Where Animals Talk; West African Folk Lore Tales/Part 2/Tale 31
A Family Quarrel
Persons
Ihĕli (Gazelle)Njâ (Leopard)
NOTE
Among native Africans, in the case of a man and his wife, even if they fight together, her father or her brother usually do not interfere. For, every man who is married knows that his own wife will some day offend himself.
Gazelle and Leopard built a town; living this one at his end of it; that one at the other end. After they had built; they cleared the forest for plantations; they married wives; and they sat down, resting in their seats.
Gazelle had married the sister of Leopard who was of a proud disposition. And Leopard had publicly threatened, "The person who makes trouble for my sister, I will show him a thing."
One day, the sister of Leopard began to give Gazelle some impertinence. Gazelle said to her, "Shut your mouth!" She replied, "I won't shut it!" Gazelle threatened, "Lest I beat you!" She dared him, "Come and beat me! You will see my brother coming to chew you!" Gazelle ran after her, struck her, ndo! and knocked her to the ground, ndi! As she lay there, he kept on beating her, and beating her, and shouting, "Who has married! Who has not married?"
Leopard bristled up his whole mane, full of anger, and was about to go to Gazelle's end of the town to fight. But the older people said to him, "You hear what Ihĕli says, 'Who has not married'?"
Leopard was at once disheartened. He saw there was no place for his bravery in a matter of marriage.