Where Animals Talk; West African Folk Lore Tales/Part 2/Tale 7
Why Goats Became Domestic
Persons
| Tomba-Ya-Taba (Goat) | Njâ (Leopard) |
| With Etoli, plural Betoli (Rat) | Ko (Wild-Rat) |
| Vyâdu (Antelope, plural Lâdu) | Njâku (Elephant) |
| Nyati (Ox) | Mankind |
Goat and his mother lived alone in their village. He said to her, "I have here a magic-medicine to strengthen one in wrestling. There is no one who can overcome me, or cast me down; I can overcome any other person."
The other Beasts heard of this boast; and they took up the challenge. First, house-Rats, hundreds of them, came to Goat's village, to test him. And they began the wrestling. He overcame them, one by one, to the number of two hundred. So, the Rats went back to their places, admitting that they were not able to overcome him.
Then, forest-Rat came to wrestle with Goat. He overcame them also, all of them. And they went back to their own place defeated.
Then, the Antelope came to wrestle with Goat. He overcame all the Antelopes, every one of them; not one was able to withstand him. And they also went back to their places.
Also, Elephant with all the elephants, came on that same challenge. Goat overcame all the Elephants; and they too, went back to their place.
Thus, all the Beasts came, in the same way, and were overcome in the same way, and went back in the same way.
But, there still remained one Beast, only one, Leopard, who had not made the attempt. So he said he would go; as he was sure he could overcome. He came. Goat overcame him also. So, it was proved that not a single beast could withstand Goat.
Then the Father of All-the-Leopards said, "I am ashamed that this Beast should overcome me. I will kill him!" And he made a plan to do so. He went to the spring where Mankind got their drinking-water. And he stood, hiding at the spring. Men of the town went to the spring to get water; Leopard killed two of them. The people went to tell Goat, "Go away from here, for Leopard is killing Mankind on your account." The Mother of Goat said to him, "If that is so, let us go to my brother Vyâdu." So they both went to go to Uncle Antelope. And they came to his village. When they told him their errand, he bravely said, "Remain here! Let me see Njâ come here with his audacity!"
They were then at Antelope's village, about two days. On the third day, about eight o'clock in the morning, Leopard came there as if for a walk. When Antelope saw him, Goat and his mother hid themselves; and Antelope asked Leopard, "What is your anger? Why are you angry with my nephew?"
At that very moment while Antelope was speaking, Leopard seized him on the ear. Antelope cried out, "What are you killing me for?" Leopard replied, "Show me the place where Tomba-Taba and his mother are." So, Antelope being afraid said, "Come tonight, and I will show you where they sleep. And you kill them; but don't kill me."
While he was saying this, Goat overheard, and said to his mother, "We must flee, lest Njâ kill us." So, at sun-down, that evening. Goat and his mother fled to the village of Elephant. About midnight, Leopard came to Antelope's village, according to appointment, and looked for Goat, but did not find him. Leopard went to all the houses of the village, and when he came to Antelope's own, in his disappointment, he killed him.
Leopard kept up his search, and followed to find where Goat had gone. Following the tracks, he came to the village of Elephant. When he arrived there, Elephant demanded, "What's the matter?" And the same conversation was held, as at Antelope's village, and the incidents happened as at that village, ending with Elephant's being killed by Leopard. For, Goat and his mother had fled, and had gone to the village of Ox.
Leopard followed, and came to Ox's village. There all the same things were said and done, as in the other villages, and ending with Goat and his mother fleeing, and Ox being killed.
Then, the mother, wearying of flight, and sorry at causing their entertainers to be killed, said, "My child! if we continue to flee to the villages of other beasts, Njâ will follow, and will kill them. Let us flee to the homes of Mankind."
So, they fled again, and came to the town of Man, and told him their story. He received them kindly. He took Goat and his mother as guests, and gave them a house to live in.
One time, at night, Leopard came to the town of Man, in pursuit of Goat. But Man said to Leopard, "Those Beasts whom you killed, failed to find a way in which to kill you. But, if you come here, we will find a way." So, that night, Leopard went back to his village.
On another day, Mankind began to make a big trap, with two rooms in it. They took Goat and put him in one room of the trap. Night came. Leopard left his village, still going to seek for Goat; and he came again to the town of Man. Leopard stood still, listened, and sniffed the air. He smelled the odor of Goat, and was glad, and said, "So! this night I will kill him!"
He saw an open way to a small house. He thought it was a door. He entered, and was caught in the trap. He could see Goat through the cracks in the wall, but could not get at him. Goat jeered at him, "My friend! you were about to kill me, but you are unable."
Daybreak came. And people of Man's town found Leopard in the trap, caught fast. They took machetes and guns, and killed him. Then Man said to Goat, "You shall not go back to the Forest; remain here always."
This is the reason that Goats like to live with mankind, through fear of Leopards.