same kind of language." Eagle answered, "Yes; I and my wife, we speak alike." They were ordered, "Sit you aside."
Then Ra-Njambi directed, "Bring me here Ngozo." And he asked, "Ngozo, how do you talk? What is your way of speaking?" Parrot squawked, "I say, 'Ko-do-ko!'" Ra-Njambi ordered, "Well, call me your wife!" She came; and he asked her, "How do you talk? Talk now!" The wife replied, "I say, 'Ko-do-ko!'" Njambi asked Parrot, "So! your wife says, 'Ko-do-ko?'" Parrot answered "Yes; my wife and I both say, 'Ko-do-ko.'"
Njambi then ordered, "Call me here, Ugulungu." He came, and was asked, "And how do you talk?" He shouted, "I say, 'Mbru-kâ-kâ! mbru-kâ-kâ! mbru!'" Njambi told him," Call me your wife! "She came, and, when asked, spoke in the same way as her husband. Njambi dismissed them, "Good! you and your wife say the same thing. Good!"
So, all the Birds, in succession, were summoned; and they all, husband and wife, had the same mode of speaking, except one who had not hitherto been called.
Njambi finally said, "Call Njâgâni here!" The Cock stood up, and strutted forward. Njambi asked him, "What is your speech? Show me your mode of talking!" Cock threw up his head, stretched his throat, and crowed, "Kâ-kâ-re-kââ. "Njambi said, "Good! summon your wife hither." The wife came; and, of her, Njambi asked, "And, what do you say?" She demurely replied, "My husband told me that I might talk only if I bore children. So, when I lay an egg, I say 'Kwa-ka! Kwa-ka!'" Njambi exclaimed, "So! you don't say, 'Kâ-kâ-re-kââ,' like your husband?" She replied, "No, I do not talk as he."
Then Njambi said to Cock, "For what reason do you not allow your wife to say, 'Kâ-kâ-re-kââ?'" Cock replied, "I am Njâgâni, I respect myself. I jeer at all these other birds. Their wives and themselves speak only in the same way. A visitor, if he comes to their towns, is not able to know, when one of them speaks, which is husband and which is wife, because they both speak alike. But I, Njâgâni, as to my wife, she is unable to speak as I do. I do not allow it. A husband should be at the head; and in his wife it is not becoming for her to be equal with him or to talk as well as he does."
Njambi listened to this long speech; and then inquired, "Have you finished?" Chicken answered, "Yes."
Njambi summoned all the Birds to stand together in one place near him, and he said, "The affair which you brought to me, I settle it thus:—Njâgâni is your Head; because you others all speak, husband and wife, each alike. But, he speaks for himself in his own way, and his wife in her way; to show that a husband has priority and superiority over a wife. Therefore, as he knows how to be Head of his family, it is settled that Njâgâni is Head also of your Tribe."
But, Njambi went on to say, "Though this is true, you, Njâgâni, don't you go back again into the Forest, to your Kingship of the Birds. For the other birds will be jealous of you. You are not strong, you cannot fight them all. Lest they kill you, stay with me in my Town."
Cock went to get his wife and children, and returned and remained there with Ra-Njambi. Therefore, the original bird to dwell among Mankind was the chicken.
When the other Birds scattered and went back to their own forest country without their king, they said, "Let it be so! We will not choose another King. Our King has left us, and has emigrated to another country, and has sat down in Njambi's Town."
So, the Birds have lived in the forest without any King.
There is another story which gives a different explanation of chickens being the first of birds to dwell among Mankind.
The Birds had no fire. They had to eat their food raw, and to shiver on cold days. In flying over the other countries, they saw Mankind using, in the preparation of their food, a thing which birds did not have. They observed that that thing seemed to add much to the comfort of Mankind. So, they chose Chicken, not as their King, but, because he knew so well how to speak, to go as their messenger, to ask Mankind to share that thing with them. Chicken left the Forest, and started on his journey, and came to the towns of Men.
He found so much food lying around, and it tasted so good because it had been touched by that bright thing which he heard people call "Fire," that he delayed the delivery of his message. And Men were pleased with his usefulness in awaking them in the morning, as he called them to get up and make their fires. The situation was so comfortable, as Mankind allowed him to walk in and out of their houses at will, that he forgot his errand, and chose to stay with Men, and never went back to the Forest.
The birds, having no one else who united both audacity to act and ability to speak, never sent another messenger on that errand, and they remain without fire to this day.