Where Animals Talk; West African Folk Lore Tales/Part 3/Tale 11
A Chain of Circumstances
Persons
| Etanda (Cockroach) | Uhingi (Genet) |
| Kudu (Tortoise) | Njĕ (Leopard) |
| Kuba (Chicken) | A Man |
NOTE
A Cause, from which came the enmity between Leopards, and other wild animals, and Mankind.
Observe the resemblance to "The House that Jack Built."
Tortoise was a blacksmith, and allowed other people to use his bellows. Cockroach had a spear that was known of by all people and things. One day, he went to the smithy at the village of Tortoise. When he started to work the bellows, as he looked out in the street, he saw Chicken coming; and he said to Tortoise, "I'm afraid of Kuba, that he will catch me. What shall I do?" So Tortoise told him, "Go! and hide yourself off there in the grass." At once he hid himself.
Then arrived Chicken, and he, observing a spear lying on the ground, asked Tortoise, "Is not this Etanda's Spear?" Tortoise assented, "Yes, do you want him?" And Chicken said, "Yes, where is he?" So Tortoise said, "He hid himself in the grass on the ground yonder; catch him." Then Chicken went and caught Cockroach, and swallowed him.
When Chicken was about to go away to return to his place. Tortoise said to him, "Come back! work for me this fine bellows!" As Chicken, willing to return a favor, was about to stand at it, he looked around and saw Genet coming in the street. Chicken said to Tortoise, "Alas! I'm afraid that Uhingi will see me, where shall I go?" So, Tortoise says, "Go! and hide!" Chicken did so. When Genet came, he, seeing the spear, asked, "Is it not so that this is Etanda's Spear?" Tortoise replied, "Yes." Genet asked him, "Where is Etanda?" He replied, "Chicken has swallowed him." Genet inquired, "And where is Chicken?" Tortoise showed him the place where Chicken was hidden. And Genet went and caught and ate Chicken.
When Genet was about to go. Tortoise called to him, "No! come! to work this fine bellows." Genet set to work; but, when he looked into the street, he hesitated; for, he saw Leopard coming. Genet said to Tortoise, "I must go, lest Njĕ should see me!" Then Tortoise said, "Go! and hide in the grass." So, Genet hid himself in the grass.
Leopard, having arrived and wondering about the Spear, asked Tortoise, "Is it not so that this is the Spear of Etanda?" Tortoise answered, "Yes." Then Leopard asked, "Where is Etanda?" Tortoise replied, "Kuba has swallowed him." "And, where is Kuba?" Tortoise answered, "Uhingi has eaten him." Then Leopard asked, "Where then is Uhingi?" Tortoise asked, "Do you want him? Go and catch him! He is hidden yonder there." Then Leopard caught and killed Genet.
Leopard was going away, but Tortoise told him, "Wait! come! to work this fine bellows." When Leopard was about to comply, he looked around the street, and he saw a Human Being coming with a gun carried on his shoulder. Leopard exclaimed, "Kudu-O! I do not want to see a Man, let me go!" Then Tortoise said to him, "Go! and hide." Leopard did so.
When the Man had come, and he saw the Spear of Cockroach, he inquired, "Is it not so that this is Cockroach's wonderful Spear?" Tortoise answered, "Yes."
And the Man asked, "Where then is Cockroach?" Tortoise answered, "Kuba has swallowed him."
Man asked, "And where is Chicken?" Tortoise answered, "Uhingi has eaten him."
Man asked, "And where is Genet?" Tortoise answered, "Njê has killed him."
Man asked, "And where is Leopard?" Tortoise did not at once reply; and Man asked again, "Where is Leopard?" The Tortoise said, "Do you want him? Go! and catch him. He had hidden himself over there."
Then the Man went and shot Leopard,
Who had killed Genet,
Who had eaten Chicken,
Who had swallowed Cockroach,
Who owned the wonderful Spear,
At the smithy of Tortoise.