diff options
| author | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-01-22 09:52:40 -0800 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-01-22 09:52:40 -0800 |
| commit | bedff656787ba669b86a2b957dbd3ce4918db8d6 (patch) | |
| tree | 53cfbf2dee4d44c72dcecaaa98858134571eeee1 | |
| parent | 9c8ac4d1cb63085b5fb19166c1aed90d563b4c82 (diff) | |
| -rw-r--r-- | .gitattributes | 4 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | LICENSE.txt | 11 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | README.md | 2 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/66923-0.txt | 3612 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/66923-0.zip | bin | 62472 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/66923-h.zip | bin | 10052875 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/66923-h/66923-h.htm | 4551 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/66923-h/images/cover.jpg | bin | 177345 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/66923-h/images/frontispiece.jpg | bin | 378933 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/66923-h/images/p030.png | bin | 502545 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/66923-h/images/p034.png | bin | 324595 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/66923-h/images/p040.png | bin | 315262 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/66923-h/images/p046.png | bin | 427430 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/66923-h/images/p052.png | bin | 479680 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/66923-h/images/p056.png | bin | 393383 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/66923-h/images/p066.png | bin | 396461 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/66923-h/images/p070.png | bin | 442196 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/66923-h/images/p078.png | bin | 412377 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/66923-h/images/p082.png | bin | 475265 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/66923-h/images/p092.png | bin | 404252 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/66923-h/images/p100.png | bin | 336202 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/66923-h/images/p106.png | bin | 455516 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/66923-h/images/p120.png | bin | 452678 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/66923-h/images/p126.png | bin | 325668 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/66923-h/images/p130.png | bin | 359470 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/66923-h/images/p136.png | bin | 426943 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/66923-h/images/p142.png | bin | 440472 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/66923-h/images/p152.png | bin | 400773 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/66923-h/images/p164.png | bin | 442755 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/66923-h/images/p172.png | bin | 420714 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/66923-h/images/p178.png | bin | 368807 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/66923-h/images/p182.png | bin | 389007 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/66923-h/images/titlepage.png | bin | 28582 -> 0 bytes |
33 files changed, 17 insertions, 8163 deletions
diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..76afc5b --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #66923 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/66923) diff --git a/old/66923-0.txt b/old/66923-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index ed1643c..0000000 --- a/old/66923-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,3612 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of West African Folk-Tales, by William Henry -Barker - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: West African Folk-Tales - -Author: William Henry Barker - Cecilia Sinclair - -Release Date: December 11, 2021 [eBook #66923] -Last Updated: July 10, 2023 - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: Jeroen Hellingman and the Online Distributed Proofreading - Team at https://www.pgdp.net/ for Project Gutenberg (This file - was produced from images generously made available by The - Internet Archive) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WEST AFRICAN FOLK-TALES *** - - - - - WEST AFRICAN - FOLK-TALES - - COLLECTED AND ARRANGED BY - W. H. BARKER B.Sc. - FORMERLY PRINCIPAL OF THE GOVERNMENT INSTITUTION ACCRA - - AND - CECILIA SINCLAIR - WITH FRONTISPIECE & TWENTY-THREE DRAWINGS BY - CECILIA SINCLAIR - - - LONDON - GEORGE G. HARRAP & COMPANY - 2 & 3 PORTSMOUTH STREET KINGSWAY W.C. - MCMXVII - - - - - - - - -CONTENTS - - - PAGE - INTRODUCTION 11 - - I. ANANSI, OR SPIDER, TALES - - I. HOW WE GOT THE NAME ‘SPIDER TALES’ 29 - II. HOW WISDOM BECAME THE PROPERTY OF THE HUMAN RACE 33 - III. ANANSI AND NOTHING 35 - IV. THUNDER AND ANANSI 39 - V. WHY THE LIZARD CONTINUALLY MOVES HIS HEAD UP AND - DOWN 45 - VI. TIT FOR TAT 51 - VII. WHY WHITE ANTS ALWAYS HARM MAN’S PROPERTY 55 - VIII. THE SQUIRREL AND THE SPIDER 59 - IX. WHY WE SEE ANTS CARRYING BUNDLES AS BIG AS - THEMSELVES 63 - X. WHY SPIDERS ARE ALWAYS FOUND IN THE CORNERS OF - CEILINGS 69 - XI. ANANSI THE BLIND FISHERMAN 73 - XII. ADZANUMEE AND HER MOTHER 77 - XIII. THE GRINDING-STONE THAT GROUND FLOUR BY ITSELF 81 - XIV. “MORNING SUNRISE” 85 - XV. WHY THE SEA-TURTLE WHEN CAUGHT BEATS ITS BREAST - WITH ITS FORE-LEGS 87 - XVI. HOW BEASTS AND SERPENTS FIRST CAME INTO THE WORLD 89 - XVII. HONOURABLE MINŪ 95 - XVIII. WHY THE MOON AND THE STARS RECEIVE THEIR LIGHT - FROM THE SUN 97 - - II. MISCELLANEOUS TALES - - XIX. OHIA AND THE THIEVING DEER 105 - XX. HOW THE TORTOISE GOT ITS SHELL 115 - XXI. THE HUNTER AND THE TORTOISE 119 - XXII. THE TAIL OF THE PRINCESS ELEPHANT 123 - XXIII. KWOFI AND THE GODS 129 - XXIV. THE LION AND THE WOLF 131 - XXV. MAKU MAWU AND MAKU FIA 133 - XXVI. THE ROBBER AND THE OLD MAN 139 - XXVII. THE LEOPARD AND THE RAM 141 - XXVIII. WHY THE LEOPARD CAN ONLY CATCH PREY ON ITS LEFT - SIDE 145 - XXIX. QUARCOO BAH-BONI 147 - XXX. KING CHAMELEON AND THE ANIMALS 155 - XXXI. TO LOSE AN ELEPHANT FOR THE SAKE OF A WREN IS A - VERY FOOLISH THING TO DO 159 - XXXII. THE UNGRATEFUL MAN 163 - XXXIII. WHY TIGERS NEVER ATTACK MEN UNLESS THEY ARE - PROVOKED 167 - XXXIV. THE OMANHENE WHO LIKED RIDDLES 171 - XXXV. HOW MUSHROOMS FIRST GREW 177 - XXXVI. FARMER MYBROW AND THE FAIRIES 181 - - - - - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS - - - PAGE - - Native Children ready for a Story Frontispiece - The Bees flying into the Jar 30 - Again and again Anansi tried to climb the Tree 34 - A great Wave dashed Anansi back on the Beach 40 - The Princess picked up the Fruit 46 - “May I give you a little of this meat?” 52 - Wolf and Leopard discover the Flesh of the Antelope 56 - Mr Ant takes the Box from Anansi 66 - Egya Anansi built himself a very comfortable Hut 70 - The Bird calls to Adzanumee 78 - The wonderful Grinding-stone 82 - Anansi saw, rushing toward him, Beasts and Serpents of - all Kinds 92 - Kweku Tsin played on the wonderful Fiddle 100 - Ohia cut down the Trees and prepared them 106 - The Hunter and the Tortoise 120 - The Princess changed into an Elephant 126 - Each received a large Helping except Kwofi 130 - Maku Mawu catches a Fish 136 - Young Leopard sprang toward the Stem and tore it 142 - They scattered in all Directions 152 - The Hunter and the Serpent 164 - He threw half the Cake to the Vulture 172 - How the Ants paid the Debt 178 - Mybrow’s Wife plucked one of the Yams 182 - - - - - - - - -INTRODUCTION - - -In presenting to the public these stories based on the folk-lore of the -Gold Coast peoples, it seems necessary to say something in general -terms of the economic and social development of the colony in so far as -that development is affecting the ‘lore’ of the folk. - -Not until the civilization and industrialism of Europe began to -penetrate into the districts of the Guinea Coast was any great attempt -made to study the folk-lore of these peoples. It is obvious, therefore, -that the student must find considerable admixture from outside sources -which the absence of a native system of writing and consequent -literature makes exceedingly difficult to detect. The difficulties -increase with time, for we are getting farther and farther from the -genuine folk-lore. Each year, from towns like Accra, Seccondee, and -Cape Coast the tentacles of European civilization are slowly extending -in all directions. Railways and roads are creeping out, old-fashioned -crudity is giving way to simpler and more expeditious methods; new -industries, as rubber and cocoa, are being established. [1] All this -must be borne in mind in studying the folk-lore as told by the native -to-day. What is happening is, unfortunately, not an awakening, but a -transformation. The negro is discarding his native cloth for a European -suit of clothes. - -“On all sides it is reported that the demand for European provisions, -luxuries, and apparel is large and greatly increasing. The large -imports of tinned provisions, flour, etc., is in part due to the -scarcity of native food-stuffs in certain districts, but there is no -doubt that the standard of living is changing and rising. - -“There is a general desire not only in the colony, but in Ashanti, for -better roads, better houses, cleaner villages, and the desire has been -prompted by the example of the great sanitary improvements in the -larger towns.... - -“It can be observed that the people take a growing pride in the -institutions and traditions of their country, that the chiefs are -realizing the duties and influence of their position, and that public -opinion, among the educated classes, at any rate, is beginning to -recognize that some advance on the ideals and standards of the past -must now be demanded.” [2] - -This, from the utilitarian and Imperial standpoints, is as it should -be, but it tends to be fatal to the mythology, the customs, and the -traditions of such peoples as the negroes of West Africa. For this -change is not taking place only in the direction of mere materialism. -Christianity, entering the country through the ports, and -Mohammedanism, being carried by Haussas along the trade routes from the -interior, are playing their part in these psychological and -sociological changes. The negro of yesterday differs from the negro of -to-day as he in turn will differ from the negro of to-morrow. In view -of all this metamorphosis it is much to be regretted that the -geographical and linguistical difficulties have made the task of the -folk-lorist not only difficult but wellnigh impossible. Much, of -course, might be done if those whose duties carry them into the various -districts would take in hand the task. The collation of their results -might enable one to eradicate outside and recent influences and in a -measure get at “the back of the black man’s mind.” - -The material in this book was collected in the following manner: The -new educational policy of the Government provided for a Training -Institution for Teachers at Accra. The first students to be admitted -were men who had already had some considerable experience in the -schools of their districts. They were, therefore, sufficiently familiar -with the English language to express themselves clearly and fluently. -At the same time they were men who could remember the time when the new -civilizing forces at present at work were not nearly so pronounced. By -obtaining from these students a variety of versions of the same story -it became possible to some extent to eradicate the superfluous and the -spurious. - -The selection of tales has been carefully made, and in the retelling -and illustrating of the story the object has been to give the reader an -introduction to the thought and customs of the West African negro. - -In order to produce the correct ‘atmosphere’ for the story, picture an -evening scene in a native village. The sun is nearing the western -horizon, seeming to fall like a huge ball behind the distant hills, the -air is cool, and a solemn stillness prevails. Even the noisy youths and -girls are quiet, and the time for tom-toms, crickets, bull-frogs, and -the miscellaneous instruments of man and Nature for the production of -the most weird and inharmonious of sounds is not yet. In the -compound—the courtyard round which are the family dwellings—the women -with their picin (children) on their backs are busy with mortar and -pestle making foo-foo (native food from maize). Squatting near the mud -walls, naked to the waist, their cloth forming but a covering for the -loins, are a number of men smoking short clay pipes and expectorating -in a most insanitary manner—a perfect picture of idleness. Naked -youngsters stand open-mouthed listening to the conversation of their -elders, or amuse themselves at hide-and-seek, marbles, or some other -native game. - -The short twilight of the tropics brings all occupations except talking -to an end, and of talking there seems to be no end. Here and there some -one or other lies down, covers himself entirely with his cloth, and is -lost to the world. - -A lantern is brought out, and unconsciously and imperceptibly it -becomes the centre of dark forms, relieved now and again by rows of -beautiful white teeth as the owners indulge in a hearty laugh. At times -conversation lags; some one drones a monotonous tune, others smoke in -quiet contemplation, while others again follow the example of the dark -human mounds scattered about the compound. - -Suddenly, “Comrades, listen to a story.” At once the men, women, and -children press round the speaker, an eager crowd, ready to hear or to -tell the tales of their folk. - -“All right, let it come.” - -Thus commences another evening wherein the native recounts to his -neighbour for the hundredth time the stories handed down by tradition -from the dim ‘before-time.’ The native is a born raconteur, and his -stories are not the outcome of his imagination, but folk-lore modified -and ornamented perhaps to suit the particular audience or particular -circumstance. Some of these modifications which have assumed a more or -less permanent form are commented on below. - -Throughout the Gold Coast Colony and Southern Ashanti the stories as -given by the various tribes are essentially the same. It may be that -further and more detailed investigation in the domain of folk-lore will -help to solve a very important ethnic problem, namely, whether the -coast tribes are or are not of the same stock as those of the -hinterland. It is generally accepted at present that “these people of -the West Coast were for the most part the broken fragments of races -that have been driven to the sea by the stronger races of the -interior.” [3] If this were so, then one would expect to find -differences in the folk-lore of the stronger and weaker races similar -to those between the folk-lore of the Celts and Anglo-Saxons. Actually, -this does not appear to be so, though at present the data is not -sufficient to enable one to form a definite opinion. - -The following is from a recent work on the Gold Coast, and presents a -slightly different view from that in the quotation above: “The general -sum of these traditions [regarding the origin of the tribes] is that -the Fantis, Ashantis, Wassaws, and in fact all the Twi-[Tshi] speaking, -or Akan, peoples, were originally one tribe. They were a pastoral race -and inhabited the open country beyond the forest belt and farther north -than Salaga. A northern and lighter-skinned people, which is commonly -supposed to have been the Fulanis, commenced to encroach on their -territory, and, being stronger than they, seized their cattle and young -women and made many of the others slaves.... The subdivision of the -united Akan race into its main branches, the Fantis and Ashantis, is -variously accounted for.... One story very plausibly explains that the -constant raids of their northern enemy, who burned all the farms, -reduced the Akans to great straits for food. Some of them subsisted on -a wild plant named fan and others on a plant named shan, and thus -gained the names Fan-dti and Shan-dti (dti, to eat).” [4] A possible -alternative explanation is that the same stock occupies the coast and -the hinterland, and that differentiation has come about as the result -of malaria affecting that portion of the race inhabiting the region of -the lagoon marshes along the coastal plain. It has now been fairly well -established that malaria can and does have a deleterious effect on -races, and that even in the case of Greece and Rome the malarial factor -must be taken into account in discussing the causes which brought about -their fall. [5] It may be that the marshes round Salonica and the -swamps of the Campagna have their counterpart in the long line of -lagoon swamps that lie between the surf-wall and the forest wall of -‘the Coast.’ Medical science alone, perhaps, will be able to solve the -problem, but folk-lore can and does render valuable assistance toward a -solution. A conquered people do not give up their ‘lore’ with the land, -but carry their customs and traditions with them to their new homes. - -There is one story which has a special interest in this connexion -because, after being carried by the negroes from Africa to the Southern -States in the slave days, it became the basis of a story which has -served to amuse the children and adults of the whole of the -English-speaking peoples, namely, The Wonderful Adventures of Old Brer -Rabbit. It is interesting to compare the tar-baby narrative with the -manner in which Anansi was caught in Story X. - -From the scanty material we have at present, it would seem that the -folk-lores of the coastal and hinterland peoples are substantially the -same, the differences being traceable in many cases to the influence of -the new environment. Thus, in the story where Anansi seeks to hide the -wisdom of the world (Story II), which he has collected in a pot, among -the coast peoples he finds a difficulty in climbing up the palm-tree, -but among the forest tribes his difficulty is to get over the trunk of -a tree which has fallen across the bush-path. Here the difference is -due to environment and not to race. - -It is necessary to point out that similarity of story cannot by itself -be taken as indicative of similarity of race. Indeed, so common is it -to find the same story told by people of varying types and in every -stage of progress that it has opened up a problem of great importance. -Have such stories originated from a common source? and, if so, where -may the common origin be found? Or are folk-stories like the material -productions of the races, i.e. do they follow a more or less common -line of development? [6] What connexion can there be, for example, -between the negro of the Gold Coast and the Serb? Yet they have a story -remarkably similar. In the story of Ohia (Story XIX) the power of -understanding the language of animals was given him on condition that -he should not disclose the secret to any human being under pain of -death. This knowledge often gave him occasion for laughter, and at such -times his wife, ignorant of the cause, became angered and suspicious. -She demanded to know the reason for such outbursts, and at last her -importunity resulted in the telling of the secret, and consequent death -of the man. In the Serbian story [7] the dénouement is somewhat -different, comedy taking the place of tragedy. The man when just about -to yield his life to satisfy the curiosity of his wife listens to the -cock, who declares that he can manage to keep his hundred wives in -order by giving them a good peck when they need it. The man accordingly -leaves his coffin and brings his wife to reason and her knees by a -well-administered chastisement. How came these two peoples to have a -story with so many features in common? Is it possible that the Turk and -the Moor may have provided links? - -It may not be out of place here to mention the effect of the contact of -the slave-trading Europeans on the folk-lore of the Coast negroes. The -grim white castles every few miles along the whole of the Guinea Coast -stand as stern reminders of the time when the helpless coastal tribes -were raided and men, women, and children sold into slavery. But one who -has conversed with the native of to-day cannot doubt that the greatest -effect of those terrible days is discernible in the native mentality -itself. It has, as one might expect, influenced more or less the -folk-story. Here, for example, is one type of influence: - -“When the Portuguese first landed, the natives betook themselves to the -forest. When the white man had put off again the natives crept -cautiously back to the beach. To their great surprise they found there -a basin full of rum. One of them, by name Mbura, tasted some, and -finding that it was sweet, drank as much as he could and became -intoxicated. Others did the same, and when many of them were helpless -the boatmen returned and carried them off. On account of the rum being -tasted by Mbura, we call rum in Fantee Mbura-nsa—i.e. Mbura’s wine.” -[8] - -Even more remarkable is the origin of the god Nyankupon, who figures -largely in both mythology and folk-lore. Many stories introduce -Nyankupon, and yet he is no native god at all. - -“After an intercourse of some years with Europeans, the Tshi-speaking -inhabitants of the towns and villages in the vicinity of the various -forts added to their system of polytheism a new deity whom they termed -Nana-Nyankupon—sometimes called simply Nyankupon. This was the god of -the Christians, borrowed from them and adopted under a new designation. -The great superiority manifested by the whites in their weapons, ships, -manufactures—in short, in everything—convinced the natives with whom -they had intercourse that they must necessarily be protected by a deity -of greater power than any of those to which they themselves offered -sacrifice, since their own deities had not, except very remotely, -helped them to attain any such prosperity. They therefore gladly -enrolled themselves amongst the followers of the god of the whites, and -being informed that he dwelt in the heavens above, they denominated him -Nana-Nyankupon, which may be freely translated ‘Lord of the Sky.’” [9] - -The Gold Coast folk-stories are readily divisible into two groups, -Anansi and non-Anansi tales. Anánsi is the spider, and with him is -generally associated his son, Kweku Tsin (Tsĩ). Why so many spider -stories? No satisfactory explanation can as yet be given. It cannot be -due entirely to the superabundance of spiders in native dwellings and -surroundings, for other tribes along the Coast seem to concentrate on -other creatures, as the elephant and the tortoise. Nor does there seem -to be sufficient evidence to trace the origin to totemism. No doubt -many of the Anansi stories as told to-day are due to observation of the -ways and peculiar characteristics of the spider, and are an attempt to -explain the why and the wherefore. And generally it is decided that he -is a wise, cunning, deceitful creature who scampers off to hide in the -ceiling because he has done something to be ashamed of and has, -unfortunately, been found out. Here are two comments from folk-stories -on Anansi: - -“The wisdom of the spider is greater than that of all the world -together.” - -“Woe to one who would put his trust in Anansi—a sly, selfish, and -greedy person.” - -The non-Anansi stories are generally of the ‘Just-so’ type—why the ears -of the deer are long, why the waist of the wasp is slim, etc. There is -nothing in the wide realm of botany, astronomy, or geography of a -peculiar or striking character but an explanation is forthcoming in the -lore of the folk. There is, of course, the usual sprinkling of magic -tales, which bear a striking resemblance to many European märchen, or -fairy-tales. - -In conclusion, an apology must be offered to the scientific -folk-lorist. The stories have been retold in order to appeal to a wider -public, but it is hoped that ere long the complete original material -may be available for the student of folk-lore. - - - W. H. B. - - - - - - - - -I. ANANSI, OR SPIDER, TALES - - -I. HOW WE GOT THE NAME ‘SPIDER TALES’ - - -In the olden days all the stories which men told were stories of -Nyankupon, the chief of the gods. Spider, who was very conceited, -wanted the stories to be told about him. - -Accordingly, one day he went to Nyankupon and asked that, in future, -all tales told by men might be Anansi stories, instead of Nyankupon -stories. Nyankupon agreed, on one condition. He told Spider (or Anansi) -that he must bring him three things: the first was a jar full of live -bees, the second was a boa-constrictor, and the third a tiger. Spider -gave his promise. - -He took an earthen vessel and set out for a place where he knew were -numbers of bees. When he came in sight of the bees he began saying to -himself, “They will not be able to fill this jar”—“Yes, they will be -able”—“No, they will not be able,” until the bees came up to him and -said, “What are you talking about, Mr Anansi?” He thereupon explained -to them that Nyankupon and he had had a great dispute. Nyankupon had -said the bees could not fly into the jar—Anansi had said they could. -The bees immediately declared that of course they could fly into the -jar—which they at once did. As soon as they were safely inside, Anansi -sealed up the jar and sent it off to Nyankupon. - -Next day he took a long stick and set out in search of a -boa-constrictor. When he arrived at the place where one lived he began -speaking to himself again. “He will just be as long as this stick”—“No, -he will not be so long as this”—“Yes, he will be as long as this.” -These words he repeated several times, till the boa came out and asked -him what was the matter. “Oh, we have been having a dispute in -Nyankupon’s town about you. Nyankupon’s people say you are not as long -as this stick. I say you are. Please let me measure you by it.” The boa -innocently laid himself out straight, and Spider lost no time in tying -him on to the stick from end to end. He then sent him to Nyankupon. - -The third day he took a needle and thread and sewed up his eye. He then -set out for a den where he knew a tiger lived. As he approached the -place he began to shout and sing so loudly that the tiger came out to -see what was the matter. “Can you not see?” said Spider. “My eye is -sewn up and now I can see such wonderful things that I must sing about -them.” “Sew up my eyes,” said the tiger, “then I too can see these -surprising sights.” Spider immediately did so. Having thus made the -tiger helpless, he led him straight to Nyankupon’s house. Nyankupon was -amazed at Spider’s cleverness in fulfilling the three conditions. He -immediately gave him permission for the future to call all the old -tales Anansi tales. - - - - - - - - -II. HOW WISDOM BECAME THE PROPERTY OF THE HUMAN RACE - - -There once lived, in Fanti-land, a man named Father Anansi. He -possessed all the wisdom in the world. People came to him daily for -advice and help. - -One day the men of the country were unfortunate enough to offend Father -Anansi, who immediately resolved to punish them. After much thought he -decided that the severest penalty he could inflict would be to hide all -his wisdom from them. He set to work at once to gather again all that -he had already given. When he had succeeded, as he thought, in -collecting it, he placed all in one great pot. This he carefully -sealed, and determined to put it in a spot where no human being could -reach it. - -Now, Father Anansi had a son, whose name was Kweku Tsin. This boy began -to suspect his father of some secret design, so he made up his mind to -watch carefully. Next day he saw his father quietly slip out of the -house, with his precious pot hung round his neck. Kweku Tsin followed. -Father Anansi went through the forest till he had left the village far -behind. Then, selecting the highest and most inaccessible-looking tree, -he began to climb. The heavy pot, hanging in front of him, made his -ascent almost impossible. Again and again he tried to reach the top of -the tree, where he intended to hang the pot. There, he thought, Wisdom -would indeed be beyond the reach of every one but himself. He was -unable, however, to carry out his desire. At each trial the pot swung -in his way. - -For some time Kweku Tsin watched his father’s vain attempts. At last, -unable to contain himself any longer, he cried out: “Father, why do you -not hang the pot on your back? Then you could easily climb the tree.” - -Father Anansi turned and said: “I thought I had all the world’s wisdom -in this pot. But I find you possess more than I do. All my wisdom was -insufficient to show me what to do, yet you have been able to tell me.” -In his anger he threw the pot down. It struck on a great rock and -broke. The wisdom contained in it escaped and spread throughout the -world. - - - - - - - - -III. ANANSI AND NOTHING - - -Near Anansi’s miserable little hut there was a fine palace where lived -a very rich man called Nothing. Nothing and Anansi proposed, one day, -to go to the neighbouring town to get some wives. Accordingly, they set -off together. - -Nothing, being a rich man, wore a very fine velvet cloth, while Anansi -had a ragged cotton one. While they were on their way Anansi persuaded -Nothing to change clothes for a little while, promising to give back -the fine velvet before they reached the town. He delayed doing this, -however, first on one pretext, then on another—till they arrived at -their destination. - -Anansi, being dressed in such a fine garment, found no difficulty in -getting as many wives as he wished. Poor Nothing, with his ragged and -miserable cloth, was treated with great contempt. At first he could not -get even one wife. At last, however, a woman took pity on him and gave -him her daughter. The poor girl was laughed at very heartily by -Anansi’s wives for choosing such a beggar as Nothing appeared to be. -She wisely took no notice of their scorn. - -The party set off for home. When they reached the cross-roads leading -to their respective houses the women were astonished. The road leading -to Anansi’s house was only half cleared. The one which led to Nothing’s -palace was, of course, wide and well made. Not only so, but his -servants had strewn it with beautiful skins and carpets, in preparation -for his return. Servants were there, awaiting him, with fine clothes -for himself and his wife. No one was waiting for Anansi. - -Nothing’s wife was queen over the whole district and had everything her -heart could desire. Anansi’s wives could not even get proper food; they -had to live on unripe bananas with peppers. The wife of Nothing heard -of her friends’ miserable state and invited them to a great feast in -her palace. They came, and were so pleased with all they saw that they -agreed to stay there. Accordingly, they refused to come back to -Anansi’s hut. - -He was very angry, and tried in many ways to kill Nothing, but without -success. Finally, however, he persuaded some rat friends to dig a deep -tunnel in front of Nothing’s door. When the hole was finished Anansi -lined it with knives and broken bottles. He then smeared the steps of -the palace with okro to make them very slippery, and withdrew to a -little distance. - -When he thought Nothing’s household was safely in bed and asleep, he -called to Nothing to come out to the courtyard and see something. -Nothing’s wife, however, dissuaded him from going. Anansi tried again -and again, and each time she bade her husband not to listen. At last -Nothing determined to go and see this thing. As he placed his foot on -the first step, of course he slipped, and down he fell into the hole. -The noise alarmed the household. Lights were fetched and Nothing was -found in the ditch, so much wounded by the knives that he soon died. -His wife was terribly grieved at his untimely death. She boiled many -yams, mashed them, and took a great dishful of them round the district. -To every child she met she gave some, so that the child might help her -to cry for her husband. This is why, if you find a child crying and ask -the cause, you will often be told he is “crying for nothing.” - - - - - - - - -IV. THUNDER AND ANANSI - - -There had been a long and severe famine in the land where Anansi lived. -He had been quite unable to obtain food for his poor wife and family. -One day, gazing desperately out to sea, he saw, rising from the midst -of the water, a tiny island with a tall palm-tree upon it. He -determined to reach this tree—if any means proved possible—and climb -it, in the hope of finding a few nuts to reward him. How to get there -was the difficulty. - -This, however, solved itself when he reached the beach, for there lay -the means to his hand, in the shape of an old broken boat. It certainly -did not look very strong, but Anansi decided to try it. - -His first six attempts were unsuccessful—a great wave dashed him back -on the beach each time he tried to put off. He was persevering, -however, and at the seventh trial was successful in getting away. He -steered the battered old boat as best he could, and at length reached -the palm-tree of his desire. Having tied the boat to the trunk of the -tree—which grew almost straight out of the water—he climbed toward the -nuts. Plucking all he could reach, he dropped them, one by one, down to -the boat. To his dismay, every one missed the boat and fell, instead, -into the water until only the last one remained. This he aimed even -more carefully than the others, but it also fell into the water and -disappeared from his hungry eyes. He had not tasted even one and now -all were gone. - -He could not bear the thought of going home empty-handed, so, in his -despair, he threw himself into the water, too. To his complete -astonishment, instead of being drowned, he found himself standing on -the sea-bottom in front of a pretty little cottage. From the latter -came an old man, who asked Anansi what he wanted so badly that he had -come to Thunder’s cottage to seek it. Anansi told his tale of woe, and -Thunder showed himself most sympathetic. - -He went into the cottage and fetched a fine cooking-pot, which he -presented to Anansi—telling him that he need never be hungry again. The -pot would always supply enough food for himself and his family. Anansi -was most grateful, and left Thunder with many thanks. - -Being anxious to test the pot at once, Anansi only waited till he was -again seated in the old boat to say, “Pot, pot, what you used to do for -your master do now for me.” Immediately good food of all sorts -appeared. Anansi ate a hearty meal, which he very much enjoyed. - -On reaching land again, his first thought was to run home and give all -his family a good meal from his wonderful pot. A selfish, greedy fear -prevented him. “What if I should use up all the magic of the pot on -them, and have nothing more left for myself! Better keep the pot a -secret—then I can enjoy a meal when I want one.” So, his mind full of -this thought, he hid the pot. - -He reached home, pretending to be utterly worn out with fatigue and -hunger. There was not a grain of food to be had anywhere. His wife and -poor children were weak with want of it, but selfish Anansi took no -notice of that. He congratulated himself at the thought of his magic -pot, now safely hidden in his room. There he retired from time to time -when he felt hungry, and enjoyed a good meal. His family got thinner -and thinner, but he grew plumper and plumper. They began to suspect -some secret, and determined to find it out. His eldest son, Kweku Tsin, -had the power of changing himself into any shape he chose; so he took -the form of a tiny fly, and accompanied his father everywhere. At last, -Anansi, feeling hungry, entered his room and closed the door. Next he -took the pot, and had a fine meal. Having replaced the pot in its -hiding-place, he went out, on the pretence of looking for food. - -As soon as he was safely out of sight, Kweku Tsin fetched out the pot -and called all his hungry family to come at once. They had as good a -meal as their father had had. When they had finished, Mrs. Anansi—to -punish her husband—said she would take the pot down to the village and -give everybody a meal. This she did—but alas! in working to prepare so -much food at one time, the pot grew too hot and melted away. What was -to be done now? Anansi would be so angry! His wife forbade every one to -mention the pot. - -Anansi returned, ready for his supper, and, as usual, went into his -room, carefully shutting the door. He went to the hiding-place—it was -empty! He looked around in consternation. No pot was to be seen -anywhere. Some one must have discovered it. His family must be the -culprits; he would find a means to punish them. - -Saying nothing to any one about the matter, he waited till morning. As -soon as it was light he started off towards the shore, where the old -boat lay. Getting into the boat, it started of its own accord and -glided swiftly over the water—straight for the palm-tree. Arrived -there, Anansi attached the boat as before and climbed the tree. This -time, unlike the last, the nuts almost fell into his hands. When he -aimed them at the boat they fell easily into it—not one, as before, -dropping into the water. He deliberately took them and threw them -overboard, immediately jumping after them. As before, he found himself -in front of Thunder’s cottage, with Thunder waiting to hear his tale. -This he told, the old man showing the same sympathy as he had -previously done. - -This time, however, he presented Anansi with a fine stick and bade him -good-bye. Anansi could scarcely wait till he got into the boat—so -anxious was he to try the magic properties of his new gift. “Stick, -stick,” he said, “what you used to do for your master do for me also.” -The stick began to beat him so severely that, in a few minutes, he was -obliged to jump into the water and swim ashore, leaving boat and stick -to drift away where they pleased. Then he returned sorrowfully -homeward, bemoaning his many bruises and wishing he had acted more -wisely from the beginning. - - - - - - - - -V. WHY THE LIZARD CONTINUALLY MOVES HIS HEAD UP AND DOWN - - -In a town not very far from Anansi’s home lived a great king. This king -had three beautiful daughters, whose names were kept a secret from -everybody except their own family. One day their father made a -proclamation that his three daughters would be given as wives to any -man who could find out their names. Anansi made up his mind to do so. - -He first bought a large jar of honey, and set off for the bathing-place -of the king’s daughters. Arrived there, he climbed to the top of a tree -on which grew some very fine fruit. He picked some of this fruit and -poured honey over it. When he saw the princesses approaching he dropped -the fruit on the ground and waited. The girls thought the fruit dropped -of its own accord, and one of them ran forward to pick it up. When she -tasted it, she called out to her sisters by name to exclaim on its -sweetness. Anansi dropped another, which the second princess picked -up—she, in her turn, calling out the names of the other two. In this -fashion Anansi found out all the names. - -As soon as the princesses had gone Anansi came down from the tree and -hurried into the town. He went to all the great men and summoned them -to a meeting at the King’s palace on the morrow. - -He then visited his friend the Lizard, to get him to act as herald at -the Court next day. He told Lizard the three names, and the latter was -to sound them through his trumpet when the time came. - -Early next morning the King and his Court were assembled as usual. All -the great men of the town appeared, as Anansi had requested. Anansi -stated his business, reminding the King of his promise to give his -three daughters to the man who had found out their names. The King -demanded to hear the latter, whereupon Lizard sounded them on his -trumpet. - -The King and courtiers were much surprised. His Majesty, however, could -not break the promise he had made of giving his daughters to the man -who named them. He accordingly gave them to Mr Lizard. Anansi was very -angry, and explained that he had told the names to Lizard, so that he -ought to get at least two of the girls, while Lizard could have the -third. The King refused. Anansi then begged hard for even one, but that -was also refused. He went home in a very bad temper, declaring that he -would be revenged on Lizard for stealing his wives away. - -He thought over the matter very carefully, but could not find a way of -punishing Lizard. At last, however, he had an idea. - -He went to the King and explained that he was setting off next morning -on a long journey. He wished to start very early, and so begged the -King’s help. The King had a fine cock, which always crowed at daybreak -to waken the King if he wished to get up early. Anansi begged that the -King would command the cock to crow next morning, that Anansi might be -sure of getting off in time. This the King readily promised. - -As soon as night fell Anansi went by a back way to the cock’s -sleeping-place, seized the bird quickly, and killed it. He then carried -it to Lizard’s house, where all were in bed. There he quietly cooked -the cock, placed the feathers under Lizard’s bed, and put some of the -flesh on a dish close to Lizard’s hand. The wicked Anansi then took -some boiling water and poured it into poor Lizard’s mouth, thus making -him dumb. - -When morning came, Anansi went to the King and reproached him for not -letting the cock crow. The King was much surprised to hear that it had -not obeyed his commands. - -He sent one of his servants to find and bring the cock to him, but, of -course, the servant returned empty-handed. The King then ordered them -to find the thief. No trace of him could be found anywhere. Anansi then -cunningly said to the King: “I know Lizard is a rogue, because he stole -my three wives from me. Perhaps he is the thief.” Accordingly, the men -went to search Lizard’s house. - -There, of course, they found the remnants of the cock, cooked ready to -eat, and his feathers under the bed. They questioned Lizard, but the -poor animal was unable to reply. He could only move his head up and -down helplessly. They thought he was refusing to speak, so dragged him -before the King. To the King’s questions he could only return the same -answer, and his Majesty got very angry. He did not know that Anansi had -made the poor animal dumb. Lizard tried very hard to speak, but in -vain. - -He was accordingly judged guilty of theft, and as a punishment his -wives were taken away from him and given to Anansi. - -Since then lizards have always had a way of moving their heads -helplessly backward and forward, as if saying, “How can any one be so -foolish as to trust Anansi?” - - - - - - - - -VI. TIT FOR TAT - - -There had been a great famine in the land for many months. Meat had -become so scarce that only the rich chiefs had money enough to buy it. -The poor people were starving. Anansi and his family were in a -miserable state. - -One day, Anansi’s eldest son—Kweku Tsin—to his great joy, discovered a -place in the forest where there were still many animals. Knowing his -father’s wicked ways, Kweku told him nothing of the matter. Anansi, -however, speedily discovered that Kweku was returning loaded, day after -day, to the village. There he was able to sell the meat at a good price -to the hungry villagers. Anansi immediately wanted to know the -secret—but his son wisely refused to tell him. The old man determined -to find out by a trick. - -Slipping into his son’s room one night, when he was fast asleep, he cut -a tiny hole in the corner of the bag which Kweku always carried into -the forest. Anansi then put a quantity of ashes into the bag and -replaced it where he had found it. - -Next morning, as Kweku set out for the forest, he threw the bag, as -usual, over his shoulder. Unknown to him, at each step, the ashes were -sprinkled on the ground. Consequently, when Anansi set out an hour -later he was easily able to follow his son by means of the trail of -ashes. He, too, arrived at the animals’ home in the forest, and found -Kweku there before him. He immediately drove his son away, saying that, -by the law of the land, the place belonged to him. Kweku saw how he had -been tricked, and determined to have the meat back. - -He accordingly went home—made a tiny image and hung little bells round -its neck. He then tied a long thread to its head and returned toward -the hunting-place. - -When about half-way there, he hung the image to a branch of a tree in -the path, and hid himself in the bushes near by—holding the other end -of the thread in his hand. - -The greedy father, in the meantime, had killed as many animals as he -could find, being determined to become rich as speedily as possible. He -then skinned them and prepared the flesh—to carry it to the -neighbouring villages to sell. Taking the first load, he set off for -his own village. Half-way there, he came to the place where the image -hung in the way. Thinking this was one of the gods, he stopped. As he -approached, the image began to shake its head vigorously at him. He -felt that this meant that the gods were angry. To please them, he said -to the image, “May I give you a little of this meat?” Again the image -shook its head. “May I give you half of this meat?” he then inquired. -The head shook once more. “Do you want the whole of this meat?” he -shouted fiercely. This time the head nodded, as if the image were well -pleased. “I will not give you all my meat,” Anansi cried. At this the -image shook in every limb as if in a terrible temper. Anansi was so -frightened that he threw the whole load on the ground and ran away. As -he ran, he called back, “To-morrow I shall go to Ekubon—you will not be -able to take my meat from me there, you thief.” - -But Kweku had heard where his father intended to go next day—and set -the image in his path as before. Again Anansi was obliged to leave his -whole load—and again he called out the name of the place where he would -go the following day. - -The same thing occurred, day after day, till all the animals in the -wood were killed. By this time, Kweku Tsin had become very rich—but his -father Anansi was still very poor. He was obliged to go to Kweku’s -house every day for food. - -When the famine was over, Kweku gave a great feast and invited the -entire village. While all were gathered together, Kweku told the story -of his father’s cunning and how it had been overcome. This caused great -merriment among the villagers. Anansi was so ashamed that he readily -promised Kweku to refrain from his evil tricks for the future. This -promise, however, he did not long keep. - - - - - - - - -VII. WHY WHITE ANTS ALWAYS HARM MAN’S PROPERTY - - -There came once such a terrible famine in the land that a grain of corn -was worth far more than its weight in gold. A hungry spider was -wandering through the forest looking for food. To his great joy he -found a dead antelope. - -Knowing that he would not be allowed to reach home in safety with it, -he wrapped it up very carefully in a long mat and bound it securely. - -Placing it on his head, he started for home. As he went, he wept -bitterly, telling every one that this was his dead grandfather’s body. -Every one he met sympathized heartily with him. - -On his way he met the wolf and the leopard. These two wise animals -suspected that this was one of Spider’s tricks. They knew that he was -not to be trusted. Walking on a little way, they discussed what they -could do to find out what was in the bundle. - -They agreed to take a short cut across the country to a tree which they -knew Cousin Spider must pass. When they reached this tree they hid -themselves very carefully behind it and waited for him. - -As he passed the place they shook the tree and uttered frightful -noises. This so frightened Mr Spider that he dropped his load and ran -away. - -The two gentlemen opened the bundle and, to their great joy, discovered -the flesh of the antelope in it. They carried it off to their own home -and began to prepare supper. - -When Mr Spider recovered from his fear he began to wonder who could -have been at the tree to make the noises. He decided that his enemies -must be Wolf and Leopard. He made up his mind he would get his meat -back from them. - -He took a small lizard and filed his teeth to fine, sharp points. He -then sent him to spy upon the wolf and leopard—by begging fire from -them. He was to get the fire and quench it as soon as he left their -cottage. He could then return and ask a second time. If they asked him -questions, he must smile and show his teeth. - -The lizard did as he was told, and everything turned out just as Spider -had expected. Wolf and Leopard eagerly asked the lizard where he had -had his teeth filed so beautifully. He replied that “Filing Spider” had -done it for him. - -Wolf and Leopard discussed the matter and decided to have their teeth -filed in the same way. They could then easily break the bones of their -food. - -Accordingly, they went to the house of the disguised spider and asked -him to make their teeth like Lizard’s. Spider agreed, but said that, to -do it properly, he would first have to hang them on a tree. They made -no objection to this. - -When he had them safely hung, Spider and his family came and mocked -them. Spider then went to their cottage and brought away the body of -the antelope. The whole village was invited to the feast, which was -held in front of the two poor animals on the tree. During this festival -every one made fun of the wolf and leopard. - -Next morning White Ant and his children passed the place on their way -to some friends. Mr Leopard begged them to set him and his friend free. -White Ant and his family set to work, destroyed the tree and set them -at liberty. Leopard and Wolf promised the ants that on their return -they would spread a feast for them. - -Unfortunately, Spider heard the invitation and made up his mind to -benefit by it. On the third day (which was the very time set by the -wolf and leopard) Spider dressed up his children like the ants. They -set out, singing the ants’ chorus, in order to deceive Leopard. - -Wolf and Leopard welcomed them heartily and spread a splendid feast for -them, which the spiders thoroughly enjoyed. - -Soon after their departure the real ants arrived. The two hosts, -thinking these must be Spider and his family, poured boiling water over -them and killed them all except the father. - -White Ant, on reaching home again, in great anger, vowed that he would -never again help any one. He would take every opportunity to harm -property. From that day to this white ants have been a perfect pest to -man. - - - - - - - - -VIII. THE SQUIRREL AND THE SPIDER - - -A hard-working squirrel had, after much labour, succeeded in -cultivating a very fine farm. Being a skilful climber of trees, he had -not troubled to make a roadway into his farm. He used to reach it by -the trees. - -One day, when his harvests were very nearly ripe, it happened that -Spider went out hunting in that neighbourhood. During his travels, he -arrived at Squirrel’s farm. Greatly pleased at the appearance of the -fields, he sought for the roadway to it. Finding none, he returned home -and told his family all about the matter. The very next day they all -set out for this fine place, and set to work immediately to make a -road. When this was completed Spider—who was very cunning—threw pieces -of earthenware pot along the pathway. This he did to make believe that -his children had dropped them while working to prepare the farm. - -Then he and his family began to cut down and carry away such of the -corn as was ripe. Squirrel noticed that his fields were being robbed, -but could not at first find the thief. He determined to watch. Sure -enough Spider soon reappeared to steal more of the harvest. Squirrel -demanded to know what right he had on these fields. Spider immediately -asked him the same question. “They are my fields,” said Squirrel. “Oh, -no! They are mine,” retorted Spider. “I dug them and sowed them and -planted them,” said poor Squirrel. “Then where is your roadway to -them?” said crafty Spider. “I need no roadway. I come by the trees,” -was Squirrel’s reply. Needless to say, Spider laughed such an answer to -scorn, and continued to use the farm as his own. - -Squirrel appealed to the law, but the court decided that no one had -ever had a farm without a road leading to it, therefore the fields must -be Spider’s. - -In great glee Spider and his family prepared to cut down all the -harvest that remained. When it was cut they tied it in great bundles -and set off to the nearest market-place to sell it. When they were -about half-way there, a terrible storm came on. They were obliged to -put down their burdens by the roadside and run for shelter. When the -storm had passed they returned to pick up their loads. - -As they approached the spot they found a great, black crow there, with -his broad wings outspread to keep the bundles dry. Spider went to him -and very politely thanked him for so kindly taking care of their -property. “Your property!” replied Father Crow. “Who ever heard of any -one leaving bundles of corn by the roadside? Nonsense! These loads are -mine.” So saying, he picked them up and went off with them, leaving -Spider and his children to return home sorrowful and empty-handed. -Their thieving ways had brought them little profit. - - - - - - - - -IX. WHY WE SEE ANTS CARRYING BUNDLES AS BIG AS THEMSELVES - - -Kweku Anansi and Kweku Tsin—his son—were both very clever farmers. -Generally they succeeded in getting fine harvests from each of their -farms. One year, however, they were very unfortunate. They had sown -their seeds as usual, but no rain had fallen for more than a month -after and it looked as if the seeds would be unable to sprout. - -Kweku Tsin was walking sadly through his fields one day looking at the -bare, dry ground, and wondering what he and his family would do for -food, if they were unable to get any harvest. To his surprise he saw a -tiny dwarf seated by the roadside. The little hunchback asked the -reason of his sadness, and Kweku Tsin told him. The dwarf promised to -help him by bringing rain on the farm. He bade Kweku fetch two small -sticks and tap him lightly on the hump, while he sang: - - - “O water, go up, O water, go up, - And let rain fall, and let rain fall.” - - -To Kweku’s great joy rain immediately began to fall, and continued till -the ground was thoroughly well soaked. In the days following the seeds -germinated, and the crops began to promise well. - -Anansi soon heard how well Kweku’s crops were growing—whilst his own -were still bare and hard. He went straightway to his son and demanded -to know the reason. Kweku Tsin, being an honest fellow, at once told -him what had happened. - -Anansi quickly made up his mind to get his farm watered in the same -way, and accordingly set out toward it. As he went, he cut two big, -strong sticks, thinking, “My son made the dwarf work with little -sticks. I will make him do twice as much with my big ones.” He -carefully hid the big sticks, however, when he saw the dwarf coming -toward him. As before, the hunchback asked what the trouble was, and -Anansi told him. “Take two small sticks, and beat me lightly on the -hump,” said the dwarf. “I will get rain for you.” - -But Anansi took his big sticks and beat so hard that the dwarf fell -down dead. The greedy fellow was now thoroughly frightened, for he knew -that the dwarf was jester to the King of the country, and a very great -favourite of his. He wondered how he could fix the blame on some one -else. He picked up the dwarf’s dead body and carried it to a kola-tree. -There he laid it on one of the top branches and sat down under the tree -to watch. - -By and by Kweku Tsin came along to see if his father had succeeded in -getting rain for his crops. “Did you not see the dwarf, father?” he -asked, as he saw the old man sitting alone. “Oh, yes!” replied Anansi; -“but he has climbed this tree to pick kola. I am now waiting for him.” -“I will go up and fetch him,” said the young man—and immediately began -to climb. As soon as his head touched the body the latter, of course, -fell to the ground. “Oh! what have you done, you wicked fellow?” cried -his father. “You have killed the King’s jester!” “That is all right,” -quietly replied the son (who saw that this was one of Anansi’s tricks). -“The King is very angry with him, and has promised a bag of money to -any one who would kill him. I will now go and get the reward.” “No! No! -No!” shouted Anansi. “The reward is mine. I killed him with two big -sticks. I will take him to the King.” “Very well!” was the son’s reply. -“As you killed him, you may take him.” - -Off set Anansi, quite pleased with the prospect of getting a reward. He -reached the King’s court, only to find the King very angry at the death -of his favourite. The body of the jester was shut up in a great box and -Anansi was condemned—as a punishment—to carry it on his head for ever. -The King enchanted the box so that it could never be set down on the -ground. The only way in which Anansi could ever get rid of it was by -getting some other man to put it on his head. This, of course, no one -was willing to do. - -At last, one day, when Anansi was almost worn out with his heavy -burden, he met the Ant. “Will you hold this box for me while I go to -market and buy some things I need badly?” said Anansi to Mr Ant. “I -know your tricks, Anansi,” replied Ant. “You want to be rid of it.” -“Oh, no, indeed, Mr Ant,” protested Anansi. “Indeed I will come back -for it, I promise.” - -Mr Ant, who was an honest fellow, and always kept his own promises, -believed him. He took the box on his head, and Anansi hurried off. -Needless to say, the sly fellow had not the least intention of keeping -his word. Mr Ant waited in vain for his return—and was obliged to -wander all the rest of his life with the box on his head. That is the -reason we so often see ants carrying great bundles as they hurry along. - - - - - - - - -X. WHY SPIDERS ARE ALWAYS FOUND IN THE CORNERS OF CEILINGS - - -Egya Anansi was a very skilful farmer. He, with his wife and son, set -to work one year to prepare a farm, much larger than any they had -previously worked. They planted in it yams, maize, and beans—and were -rewarded by a very rich crop. Their harvest was quite ten times greater -than any they had ever had before. Egya Anansi was very well pleased -when he saw his wealth of corn and beans. - -He was, however, an exceedingly selfish and greedy man, who never liked -to share anything—even with his own wife and son. When he saw that the -crops were quite ripe, he thought of a plan whereby he alone would -profit by them. He called his wife and son to him and spoke thus: “We -have all three worked exceedingly hard to prepare these fields. They -have well repaid us. We will now gather in the harvest and pack it away -in our barns. When that is done, we shall be in need of a rest. I -propose that you and our son should go back to our home in the village -and remain there at your ease for two or three weeks. I have to go to -the coast on very urgent business. When I return we will all come to -the farm and enjoy our well-earned feast.” - -Anansi’s wife and son thought this a very good, sensible plan, and at -once agreed to it. They went straight back to their village, leaving -the cunning husband to start on his journey. Needless to say he had not -the slightest intention of so doing. - -Instead, he built himself a very comfortable hut near the farm—supplied -it with all manner of cooking utensils, gathered in a large store of -the corn and vegetables from the barn, and prepared for a solitary -feast. This went on for a fortnight. By that time Anansi’s son began to -think it was time for him to go and weed the farm, lest the weeds -should grow too high. He accordingly went there and worked several -hours on it. While passing the barn, he happened to look in. Great was -his surprise to see that more than half of their magnificent harvest -had gone. He was greatly disturbed, thinking robbers had been at work, -and wondered how he could prevent further mischief. - -Returning to the village, he told the people there what had happened, -and they helped to make a rubber-man. When evening came they carried -the sticky figure to the farm, and placed it in the midst of the -fields, to frighten away the thieves. Some of the young men remained -with Anansi’s son to watch in one of the barns. - -When all was dark, Egya Anansi (quite unaware of what had happened) -came, as usual, out of his hiding-place to fetch more food. On his way -to the barn he saw in front of him the figure of a man, and at first -felt very frightened. Finding that the man did not move, however, he -gained confidence and went up to him. “What do you want here?” said he. -There was no answer. He repeated his question with the same result. -Anansi then became very angry and dealt the figure a blow on the cheek -with his right hand. Of course, his hand stuck fast to the rubber. “How -dare you hold my hand?” he exclaimed. “Let me go at once or I shall hit -you again.” He then hit the figure with his left hand, which also -stuck. He tried to disengage himself by pushing against it with his -knees and body, until, finally, knees, body, hands, and head were all -firmly attached to the rubber-man. There Egya Anansi had to stay till -daybreak, when his son came out with the other villagers to catch the -robber. They were astonished to find that the evil-doer was Anansi -himself. He, on the other hand, was so ashamed to be caught in the act -of greediness that he changed into a spider and took refuge in a dark -corner of the ceiling lest any one should see him. Since then spiders -have always been found in dark, dusty corners, where people are not -likely to notice them. - - - - - - - - -XI. ANANSI THE BLIND FISHERMAN - - -Anansi, in his old age, became a fisherman. Very soon after that his -sight began to fail. Finally, he grew quite blind. However, still being -very strong, he continued his fishing—with the help of two men. The -latter were exceedingly kind to him, and aided him in every possible -way. They led him, each morning, to the beach and into the canoe. They -told him where to spread his net and when to pull it in. When they -returned to land they told him just where and when to step out, so that -he did not even get wet. - -Day after day this went on, but Anansi—instead of being in the least -grateful to them—behaved very badly. When they told him where to spread -his net, he would reply sharply, “I know. I was just about to put it -there.” When they were directing him to get out of the boat, he would -say, “Oh, I know perfectly well we are at the beach. I was just getting -ready to step out.” - -This went on for a long time, Anansi getting ruder and ruder to his -helpers every day, until they could bear his treatment no longer. They -determined when opportunity offered to punish him for his ingratitude. - -The next day, as usual, he came with them to the beach. When they had -got the canoe ready, they bade him step in. “Do you think I am a fool?” -said he. “I know the canoe is there.” They made no answer, but got in -and patiently pulled toward the fishing-place. When they told him where -to spread his net, he replied with so much abuse that they determined, -there and then, to punish him. - -By this time the canoe was full of fish, so they turned to row home. -When they had gone a little way they stopped and said to him, “Here we -are at the beach.” He promptly told them that they were very foolish—to -tell him a thing he knew so well. He added many rude and insulting -remarks, which made them thoroughly angry. He then jumped proudly out, -expecting to land on the beach. To his great astonishment he found -himself sinking in deep water. The two men rowed quickly away, leaving -him to struggle. - -Like all the men of that country he was a good swimmer, but, of course, -being blind, he was unable to see where the land lay. So he swam until -he was completely tired out—and was drowned. - - - - - - - - -XII. ADZANUMEE AND HER MOTHER - - -There once lived a woman who had one great desire. She longed to have a -daughter—but alas! she was childless. She could never feel happy, -because of this unfulfilled wish. Even in the midst of a feast the -thought would be in her mind—“Ah! if only I had a daughter to share -this with me.” - -One day she was gathering yams in the field, and it chanced that she -pulled out one which was very straight and well shaped. “Ah!” she -thought to herself, “if only this fine yam were a daughter, how happy I -should be.” To her astonishment the yam answered, “If I were to become -your daughter, would you promise never to reproach me with having been -a yam?” She eagerly gave her promise, and at once the yam changed into -a beautiful, well-made girl. The woman was overjoyed and was very kind -to the girl. She named her Adzanumee. The latter was exceedingly useful -to her mother. She would make the bread, gather the yams, and sell them -at the market-place. - -She had been detained, one day, longer than usual. Her mother became -impatient at her non-appearance and angrily said, “Where can Adzanumee -be? She does not deserve that beautiful name. She is only a yam.” - -A bird singing near by heard the mother’s words and immediately flew -off to the tree under which Adzanumee sat. There he began to sing: - - - “Adzanumee! Adzanumee! - Your mother is unkind—she says you are only a yam, - You do not deserve your name! - Adzanumee! Adzanumee!” - - -The girl heard him and returned home weeping. When the woman saw her -she said, “My daughter, my daughter! What is the matter?” Adzanumee -replied: - - - “Oh, my mother! my mother! - You have reproached me with being a yam. - You said I did not deserve my name. - Oh, my mother! my mother!” - - -With these words she made her way toward the yam-field. Her mother, -filled with fear, followed her, wailing: - - - “Nay, Adzanumee! Adzanumee! - Do not believe it—do not believe it. - You are my daughter, my dear daughter - Adzanumee!” - - -But she was too late. Her daughter, still singing her sad little song, -quickly changed back into a yam. When the woman arrived at the field -there lay the yam on the ground, and nothing she could do or say would -give her back the daughter she had desired so earnestly and treated so -inconsiderately. - - - - - - - - -XIII. THE GRINDING-STONE THAT GROUND FLOUR BY ITSELF - - -There had been another great famine throughout the land. The villagers -looked thin and pale for lack of food. Only one family appeared healthy -and well. This was the household of Anansi’s cousin. - -Anansi was unable to understand this, and felt sure his cousin was -getting food in some way. The greedy fellow determined to find out the -secret. - -What had happened was this: Spider’s cousin, while hunting one morning, -had discovered a wonderful stone. The stone lay on the grass in the -forest and ground flour of its own accord. Near by ran a stream of -honey. Kofi was delighted. He sat down and had a good meal. Not being a -greedy man, he took away with him only enough for his family’s needs. - -Each morning he returned to the stone and got sufficient food for that -day. In this manner he and his family kept well and plump, while the -surrounding villagers were starved and miserable-looking. - -Anansi gave him no peace till he promised to show him the stone. This -he was most unwilling to do—knowing his cousin’s wicked ways. He felt -sure that when Anansi saw the stone he would not be content to take -only what he needed. However, Anansi troubled him so much with -questions that at last he promised. He told Anansi that they would -start next morning, as soon as the women set about their work. Anansi -was too impatient to wait. In the middle of the night he bade his -children get up and make a noise with the pots as if they were the -women at work. Spider at once ran and wakened his cousin, saying, -“Quick! It is time to start.” His cousin, however, saw he had been -tricked, and went back to bed again, saying he would not start till the -women were sweeping. No sooner was he asleep again than Spider made his -children take brooms and begin to sweep very noisily. He roused Kofi -once more, saying, “It is time we had started.” Once more his cousin -refused to set off—saying it was only another trick of Spider’s. He -again returned to bed and to sleep. This time Spider slipped into his -cousin’s room and cut a hole in the bottom of his bag, which he then -filled with ashes. After that he went off and left Kofi in peace. - -When morning came the cousin awoke. Seeing no sign of Spider he very -gladly set off alone to the forest, thinking he had got rid of the -tiresome fellow. He was no sooner seated by the stone, however, than -Anansi appeared, having followed him by the trail of ashes. - -“Aha!” cried he. “Here is plenty of food for all. No more need to -starve.” “Hush,” said his cousin. “You must not shout here. The place -is too wonderful. Sit down quietly and eat.” - -They had a good meal and Kofi prepared to return home with enough for -his family. “No, no!” cried Anansi. “I am going to take the stone.” In -vain did his friend try to overcome his greed. Anansi insisted on -putting the stone on his head, and setting out for the village. - - - “Spider, spider, put me down,” said the stone. - “The pig came and drank and went away, - The antelope came and fed and went away: - Spider, spider, put me down.” - - -Spider, however, refused to listen. He carried the stone from village -to village selling flour, until his bag was full of money. He then set -out for home. - -Having reached his hut and feeling very tired he prepared to put the -stone down. But the stone refused to be moved from his head. It stuck -fast there, and no efforts could displace it. The weight of it very -soon grew too much for Anansi, and ground him down into small pieces, -which were completely covered over by the stone. That is why we often -find tiny spiders gathered together under large stones. - - - - - - - - -XIV. “MORNING SUNRISE” - - -A man in one of the villages had a very beautiful daughter. She was so -lovely that people called her “Morning Sunrise.” Every young man who -saw her wanted to marry her. Three, in particular, were very anxious to -have her for their wife. Her father found it difficult to decide among -them. He determined to find out by a trick which of the three was most -worthy of her. - -He bade her lie down on her bed as if she were dead. He then sent the -report of her death to each of the three lovers, asking them to come -and help him with her funeral. - -The messenger came first to “Wise Man.” When he heard the message, he -exclaimed, “What can this man mean? The girl is not my wife. I -certainly will not pay any money for her funeral.” - -The messenger came next to the second man. His name was “Wit.” The -latter at once said, “Oh dear, no! I shall not pay any money for her -funeral expenses. Her father did not even let me know she was ill.” So -he refused to go. - -“Thinker,” the third young man—when he received the message—at once got -ready to start. “Certainly I must go and mourn for Morning Sunrise,” -said he. “Had she lived, surely she would have been my wife.” So he -took money with him and set out for her home. - -When he reached it her father called out, “Morning Sunrise, Morning -Sunrise. Come here. This is your true husband.” - -That very day the betrothal took place, and soon after the wedding -followed. “Thinker” and his beautiful wife lived very happily together. - - - - - - - - -XV. WHY THE SEA-TURTLE WHEN CAUGHT BEATS ITS BREAST WITH ITS FORE-LEGS - - -Many centuries ago, the people of this earth were much troubled by -floods. The sea used at times to overflow its usual boundaries and -sweep across the low, sandy stretches of land which bordered it. Time -and again this happened, many lives being lost at each flood. Mankind -was very troubled to find an escape from this oft-repeated disaster. He -could think of no way of avoiding it. - -Fortunately for him the wise turtle came to his help. “Take my advice,” -said she, “and plant rows of palms along the sea-coast. They will bind -the sand together and keep it from being washed so easily away.” He did -so, with great success. The roots of the palms kept the sand firmly in -its place. When the time came again for the sea to overflow, it washed -just to the line of trees and came no farther. Thus many lives were -saved annually by the kind forethought of the turtle. - -In return—one would think—mankind would protect and cherish this poor -animal. But no! Each time a turtle comes to the seashore to lay her -eggs among the sand, she is caught and killed for the sake of her -flesh. It is the thought of the ingratitude of mankind to her, which -makes her beat her breast with her fore-legs when she is caught. She -seems to be saying, “Ah! this is all the return I get for my kindness -to you.” - - - - - - - - -XVI. HOW BEASTS AND SERPENTS FIRST CAME INTO THE WORLD - - -The famine had lasted nearly three years. Kweku Tsin, being very -hungry, looked daily in the forest in the hope of finding food. One day -he was fortunate enough to discover three palm-kernels lying on the -ground. He picked up two stones with which to crack them. The first -nut, however, slipped when he hit it, and fell into a hole behind him. -The same thing happened to the second and to the third. Very much -annoyed at his loss, Kweku determined to go down the hole to see if he -could find his lost nuts. - -To his surprise, however, he discovered that this hole was really the -entrance to a town, of which he had never before even heard. When he -reached it he found absolute silence everywhere. He called out, “Is -there nobody in this town?” and presently heard a voice in answer. He -went in its direction and found an old woman sitting in one of the -houses. She demanded the reason of his appearance—which he readily -gave. - -The old woman was very kind and sympathetic, and promised to help him. -“You must do exactly as I tell you,” said she. “Go into the garden and -listen attentively. You will hear the yams speak. Pass by any yam that -says, ‘Dig me out, dig me out!’ But take the one that says, ‘Do not dig -me out!’ Then bring it to me.” - -When he brought it, she directed him to remove the peel from the yam -and throw the latter away. He was then to boil the rind, and, while -boiling, it would become yam. It did actually do so, and they sat down -to eat some of it. Before beginning their meal the old woman requested -Kweku not to look at her while she ate. Being very polite and obedient, -he did exactly as he was told. - -In the evening the old woman sent him into the garden to choose one of -the drums which stood there. She warned him: “If you come to a drum -which says ‘Ding-ding’ on being touched—take it. But be very careful -not to take one which sounds ‘Dong-dong.’” He obeyed her direction in -every detail. When he showed her the drum, she looked pleased and told -him, to his great delight, that he had only to beat it if at any time -he were hungry. That would bring him food in plenty. He thanked the old -woman very heartily and went home. - -As soon as he reached his own hut, he gathered his household together, -and then beat the drum. Immediately, food of every description appeared -before them, and they all ate as much as they wished. - -The following day Kweku Tsin gathered all the people of the village -together in the Assembly Place, and then beat the drum once more. In -this way every family got sufficient food for their wants, and all -thanked Kweku very much for thus providing for them. - -Kweku’s father, however, was not at all pleased to see his son thus -able to feed the whole village. Anansi thought he, too, ought to have a -drum. Then the people would be grateful to him instead of to Kweku -Tsin. Accordingly, he asked the young man where the wonderful drum had -come from. His son was most unwilling to tell him, but Anansi gave him -no peace until he had heard the whole story. He then wasted no time, -but set off at once toward the entrance hole. He had taken the -precaution to carry with him an old nut which he pretended to crack. -Then throwing it into the hole, he jumped in after it and hurried along -to the silent village. Arrived at the first house, he shouted, “Is -there no one in this town?” The old woman answered as before, and -Anansi entered her house. - -He did not trouble to be polite to her, but addressed her most rudely, -saying, “Hurry up, old woman, and get me something to eat.” The woman -quietly directed him to go into the garden and choose the yam which -should say, “Do not dig me out.” Anansi laughed in her face and said, -“You surely take me for a fool. If the yam does not want me to dig it -out I will certainly not do so. I will take the one which wants to be -gathered.” This he did. - -When he brought it to the old woman she told him, as she told his son, -to throw away the inside and boil the rind. Again he refused to obey. -“Who ever heard of such a silly thing as throwing away the yam? I will -do nothing of the sort. I will throw away the peel and boil the -inside.” He did so, and the yam turned into stones. He was then obliged -to do as she first suggested, and boil the rind. The latter while -boiling turned into yam. Anansi turned angrily to the old woman and -said, “You are a witch.” She took no notice of his remark, but went on -setting the table. She placed his dinner on a small table, lower than -her own, saying, “You must not look at me while I eat.” He rudely -replied, “Indeed, I will look at you if I choose. And I will have my -dinner at your table, not at that small one.” Again she said -nothing—but she left her dinner untouched. Anansi ate his own, then -took hers and ate it also. - -When he had finished she said, “Now go into the garden and choose a -drum. Do not take one which sounds ‘Dong-dong’; only take one which -says ‘Ding-ding.’” Anansi retorted, “Do you think I will take your -advice, you witch? No, I will choose the drum which says ‘Dong-dong.’ -You are just trying to play a trick on me.” - -He did as he wished. Having secured the drum he marched off without so -much as a “Thank you” to the old woman. - -No sooner had he reached home, than he longed to show off his new power -to the villagers. He called all to the Assembly Place, telling them to -bring dishes and trays, as he was going to provide them with food. The -people in great delight hurried to the spot. Anansi, proudly taking his -position in the midst of them, began to beat his drum. To his horror -and dismay, instead of the multitude of food-stuffs which Kweku had -summoned, Anansi saw, rushing toward him, beasts and serpents of all -kinds. Such creatures had never been seen on the earth before. - -The people fled in every direction—all except Anansi, who was too -terrified to move. He speedily received fitting punishment for his -disobedience. Fortunately, Kweku, with his mother and sisters, had been -at the outer edge of the crowd, so easily escaped into shelter. The -animals presently scattered in every direction, and ever since they -have roamed wild in the great forests. - - - - - - - - -XVII. HONOURABLE MINŪ - - -It happened one day that a poor Akim-man had to travel from his own -little village to Accra—one of the big towns on the coast. This man -could only speak the language of his own village—which was not -understood by the men of the town. As he approached Accra he met a -great herd of cows. He was surprised at the number of them, and -wondered to whom they could belong. Seeing a man with them he asked -him, “To whom do these cows belong?” The man did not know the language -of the Akim-man, so he replied, “Minū” (I do not understand). The -traveller, however, thought that Minū was the name of the owner of the -cows and exclaimed, “Mr Minū must be very rich.” - -He then entered the town. Very soon he saw a fine large building, and -wondered to whom it might belong. The man he asked could not understand -his question so he also answered, “Minū.” “Dear me! What a rich fellow -Mr Minū must be!” cried the Akim-man. - -Coming to a still finer building with beautiful gardens round it, he -again asked the owner’s name. Again came the answer, “Minū.” “How -wealthy Mr Minū is,” said our wondering traveller. - -Next he came to the beach. There he saw a magnificent steamer being -loaded in the harbour. He was surprised at the great cargo which was -being put on board and inquired of a bystander, “To whom does this fine -vessel belong?” “Minū,” replied the man. “To the Honourable Minū also! -He is the richest man I ever heard of!” cried the Akim-man. - -Having finished his business, the Akim-man set out for home. As he -passed down one of the streets of the town he met men carrying a -coffin, and followed by a long procession, all dressed in black. He -asked the name of the dead person, and received the usual reply, -“Minū.” “Poor Mr Minū!” cried the Akim-man. “So he has had to leave all -his wealth and beautiful houses and die just as a poor person would do! -Well, well—in future I will be content with my tiny house and little -money.” And the Akim-man went home quite pleased to his own hut. - - - - - - - - -XVIII. WHY THE MOON AND THE STARS RECEIVE THEIR LIGHT FROM THE SUN - - -Once upon a time there was great scarcity of food in the land. Father -Anansi and his son, Kweku Tsin, being very hungry, set out one morning -to hunt in the forest. In a short time Kweku Tsin was fortunate enough -to kill a fine deer—which he carried to his father at their -resting-place. Anansi was very glad to see such a supply of food, and -requested his son to remain there on guard, while he went for a large -basket in which to carry it home. An hour or so passed without his -return, and Kweku Tsin became anxious. Fearing lest his father had lost -his way, he called out loudly, “Father, father!” to guide him to the -spot. To his joy he heard a voice reply, “Yes, my son,” and immediately -he shouted again, thinking it was Anansi. Instead of the latter, -however, a terrible dragon appeared. This monster breathed fire from -his great nostrils, and was altogether a dreadful sight to behold. -Kweku Tsin was terrified at his approach and speedily hid himself in a -cave near by. - -The dragon arrived at the resting-place, and was much annoyed to find -only the deer’s body. He vented his anger in blows upon the latter and -went away. Soon after, Father Anansi made his appearance. He was -greatly interested in his son’s tale, and wished to see the dragon for -himself. He soon had his desire, for the monster, smelling human flesh, -hastily returned to the spot and seized them both. They were carried -off by him to his castle, where they found many other unfortunate -creatures also awaiting their fate. All were left in charge of the -dragon’s servant—a fine, white cock—which always crowed to summon his -master, if anything unusual happened in the latter’s absence. The -dragon then went off in search of more prey. - -Kweku Tsin now summoned all his fellow-prisoners together, to arrange a -way of escape. All feared to run away—because of the wonderful powers -of the monster. His eyesight was so keen that he could detect a fly -moving miles away. Not only that, but he could move over the ground so -swiftly that none could outdistance him. Kweku Tsin, however, being -exceedingly clever, soon thought of a plan. - -Knowing that the white cock would not crow as long as he had grains of -rice to pick up, Kweku scattered on the ground the contents of forty -bags of grain—which were stored in the great hall. While the cock was -thus busily engaged, Kweku Tsin ordered the spinners to spin fine -hempen ropes, to make a strong rope ladder. One end of this he intended -to throw up to heaven, trusting that the gods would catch it and hold -it fast, while he and his fellow-prisoners mounted. - -While the ladder was being made, the men killed and ate all the cattle -they needed—reserving all the bones for Kweku Tsin at his express -desire. When all was ready the young man gathered the bones into a -great sack. He also procured the dragon’s fiddle and placed it by his -side. - -Everything was now ready. Kweku Tsin threw one end of the ladder up to -the sky. It was caught and held. The dragon’s victims began to mount, -one after the other, Kweku remaining at the bottom. - -By this time, however, the monster’s powerful eyesight showed him that -something unusual was happening at his abode. He hastened his return. -On seeing his approach, Kweku Tsin also mounted the ladder—with the bag -of bones on his back, and the fiddle under his arm. The dragon began to -climb after him. Each time the monster came too near the young man -threw him a bone, with which, being very hungry, he was obliged to -descend to the ground to eat. - -Kweku Tsin repeated this performance till all the bones were gone, by -which time the people were safely up in the heavens. Then he mounted -himself, as rapidly as possible, stopping every now and then to play a -tune on the wonderful fiddle. Each time he did this, the dragon had to -return to earth, to dance—as he could not resist the magic music. When -Kweku was quite close to the top, the dragon had very nearly reached -him again. The brave youth bent down and cut the ladder away below his -own feet. The dragon was dashed to the ground—but Kweku was pulled up -into safety by the gods. - -The latter were so pleased with his wisdom and bravery in giving -freedom to his fellow-men, that they made him the sun—the source of all -light and heat to the world. His father, Anansi, became the moon, and -his friends the stars. Thereafter, it was Kweku Tsin’s privilege to -supply all these with light, each being dull and powerless without him. - - - - - - - - -II. MISCELLANEOUS TALES - - -XIX. OHIA AND THE THIEVING DEER - - -There once lived upon the earth a poor man called Ohia, whose wife was -named Awirehu. This unfortunate couple had suffered one trouble after -another. No matter what they took in hand misfortune seemed to lie in -wait for them. Nothing they did met with success. They became so poor -that at last they could scarcely obtain a cloth with which to cover -themselves. - -Finally, Ohia thought of a plan which many of his neighbours had tried -and found successful. He went to a wealthy farmer who lived near, and -offered to hew down several of his palm-trees. He would then collect -their sap to make palm wine. When this should be ready for the market, -his wife would carry it there and sell it. The proceeds would then be -divided equally between the farmer, Ohia, and Awirehu. - -This proposal having been laid before the farmer, he proved quite -willing to agree to it. Not only so, but he granted Ohia a supply of -earthen pots in which to collect the sap, as the miserable man was far -too poor to buy any. - -In great delight Ohia and his wife set to work. They cut down the trees -and prepared them—setting the pots underneath to catch the sap. Before -cock-crow on market-day, Ohia set off, with a lighted torch, to collect -the wine and prepare it for his wife to take into the town. She was -almost ready to follow. - -To his great distress, on arriving at the first tree, instead of -finding his earthen pot filled with the sweet sap, he saw it lying in -pieces on the ground—the wine all gone. He went on to the second and -third trees—but there, and at all the others, too, the same thing had -happened. - -His wife, in high spirits and ready for market, joined him at this -moment. She saw at once by his face that some misfortune had again -befallen them. Sorrowfully, they examined the mischief, and agreed that -some wicked person had stolen the wine and then broken the pots to hide -the theft. Awirehu returned home in despair, but Ohia set to work once -more. He fetched a second supply of pots and placed them all ready to -catch the sap. - -On his return next morning, he found that the same behaviour had been -repeated. All his wine was again stolen and his pots in fragments. He -had no resource but to go to the farmer and tell him of these fresh -misfortunes. The farmer proved to be very kind and generous and gave -orders that Ohia might have as many pots as he should require. - -Once more the poor fellow returned to the palm-trees, and set his pots -ready. This third attempt, however, met with no better result than the -two previous. Ohia went home in despair. His wife was of the opinion -that they should give up trying to overcome their evil fortunes. It was -quite evident that they could never attain success. The husband, -however, determined that, at least, he would find and punish the -culprit, if that were possible. - -Accordingly, he bravely set his pots in order for the last time. When -night came, he remained on guard among the trees. Midnight passed and -nothing happened, but toward two o’clock in the morning a dark form -glided past him to the nearest palm-tree. A moment after he heard the -sound of a breaking pot. He stole up to the form. On approaching it he -found that the thief was a bush-deer, carrying on its head a large jar, -into which it was pouring the wine from Ohia’s pots. As it emptied them -it threw them carelessly on the ground, breaking them in pieces. - -Ohia ventured a little nearer, intending to seize the culprit. The -latter, however, was too quick for him and escaped, dropping his great -pot on the ground as he ran. The deer was very fleet, but Ohia had -fully determined to catch him—so followed. The chase continued over -many miles until mid-day arrived, at which time they had reached the -bottom of a high hill. The deer immediately began to climb, and -Ohia—though almost tired out—still followed. Finally, the summit of the -hill was reached, and there Ohia found himself in the midst of a great -gathering of quadrupeds. The deer, panting, threw himself on the ground -before King Tiger. [10] His Majesty commanded that Ohia should be -brought before him to be punished for this intrusion into such a -serious meeting. - -Ohia begged for a hearing before they condemned him. He wished to -explain fully his presence there. King Tiger, after consulting with -some of the other animals, agreed to listen to his tale. Thereupon Ohia -began the story of his unfortunate life. He told how one trial after -another had failed, and how, finally, he had thought of the palm wine. -He described his feelings on discovering the first theft—after all his -labour. He related his second, third, and fourth attempts, with the -result of each. He then went on to tell of his chase after the thief, -and thus explained his presence at their conference. - -The quadrupeds listened very attentively to the recital of Ohia’s -troubles. At the conclusion they unanimously agreed that the deer was -the culprit and the man blameless. The former was accordingly sentenced -to punishment, while the latter received an apology in the name of the -entire conference. King Tiger, it appeared, had each morning given Deer -a large sum of money wherewith to purchase palm wine for the whole -assembly. The deer had stolen the wine and kept the money. - -To make up to Ohia for his losses, King Tiger offered him, as a gift, -the power of understanding the conversation of all animals. This, said -he, would speedily make Ohia a rich man. But he attached one condition -to the gift. Ohia must never—on pain of instant death—tell any one -about his wonderful power. - -The poor man, much delighted, set off for home. When it was reached, he -lost no time in setting to work at his palm-trees again. From that day -his troubles seemed over. His wine was never interfered with and he and -Awirehu became more and more prosperous and happy. - -One morning, while he was bathing in a pool quite close to his house, -he heard a hen and her chickens talking together in his garden. He -listened, and distinctly heard a chicken tell Mother Hen about three -jars of gold buried in Ohia’s garden. The hen bade the chicken be -careful, lest her master should see her scraping near the gold, and so -discover it. - -Ohia pretended to take no notice of what they were saying, and went -away. Presently, when Mother Hen and her brood had gone, he came back -and commenced digging in that part of the garden. To his great joy, he -soon found three large jars of gold. They contained enough money to -keep him in comfort all his life. He was careful, however, not to -mention his treasure to any one but his wife. He hid it safely inside -his house. - -Soon he and Awirehu had become one of the richest couples in the -neighbourhood, and owned quite a large amount of property. Ohia thought -he could afford now to keep a second wife, so he married again. -Unfortunately, the new wife did not at all resemble Awirehu. The latter -had always been a good, kind, honest woman. The new wife was of a very -jealous and selfish disposition. In addition to this she was lame, and -continually imagined that people were making fun of her defect. She -took the idea into her head that Ohia and Awirehu—when together—were in -the habit of laughing at her. Nothing was further from their thoughts, -but she refused to believe so. Whenever she saw them together she would -stand and listen outside the door to hear what they were saying. Of -course, she never succeeded in hearing anything about herself. - -At last, one evening, Ohia and Awirehu had gone to bed. The latter was -fast asleep when Ohia heard a conversation which amused him very much. -A couple of mice in one corner of the room were arranging to go to the -larder to get some food, as soon as their master—who was watching -them—was asleep. Ohia, thinking this was a good joke, laughed outright. -His lame wife heard him, and rushed into the room. She thereupon -accused him of making fun of her again to Awirehu. The astonished -husband, of course, denied this, but to no purpose. The jealous woman -insisted that, if he were laughing at an innocent joke, he would at -once tell it to her. This Ohia could not do, without breaking his -promise to King Tiger. His refusal fully confirmed the lame woman’s -suspicions and she did not rest till she had laid the whole matter -before the chief. He, being an intimate friend of Ohia, tried to -persuade him to reveal the joke and set the matter at rest. Ohia -naturally was most unwilling to do anything of the sort. The persistent -woman gave the chief no peace till he summoned her husband to answer -her charge before the assembly. - -Finding no way of escape from the difficulty, Ohia prepared for death. -He first called all his friends and relatives to a great feast, and -bade them farewell. Then he put his affairs in order—bequeathed all his -gold to the faithful Awirehu, and his property to his son and servants. -When he had finished, he went to the Assembly Place where the people of -the neighbourhood were gathered together. - -He first took leave of the chief, and then commenced his tale. He -related the story of his many misfortunes—of his adventure with the -deer, and of his promise to King Tiger. Finally, he explained the cause -of his laughter which had annoyed his wife. In so speaking he fell -dead, as the Tiger had warned him. - -He was buried amid great mourning, for every one had liked and -respected him. The jealous woman who had caused her husband’s death was -seized and burnt as a witch. Her ashes were then scattered to the four -winds of heaven, and it is owing to this unfortunate fact that jealousy -and selfishness are so widespread through the world, where before they -scarcely existed. - - - - - - - - -XX. HOW THE TORTOISE GOT ITS SHELL - - -A few hundred years ago, the chief Mauri (God) determined to have a -splendid yam festival. He therefore sent his messengers to invite all -his chiefs and people to the gathering, which was to take place on Fida -(Friday). - -On the morning of that day he sent some of his servants to the -neighbouring towns and villages to buy goats, sheep, and cows for the -great feast. Mr Klo (the tortoise), who was a tall and handsome fellow, -was sent to buy palm wine. He was directed to the palm-fields of -Koklovi (the chicken). - -At that time Klo was a very powerful traveller and speedily reached his -destination, although it was many miles distant from Mauri’s palace. - -When he arrived Koklovi was taking his breakfast. When they had -exchanged polite salutations Koklovi asked the reason of Klo’s visit. -He replied, “I was sent by His Majesty Mauri, the ruler of the world, -to buy him palm wine.” “Whether he’s ruler of the world or not,” -answered Koklovi, “no one can buy my wine with money. If you want it -you must fight for it. If you win you can have it all and the -palm-trees too.” - -This answer delighted Klo as he was a very strong fighter. Koklovi was -the same, so that the fighting continued for several hours before Klo -was able to overcome Koklovi. He was at last successful, however, and -securely bound Koklovi before he left him. - -Then, taking his great pot, he filled it with wine. Finding that there -was more wine than the pot would hold, Klo foolishly drank all the -rest. He then piled the palm-trees on his back and set out for the -palace with the pot of wine. The amount which he had drunk, however, -made him feel so sleepy and tired that he could not walk fast with his -load. Added to this, a terrible rain began to fall, which made the -ground very slippery and still more difficult to travel over. - -By the time Klo succeeded in reaching his master’s palace the gates -were shut and locked. Mauri, finding it so late, had concluded that -every one was inside. - -There were many people packed into the great hall, and all were singing -and dancing. The noise of the concert was so great that no one heard -Klo’s knocking at the gate, and there he had to stay with his great -load of wine and palm-trees. - -The rain continued for nearly two months and was so terrible that the -people all remained in the palace till it had finished. By that time -Klo had died, under the weight of his load—which he had been unable to -get off his back. There he lay, before the gate, with the pile of -palm-trees on top of him. - -When the rain ceased and the gates were opened the people were amazed -to see this great mound in front of the gate, where before there had -been nothing. They fetched spades and began to shovel it away. - -When they came to the bottom of the pile there lay Klo. His earthenware -pot and the dust had caked together and formed quite a hard cover on -his back. - -He was taken into the palace—and by the use of many wonderful medicines -he was restored to life. But since that date he has never been able to -stand upright. He has been a creeping creature, with a great shell on -his back. - - - - - - - - -XXI. THE HUNTER AND THE TORTOISE - - -A village hunter had one day gone farther afield than usual. Coming to -a part of the forest with which he was unacquainted, he was astonished -to hear a voice singing. He listened; this was the song: - - - “It is man who forces himself on things, - Not things which force themselves on him.” - - -The singing was accompanied by sweet music—which entirely charmed the -hunter’s heart. - -When the little song was finished, the hunter peeped through the -branches to see who the singer could be. Imagine his amazement when he -found it was none other than a tortoise, with a tiny harp slung in -front of her. Never had he seen such a marvellous thing. - -Time after time he returned to the same place in order to listen to -this wonderful creature. At last he persuaded her to let him carry her -back to his hut, that he might enjoy her singing daily in comfort. This -she permitted, only on the understanding that she sang to him alone. - -The hunter did not rest long content with this arrangement, however. -Soon he began to wish that he could show off this wonderful tortoise to -all the world, and thereby thought he would gain great honour. He told -the secret, first to one, then to another, until finally it reached the -ears of the chief himself. The hunter was commanded to come and tell -his tale before the Assembly. When, however, he described the tortoise -who sang and played on the harp, the people shouted in scorn. They -refused to believe him. - -At last he said, “If I do not speak truth, I give you leave to kill me. -To-morrow I will bring the tortoise to this place and you may all hear -her. If she cannot do as I say, I am willing to die.” “Good,” replied -the people, “and if the tortoise can do as you say, we give you leave -to punish us in any way you choose.” - -The matter being then settled, the hunter returned home, well pleased -with the prospect. As soon as the morrow dawned, he carried tortoise -and harp down to the Assembly Place—where a table had been placed ready -for her. Every one gathered round to listen. But no song came. The -people were very patient, and quite willing to give both tortoise and -hunter a chance. Hours went by, and, to the hunter’s dismay and shame, -the tortoise remained mute. He tried every means in his power to coax -her to sing, but in vain. The people at first whispered, then spoke -outright, in scorn of the boaster and his claims. - -Night came on and brought with it the hunter’s doom. As the last ray of -the setting sun faded, he was beheaded. The instant this had happened -the tortoise spoke. The people looked at one another in troubled -wonder: “Our brother spoke truth, then, and we have killed him.” The -tortoise, however, went on to explain. “He brought his punishment on -himself. I led a happy life in the forest, singing my little song. He -was not content to come and listen to me. He had to tell my secret -(which did not at all concern him) to all the world. Had he not tried -to make a show of me this would never have happened. - - - “It is man who forces himself on things, - Not things which force themselves on him.” - - - - - - - - -XXII. THE TAIL OF THE PRINCESS ELEPHANT - - -There once lived a woman who had three sons. These sons were very much -attached to their mother and always tried to please her. She at last -grew very old and feeble. The three sons began to think what they could -do to give her great pleasure. The eldest promised that when she was -dead he would cut a fine sepulchre in stone for her. The second said he -would make a beautiful coffin. The youngest said, “I will go and get -the tail of the princess elephant and put it in the coffin with her.” -This promise was by far the hardest one to keep. - -Soon after this their mother died. The youngest son immediately set out -on his search, not knowing in the least where he would be likely to -find the tail. He travelled for three weeks, and at the end of that -time he came to a little village. There he met an old woman, who seemed -very much surprised to see him. She said no human creature had ever -been there before. The boy told the tale of his search for the princess -elephant. The old woman replied that this village was the home of all -the elephants, and the princess slept there every night. But she warned -him that if the animals saw him they would kill him. The young man -begged her to hide him—which she did, in a great pile of wood. - -She also told him that when the elephants were all asleep he must get -up and go to the eastern corner. There he would find the princess. He -must walk boldly over, cut off the tail and return in the same manner. -If he were to walk stealthily, the elephants would waken and seize him. - -The animals returned as it was growing dark. They said at once that -they smelt a human being. The old woman assured them that they were -mistaken. Their supper was ready, so they ate it and went to bed. - -In the middle of the night the young man got up and walked boldly -across to where the princess slept. He cut off the tail and returned as -he had come. He then started for home, carrying the tail very -carefully. - -When daylight came the elephants awoke. One said he had dreamed that -the princess’s tail was stolen. The others beat him for thinking such a -thing. A second said he also had had the dream, and he also was beaten. -The wisest of the elephants then suggested that they might do well to -go and see if the dream were true. This they did. They found the -princess fast asleep and quite ignorant of the loss of her tail. They -wakened her and all started off in chase of the young man. - -They travelled so quickly that in a few hours they came in sight of -him. He was afraid when he saw them coming and cried out to his -favourite idol (which he always carried in his hair), “O my juju Depor! -What shall I do?” The juju advised him to throw the branch of a tree -over his shoulder. This he did and it immediately grew up into a huge -tree, which blocked the path of the elephants. They stopped and began -to eat up the tree—which took them some little time. - -Then they continued their way again. Again the young man cried, “O my -juju Depor! What shall I do?” “Throw that corn-cob behind you,” -answered the juju. The lad did so, and the corn-cob immediately grew -into a large field of maize. - -The elephants ate their way through the maize, but when they arrived at -the other side they found that the boy had reached home. So they had to -give up the chase and return to their village. The princess, however, -refused to do so, saying, “I will return when I have punished this -impudent fellow.” - -She thereupon changed herself into a very beautiful maiden, and taking -a calabash cymbal in her hand approached the village. All the people -came out to admire this lovely girl. - -She had it proclaimed through the village that whoever succeeded in -shooting an arrow at the cymbal should have her for a bride. The young -men all tried and failed. An old man standing by said, “If only -Kwesi—the cutter of the princess elephant’s tail—were here, he could -hit the cymbal.” “Then Kwesi is the man I will marry,” replied the -maiden, “whether he hit the cymbal or not.” - -Kwesi was quickly fetched from the field where he was ploughing, and -told of his good luck. He, however, was not at all delighted to hear of -it, as he suspected the maiden of some trick. - -However, he came and shot an arrow which struck the centre of the -cymbal. The damsel and he were accordingly married. She was all the -time preparing to punish him. - -The night following their marriage she turned into an elephant, while -Kwesi was asleep. She then prepared to kill him, but Kwesi awoke in -time. He called, “O my juju Depor! Save me!” The juju turned him into a -grass mat lying on the bed and the princess could not find him. She was -most annoyed and next morning asked him where he had been all night. -“While you were an elephant I was the mat you lay on,” replied Kwesi. -The damsel took all the mats from the bed and burned them. - -Next night the princess again became an elephant and prepared to kill -her husband. This time the juju changed him into a needle and his wife -could not find him. She again asked him in the morning where he had -been. Hearing that the juju had helped him again she determined to get -hold of the idol and destroy it. - -Next day Kwesi was going again to his farm to plough a field. He told -his wife to bring him some food to the resting-place. This time she had -fairly made up her mind that he should not escape. When he had had his -food she said, “Now lay your head in my lap and sleep.” Kwesi quite -forgot that his juju was hidden in his hair and did as she bid. As soon -as he was asleep she took the juju out of his hair and threw it into a -great fire which she had prepared. Kwesi awoke to find her an elephant -once more. In great fear he cried out, “O my juju Depor! What am I to -do?” All the answer he got, however, came from the flames. “I am -burning, I am burning, I am burning.” Kwesi called again for help and -the juju replied, “Lift up your arms as if you were flying.” He did so -and turned into a hawk. - -That is the reason why hawks are so often seen flying in the smoke of -fires. They are looking for their lost juju. - - - - - - - - -XXIII. KWOFI AND THE GODS - - -Kwofi was the eldest son of a farmer who had two wives. Kwofi’s mother -had no other children. - -When the boy was three years old his mother died. Kwofi was given to -his stepmother to mind. After this she had many children. Kwofi, of -course, was the eldest of all. - -When he was about ten years old his father also died. Kwofi had now no -relative but his stepmother, for whom he had to work. - -As he grew older, she saw how much more clever and handsome he was than -her own children, and grew very jealous of him. He was such a good -hunter that day after day he came home laden with meat or with fish. - -Every day she treated him in the same way. She cooked the meat, then -portioned it out. She gave to each a large helping, but when it came to -Kwofi’s turn she would say, “Oh, my son Kwofi, there is none left for -you! You must go to the field and get some ripe paw-paw.” Kwofi never -complained. Never once did he taste any of the meat he had hunted. At -every meal the others were served, but there was never enough for him. - -One evening, when the usual thing had happened, Kwofi was preparing to -go to the field to fetch some paw-paw for his supper. All at once one -of the gods appeared in the village, carrying a great bag over his -shoulder. He summoned all the villagers together with these words: “Oh, -my villagers, I come with a bag of death for you!” - -Thereupon he began to distribute the contents of his bag among them. -When he came to Kwofi he said: “Oh, my son Kwofi, there was never -sufficient meat for you, neither is there any death.” - -As he said these words every one in the village died except Kwofi. He -was left to reign there in peace, which he did very happily. - - - - - - - - -XXIV. THE LION AND THE WOLF - - -A certain old lady had a very fine flock of sheep. She had fed and -cared for them so well that they became famous for their fatness. In -time a wicked wolf heard of them and determined to eat them. - -Night after night he stole up to the old dame’s cottage and killed a -sheep. The poor woman tried her best to save her animals from harm—but -failed. - -At last there was only one sheep left of all the flock. Their owner was -very sad. She feared that it, too, would be taken away from her, in -spite of all she could do. While she was grieving over the thought of -this a lion came to her village. - -Seeing her sad face, he asked the reason of it. She soon told him all -about it. He thereupon offered to do his best to punish the wicked -wolf. He himself went to the place where the sheep was generally -kept—while the latter was removed to another place. - -In the meantime the wolf was on his way to the cottage. As he came he -met a fox. The fox was somewhat afraid of him and prepared to run away. -The wolf, however, told him where he was going, and invited him to go -too. The fox agreed and the two set off together. They arrived at the -cottage and went straight to the place where the sheep generally slept. -The wolf at once rushed upon the animal, while Fox waited a little -behind. Just as Fox was deciding to enter and help Wolf there came a -bright flash of lightning. By the light of it the fox could see that -the wolf was attacking—not a sheep—but a lion. He hastily ran away, -shouting as he went: “Look at his face! Look at his face!” - -During the flash Wolf did look at the pretended sheep. To his dismay he -found he had made a great mistake. At once he began to make humble -apologies—but all in vain. Lion refused to listen to any of his -explanations, and speedily put him to death. - - - - - - - - -XXV. MAKU MAWU AND MAKU FIA - -OR - -‘I will die God’s death’ and ‘I will die the King’s death’ - - -Once upon a time there were two men who were such great friends that -they were almost always together. If one was seen the other was sure to -be near. They had given one another special names, which were to be -used only by themselves. One name, Maku Mawu, meant, ‘I will die God’s -death,’ and the other, Maku Fia, ‘I will die the King’s death.’ - -By and by, however, the other villagers heard these names and gradually -every one got into the habit of calling the two friends by the -nicknames in preference to the real ones. Finally, the King of the -country heard of them and wished to see the men who had chosen such -strange titles. He sent for them to Court, and they came together. He -was much pleased with the one who had chosen the name of ‘Maku Fia,’ -but he was annoyed at the other man’s choice and sought a chance of -punishing him. - -When he had talked to them a little while, he invited both to a great -feast which he was to give in three days’ time. As they went away he -gave a fine large yam to Maku Mawu and only a small round stone to his -own favourite. The latter felt somewhat aggrieved at getting only a -stone, while his friend got such a fine yam. Very soon he said, “Oh, -dear! I do not think it is any use carrying this stone home. How I wish -it were a yam! Then I could cook it for dinner.” Maku Mawu—being very -generous—immediately replied, “Then change with me, for I am quite -tired of carrying my great yam.” They exchanged, and each went off to -his own home. Maku Fia cut up his yam and cooked it. Maku Mawu broke -his stone in half and found inside some beautiful ornaments which the -King had hidden there. He thought that he would play a trick on the -King, so told nobody what had been in the stone. - -On the third day they dressed to go to the King’s feast. Maku Mawu put -on all the beautiful ornaments out of the stone. Maku Fia dressed -himself just as usual. - -When they reached the palace the King was amazed to see the wrong man -wearing his ornaments, and determined to punish him more effectually -next time. He asked Maku Fia what he had done with the stone, and the -man told him he had exchanged it for his friend’s yam. - -At first the King could not think of any way to punish Maku Mawu, as, -of course, the latter had not done anything wrong. He soon had an idea, -however. He pretended to be very pleased with the poor man and -presented him with a beautiful ring from his own finger. He then made -him promise to come back in seven days and show the ring to the King -again, to let the latter see that it was not lost. If by any chance he -could not produce the ring—he would lose his head. This the King did, -meaning to get hold of the ring in some way and so get the young man -killed. - -Maku Mawu saw what the King’s design was, so determined to hide the -ring. He made a small hole in the wall of his room, put the ring in it, -and carefully plastered over the place again. No one could see that the -wall had been touched. - -After two days the King sent for the wife of Maku Mawu and asked her to -find the ring. He promised her a large sum of money for it—not telling -her, of course, what would happen to her husband if the ring were lost. -The woman went home and searched diligently but found nothing. Next day -she tried again—with no better success. Then she asked her husband what -he had done with it. He innocently told her it was in the wall. Next -day, when he was absent, she searched so carefully that at last she -found it. - -Delighted, she ran off to the King’s palace and gave the ring to him. -She got the promised money and returned home, never dreaming that she -had really sold her husband’s life. - -On the sixth day the King sent a message to Maku Mawu, telling him to -prepare for the next day. The poor man bethought himself of the ring -and went to look if it were still safe. To his despair the hole was -empty. He asked his wife and his neighbours. All denied having seen it. -He made up his mind that he must die. - -In the meantime the King had laid the ring in one of the dishes in his -palace and promptly forgot about it. When the seventh morning had -arrived he sent messengers far and wide, to summon the people to come -and see a man punished for disobeying the King’s orders. Then he -commanded his servants to set the palace in order, and to take the -dishes out of his room and wash them. - -The careless servants—never looking to see if the dishes were empty or -not—took them all to a pool near by. Among them was the dish containing -the ring. Of course, when the dish was being washed, out fell the ring -into the water—without being noticed by the servants. - -The palace being all in readiness, the King went to fetch the ring. It -was nowhere to be found and he was obliged to go to the Assembly -without it. - -When every one was ready the poor man, Maku Mawu, was called to come -forward and show the ring. He walked boldly up to the king and knelt -down before him, saying, “The ring is lost and I am prepared to die. -Only grant me a few hours to put my house in order.” At first the king -was unwilling to grant even that small favour, but finally he said, -“Very well, you may have four hours. Then you must return here and be -beheaded before the people.” The innocent man returned to his home and -put everything in order. Then, feeling hungry, he thought, “I may as -well have some food before I die. I will go and catch a fish in the -pool.” - -He accordingly took his fish-net and bait, and started off to the very -pool where the King’s dishes had been washed. Very soon he caught a -fine large fish. Cutting it open, to clean it, his delight may be -imagined at finding the lost ring inside it. - -At once he ran off to the palace crying: “I have found the ring! I have -found the ring!” When the people heard him, they all shouted in joy: -“He named himself rightly ‘Maku Mawu,’ for see—the death God has chosen -for him, that only will he die.” So the King had no excuse to harm him, -and he went free. - - - - - - - - -XXVI. THE ROBBER AND THE OLD MAN - - -In a big town lived a very rich gentleman. The fame of his wealth soon -spread. A clever thief heard of it and determined to have some for -himself. - -He managed to hide himself in a dark corner of the gentleman’s -room—while the latter was counting his bags of money. As soon as the -old gentleman left the room to fetch something, the thief caught up two -of the bags and escaped. - -The owner was astonished, on his return a few minutes later, to find -two bags short. He could find no trace of the thief. - -Next morning, however, he chanced to meet the robber just outside the -house. The dishonest man looked so confused that the rich man at once -suspected he was the thief. He could not, however, prove it, so took -the case before the judge. - -The thief was much alarmed when he heard this. He sought a man in the -village and asked his advice. The wise man undertook to help him—if he -would promise to pay him half the money when he got off. This the -robber at once said he would do. - -The old man then advised him to go home and dress in rags. He must -ruffle his hair and beard and behave as if he were mad. If any one -asked a question he must answer “Moo.” - -The thief did so. To every question asked by the judge he said, “Moo, -moo.” The judge at last grew angry and dismissed the court. The thief -went home in great glee. - -Next day, the wise man came to him for his half of the stolen money. -But he could get no answer but “Moo” from the thief, and at last, in -despair, he had to go home without a penny. The ungrateful robber kept -everything for himself. The wise man regretted very much that he had -saved the thief from his just punishment—but it was now too late. - - - - - - - - -XXVII. THE LEOPARD AND THE RAM - - -A ram once decided to make a clearing in the woods and build himself a -house. A leopard who lived near also made up his mind to do the very -same thing. - -Unknown to each other they both chose the same site. Ram came one day -and worked at the clearing. Leopard arrived after Ram had gone and was -much surprised to find some of his work already done. However, he -continued what Ram had begun. Each was daily surprised at the progress -made in his absence, but concluded that the fairies had been helping -him. He gave them thanks and continued with his task. - -Thus the matter went on—the two working alternately at the building and -never seeing one another. At last the house was finished to the -satisfaction of both. - -The two prepared to take up their abode in the new home. To their great -astonishment they met. Each told his tale, and after some friendly -discussion, they decided to live together. - -Both Leopard and Ram had sons. These two young animals played together -while their parents hunted. The leopard was very much surprised to find -that every evening his friend Ram brought home just as much meat or -venison from the hunt as he himself did. He did not dare, however, to -ask the other how he obtained it. - -One day, before setting out to hunt, Leopard requested his son to find -out, if possible, from young Ram, how his father managed to kill the -animals. Accordingly while they were at play, little Leopard inquired -how Father Ram, having neither claws nor sharp teeth, succeeded in -catching and killing the beasts. Ram refused to tell unless young -Leopard would promise to show his father’s way also. The latter agreed. -Accordingly they took two large pieces of plantain stem and set out -into the woods. - -Young Leopard then took one piece and placed it in position. Then, -going first to the right, then to the left—bowing and standing on his -hind legs and peeping at the stem just as his father did—he took aim, -sprang toward the stem and tore it. - -Young Ram then took the other piece and placed it in position. Wasting -no time he went backward a little way, took aim, then ran swiftly -forward—pushing his head against the stem and tearing it to pieces. -When they had finished they swept the place clean and went home. - -In the evening the leopard obtained all the information about the hunt -from his son. The latter warned him that he must always be careful when -he saw the ram go backward. He kept this in mind, and from that day -watched the ram very closely. - -Some time afterward it rained, making the floor of the house very -slippery. The leopard called the ram, as usual, to dine with him. As he -was coming, the ram slipped backward on the wet floor. The leopard, -seeing this, thought the other was about to kill him. Calling to his -son to follow, he sprang with all his might over the wall of the house -and fled to the woods. The ram called him back, but he did not listen. -From that time leopards have made their abode in the woods while rams -have remained at home. - - - - - - - - -XXVIII. WHY THE LEOPARD CAN ONLY CATCH PREY ON ITS LEFT SIDE - - -At one time leopards did not know how to catch animals for food. -Knowing that the cat as very skilful in this way, Leopard one day went -to Cat and asked very politely if she would teach him the art. Cat -readily consented. - -The first thing Leopard had to learn was to hide himself among the -bushes by the roadside, so that he would not be seen by any animal -passing by. Next, he must learn how to move noiselessly through the -woods. He must never allow the animal he chased to know that he was -following it. The third great principle was how to use his left paws -and side in springing upon his prey. - -Having taught him these three things, Cat requested him to go and -practise them well. When he had learnt them thoroughly he could return -to her and she would give him more lessons in hunting. - -Leopard obeyed. At first he was very successful and obtained all the -food he wanted. One day, however, he was unable to catch anything at -all. - -Being very hungry, he bethought himself what he could have for dinner. -Suddenly he remembered that the cat had quite a large family. He went -straight to her home and found her absent. - -Never thinking of her kindness to him—Leopard only remembered that he -was hungry—he ate all her kittens. Puss, on discovering this dreadful -fact, was so angry that she refused to have anything more to do with -the great creature. - -Consequently the leopard has never been able to learn how to catch -animals that pass him on the right side. - - - - - - - - -XXIX. QUARCOO BAH-BONI - -(The Bad Boy) - - -Once upon a time in a certain village lived a man and his wife who were -childless. One day, however, when the husband was away hunting, the -woman had a baby son. She was greatly troubled at her husband’s -absence, because she was unable to let him know of the child’s arrival. -In that country it is the custom for the father to give the baby its -name when it is a week old. As the time approached for the naming, the -woman wondered to herself what name she could give the child if her -husband did not return in time. To her amazement, the child himself -answered, “My name is Quarcoo Bah-boni.” As he was only a week old she -was astonished to hear him talk. The next day she got a greater -surprise. She had been grumbling because her husband was not there to -go to the farm for her and fetch food. The baby announced, “I will go -to the farm”—which he did. - -When he was a few weeks old, she was one day very busy. She laid him -down on the bed while she went on with her task. In a few minutes -several boys came up to her in great anger. “Your son has been beating -us and ill-treating us in the street,” said they. “My son!” she cried. -“Why, my son is only a tiny baby. He is lying asleep on my bed.” To -convince them she went indoors to show them the baby. Imagine her -surprise when he was nowhere to be seen! She had to apologize to the -boys and beg them to forgive the child. Shortly after, he came in and -put himself to bed. - -He continued these mischievous tricks till his mother could no longer -endure them. So she turned him out of the house and forbade him to -return. He departed in great glee. - -After walking a few miles, he came to a building where a goat, wolf, -tiger, lion, and elephant lived very happily together. These animals -were all sitting round their fire when he approached. After many polite -speeches, he begged their permission to stay and be their servant, as -he was motherless. The animals, after a little discussion, agreed to -this, thinking that he would be able to help them in many ways. He was -given a seat and some food, which he ate with great relish. - -These five animals usually took it in turns to go out to their farm—a -few miles away—every morning, to bring home food for the day. It being -Goat’s turn, he asked Quarcoo to come with him to carry back the load. - -The basket was accordingly handed to the little boy and he set off -meekly after the goat. When they reached the farm, Quarcoo set down the -basket and ran off to play. He paid no heed at all to the goat’s calls -for assistance, but went on quietly playing. At last the goat was so -annoyed that he came up to Quarcoo and boxed his ears. To his great -astonishment, the boy gave him such a blow that he fell to the ground. -Quarcoo then proceeded to beat him till he cried for mercy. Nor would -he stop his blows till the goat had promised to finish the work, carry -home the load, and tell no one what had happened. Having promised this, -the goat was allowed to go free. By this time the poor animal’s face -was bruised and swollen. - -When the time came to go home the goat had to pack up the load and put -it on his head. Then they set out. - -As soon as they came in sight of their cottage, Quarcoo took the basket -from the goat and he himself carried it into the cottage. - -The other animals all exclaimed in wonder when they saw the goat’s -face, and asked him how it had happened. “I was unfortunate enough to -get into a swarm of bees when I was working. They stung me,” answered -the poor goat. - -Next day it was the wolf’s turn to go to the farm. He also returned, -much bruised and swollen. Goat (guessing what had happened) listened -with a smile to the excuses made by Wolf to the others. - -Goat and Wolf afterward talked the matter over and wondered much at the -strength of the little boy. - -Each day another animal took his turn at the farm, and each day he -returned in the same condition as his friends had done. At last all the -animals had been, and all now came together to discuss how best they -might get rid of Quarcoo Bah-boni. - -They made up their minds that, early the following morning, they would -start off together and leave the boy in possession of the house. They -prepared a big basket of food and set it ready. - -Unfortunately for them, Quarcoo had heard their discussion and decided -that he also would go with them. He quietly got himself a large leaf, -rolled it round him (for he was very tiny) and laid himself down in the -basket of food. - -At dawn the animals got up very quietly. Goat, being the youngest, was -given the basket to carry. They started, feeling very thankful to get -away from the tiresome boy—never dreaming that they were carrying him -along with them. - -When they had gone a fair distance Goat, feeling very hot and tired, -sat down to rest for a little while. As soon as the others had gone out -of sight, he opened the basket, meaning to have some food unknown to -his friends. His greed was rewarded, however, by a terrible blow on the -face. He then heard the words, “Shut the basket at once, and say -nothing to the others.” He obeyed and hurried after the others in fear -of this terrible boy. - -As soon as he reached them he called out, “Wolf, Wolf, it is your turn -now to take the basket. I am very tired.” Wolf took the load at once. - -They had not gone far when Wolf began to think of all the nice things -in the basket and he also said he was going to rest a little while in -the shade. Having got rid of the others in this way, he hastily opened -the basket. He was greeted by Quarcoo in the same way as Goat had been, -and speedily closed the basket and followed the others. In this way -each animal got his turn of carrying the basket, and each was punished -for his greed. - -Finally, Elephant’s turn came. When he rejoined the others and asked -some one to relieve him of his load they cried out, “If you do not want -to carry it any farther, throw it away.” He did so, and they all took -to their heels. They ran for several miles and only stopped when they -came to a huge tree, in whose shade they sat down to rest, being quite -breathless. - -Quarcoo, however, had got there before them. He had quietly stepped out -of the basket, taken a short cut across country and arrived at the tree -some time before them. He guessed that they would probably rest -there—so he climbed up into the branches. There he remained, hidden -among the leaves, while the animals sat on the ground below. - -There they discussed Quarcoo and all the trouble he had caused them. -They blamed Goat for having been the one to persuade them to take the -boy as a servant. Goat being the youngest of the company had the -domestic work to do and he had welcomed the idea of help. Goat -indignantly denied being the cause of all their troubles, saying: “If I -am really to blame for the admission of Quarcoo—let him appear before -us.” Quarcoo promptly jumped down from the tree and stood in front of -them. They were so alarmed at his appearance they scattered in all -directions. The wolf ran to the woods—the tiger into the heart of the -forest, the elephant to Nigeria, the lion to the desert, and the goat -to the abode of human beings. That is the reason why they live now in -these various places instead of all together as they did previously. - - - - - - - - -XXX. KING CHAMELEON AND THE ANIMALS - - -In the olden days all the animals of the world lived together in -friendship. They had no one to rule over them and judge them. In -consequence, many very wicked deeds were constantly being done, as no -one needed to fear any punishment. - -At last they all met together to discuss this bad state of affairs, -and, as a result, they decided to choose a king. The great difficulty -was how to choose him. - -Lion was the first animal suggested. But all opposed him because, they -said, he was too fierce. Wolf was next named—but the sheep and goats -refused to have him because he was their foe. They knew they would have -bad treatment if he were chosen. - -As it was impossible to please every one by choice, they decided in -another way. Two miles away was a great stool, placed under a very -ancient tree which they believed to be the abode of some of their gods. -They would have a great race. The animal which reached and sat down -first on the stool should be chosen king. - -The day of the race arrived. All animals, great and small, prepared to -take part in it. The signal being given, they started off. The -hare—being a very fine runner—speedily outdistanced the others. He -reached the stool quite five hundred yards ahead of the next animal. -You may judge of his annoyance when, just as he was going to sit down, -a voice came from the stool saying, “Take care, Mr Hare, take care. I -was here first.” This was the chameleon. He, being able to change his -colour to suit his surroundings, had seized Mr Hare’s tail just as the -race began. Having made his colour match the hare’s, no one had noticed -him. He had held on very tightly, and when the hare turned round to -take his seat Chameleon dropped off and landed on the stool. - -The hare saw how he had been tricked and was very angry. The other -animals, however, arrived before he could harm the chameleon. According -to the agreement they had made, they had no choice but to make -Chameleon king. - -But none of the animals were satisfied with the choice. So as soon as -the meeting was over, all scattered in every direction and left -Chameleon quite alone. - -He was so ashamed that he went and made his home at the top of a very -high tree on a mountain. In the dead of night you may hear him calling -his attendants to come and stay with him. But he is left quite alone. -“A king without subjects is no king.” - - - - - - - - -XXXI. TO LOSE AN ELEPHANT FOR THE SAKE OF A WREN IS A VERY FOOLISH -THING TO DO - - -In the olden times there stood in the King’s town a very great tree. -This tree was so huge that it began to overshadow the neighbouring -fields. The King decided to have it cut down. He caused his servants to -proclaim throughout the country that any one who succeeded in cutting -down the tree with a wooden axe should have an elephant in payment. - -People thought it would be impossible to cut down such a great tree -with an axe of wood. Spider, however, decided to try by cunning to gain -the elephant. He accordingly presented himself before the King and -expressed his readiness to get rid of the tree. - -A servant was sent with him to keep watch and to see that he only used -the wooden axe given him. Spider, however, had taken care to have -another, made of steel, hidden in his bag. - -He now began to fell the tree. In a very few minutes, he said to the -servant, “See, yonder is a fine antelope. If you are quick, you will be -able to hit it with a stone. Run!” The lad did as he was bid, and ran a -long way—but could see no sign of the antelope. In his absence, Spider -seized the sharp axe and hastened to cut as much of the tree as he -could, carefully hiding the axe in his bag before the servant’s return. - -This trick he repeated several times, till finally the tree was cut -down. Spider went to the King to get the elephant, and took the servant -to prove that he had used only the wooden axe. He got his promised -reward, and started for home in great glee. On the way, however, he -began to think over the matter. “Shall I take this animal home?” -thought he. “That would be foolish, for then I would be obliged to -share it with my family. No! I will hide it in the forest, and eat it -at my leisure. In that way I can have the whole of it for myself. Now -what can I take home for the children’s dinner?” - -Thereupon he looked around, and, a little distance away, saw a tiny -wren sitting on a tree. “Exactly what I want,” he said to himself. -“That will be quite sufficient for them. I will tie my elephant to this -tree while I catch the bird.” - -This he did, but when he tried to seize the latter, it flew off. He -chased it for some time, without success. “Well! well!” said he. “My -family will just have to go without dinner. I will now go back and get -my elephant.” He returned to the spot where he had left the animal, but -to his dismay the latter had escaped. Spider was obliged to go home -empty-handed, and he, as well as his family, went dinnerless that day. - - - - - - - - -XXXII. THE UNGRATEFUL MAN - - -A hunter, who was terribly poor, was one day walking through the forest -in search of food. Coming to a deep hole, he found there a leopard, a -serpent, a rat, and a man. These had all fallen into the trap and were -unable to get out again. Seeing the hunter, they begged him to help -them out of the hole. - -At first he did not wish to release any but the man. The leopard, he -said, had often stolen his cattle and eaten them. The serpent very -frequently bit men and caused their death. The rat did no good to any -one. He saw no use in setting them free. - -However, these animals pleaded so hard for life that at last he helped -them out of the pit. Each, in turn, promised to reward him for his -kindness—except the man. He, saying he was very poor, was taken home by -the kind-hearted hunter and allowed to stay with him. - -A short time after, Serpent came to the hunter and gave him a very -powerful antidote for snake-poison. “Keep it carefully,” said Serpent. -“You will find it very useful one day. When you are using it, be sure -to ask for the blood of a traitor to mix with it.” The hunter, having -thanked Serpent very much, took great care of the powder and always -carried it about with him. - -The leopard also showed his gratitude by killing animals for the hunter -and supplying him with food for many weeks. - -Then, one day, the rat came to him and gave him a large bundle. -“These,” said he, “are some native cloths, gold dust, and ivory. They -will make you rich.” The hunter thanked the rat very heartily and took -the bundle into his cottage. - -After this the hunter was able to live in great comfort. He built -himself a fine new house and supplied it with everything needful. The -man whom he had taken out of the pit still lived with him. - -This man, however, was of a very envious disposition. He was not at all -pleased at his host’s good fortune, and only waited an opportunity to -do him some harm. He very soon had a chance. - -A proclamation was sounded throughout the country to say that some -robbers had broken into the King’s palace and stolen his jewels and -many other valuables. The ungrateful man instantly hurried to the King -and asked what the reward would be if he pointed out the thief. The -King promised to give him half of the things which had been stolen. The -wicked fellow thereupon falsely accused his host of the theft, although -he knew quite well that he was innocent. - -The honest hunter was immediately thrown into prison. He was then -brought into Court and requested to show how he had become so rich. He -told them, faithfully, the source of his income, but no one believed -him. He was condemned to die the following day at noon. - -Next morning, while preparations were being made for his execution, -word was brought to the prison that the King’s eldest son had been -bitten by a serpent and was dying. Any one who could cure him was -begged to come and do so. - -The hunter immediately thought of the powder which his serpent friend -had given him, and asked to be allowed to use it. At first they were -unwilling to let him try, but finally he received permission. The King -asked him if there were anything he needed for it and he replied, “A -traitor’s blood to mix it with.” His Majesty immediately pointed out -the wicked fellow who had accused the hunter and said: “There stands -the worst traitor—for he gave up the kind host who had saved his life.” -The man was at once beheaded and the powder was mixed as the serpent -had commanded. As soon as it was applied to the prince’s wound the -young man was cured. In great delight, the King loaded the hunter with -honours and sent him happily home. - - - - - - - - -XXXIII. WHY TIGERS NEVER ATTACK MEN UNLESS THEY ARE PROVOKED - - -A man, hunting one day in the forest, met a tiger. At first each was -afraid of the other; but after some talking they became quite friendly. -They agreed to live together for a little time. First the man would -live with the tiger in his forest home for two weeks. Then the tiger -would come and live in the man’s home. - -The tiger behaved so well to the man during his visit that the man felt -he had never been so well treated in all his life. Then came the time -for the tiger to return home with the man. As they were going the tiger -was somewhat afraid. He asked the man if he really thought he would be -safe. “What if your friends do not like my face and kill me?” he asked. -“You need fear nothing,” said his host; “no one will touch you while I -am there.” The tiger therefore came to the man’s house and stayed with -him three weeks. He had brought his male cub with him, and the young -tiger became very friendly with the man’s son. - -Some months later the man’s father died. When Tiger heard of his -friend’s great loss, he and his cub set out at once to see and condole -with him. They brought a large sum of money to help the man. - -As Tiger was going home again two of the man’s friends lay in hiding -for him and shot him. Fortunately he was not killed, but he was very -much grieved lest these men had shot him at his friend’s wish. He -determined to find out if the man had known anything at all about the -shot. - -Accordingly he went to the place in the forest where he had first met -his friend. There he lay down as if he were dead, after telling his cub -to watch and see what would happen. - -By and by the man came along. When he saw the tiger lying, as he -thought, dead, he was terribly troubled. He began to cry and mourn for -his friend, and sat there all night long with Tiger’s cub, to watch -that no harm should befall the body. - -When morning came and Tiger was quite assured that his friend had had -nothing at all to do with the shot, he was very glad. He got up, then, -to the man’s great astonishment, and explained why he had pretended to -be dead. - -“Go home,” said Tiger, “and remember me always. In future for your sake -I will never touch a man unless he first meddles with me.” - - - - - - - - -XXXIV. THE OMANHENE WHO LIKED RIDDLES - - -The Omanhene is the chief of a village. A certain Omanhene had three -sons, who were very anxious to see the world. They went to their father -and asked permission to travel. This permission he readily gave. - -It was the turn of the eldest to go first. He was provided with a -servant and with all he could possibly require for the journey. - -After travelling for some time he came to a town where lived an -Omanhene who loved riddles. Being a stranger the traveller was, -according to custom, brought by the people before the chief. - -The latter explained to him that they had certain laws in their -village. One law was that every stranger must beat the Omanhene in -answering riddles or he would be beheaded. He must be prepared to begin -the contest the following morning. - -Next day he came to the Assembly Place, and found the Omanhene there -with all his attendants. The Omanhene asked many riddles. As the young -man was unable to answer any of them, he was judged to have failed and -was beheaded. - -After some time the second son of the Omanhene started on his travels. -By a strange chance he arrived at the same town where his brother had -died. He also was asked many riddles, and failed to answer them. -Accordingly he too was put to death. - -By and by the third brother announced his intention of travelling. His -mother did all in her power to persuade him to stay at home. It was -quite in vain. - -She was sure that if he also reached the town where his brothers had -died, the same thing would happen to him. Rather than allow this, she -thought she would prefer him to die on the way. - -She prepared for him a food called cankey—which she filled with poison. -Having packed it away in his bag, he set off. Very soon he began to -feel hungry. Knowing, however, that his mother had not wished him to -leave home, and therefore might have put some poison in the food, he -thought he would test it before eating it himself. Seeing a vulture -near by, he threw it half the cake. - -The bird ate the cankey, and immediately fell dead by the roadside. -Three panthers came along and began to eat the vulture. They also fell -dead. - -The young man cut off some of the flesh of the panthers and roasted it. -He then packed it carefully away in his bundle. - -A little farther on he was attacked by seven highway robbers. They -wanted to kill him at once. He told them that he had some good roast -meat in his bundle and invited them to eat with him first. They agreed -and divided up the food into eight parts. - -While they were eating the young man carefully hid his portion. Soon -all the seven robbers fell ill and died. The young man then went on his -way. - -At last he reached the town where his brothers had died. Like them, he -was summoned to the Assembly Place to answer the riddles of the -Omanhene. For two days the contest proved equal. At the end of that -time, the young man said, “I have only one riddle left. If you are able -to answer that, you may put me to death.” He then gave this riddle to -the Omanhene: - - - Half kills one— - One kills three— - Three kills seven. - - -The ruler failed to answer it that evening, so it was postponed till -the next day. - -During the night the Omanhene disguised himself and went to the house -where the stranger was staying. There he found the young man asleep in -the hall. - -Imagining that the man before him was the stranger’s servant, and never -dreaming that it was the stranger himself, he roused the sleeper and -promised him a large reward if he would give him the solution to the -riddle. - -The young man replied that he would tell the answer if the Omanhene -would bring him the costume which he always wore at the Assembly. - -The ruler was only too pleased to go and fetch it for him. When the -young man had the garments quite safely, he explained the riddle fully -to the crafty Omanhene. He said that as they were leaving home, the -mother of his master made him cankey. In order to find out if the -cankey were good, they gave half to a vulture. The latter died. Three -panthers which tasted the vulture also died. A little of the panthers’ -roasted flesh killed seven robbers. - -The Omanhene was delighted to have found out the answer. He warned the -supposed servant not to tell his master what had happened. - -In the morning all the villagers assembled together again. The Omanhene -proudly gave the answer to the riddle as if he himself had found it -out. But the young man asked him to produce his ceremonial dress, which -he ought to be wearing in Assembly. This, of course, he was unable to -do, as the young man had hidden it carefully away. - -The stranger then told what had happened in the night, and how the -ruler had got the answer to the riddle by cheating. - -The Assembly declared that the Omanhene had failed to find out the -riddle and must die. Accordingly he was beheaded—and the young man was -appointed Omanhene in his place. - - - - - - - - -XXXV. HOW MUSHROOMS FIRST GREW - - -Long, long ago there dwelt in a town two brothers whose bad habits -brought them much trouble. Day by day they got more deeply in debt. -Their creditors gave them no peace, so at last they ran away into the -woods. They became highway robbers. - -But they were not happy. Their minds were troubled by their evil deeds. -At last they decided to go home, make a big farm, and pay off their -debts gradually. - -They accordingly set to work and soon had quite a fine farm prepared -for corn. As the soil was good, they hoped the harvest would bring them -in much money. - -Unfortunately, that very day a bushfowl came along. Being hungry, it -scratched up all the newly planted seeds and ate them. - -The two poor brothers, on arriving at the field next day, were dismayed -to find all their work quite wasted. They put down a trap for the -thief. That evening the bushfowl was caught in it. The two brothers, -when they came and found the bird, told it that now all their debts -would be transferred to it because it had robbed them of the means of -paying the debts themselves. - -The poor bird—in great trouble at having such a burden thrust upon -it—made a nest under a silk-cotton tree. There it began to lay eggs, -meaning to hatch them and sell the young birds for money to pay off the -debt. - -A terrible hurricane came, however, and a branch of the tree came down. -All the eggs were smashed. As a result, the bushfowl transferred the -debts to the tree, as it had broken the eggs. - -The silk-cotton tree was in dismay at having such a big sum of money to -pay off. It immediately set to work to make as much silk cotton as it -possibly could, that it might sell it. - -An elephant, not knowing all that had happened, came along. Seeing the -silk cotton, he came to the tree and plucked down all its bearings. By -this means the debts were transferred to the poor elephant. - -The elephant was very sad when he found what he had done. He wandered -away into the desert, thinking of a way to make money. He could think -of none. - -As he stood quietly under a tree, a poor hunter crept up. This man -thought he was very lucky to find such a fine elephant standing so -still. He at once shot him. - -Just before the animal died, he told the hunter that now the debts -would have to be paid by him. The hunter was much grieved when he heard -this, as he had no money at all. - -He walked home wondering what he could do to make enough money to pay -the debts. In the darkness he did not see the stump of a tree which the -overseers had cut down in the road. He fell and broke his leg. By this -means the debts were transferred to the tree-stump. - -Not knowing this, a party of white ants came along next morning and -began to eat into the tree. When they had broken it nearly to the -ground, the tree told them that now the debts were theirs, as they had -killed it. - -The ants, being very wise, held a council together to find out how best -they could make money. They decided each to contribute as much as -possible. With the proceeds one of their young men would go to the -nearest market and buy pure linen thread. This they would weave and -sell and the profits would go to help pay the debts. - -This was done. From time to time all the linen in stock was brought and -spread out in the sunshine to keep it in good condition. When men see -this linen lying out on the ant-hills, they call it ‘mushroom,’ and -gather it for food. - - - - - - - - -XXXVI. FARMER MYBROW AND THE FAIRIES - - -Farmer Mybrow was one day looking about for a suitable piece of land to -convert into a field. He wished to grow corn and yams. He discovered a -fine spot, close to a great forest—which latter was the home of some -fairies. He set to work at once to prepare the field. - -Having sharpened his great knife, he began to cut down the bushes. No -sooner had he touched one than he heard a voice say, “Who is there, -cutting down the bushes?” Mybrow was too much astonished to answer. The -question was repeated. This time the farmer realized that it must be -one of the fairies, and so replied, “I am Mybrow, come to prepare a -field.” Fortunately for him the fairies were in great good humour. He -heard one say, “Let us all help Farmer Mybrow to cut down the bushes.” -The rest agreed. To Mybrow’s great delight, the bushes were all rapidly -cut down—with very little trouble on his part. He returned home, -exceedingly well pleased with his day’s work, having resolved to keep -the field a secret even from his wife. - -Early in January, when it was time to burn the dry bush, he set off to -his field, one afternoon, with the means of making a fire. Hoping to -have the fairies’ assistance once more, he intentionally struck the -trunk of a tree as he passed. Immediately came the question, “Who is -there, striking the stumps?” He promptly replied, “I am Mybrow, come to -burn down the bush.” Accordingly, the dried bushes were all burned -down, and the field left clear in less time than it takes to tell it. - -Next day the same thing happened. Mybrow came to chop up the stumps for -firewood and clear the field for digging. In a very short time his -faggots and firewood were piled ready, while, the field was bare. - -So it went on. The field was divided into two parts—one for maize and -one for yams. In all the preparations—digging, sowing, planting—the -fairies gave great assistance. Still, the farmer had managed to keep -the whereabouts of his field a secret from his wife and neighbours. - -The soil having been so carefully prepared, the crops promised -exceedingly well. Mybrow visited them from time to time, and -congratulated himself on the splendid harvest he would have. - -One day, while maize and yams were still in their green and milky -state, Mybrow’s wife came to him. She wished to know where his field -lay, that she might go and fetch some of the firewood from it. At first -he refused to tell her. Being very persistent, however, she finally -succeeded in obtaining the information—but on one condition. She must -not answer any question that should be asked her. This she readily -promised, and set off for the field. - -When she arrived there she was utterly amazed at the wealth of the corn -and yam. She had never seen such magnificent crops. The maize looked -most tempting—being still in the milky state—so she plucked an ear. -While doing so she heard a voice say, “Who is there, breaking the -corn?” “Who dares ask me such a question?” she replied angrily—quite -forgetting her husband’s command. Going to the field of yams she -plucked one of them also. “Who is there, picking the yams?” came the -question again. “It is I, Mybrow’s wife. This is my husband’s field and -I have a right to pick.” Out came the fairies. “Let us all help -Mybrow’s wife to pluck her corn and yams,” said they. Before the -frightened woman could say a word, the fairies had all set to work with -a will, and the corn and yams lay useless on the ground. Being all -green and unripe, the harvest was now utterly spoiled. The farmer’s -wife wept bitterly, but to no purpose. She returned slowly home, not -knowing what to say to her husband about such a terrible catastrophe. -She decided to keep silence about the matter. - -Accordingly, next day the poor man set off gleefully to his field to -see how his fine crops were going on. His anger and dismay may be -imagined when he saw his field a complete ruin. All his work and -foresight had been absolutely ruined through his wife’s forgetfulness -of her promise. - - - - - - - - -NOTES - - -[1] The cocoa exported in 1891 realized £4; in 1914 £2,193,749. - -[2] Colonial Report, G.C., 1913. - -[3] The Story of the Negro, Booker T. Washington, vol. i, p. 57 - -[4] A History of the Gold Coast and Ashanti, W. W. Claridge, vol. i, -pp. 4–5. - -[5] See Malaria and Greek History, by W. H. S. Jones. - -[6] E.g. ancient and modern primitive men in all parts of the earth -seem to have shown a similar development in flint, bronze, and iron -weapons, and in the arts generally. See Cinderella: Three Hundred and -Forty-five Variants (Folk Lore Society). - -[7] “Animals’ Language,” in Hero-Tales and Legends of the Serbians, by -Woislav M. Petrovitch. - -[8] From a story told by a native of the Gold Coast. - -[9] Tshi-speaking Peoples of the Gold Coast of West Africa, A. B. -Ellis, p. 24. - -[10] ‘Tiger’ in West African stories is a leopard. - - - - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WEST AFRICAN FOLK-TALES *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following -the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use -of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for -copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very -easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation -of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project -Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away--you may -do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected -by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark -license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country other than the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and - most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no - restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it - under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this - eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the - United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where - you are located before using this eBook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm website -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that: - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of -the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the Foundation as set -forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, -Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up -to date contact information can be found at the Foundation's website -and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without -widespread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our website which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This website includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. diff --git a/old/66923-0.zip b/old/66923-0.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 2892ed4..0000000 --- a/old/66923-0.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/66923-h.zip b/old/66923-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index abf8aa3..0000000 --- a/old/66923-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/66923-h/66923-h.htm b/old/66923-h/66923-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index 630e97c..0000000 --- a/old/66923-h/66923-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,4551 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html> -<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> -<head> - <meta charset="UTF-8"> - <title>West African folk-tales</title> -<meta name="generator" content="tei2html.xsl, see https://github.com/jhellingman/tei2html"> -<meta name="author" content="William Henry Barker (1882–1929) Cecilia Sinclair"> -<link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg"> -<link rel="schema.DC" href="http://dublincore.org/documents/1998/09/dces/"> -<meta name="DC.Creator" content="William Henry Barker (1882–1929) Cecilia Sinclair"> -<meta name="DC.Title" content="West African folk-tales"> -<meta name="DC.Language" content="en"> -<meta name="DC.Format" content="text/html"> -<meta name="DC.Publisher" content="Project Gutenberg"> -<style> /* <![CDATA[ */ -html { -line-height: 1.3; -} -body { -margin: 0; -} -main { -display: block; -} -h1 { -font-size: 2em; -margin: 0.67em 0; -} -hr { -height: 0; -overflow: visible; -} -pre { -font-family: monospace, monospace; -font-size: 1em; -} -a { -background-color: transparent; -} -abbr[title] { -border-bottom: none; -text-decoration: underline; -text-decoration: underline dotted; -} -b, strong { -font-weight: bolder; -} -code, kbd, samp { -font-family: monospace, monospace; -font-size: 1em; -} -small { -font-size: 80%; -} -sub, sup { -font-size: 67%; -line-height: 0; -position: relative; -vertical-align: baseline; -} -sub { -bottom: -0.25em; -} -sup { -top: -0.5em; -} -img { -border-style: none; -} -body { -font-family: serif; -font-size: 100%; -text-align: left; -margin-top: 2.4em; -} -div.front, div.body { -margin-bottom: 7.2em; -} -div.back { -margin-bottom: 2.4em; -} -.div0 { -margin-top: 7.2em; -margin-bottom: 7.2em; -} -.div1 { -margin-top: 5.6em; -margin-bottom: 5.6em; -} -.div2 { -margin-top: 4.8em; -margin-bottom: 4.8em; -} -.div3 { -margin-top: 3.6em; -margin-bottom: 3.6em; -} -.div4 { -margin-top: 2.4em; -margin-bottom: 2.4em; -} -.div5, .div6, .div7 { -margin-top: 1.44em; -margin-bottom: 1.44em; -} -.div0:last-child, .div1:last-child, .div2:last-child, .div3:last-child, -.div4:last-child, .div5:last-child, .div6:last-child, .div7:last-child { -margin-bottom: 0; -} -blockquote div.front, blockquote div.body, blockquote div.back { -margin-top: 0; -margin-bottom: 0; -} -.divBody .div1:first-child, .divBody .div2:first-child, .divBody .div3:first-child, .divBody .div4:first-child, -.divBody .div5:first-child, .divBody .div6:first-child, .divBody .div7:first-child { -margin-top: 0; -} -h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6, .h1, .h2, .h3, .h4, .h5, .h6 { -clear: both; -font-style: normal; -text-transform: none; -} -h3, .h3 { -font-size: 1.2em; -} -h3.label { -font-size: 1em; -margin-bottom: 0; -} -h4, .h4 { -font-size: 1em; -} -.alignleft { -text-align: left; -} -.alignright { -text-align: right; -} -.alignblock { -text-align: justify; -} -p.tb, hr.tb, .par.tb { -margin: 1.6em auto; -text-align: center; -} -p.argument, p.note, p.tocArgument, .par.argument, .par.note, .par.tocArgument { -font-size: 0.9em; -text-indent: 0; -} -p.argument, p.tocArgument, .par.argument, .par.tocArgument { -margin: 1.58em 10%; -} -td.tocDivNum { -vertical-align: top; -} -td.tocPageNum { -vertical-align: bottom; -} -.opener, .address { -margin-top: 1.6em; -margin-bottom: 1.6em; -} -.addrline { -margin-top: 0; -margin-bottom: 0; -} -.dateline { -margin-top: 1.6em; -margin-bottom: 1.6em; -text-align: right; -} -.salute { -margin-top: 1.6em; -margin-left: 3.58em; -text-indent: -2em; -} -.signed { -margin-top: 1.6em; -margin-left: 3.58em; -text-indent: -2em; -} -.epigraph { -font-size: 0.9em; -width: 60%; -margin-left: auto; -} -.epigraph span.bibl { -display: block; -text-align: right; -} -.trailer { -clear: both; -margin-top: 3.6em; -} -span.abbr, abbr { -white-space: nowrap; -} -span.parnum { -font-weight: bold; -} -span.corr, span.gap { -border-bottom: 1px dotted red; -} -span.num, span.trans, span.trans { -border-bottom: 1px dotted gray; -} -span.measure { -border-bottom: 1px dotted green; -} -.ex { -letter-spacing: 0.2em; -} -.sc { -font-variant: small-caps; -} -.asc { -font-variant: small-caps; -text-transform: lowercase; -} -.uc { -text-transform: uppercase; -} -.tt { -font-family: monospace; -} -.underline { -text-decoration: underline; -} -.overline, .overtilde { -text-decoration: overline; -} -.rm { -font-style: normal; -} -.red { -color: red; -} -hr { -clear: both; -border: none; -border-bottom: 1px solid black; -width: 45%; -margin-left: auto; -margin-right: auto; -margin-top: 1em; -text-align: center; -} -hr.dotted { -border-bottom: 2px dotted black; -} -hr.dashed { -border-bottom: 2px dashed black; -} -.aligncenter { -text-align: center; -} -h1, h2, .h1, .h2 { -font-size: 1.44em; -line-height: 1.5; -} -h1.label, h2.label { -font-size: 1.2em; -margin-bottom: 0; -} -h5, h6 { -font-size: 1em; -font-style: italic; -} -p, .par { -text-indent: 0; -} -p.firstlinecaps:first-line, .par.firstlinecaps:first-line { -text-transform: uppercase; -} -.hangq { -text-indent: -0.32em; -} -.hangqq { -text-indent: -0.42em; -} -.hangqqq { -text-indent: -0.84em; -} -p.dropcap:first-letter, .par.dropcap:first-letter { -float: left; -clear: left; -margin: 0 0.05em 0 0; -padding: 0; -line-height: 0.8; -font-size: 420%; -vertical-align: super; -} -blockquote, p.quote, div.blockquote, div.argument, .par.quote { -font-size: 0.9em; -margin: 1.58em 5%; -} -.pageNum a, a.noteRef:hover, a.pseudoNoteRef:hover, a.hidden:hover, a.hidden { -text-decoration: none; -} -.advertisement, .advertisements { -background-color: #FFFEE0; -border: black 1px dotted; -color: #000; -margin: 2em 5%; -padding: 1em; -} -.footnotes .body, .footnotes .div1 { -padding: 0; -} -.fnarrow { -color: #AAAAAA; -font-weight: bold; -text-decoration: none; -} -.fnarrow:hover, .fnreturn:hover { -color: #660000; -} -.fnreturn { -color: #AAAAAA; -font-size: 80%; -font-weight: bold; -text-decoration: none; -vertical-align: 0.25em; -} -a { -text-decoration: none; -} -a:hover { -text-decoration: underline; -background-color: #e9f5ff; -} -a.noteRef, a.pseudoNoteRef { -font-size: 67%; -line-height: 0; -position: relative; -vertical-align: baseline; -top: -0.5em; -text-decoration: none; -margin-left: 0.1em; -} -.displayfootnote { -display: none; -} -div.footnotes { -font-size: 80%; -margin-top: 1em; -padding: 0; -} -hr.fnsep { -margin-left: 0; -margin-right: 0; -text-align: left; -width: 25%; -} -p.footnote, .par.footnote { -margin-bottom: 0.5em; -margin-top: 0.5em; -} -p.footnote .fnlabel, .par.footnote .fnlabel { -float: left; -margin-left: -0.1em; -margin-top: 0.9em; -min-width: 1.0em; -padding-right: 0.4em; -} -.apparatusnote { -text-decoration: none; -} -.apparatusnote:target, .fndiv:target { -background-color: #eaf3ff; -} -table.tocList { -width: 100%; -margin-left: auto; -margin-right: auto; -border-width: 0; -border-collapse: collapse; -} -td.tocPageNum, td.tocDivNum { -text-align: right; -min-width: 10%; -border-width: 0; -white-space: nowrap; -} -td.tocDivNum { -padding-left: 0; -padding-right: 0.5em; -} -td.tocPageNum { -padding-left: 0.5em; -padding-right: 0; -} -td.tocDivTitle { -width: auto; -} -p.tocPart, .par.tocPart { -margin: 1.58em 0; -font-variant: small-caps; -} -p.tocChapter, .par.tocChapter { -margin: 1.58em 0; -} -p.tocSection, .par.tocSection { -margin: 0.7em 5%; -} -table.tocList td { -vertical-align: top; -} -table.tocList td.tocPageNum { -vertical-align: bottom; -} -table.inner { -display: inline-table; -border-collapse: collapse; -width: 100%; -} -td.itemNum { -text-align: right; -min-width: 5%; -padding-right: 0.8em; -} -td.innerContainer { -padding: 0; -margin: 0; -} -.index { -font-size: 80%; -} -.index p { -text-indent: -1em; -margin-left: 1em; -} -.indexToc { -text-align: center; -} -.transcriberNote { -background-color: #DDE; -border: black 1px dotted; -color: #000; -font-family: sans-serif; -font-size: 80%; -margin: 2em 5%; -padding: 1em; -} -.missingTarget { -text-decoration: line-through; -color: red; -} -.correctionTable { -width: 75%; -} -.width20 { -width: 20%; -} -.width40 { -width: 40%; -} -p.smallprint, li.smallprint, .par.smallprint { -color: #666666; -font-size: 80%; -} -span.musictime { -vertical-align: middle; -display: inline-block; -text-align: center; -} -span.musictime, span.musictime span.top, span.musictime span.bottom { -padding: 1px 0.5px; -font-size: xx-small; -font-weight: bold; -line-height: 0.7em; -} -span.musictime span.bottom { -display: block; -} -ul { -list-style-type: none; -} -.splitListTable { -margin-left: 0; -} -.numberedItem { -text-indent: -3em; -margin-left: 3em; -} -.numberedItem .itemNumber { -float: left; -position: relative; -left: -3.5em; -width: 3em; -display: inline-block; -text-align: right; -} -.itemGroupTable { -border-collapse: collapse; -margin-left: 0; -} -.itemGroupTable td { -padding: 0; -margin: 0; -vertical-align: middle; -} -.itemGroupBrace { -padding: 0 0.5em !important; -} -.titlePage { -border: #DDDDDD 2px solid; -margin: 3em 0 7em 0; -padding: 5em 10% 6em 10%; -text-align: center; -} -.titlePage .docTitle { -line-height: 1.7; -margin: 2em 0 2em 0; -font-weight: bold; -} -.titlePage .docTitle .mainTitle { -font-size: 1.8em; -} -.titlePage .docTitle .subTitle, .titlePage .docTitle .seriesTitle, -.titlePage .docTitle .volumeTitle { -font-size: 1.44em; -} -.titlePage .byline { -margin: 2em 0 2em 0; -font-size: 1.2em; -line-height: 1.5; -} -.titlePage .byline .docAuthor { -font-size: 1.2em; -font-weight: bold; -} -.titlePage .figure { -margin: 2em auto; -} -.titlePage .docImprint { -margin: 4em 0 0 0; -font-size: 1.2em; -line-height: 1.5; -} -.titlePage .docImprint .docDate { -font-size: 1.2em; -font-weight: bold; -} -div.figure { -text-align: center; -} -.figure { -margin-left: auto; -margin-right: auto; -} -.floatLeft { -float: left; -margin: 10px 10px 10px 0; -} -.floatRight { -float: right; -margin: 10px 0 10px 10px; -} -p.figureHead, .par.figureHead { -font-size: 100%; -text-align: center; -} -.figAnnotation { -font-size: 80%; -position: relative; -margin: 0 auto; -} -.figTopLeft, .figBottomLeft { -float: left; -} -.figTopRight, .figBottomRight { -float: right; -} -.figure p, .figure .par { -font-size: 80%; -margin-top: 0; -text-align: center; -} -img { -border-width: 0; -} -td.galleryFigure { -text-align: center; -vertical-align: middle; -} -td.galleryCaption { -text-align: center; -vertical-align: top; -} -.lgouter { -margin-left: auto; -margin-right: auto; -display: table; -} -.lg { -text-align: left; -padding: .5em 0 .5em 0; -} -.lg h4, .lgouter h4 { -font-weight: normal; -} -.lg .lineNum, .sp .lineNum, .lgouter .lineNum { -color: #777; -font-size: 90%; -left: 16%; -margin: 0; -position: absolute; -text-align: center; -text-indent: 0; -top: auto; -width: 1.75em; -} -p.line, .par.line { -margin: 0 0 0 0; -} -span.hemistich { -visibility: hidden; -} -.verseNum { -font-weight: bold; -} -.speaker { -font-weight: bold; -margin-bottom: 0.4em; -} -.sp .line { -margin: 0 10%; -text-align: left; -} -.castlist, .castitem { -list-style-type: none; -} -.castGroupTable { -border-collapse: collapse; -margin-left: 0; -} -.castGroupTable td { -padding: 0; -margin: 0; -vertical-align: middle; -} -.castGroupBrace { -padding: 0 0.5em !important; -} -body { -padding: 1.58em 16%; -} -.pageNum { -display: inline; -font-size: 8.4pt; -font-style: normal; -margin: 0; -padding: 0; -position: absolute; -right: 1%; -text-align: right; -letter-spacing: normal; -} -.marginnote { -font-size: 0.8em; -height: 0; -left: 1%; -position: absolute; -text-indent: 0; -width: 14%; -text-align: left; -} -.right-marginnote { -font-size: 0.8em; -height: 0; -right: 3%; -position: absolute; -text-indent: 0; -text-align: right; -width: 11% -} -.cut-in-left-note { -font-size: 0.8em; -left: 1%; -float: left; -text-indent: 0; -width: 14%; -text-align: left; -padding: 0.8em 0.8em 0.8em 0; -} -.cut-in-right-note { -font-size: 0.8em; -left: 1%; -float: right; -text-indent: 0; -width: 14%; -text-align: right; -padding: 0.8em 0 0.8em 0.8em; -} -span.tocPageNum, span.flushright { -position: absolute; -right: 16%; -top: auto; -text-indent: 0; -} -.pglink::after { -content: "\0000A0\01F4D8"; -font-size: 80%; -font-style: normal; -font-weight: normal; -} -.catlink::after { -content: "\0000A0\01F4C7"; -font-size: 80%; -font-style: normal; -font-weight: normal; -} -.exlink::after, .wplink::after, .biblink::after, .qurlink::after, .seclink::after { -content: "\0000A0\002197\00FE0F"; -color: blue; -font-size: 80%; -font-style: normal; -font-weight: normal; -} -.pglink:hover { -background-color: #DCFFDC; -} -.catlink:hover { -background-color: #FFFFDC; -} -.exlink:hover, .wplink:hover, .biblink:hover, .qurlink:hover, .seclin:hover { -background-color: #FFDCDC; -} -body { -background: #FFFFFF; -font-family: serif; -} -body, a.hidden { -color: black; -} -h1, h2, .h1, .h2 { -text-align: center; -font-variant: small-caps; -font-weight: normal; -} -p.byline { -text-align: center; -font-style: italic; -margin-bottom: 2em; -} -.div2 p.byline, .div3 p.byline, .div4 p.byline, .div5 p.byline, .div6 p.byline, .div7 p.byline { -text-align: left; -} -.figureHead, .noteRef, .pseudoNoteRef, .marginnote, .right-marginnote, p.legend, .verseNum { -color: #660000; -} -.rightnote, .pageNum, .lineNum, .pageNum a { -color: #AAAAAA; -} -a.hidden:hover, a.noteRef:hover, a.pseudoNoteRef:hover { -color: red; -} -h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6 { -font-weight: normal; -} -table { -margin-left: auto; -margin-right: auto; -} -.tablecaption { -text-align: center; -} -.arab { font-family: Scheherazade, serif; } -.aran { font-family: 'Awami Nastaliq', serif; } -.grek { font-family: 'Charis SIL', serif; } -.hebr { font-family: Shlomo, 'Ezra SIL', serif; } -.syrc { font-family: 'Serto Jerusalem', serif; } -/* CSS rules generated from @rend attributes in TEI file */ -.cover-imagewidth { -width:494px; -} -.xd31e88 { -font-size:large; text-align:center; -} -.xd31e92 { -font-size:x-large; -} -.frontispiecewidth { -width:485px; -} -.titlepage-imagewidth { -width:487px; -} -.xd31e142 { -font-size:small; text-align:center; -} -.p030width { -width:720px; -} -.p034width { -width:484px; -} -.p040width { -width:720px; -} -.p046width { -width:720px; -} -.p052width { -width:720px; -} -.p056width { -width:720px; -} -.p066width { -width:720px; -} -.p070width { -width:720px; -} -.p078width { -width:484px; -} -.p082width { -width:720px; -} -.p092width { -width:720px; -} -.p100width { -width:485px; -} -.p106width { -width:720px; -} -.p120width { -width:487px; -} -.p126width { -width:720px; -} -.p130width { -width:720px; -} -.p136width { -width:720px; -} -.p142width { -width:720px; -} -.p152width { -width:720px; -} -.p164width { -width:720px; -} -.p172width { -width:720px; -} -.p178width { -width:720px; -} -.p182width { -width:720px; -} -@media screen and (max-width: 600px) { -} -/* ]]> */ </style> -</head> -<body> - -<div style='text-align:center; font-size:1.2em; font-weight:bold'>The Project Gutenberg eBook of West African Folk-Tales, by William Henry Barker</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: West African Folk-Tales</p> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: William Henry Barker and Cecilia Sinclair</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: December 11, 2021 [eBook #66923]<br>Last Updated: July 10, 2023</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Character set encoding: UTF-8</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Produced by: Jeroen Hellingman and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net/ for Project Gutenberg (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)</div> - -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WEST AFRICAN FOLK-TALES ***</div> -<div class="front"> -<div class="div1 cover"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#toc">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divBody"> -<p class="first"></p> -<div class="figure cover-imagewidth"><img src="images/cover.jpg" alt="Original Front Cover." width="494" height="720"></div><p> -<span class="pageNum" id="pb1">[<a href="#pb1">1</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div class="div1 frenchtitle"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#toc">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divBody"> -<p class="first xd31e88">WEST AFRICAN<br> -<span class="xd31e92">FOLK-TALES</span> -<span class="pageNum" id="pb2">[<a href="#pb2">2</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="frontis" class="div1 frontispiece"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#toc">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divBody"> -<p class="first"></p> -<div class="figure frontispiecewidth"><img src="images/frontispiece.jpg" alt="NATIVE CHILDREN READY FOR A STORY" width="485" height="720"><p class="figureHead">NATIVE CHILDREN READY FOR A STORY</p> -</div><p> -<span class="pageNum" id="pb3">[<a href="#pb3">3</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div class="div1 titlepage"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#toc">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divBody"> -<p class="first"></p> -<div class="figure titlepage-imagewidth"><img src="images/titlepage.png" alt="Original Title Page." width="487" height="720"></div><p> -</p> -</div> -</div> -<div class="titlePage"> -<div class="docTitle"> -<div class="mainTitle">WEST AFRICAN -FOLK-TALES</div> -</div> -<div class="byline">COLLECTED AND ARRANGED BY -<br> -<span class="docAuthor">W. H. BARKER B.Sc.</span> -<br> -FORMERLY PRINCIPAL OF THE GOVERNMENT INSTITUTION ACCRA -<br> -AND -<br> -<span class="docAuthor">CECILIA SINCLAIR</span> -<br> -WITH FRONTISPIECE & TWENTY-THREE DRAWINGS BY -<br> -<span class="docAuthor">CECILIA SINCLAIR</span></div> -<div class="docImprint">LONDON<br> -GEORGE G. HARRAP & COMPANY<br> -2 & 3 PORTSMOUTH STREET KINGSWAY W.C.<br> -<span class="docDate">MCMXVII</span></div> -</div> -<p><span class="pageNum" id="pb4">[<a href="#pb4">4</a>]</span></p> -<div class="div1 imprint"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#toc">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divBody"> -<p class="first xd31e142">PRINTED AT<br> -THE COMPLETE PRESS, WEST NORWOOD<br> -LONDON, ENGLAND -<span class="pageNum" id="pb5">[<a href="#pb5">5</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="toc" class="div1 contents"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#toc">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main">CONTENTS</h2> -<table class="tocList"> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum" colspan="2">PAGE</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="3"><a href="#intro" id="xd31e158">INTRODUCTION</a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">11</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tocDivNum">I.</td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> <a href="#pt1">ANANSI, OR SPIDER, TALES</a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum"></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tocDivNum">I.</td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> <a href="#ch1" id="xd31e176">HOW WE GOT THE NAME ‘SPIDER TALES’</a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">29</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tocDivNum">II.</td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> <a href="#ch2" id="xd31e186">HOW WISDOM BECAME THE PROPERTY OF THE HUMAN RACE</a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">33</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tocDivNum">III.</td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> <a href="#ch3" id="xd31e196">ANANSI AND NOTHING</a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">35</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tocDivNum">IV.</td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> <a href="#ch4" id="xd31e206">THUNDER AND ANANSI</a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">39</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tocDivNum">V.</td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> <a href="#ch5" id="xd31e216">WHY THE LIZARD CONTINUALLY MOVES HIS HEAD UP AND DOWN</a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">45</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tocDivNum">VI.</td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> <a href="#ch6" id="xd31e226">TIT FOR TAT</a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">51</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tocDivNum">VII.</td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> <a href="#ch7" id="xd31e236">WHY WHITE ANTS ALWAYS HARM MAN’S PROPERTY</a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">55</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tocDivNum">VIII.</td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> <a href="#ch8" id="xd31e246">THE SQUIRREL AND THE SPIDER</a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">59</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tocDivNum">IX.</td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> <a href="#ch9" id="xd31e256">WHY WE SEE ANTS CARRYING BUNDLES AS BIG AS THEMSELVES</a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">63</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tocDivNum">X.</td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> <a href="#ch10" id="xd31e266">WHY SPIDERS ARE ALWAYS FOUND IN THE CORNERS OF CEILINGS</a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">69</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tocDivNum">XI.</td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> <a href="#ch11" id="xd31e276">ANANSI THE BLIND FISHERMAN</a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">73</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tocDivNum">XII.</td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> <a href="#ch12" id="xd31e287">ADZANUMEE AND HER MOTHER</a> -<span class="pageNum" id="pb6">[<a href="#pb6">6</a>]</span></td> -<td class="tocPageNum">77</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tocDivNum">XIII.</td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> <a href="#ch13" id="xd31e298">THE GRINDING-STONE THAT GROUND FLOUR BY ITSELF</a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">81</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tocDivNum">XIV.</td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> <a href="#ch14" id="xd31e308">“MORNING SUNRISE”</a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">85</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tocDivNum">XV.</td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> <a href="#ch15" id="xd31e318">WHY THE SEA-TURTLE WHEN CAUGHT BEATS ITS BREAST WITH ITS FORE-LEGS</a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">87</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tocDivNum">XVI.</td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> <a href="#ch16" id="xd31e328">HOW BEASTS AND SERPENTS FIRST CAME INTO THE WORLD</a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">89</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tocDivNum">XVII.</td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> <a href="#ch17" id="xd31e338">HONOURABLE MINŪ</a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">95</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tocDivNum">XVIII.</td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> <a href="#ch18" id="xd31e348">WHY THE MOON AND THE STARS RECEIVE THEIR LIGHT FROM THE SUN</a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">97</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum">II.</td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="3"> <a href="#pt2">MISCELLANEOUS TALES</a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum"></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tocDivNum">XIX.</td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> <a href="#ch19" id="xd31e367">OHIA AND THE THIEVING DEER</a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">105</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tocDivNum">XX.</td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> <a href="#ch20" id="xd31e377">HOW THE TORTOISE GOT ITS SHELL</a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">115</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tocDivNum">XXI.</td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> <a href="#ch21" id="xd31e387">THE HUNTER AND THE TORTOISE</a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">119</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tocDivNum">XXII.</td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> <a href="#ch22" id="xd31e397">THE TAIL OF THE PRINCESS ELEPHANT</a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">123</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tocDivNum">XXIII.</td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> <a href="#ch23" id="xd31e407">KWOFI AND THE GODS</a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">129</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tocDivNum">XXIV.</td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> <a href="#ch24" id="xd31e417">THE LION AND THE WOLF</a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">131</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tocDivNum">XXV.</td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> <a href="#ch25" id="xd31e427">MAKU MAWU AND MAKU FIA</a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">133</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tocDivNum">XXVI.</td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> <a href="#ch26" id="xd31e437">THE ROBBER AND THE OLD MAN</a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">139</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tocDivNum">XXVII.</td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> <a href="#ch27" id="xd31e447">THE LEOPARD AND THE RAM</a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">141</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tocDivNum">XXVIII.</td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> <a href="#ch28" id="xd31e457">WHY THE LEOPARD CAN ONLY CATCH PREY ON ITS LEFT SIDE</a> -<span class="pageNum" id="pb7">[<a href="#pb7">7</a>]</span></td> -<td class="tocPageNum">145</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tocDivNum">XXIX.</td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> <a href="#ch29" id="xd31e468">QUARCOO BAH-BONI</a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">147</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tocDivNum">XXX.</td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> <a href="#ch30" id="xd31e479">KING CHAMELEON AND THE ANIMALS</a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">155</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tocDivNum">XXXI.</td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> <a href="#ch31" id="xd31e489">TO LOSE AN ELEPHANT FOR THE SAKE OF A WREN IS A VERY FOOLISH THING TO DO</a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">159</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tocDivNum">XXXII.</td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> <a href="#ch32" id="xd31e499">THE UNGRATEFUL MAN</a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">163</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tocDivNum">XXXIII.</td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> <a href="#ch33" id="xd31e509">WHY TIGERS NEVER ATTACK MEN UNLESS THEY ARE PROVOKED</a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">167</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tocDivNum">XXXIV.</td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> <a href="#ch34" id="xd31e519">THE OMANHENE WHO LIKED RIDDLES</a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">171</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tocDivNum">XXXV.</td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> <a href="#ch35" id="xd31e529">HOW MUSHROOMS FIRST GREW</a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">177</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tocDivNum">XXXVI.</td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> <a href="#ch36" id="xd31e539">FARMER MYBROW AND THE FAIRIES</a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">181</td> -</tr> -</table> -<p><span class="pageNum" id="pb9">[<a href="#pb9">9</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div class="div1 contents"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#toc">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main">ILLUSTRATIONS</h2> -<table class="tocList"> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle"> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum" colspan="2">PAGE</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"> </td> -<td class="tocPageNum"></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"><a href="#frontis"><span class="sc">Native Children ready for a Story</span></a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum"><i>Frontispiece</i></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"><a href="#p030"><span class="sc">The Bees flying into the Jar</span></a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">30</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"><a href="#p034"><span class="sc">Again and again Anansi tried to climb the Tree</span></a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">34</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"><a href="#p040"><span class="sc">A great Wave dashed Anansi back on the Beach</span></a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">40</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"><a href="#p046"><span class="sc">The Princess picked up the Fruit</span></a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">46</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"><a href="#p052">“<span class="sc">May I give you a little of this meat?</span>”</a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">52</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"><a href="#p056"><span class="sc">Wolf and Leopard discover the Flesh of the Antelope</span></a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">56</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"><a href="#p066"><span class="sc">Mr Ant takes the Box from Anansi</span></a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">66</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"><a href="#p070"><span class="sc">Egya Anansi built himself a very comfortable Hut</span></a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">70</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"><a href="#p078"><span class="sc">The Bird calls to Adzanumee</span></a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">78</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"><a href="#p082"><span class="sc">The wonderful Grinding-stone</span></a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">82</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"><a href="#p092"><span class="sc">Anansi saw, rushing toward him, Beasts and Serpents of all Kinds</span></a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">92</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"><a href="#p100"><span class="sc">Kweku Tsin played on the wonderful Fiddle</span></a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">100</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"><a href="#p106"><span class="sc">Ohia cut down the Trees and prepared them</span></a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">106</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"><a href="#p120"><span class="sc">The Hunter and the Tortoise</span></a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">120</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"><a href="#p126"><span class="sc">The Princess changed into an Elephant</span></a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">126</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"><a href="#p130"><span class="sc">Each received a large Helping except Kwofi</span></a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">130</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"><a href="#p136"><span class="sc">Maku Mawu catches a Fish</span></a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">136</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"><a href="#p142"><span class="sc">Young Leopard sprang toward the Stem and tore it</span></a> -<span class="pageNum" id="pb10">[<a href="#pb10">10</a>]</span></td> -<td class="tocPageNum">142</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"><a href="#p152"><span class="sc">They scattered in all Directions</span></a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">152</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"><a href="#p164"><span class="sc">The Hunter and the Serpent</span></a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">164</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"><a href="#p172"><span class="sc">He threw half the Cake to the Vulture</span></a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">172</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"><a href="#p178"><span class="sc">How the Ants paid the Debt</span></a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">178</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="2"><a href="#p182"><span class="sc">Mybrow’s Wife plucked one of the Yams</span></a> </td> -<td class="tocPageNum">182</td> -</tr> -</table> -<p><span class="pageNum" id="pb11">[<a href="#pb11">11</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="intro" class="div1 introduction"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e158">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main">INTRODUCTION</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">In presenting to the public these stories based on the folk-lore of the Gold Coast -peoples, it seems necessary to say something in general terms of the economic and -social development of the colony in so far as that development is affecting the ‘lore’ -of the folk. -</p> -<p>Not until the civilization and industrialism of Europe began to penetrate into the -districts of the Guinea Coast was any great attempt made to study the folk-lore of -these peoples. It is obvious, therefore, that the student must find considerable admixture -from outside sources which the absence of a native system of writing and consequent -literature makes exceedingly difficult to detect. The difficulties increase with time, -for we are getting farther and farther from the genuine folk-lore. Each year, from -towns like Accra, Seccondee, and Cape Coast the tentacles of European civilization -are slowly extending in all directions. Railways and roads are creeping <span class="pageNum" id="pb12">[<a href="#pb12">12</a>]</span>out, old-fashioned crudity is giving way to simpler and more expeditious methods; -new industries, as rubber and cocoa, are being established.<a class="noteRef" id="xd31e759src" href="#xd31e759">1</a> All this must be borne in mind in studying the folk-lore as told by the native to-day. -What is happening is, unfortunately, not an awakening, but a transformation. The negro -is discarding his native cloth for a European suit of clothes. -</p> -<p>“On all sides it is reported that the demand for European provisions, luxuries, and -apparel is large and greatly increasing. The large imports of tinned provisions, flour, -etc., is in part due to the scarcity of native food-stuffs in certain districts, but -there is no doubt that the standard of living is changing and rising. -</p> -<p>“There is a general desire not only in the colony, but in Ashanti, for better roads, -better houses, cleaner villages, and the desire has been prompted by the example of -the great sanitary improvements in the larger towns.… -</p> -<p>“It can be observed that the people take a growing pride in the institutions and traditions -of their country, that the chiefs are realizing the duties and <span class="pageNum" id="pb13">[<a href="#pb13">13</a>]</span>influence of their position, and that public opinion, among the educated classes, -at any rate, is beginning to recognize that some advance on the ideals and standards -of the past must now be demanded.”<a class="noteRef" id="xd31e768src" href="#xd31e768">2</a> -</p> -<p>This, from the utilitarian and Imperial standpoints, is as it should be, but it tends -to be fatal to the mythology, the customs, and the traditions of such peoples as the -negroes of West Africa. For this change is not taking place only in the direction -of mere materialism. Christianity, entering the country through the ports, and Mohammedanism, -being carried by Haussas along the trade routes from the interior, are playing their -part in these psychological and sociological changes. The negro of yesterday differs -from the negro of to-day as he in turn will differ from the negro of to-morrow. In -view of all this metamorphosis it is much to be regretted that the geographical and -linguistical difficulties have made the task of the folk-lorist not only difficult -but wellnigh impossible. Much, of course, might be done if those whose duties carry -them into the various districts would take in hand the task. The collation of their -results might enable one to eradicate <span class="pageNum" id="pb14">[<a href="#pb14">14</a>]</span>outside and recent influences and in a measure get at “the back of the black man’s -mind.” -</p> -<p>The material in this book was collected in the following manner: The new educational -policy of the Government provided for a Training Institution for Teachers at Accra. -The first students to be admitted were men who had already had some considerable experience -in the schools of their districts. They were, therefore, sufficiently familiar with -the English language to express themselves clearly and fluently. At the same time -they were men who could remember the time when the new civilizing forces at present -at work were not nearly so pronounced. By obtaining from these students a variety -of versions of the same story it became possible to some extent to eradicate the superfluous -and the spurious. -</p> -<p>The selection of tales has been carefully made, and in the retelling and illustrating -of the story the object has been to give the reader an introduction to the thought -and customs of the West African negro. -</p> -<p>In order to produce the correct ‘atmosphere’ for the story, picture an evening scene -in a native village. <span class="pageNum" id="pb15">[<a href="#pb15">15</a>]</span>The sun is nearing the western horizon, seeming to fall like a huge ball behind the -distant hills, the air is cool, and a solemn stillness prevails. Even the noisy youths -and girls are quiet, and the time for tom-toms, crickets, bull-frogs, and the miscellaneous -instruments of man and Nature for the production of the most weird and inharmonious -of sounds is not yet. In the compound—the courtyard round which are the family dwellings—the -women with their <i>picin</i> (children) on their backs are busy with mortar and pestle making <i>foo-foo</i> (native food from maize). Squatting near the mud walls, naked to the waist, their -cloth forming but a covering for the loins, are a number of men smoking short clay -pipes and expectorating in a most insanitary manner—a perfect picture of idleness. -Naked youngsters stand open-mouthed listening to the conversation of their elders, -or amuse themselves at hide-and-seek, marbles, or some other native game. -</p> -<p>The short twilight of the tropics brings all occupations except talking to an end, -and of talking there seems to be no end. Here and there some one or other lies down, -covers himself entirely with his cloth, and is lost to the world. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb16">[<a href="#pb16">16</a>]</span></p> -<p>A lantern is brought out, and unconsciously and imperceptibly it becomes the centre -of dark forms, relieved now and again by rows of beautiful white teeth as the owners -indulge in a hearty laugh. At times conversation lags; some one drones a monotonous -tune, others smoke in quiet contemplation, while others again follow the example of -the dark human mounds scattered about the compound. -</p> -<p>Suddenly, “Comrades, listen to a story.” At once the men, women, and children press -round the speaker, an eager crowd, ready to hear or to tell the tales of their folk. -</p> -<p>“All right, let it come.” -</p> -<p>Thus commences another evening wherein the native recounts to his neighbour for the -hundredth time the stories handed down by tradition from the dim ‘before-time.’ The -native is a born <i>raconteur</i>, and his stories are not the outcome of his imagination, but folk-lore modified and -ornamented perhaps to suit the particular audience or particular circumstance. Some -of these modifications which have assumed a more or less permanent form are commented -on below. -</p> -<p>Throughout the Gold Coast Colony and Southern <span class="pageNum" id="pb17">[<a href="#pb17">17</a>]</span>Ashanti the stories as given by the various tribes are essentially the same. It may -be that further and more detailed investigation in the domain of folk-lore will help -to solve a very important ethnic problem, namely, whether the coast tribes are or -are not of the same stock as those of the hinterland. It is generally accepted at -present that “these people of the West Coast were for the most part the broken fragments -of races that have been driven to the sea by the stronger races of the interior.”<a class="noteRef" id="xd31e801src" href="#xd31e801">3</a> If this were so, then one would expect to find differences in the folk-lore of the -stronger and weaker races similar to those between the folk-lore of the Celts and -Anglo-Saxons. Actually, this does not appear to be so, though at present the data -is not sufficient to enable one to form a definite opinion. -</p> -<p>The following is from a recent work on the Gold Coast, and presents a slightly different -view from that in the quotation above: “The general sum of these traditions [regarding -the origin of the tribes] is that the Fantis, Ashantis, Wassaws, and in fact all the -Twi-[Tshi] speaking, or Akan, peoples, were originally one tribe. They were a pastoral -race and <span class="pageNum" id="pb18">[<a href="#pb18">18</a>]</span>inhabited the open country beyond the forest belt and farther north than Salaga. A -northern and lighter-skinned people, which is commonly supposed to have been the Fulanis, -commenced to encroach on their territory, and, being stronger than they, seized their -cattle and young women and made many of the others slaves.… The subdivision of the -united Akan race into its main branches, the Fantis and Ashantis, is variously accounted -for.… One story very plausibly explains that the constant raids of their northern -enemy, who burned all the farms, reduced the Akans to great straits for food. Some -of them subsisted on a wild plant named <i>fan</i> and others on a plant named <i>shan</i>, and thus gained the names <i>Fan-dti</i> and <i>Shan-dti</i> (<i>dti</i>, to eat).”<a class="noteRef" id="xd31e820src" href="#xd31e820">4</a> A possible alternative explanation is that the same stock occupies the coast and -the hinterland, and that differentiation has come about as the result of malaria affecting -that portion of the race inhabiting the region of the lagoon marshes along the coastal -plain. It has now been fairly well established that malaria can and does have a deleterious -effect on races, and <span class="pageNum" id="pb19">[<a href="#pb19">19</a>]</span>that even in the case of Greece and Rome the malarial factor must be taken into account -in discussing the causes which brought about their fall.<a class="noteRef" id="xd31e826src" href="#xd31e826">5</a> It may be that the marshes round Salonica and the swamps of the Campagna have their -counterpart in the long line of lagoon swamps that lie between the surf-wall and the -forest wall of ‘the Coast.’ Medical science alone, perhaps, will be able to solve -the problem, but folk-lore can and does render valuable assistance toward a solution. -A conquered people do not give up their ‘lore’ with the land, but carry their customs -and traditions with them to their new homes. -</p> -<p>There is one story which has a special interest in this connexion because, after being -carried by the negroes from Africa to the Southern States in the slave days, it became -the basis of a story which has served to amuse the children and adults of the whole -of the English-speaking peoples, namely, <i>The Wonderful Adventures of Old Brer Rabbit</i>. It is interesting to compare the tar-baby narrative with the manner in which Anansi -was caught in Story X. -</p> -<p>From the scanty material we have at present, it would seem that the folk-lores of -the coastal and <span class="pageNum" id="pb20">[<a href="#pb20">20</a>]</span>hinterland peoples are substantially the same, the differences being traceable in -many cases to the influence of the new environment. Thus, in the story where Anansi -seeks to hide the wisdom of the world (Story II), which he has collected in a pot, -among the coast peoples he finds a difficulty in climbing up the palm-tree, but among -the forest tribes his difficulty is to get over the trunk of a tree which has fallen -across the bush-path. Here the difference is due to environment and not to race. -</p> -<p>It is necessary to point out that similarity of story cannot by itself be taken as -indicative of similarity of race. Indeed, so common is it to find the same story told -by people of varying types and in every stage of progress that it has opened up a -problem of great importance. Have such stories originated from a common source? and, -if so, where may the common origin be found? Or are folk-stories like the material -productions of the races, <i>i.e.</i> do they follow a more or less common line of development?<a class="noteRef" id="xd31e843src" href="#xd31e843">6</a> What connexion can there be, for example, <span class="pageNum" id="pb21">[<a href="#pb21">21</a>]</span>between the negro of the Gold Coast and the Serb? Yet they have a story remarkably -similar. In the story of Ohia (Story XIX) the power of understanding the language -of animals was given him on condition that he should not disclose the secret to any -human being under pain of death. This knowledge often gave him occasion for laughter, -and at such times his wife, ignorant of the cause, became angered and suspicious. -She demanded to know the reason for such outbursts, and at last her importunity resulted -in the telling of the secret, and consequent death of the man. In the Serbian story<a class="noteRef" id="xd31e851src" href="#xd31e851">7</a> the <i>dénouement</i> is somewhat different, comedy taking the place of tragedy. The man when just about -to yield his life to satisfy the curiosity of his wife listens to the cock, who declares -that he can manage to keep his <i>hundred</i> wives in order by giving them a good peck when they need it. The man accordingly -leaves his coffin and brings his wife to reason and her knees by a well-administered -chastisement. How came these two peoples to have a story with so many features in -common? Is it possible <span class="pageNum" id="pb22">[<a href="#pb22">22</a>]</span>that the Turk and the Moor may have provided links? -</p> -<p>It may not be out of place here to mention the effect of the contact of the slave-trading -Europeans on the folk-lore of the Coast negroes. The grim white castles every few -miles along the whole of the Guinea Coast stand as stern reminders of the time when -the helpless coastal tribes were raided and men, women, and children sold into slavery. -But one who has conversed with the native of to-day cannot doubt that the greatest -effect of those terrible days is discernible in the native mentality itself. It has, -as one might expect, influenced more or less the folk-story. Here, for example, is -one type of influence: -</p> -<p>“When the Portuguese first landed, the natives betook themselves to the forest. When -the white man had put off again the natives crept cautiously back to the beach. To -their great surprise they found there a basin full of rum. One of them, by name Mbura, -tasted some, and finding that it was sweet, drank as much as he could and became intoxicated. -Others did the same, and when many of them were helpless the boatmen returned and -carried <span class="pageNum" id="pb23">[<a href="#pb23">23</a>]</span>them off. On account of the rum being tasted by Mbura, we call rum in Fantee <i>Mbura-nsa</i>—<i>i.e.</i> Mbura’s wine.”<a class="noteRef" id="xd31e874src" href="#xd31e874">8</a> -</p> -<p>Even more remarkable is the origin of the god Nyankupon, who figures largely in both -mythology and folk-lore. Many stories introduce Nyankupon, and yet he is no native -god at all. -</p> -<p>“After an intercourse of some years with Europeans, the Tshi-speaking inhabitants -of the towns and villages in the vicinity of the various forts added to their system -of polytheism a new deity whom they termed Nana-Nyankupon—sometimes called simply -Nyankupon. This was the god of the Christians, borrowed from them and adopted under -a new designation. The great superiority manifested by the whites in their weapons, -ships, manufactures—in short, in everything—convinced the natives with whom they had -intercourse that they must necessarily be protected by a deity of greater power than -any of those to which they themselves offered sacrifice, since their own deities had -not, except very remotely, helped them to attain any such prosperity. They therefore -gladly enrolled themselves amongst the <span class="pageNum" id="pb24">[<a href="#pb24">24</a>]</span>followers of the god of the whites, and being informed that he dwelt in the heavens -above, they denominated him Nana-Nyankupon, which may be freely translated ‘Lord of -the Sky.’ ”<a class="noteRef" id="xd31e883src" href="#xd31e883">9</a> -</p> -<p>The Gold Coast folk-stories are readily divisible into two groups, Anansi and non-Anansi -tales. <i>Anánsi</i> is the spider, and with him is generally associated his son, Kweku Tsin (Tsĩ). Why -so many <i>spider</i> stories? No satisfactory explanation can as yet be given. It cannot be due entirely -to the superabundance of spiders in native dwellings and surroundings, for other tribes -along the Coast seem to concentrate on other creatures, as the elephant and the tortoise. -Nor does there seem to be sufficient evidence to trace the origin to totemism. No -doubt many of the Anansi stories as told to-day are due to observation of the ways -and peculiar characteristics of the spider, and are an attempt to explain the why -and the wherefore. And generally it is decided that he is a wise, cunning, deceitful -creature who scampers off to hide in the ceiling because he has done something to -be ashamed of and has, unfortunately, been <span class="pageNum" id="pb25">[<a href="#pb25">25</a>]</span>found out. Here are two comments from folk-stories on Anansi: -</p> -<p>“The wisdom of the spider is greater than that of all the world together.” -</p> -<p>“Woe to one who would put his trust in Anansi—a sly, selfish, and greedy person.” -</p> -<p>The non-Anansi stories are generally of the ‘Just-so’ type—why the ears of the deer -are long, why the waist of the wasp is slim, etc. There is nothing in the wide realm -of botany, astronomy, or geography of a peculiar or striking character but an explanation -is forthcoming in the lore of the folk. There is, of course, the usual sprinkling -of magic tales, which bear a striking resemblance to many European <i lang="de">märchen</i>, or fairy-tales. -</p> -<p>In conclusion, an apology must be offered to the scientific folk-lorist. The stories -have been retold in order to appeal to a wider public, but it is hoped that ere long -the complete original material may be available for the student of folk-lore. -</p> -<p class="signed">W. H. B. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb27">[<a href="#pb27">27</a>]</span></p> -</div> -<div class="footnotes"> -<hr class="fnsep"> -<div class="footnote-body"> -<div class="fndiv" id="xd31e759"> -<p class="footnote"><span class="fnlabel"><a class="noteRef" href="#xd31e759src">1</a></span> The cocoa exported in 1891 realized £4; in 1914 £2,193,749. <a class="fnarrow" href="#xd31e759src" title="Return to note 1 in text.">↑</a></p> -</div> -<div class="fndiv" id="xd31e768"> -<p class="footnote"><span class="fnlabel"><a class="noteRef" href="#xd31e768src">2</a></span> <i>Colonial Report</i>, G.C., 1913. <a class="fnarrow" href="#xd31e768src" title="Return to note 2 in text.">↑</a></p> -</div> -<div class="fndiv" id="xd31e801"> -<p class="footnote"><span class="fnlabel"><a class="noteRef" href="#xd31e801src">3</a></span> <i>The Story of the Negro</i>, Booker T. Washington, vol. i, p. 57 <a class="fnarrow" href="#xd31e801src" title="Return to note 3 in text.">↑</a></p> -</div> -<div class="fndiv" id="xd31e820"> -<p class="footnote"><span class="fnlabel"><a class="noteRef" href="#xd31e820src">4</a></span> <i>A History of the Gold Coast and Ashanti</i>, W. W. Claridge, vol. i, pp. 4–5. <a class="fnarrow" href="#xd31e820src" title="Return to note 4 in text.">↑</a></p> -</div> -<div class="fndiv" id="xd31e826"> -<p class="footnote"><span class="fnlabel"><a class="noteRef" href="#xd31e826src">5</a></span> See <i>Malaria and Greek History</i>, by W. H. S. Jones. <a class="fnarrow" href="#xd31e826src" title="Return to note 5 in text.">↑</a></p> -</div> -<div class="fndiv" id="xd31e843"> -<p class="footnote"><span class="fnlabel"><a class="noteRef" href="#xd31e843src">6</a></span> <i>E.g.</i> ancient and modern primitive men in all parts of the earth seem to have shown a similar -development in flint, bronze, and iron weapons, and in the arts generally. See <i>Cinderella: Three Hundred and Forty-five Variants</i> (Folk Lore Society). <a class="fnarrow" href="#xd31e843src" title="Return to note 6 in text.">↑</a></p> -</div> -<div class="fndiv" id="xd31e851"> -<p class="footnote"><span class="fnlabel"><a class="noteRef" href="#xd31e851src">7</a></span> “Animals’ Language,” in <i><a class="pglink xd31e46" title="Link to Project Gutenberg ebook" href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/38571">Hero-Tales and Legends of the Serbians</a></i>, by Woislav M. Petrovitch. <a class="fnarrow" href="#xd31e851src" title="Return to note 7 in text.">↑</a></p> -</div> -<div class="fndiv" id="xd31e874"> -<p class="footnote"><span class="fnlabel"><a class="noteRef" href="#xd31e874src">8</a></span> From a story told by a native of the Gold Coast. <a class="fnarrow" href="#xd31e874src" title="Return to note 8 in text.">↑</a></p> -</div> -<div class="fndiv" id="xd31e883"> -<p class="footnote"><span class="fnlabel"><a class="noteRef" href="#xd31e883src">9</a></span> <i>Tshi-speaking Peoples of the Gold Coast of West Africa</i>, A. B. Ellis, p. 24. <a class="fnarrow" href="#xd31e883src" title="Return to note 9 in text.">↑</a></p> -</div> -</div> -</div> -</div> -</div> -<div class="body"> -<div id="pt1" class="div0 part"> -<h2 class="main"><span class="divNum">I.</span> ANANSI, OR SPIDER, TALES</h2> -<p><span class="pageNum" id="pb29">[<a href="#pb29">29</a>]</span></p> -<div id="ch1" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e176">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main"><span class="divNum">I.</span> HOW WE GOT THE NAME ‘SPIDER TALES’</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">In the olden days all the stories which men told were stories of Nyankupon, the chief -of the gods. Spider, who was very conceited, wanted the stories to be told about him. -</p> -<p>Accordingly, one day he went to Nyankupon and asked that, in future, all tales told -by men might be Anansi stories, instead of Nyankupon stories. Nyankupon agreed, on -one condition. He told Spider (or Anansi) that he must bring him three things: the -first was a jar full of live bees, the second was a boa-constrictor, and the third -a tiger. Spider gave his promise. -</p> -<p>He took an earthen vessel and set out for a place where he knew were numbers of bees. -When he came in sight of the bees he began saying to himself, “They will not be able -to fill this jar”—“Yes, they will be able”—“No, they will not be able,” until the -bees came up to him and said, “What are you <span class="pageNum" id="pb30">[<a href="#pb30">30</a>]</span>talking about, Mr Anansi?” He thereupon explained to them that Nyankupon and he had -had a great dispute. Nyankupon had said the bees could not fly into the jar—Anansi -had said they could. The bees immediately declared that of course they could fly into -the jar—which they at once did. As soon as they were safely inside, Anansi sealed -up the jar and sent it off to Nyankupon. -</p> -<div class="figure p030width" id="p030"><img src="images/p030.png" alt="THE BEES FLYING INTO THE JAR" width="720" height="490"><div class="figAnnotation p030width"><span class="figTop"> </span><span class="figBottomRight">30 </span></div> -<p class="figureHead">THE BEES FLYING INTO THE JAR</p> -</div><p> -</p> -<p>Next day he took a long stick and set out in search of a boa-constrictor. When he -arrived at the place where one lived he began speaking to himself again. “He will -just be as long as this stick”—“No, he will not be so long as this”—“Yes, he will -be as long as this.” These words he repeated several times, till the boa came out -and asked him what was the matter. “Oh, we have been having a dispute in Nyankupon’s -town about you. Nyankupon’s people say you are not as long as this stick. I say you -are. Please let me measure you by it.” The boa innocently laid himself out straight, -and Spider lost no time in tying him on to the stick from end to end. He then sent -him to Nyankupon. -</p> -<p>The third day he took a needle and thread and <span class="pageNum" id="pb31">[<a href="#pb31">31</a>]</span>sewed up his eye. He then set out for a den where he knew a tiger lived. As he approached -the place he began to shout and sing so loudly that the tiger came out to see what -was the matter. “Can you not see?” said Spider. “My eye is sewn up and now I can see -such wonderful things that I must sing about them.” “Sew up my eyes,” said the tiger, -“then I too can see these surprising sights.” Spider immediately did so. Having thus -made the tiger helpless, he led him straight to Nyankupon’s house. Nyankupon was amazed -at Spider’s cleverness in fulfilling the three conditions. He immediately gave him -permission for the future to call all the old tales Anansi tales. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb33">[<a href="#pb33">33</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch2" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e186">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main"><span class="divNum">II.</span> HOW WISDOM BECAME THE PROPERTY OF THE HUMAN RACE</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">There once lived, in Fanti-land, a man named Father Anansi. He possessed all the wisdom -in the world. People came to him daily for advice and help. -</p> -<p>One day the men of the country were unfortunate enough to offend Father Anansi, who -immediately resolved to punish them. After much thought he decided that the severest -penalty he could inflict would be to hide all his wisdom from them. He set to work -at once to gather again all that he had already given. When he had succeeded, as he -thought, in collecting it, he placed all in one great pot. This he carefully sealed, -and determined to put it in a spot where no human being could reach it. -</p> -<p>Now, Father Anansi had a son, whose name was Kweku Tsin. This boy began to suspect -his father of some secret design, so he made up his mind to watch carefully. Next -day he saw his father quietly <span class="pageNum" id="pb34">[<a href="#pb34">34</a>]</span>slip out of the house, with his precious pot hung round his neck. Kweku Tsin followed. -Father Anansi went through the forest till he had left the village far behind. Then, -selecting the highest and most inaccessible-looking tree, he began to climb. The heavy -pot, hanging in front of him, made his ascent almost impossible. Again and again he -tried to reach the top of the tree, where he intended to hang the pot. There, he thought, -Wisdom would indeed be beyond the reach of every one but himself. He was unable, however, -to carry out his desire. At each trial the pot swung in his way. -</p> -<div class="figure p034width" id="p034"><img src="images/p034.png" alt="AGAIN AND AGAIN ANANSI TRIED TO CLIMB THE TREE" width="484" height="720"><div class="figAnnotation p034width"><span class="figTop"> </span><span class="figBottomRight">34 </span></div> -<p class="figureHead">AGAIN AND AGAIN ANANSI TRIED TO CLIMB THE TREE</p> -</div><p> -</p> -<p>For some time Kweku Tsin watched his father’s vain attempts. At last, unable to contain -himself any longer, he cried out: “Father, why do you not hang the pot on your back? -Then you could easily climb the tree.” -</p> -<p>Father Anansi turned and said: “I thought I had all the world’s wisdom in this pot. -But I find you possess more than I do. All my wisdom was insufficient to show me what -to do, yet you have been able to tell me.” In his anger he threw the pot down. It -struck on a great rock and broke. The wisdom contained in it escaped and spread throughout -the world. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb35">[<a href="#pb35">35</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch3" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e196">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main"><span class="divNum">III.</span> ANANSI AND NOTHING</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">Near Anansi’s miserable little hut there was a fine palace where lived a very rich -man called Nothing. Nothing and Anansi proposed, one day, to go to the neighbouring -town to get some wives. Accordingly, they set off together. -</p> -<p>Nothing, being a rich man, wore a very fine velvet cloth, while Anansi had a ragged -cotton one. While they were on their way Anansi persuaded Nothing to change clothes -for a little while, promising to give back the fine velvet before they reached the -town. He delayed doing this, however, first on one pretext, then on another—till they -arrived at their destination. -</p> -<p>Anansi, being dressed in such a fine garment, found no difficulty in getting as many -wives as he wished. Poor Nothing, with his ragged and miserable cloth, was treated -with great contempt. At first he could not get even one wife. At last, however, a -woman took pity on him and gave him her daughter. The poor girl was laughed at very -heartily by Anansi’s <span class="pageNum" id="pb36">[<a href="#pb36">36</a>]</span>wives for choosing such a beggar as Nothing appeared to be. She wisely took no notice -of their scorn. -</p> -<p>The party set off for home. When they reached the cross-roads leading to their respective -houses the women were astonished. The road leading to Anansi’s house was only half -cleared. The one which led to Nothing’s palace was, of course, wide and well made. -Not only so, but his servants had strewn it with beautiful skins and carpets, in preparation -for his return. Servants were there, awaiting him, with fine clothes for himself and -his wife. No one was waiting for Anansi. -</p> -<p>Nothing’s wife was queen over the whole district and had everything her heart could -desire. Anansi’s wives could not even get proper food; they had to live on unripe -bananas with peppers. The wife of Nothing heard of her friends’ miserable state and -invited them to a great feast in her palace. They came, and were so pleased with all -they saw that they agreed to stay there. Accordingly, they refused to come back to -Anansi’s hut. -</p> -<p>He was very angry, and tried in many ways to kill Nothing, but without success. Finally, -however, he persuaded some rat friends to dig a deep tunnel <span class="pageNum" id="pb37">[<a href="#pb37">37</a>]</span>in front of Nothing’s door. When the hole was finished Anansi lined it with knives -and broken bottles. He then smeared the steps of the palace with <i>okro</i> to make them very slippery, and withdrew to a little distance. -</p> -<p>When he thought Nothing’s household was safely in bed and asleep, he called to Nothing -to come out to the courtyard and see something. Nothing’s wife, however, dissuaded -him from going. Anansi tried again and again, and each time she bade her husband not -to listen. At last Nothing determined to go and see this thing. As he placed his foot -on the first step, of course he slipped, and down he fell into the hole. The noise -alarmed the household. Lights were fetched and Nothing was found in the ditch, so -much wounded by the knives that he soon died. His wife was terribly grieved at his -untimely death. She boiled many yams, mashed them, and took a great dishful of them -round the district. To every child she met she gave some, so that the child might -help her to cry for her husband. This is why, if you find a child crying and ask the -cause, you will often be told he is “crying for nothing.” -<span class="pageNum" id="pb39">[<a href="#pb39">39</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch4" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e206">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main"><span class="divNum">IV.</span> THUNDER AND ANANSI</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">There had been a long and severe famine in the land where Anansi lived. He had been -quite unable to obtain food for his poor wife and family. One day, gazing desperately -out to sea, he saw, rising from the midst of the water, a tiny island with a tall -palm-tree upon it. He determined to reach this tree—if any means proved possible—and -climb it, in the hope of finding a few nuts to reward him. How to get there was the -difficulty. -</p> -<p>This, however, solved itself when he reached the beach, for there lay the means to -his hand, in the shape of an old broken boat. It certainly did not look very strong, -but Anansi decided to try it. -</p> -<p>His first six attempts were unsuccessful—a great wave dashed him back on the beach -each time he tried to put off. He was persevering, however, and at the seventh trial -was successful in getting away. He steered the battered old boat as best he could, -and at length reached the palm-tree of his desire. Having <span class="pageNum" id="pb40">[<a href="#pb40">40</a>]</span>tied the boat to the trunk of the tree—which grew almost straight out of the water—he -climbed toward the nuts. Plucking all he could reach, he dropped them, one by one, -down to the boat. To his dismay, every one missed the boat and fell, instead, into -the water until only the last one remained. This he aimed even more carefully than -the others, but it also fell into the water and disappeared from his hungry eyes. -He had not tasted even one and now all were gone. -</p> -<div class="figure p040width" id="p040"><img src="images/p040.png" alt="A GREAT WAVE DASHED ANANSI BACK ON THE BEACH" width="720" height="487"><div class="figAnnotation p040width"><span class="figTop"> </span><span class="figBottomRight">40 </span></div> -<p class="figureHead">A GREAT WAVE DASHED ANANSI BACK ON THE BEACH</p> -</div><p> -</p> -<p>He could not bear the thought of going home empty-handed, so, in his despair, he threw -himself into the water, too. To his complete astonishment, instead of being drowned, -he found himself standing on the sea-bottom in front of a pretty little cottage. From -the latter came an old man, who asked Anansi what he wanted so badly that he had come -to Thunder’s cottage to seek it. Anansi told his tale of woe, and Thunder showed himself -most sympathetic. -</p> -<p>He went into the cottage and fetched a fine cooking-pot, which he presented to Anansi—telling -him that he need never be hungry again. The pot would always supply enough food for -himself and <span class="pageNum" id="pb41">[<a href="#pb41">41</a>]</span>his family. Anansi was most grateful, and left Thunder with many thanks. -</p> -<p>Being anxious to test the pot at once, Anansi only waited till he was again seated -in the old boat to say, “Pot, pot, what you used to do for your master do now for -me.” Immediately good food of all sorts appeared. Anansi ate a hearty meal, which -he very much enjoyed. -</p> -<p>On reaching land again, his first thought was to run home and give all his family -a good meal from his wonderful pot. A selfish, greedy fear prevented him. “What if -I should use up all the magic of the pot on them, and have nothing more left for myself! -Better keep the pot a secret—then I can enjoy a meal when I want one.” So, his mind -full of this thought, he hid the pot. -</p> -<p>He reached home, pretending to be utterly worn out with fatigue and hunger. There -was not a grain of food to be had anywhere. His wife and poor children were weak with -want of it, but selfish Anansi took no notice of that. He congratulated himself at -the thought of his magic pot, now safely hidden in his room. There he retired from -time to time when he felt hungry, and enjoyed a good meal. His <span class="pageNum" id="pb42">[<a href="#pb42">42</a>]</span>family got thinner and thinner, but he grew plumper and plumper. They began to suspect -some secret, and determined to find it out. His eldest son, Kweku Tsin, had the power -of changing himself into any shape he chose; so he took the form of a tiny fly, and -accompanied his father everywhere. At last, Anansi, feeling hungry, entered his room -and closed the door. Next he took the pot, and had a fine meal. Having replaced the -pot in its hiding-place, he went out, on the pretence of looking for food. -</p> -<p>As soon as he was safely out of sight, Kweku Tsin fetched out the pot and called all -his hungry family to come at once. They had as good a meal as their father had had. -When they had finished, Mrs. Anansi—to punish her husband—said she would take the -pot down to the village and give everybody a meal. This she did—but alas! in working -to prepare so much food at one time, the pot grew too hot and melted away. What was -to be done now? Anansi would be so angry! His wife forbade every one to mention the -pot. -</p> -<p>Anansi returned, ready for his supper, and, as usual, went into his room, carefully -shutting the door. He went to the hiding-place—it was empty! <span class="pageNum" id="pb43">[<a href="#pb43">43</a>]</span>He looked around in consternation. No pot was to be seen anywhere. Some one must have -discovered it. His family must be the culprits; he would find a means to punish them. -</p> -<p>Saying nothing to any one about the matter, he waited till morning. As soon as it -was light he started off towards the shore, where the old boat lay. Getting into the -boat, it started of its own accord and glided swiftly over the water—straight for -the palm-tree. Arrived there, Anansi attached the boat as before and climbed the tree. -This time, unlike the last, the nuts almost fell into his hands. When he aimed them -at the boat they fell easily into it—not one, as before, dropping into the water. -He deliberately took them and threw them overboard, immediately jumping after them. -As before, he found himself in front of Thunder’s cottage, with Thunder waiting to -hear his tale. This he told, the old man showing the same sympathy as he had previously -done. -</p> -<p>This time, however, he presented Anansi with a fine stick and bade him good-bye. Anansi -could scarcely wait till he got into the boat—so anxious was he to try the magic properties -of his new gift. <span class="pageNum" id="pb44">[<a href="#pb44">44</a>]</span>“Stick, stick,” he said, “what you used to do for your master do for me also.” The -stick began to beat him so severely that, in a few minutes, he was obliged to jump -into the water and swim ashore, leaving boat and stick to drift away where they pleased. -Then he returned sorrowfully homeward, bemoaning his many bruises and wishing he had -acted more wisely from the beginning. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb45">[<a href="#pb45">45</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch5" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e216">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main"><span class="divNum">V.</span> WHY THE LIZARD CONTINUALLY MOVES HIS HEAD UP AND DOWN</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">In a town not very far from Anansi’s home lived a great king. This king had three -beautiful daughters, whose names were kept a secret from everybody except their own -family. One day their father made a proclamation that his three daughters would be -given as wives to any man who could find out their names. Anansi made up his mind -to do so. -</p> -<p>He first bought a large jar of honey, and set off for the bathing-place of the king’s -daughters. Arrived there, he climbed to the top of a tree on which grew some very -fine fruit. He picked some of this fruit and poured honey over it. When he saw the -princesses approaching he dropped the fruit on the ground and waited. The girls thought -the fruit dropped of its own accord, and one of them ran forward to pick it up. When -she tasted it, she called out to her sisters by name to exclaim on its <span class="pageNum" id="pb46">[<a href="#pb46">46</a>]</span>sweetness. Anansi dropped another, which the second princess picked up—she, in her -turn, calling out the names of the other two. In this fashion Anansi found out all -the names. -</p> -<div class="figure p046width" id="p046"><img src="images/p046.png" alt="THE PRINCESS PICKED UP THE FRUIT" width="720" height="486"><div class="figAnnotation p046width"><span class="figTop"> </span><span class="figBottomRight">46 </span></div> -<p class="figureHead">THE PRINCESS PICKED UP THE FRUIT</p> -</div><p> -</p> -<p>As soon as the princesses had gone Anansi came down from the tree and hurried into -the town. He went to all the great men and summoned them to a meeting at the King’s -palace on the morrow. -</p> -<p>He then visited his friend the Lizard, to get him to act as herald at the Court next -day. He told Lizard the three names, and the latter was to sound them through his -trumpet when the time came. -</p> -<p>Early next morning the King and his Court were assembled as usual. All the great men -of the town appeared, as Anansi had requested. Anansi stated his business, reminding -the King of his promise to give his three daughters to the man who had found out their -names. The King demanded to hear the latter, whereupon Lizard sounded them on his -trumpet. -</p> -<p>The King and courtiers were much surprised. His Majesty, however, could not break -the promise he had made of giving his daughters to the man who named them. He accordingly -gave them to Mr <span class="pageNum" id="pb47">[<a href="#pb47">47</a>]</span>Lizard. Anansi was very angry, and explained that he had told the names to Lizard, -so that he ought to get at least two of the girls, while Lizard could have the third. -The King refused. Anansi then begged hard for even one, but that was also refused. -He went home in a very bad temper, declaring that he would be revenged on Lizard for -stealing his wives away. -</p> -<p>He thought over the matter very carefully, but could not find a way of punishing Lizard. -At last, however, he had an idea. -</p> -<p>He went to the King and explained that he was setting off next morning on a long journey. -He wished to start very early, and so begged the King’s help. The King had a fine -cock, which always crowed at daybreak to waken the King if he wished to get up early. -Anansi begged that the King would command the cock to crow next morning, that Anansi -might be sure of getting off in time. This the King readily promised. -</p> -<p>As soon as night fell Anansi went by a back way to the cock’s sleeping-place, seized -the bird quickly, and killed it. He then carried it to Lizard’s house, where all were -in bed. There he quietly cooked <span class="pageNum" id="pb48">[<a href="#pb48">48</a>]</span>the cock, placed the feathers under Lizard’s bed, and put some of the flesh on a dish -close to Lizard’s hand. The wicked Anansi then took some boiling water and poured -it into poor Lizard’s mouth, thus making him dumb. -</p> -<p>When morning came, Anansi went to the King and reproached him for not letting the -cock crow. The King was much surprised to hear that it had not obeyed his commands. -</p> -<p>He sent one of his servants to find and bring the cock to him, but, of course, the -servant returned empty-handed. The King then ordered them to find the thief. No trace -of him could be found anywhere. Anansi then cunningly said to the King: “I know Lizard -is a rogue, because he stole my three wives from me. Perhaps he is the thief.” Accordingly, -the men went to search Lizard’s house. -</p> -<p>There, of course, they found the remnants of the cock, cooked ready to eat, and his -feathers under the bed. They questioned Lizard, but the poor animal was unable to -reply. He could only move his head up and down helplessly. They thought he was refusing -to speak, so dragged him before the King. To the King’s questions he could only return -the <span class="pageNum" id="pb49">[<a href="#pb49">49</a>]</span>same answer, and his Majesty got very angry. He did not know that Anansi had made -the poor animal dumb. Lizard tried very hard to speak, but in vain. -</p> -<p>He was accordingly judged guilty of theft, and as a punishment his wives were taken -away from him and given to Anansi. -</p> -<p>Since then lizards have always had a way of moving their heads helplessly backward -and forward, as if saying, “How can any one be so foolish as to trust Anansi?” -<span class="pageNum" id="pb51">[<a href="#pb51">51</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch6" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e226">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main"><span class="divNum">VI.</span> TIT FOR TAT</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">There had been a great famine in the land for many months. Meat had become so scarce -that only the rich chiefs had money enough to buy it. The poor people were starving. -Anansi and his family were in a miserable state. -</p> -<p>One day, Anansi’s eldest son—Kweku Tsin—to his great joy, discovered a place in the -forest where there were still many animals. Knowing his father’s wicked ways, Kweku -told him nothing of the matter. Anansi, however, speedily discovered that Kweku was -returning loaded, day after day, to the village. There he was able to sell the meat -at a good price to the hungry villagers. Anansi immediately wanted to know the secret—but -his son wisely refused to tell him. The old man determined to find out by a trick. -</p> -<p>Slipping into his son’s room one night, when he was fast asleep, he cut a tiny hole -in the corner of the bag which Kweku always carried into the forest. <span class="pageNum" id="pb52">[<a href="#pb52">52</a>]</span>Anansi then put a quantity of ashes into the bag and replaced it where he had found -it. -</p> -<div class="figure p052width" id="p052"><img src="images/p052.png" alt="“MAY I GIVE YOU A LITTLE OF THIS MEAT?”" width="720" height="483"><div class="figAnnotation p052width"><span class="figTop"> </span><span class="figBottomRight">52 </span></div> -<p class="figureHead">“MAY I GIVE YOU A LITTLE OF THIS MEAT?”</p> -</div><p> -</p> -<p>Next morning, as Kweku set out for the forest, he threw the bag, as usual, over his -shoulder. Unknown to him, at each step, the ashes were sprinkled on the ground. Consequently, -when Anansi set out an hour later he was easily able to follow his son by means of -the trail of ashes. He, too, arrived at the animals’ home in the forest, and found -Kweku there before him. He immediately drove his son away, saying that, by the law -of the land, the place belonged to him. Kweku saw how he had been tricked, and determined -to have the meat back. -</p> -<p>He accordingly went home—made a tiny image and hung little bells round its neck. He -then tied a long thread to its head and returned toward the hunting-place. -</p> -<p>When about half-way there, he hung the image to a branch of a tree in the path, and -hid himself in the bushes near by—holding the other end of the thread in his hand. -</p> -<p>The greedy father, in the meantime, had killed as many animals as he could find, being -determined to become rich as speedily as possible. He then skinned <span class="pageNum" id="pb53">[<a href="#pb53">53</a>]</span>them and prepared the flesh—to carry it to the neighbouring villages to sell. Taking -the first load, he set off for his own village. Half-way there, he came to the place -where the image hung in the way. Thinking this was one of the gods, he stopped. As -he approached, the image began to shake its head vigorously at him. He felt that this -meant that the gods were angry. To please them, he said to the image, “May I give -you a little of this meat?” Again the image shook its head. “May I give you half of -this meat?” he then inquired. The head shook once more. “Do you want the whole of -this meat?” he shouted fiercely. This time the head nodded, as if the image were well -pleased. “I will <i>not</i> give you all my meat,” Anansi cried. At this the image shook in every limb as if -in a terrible temper. Anansi was so frightened that he threw the whole load on the -ground and ran away. As he ran, he called back, “To-morrow I shall go to Ekubon—you -will not be able to take my meat from me there, you thief.” -</p> -<p>But Kweku had heard where his father intended to go next day—and set the image in -his path as before. Again Anansi was obliged to leave his <span class="pageNum" id="pb54">[<a href="#pb54">54</a>]</span>whole load—and again he called out the name of the place where he would go the following -day. -</p> -<p>The same thing occurred, day after day, till all the animals in the wood were killed. -By this time, Kweku Tsin had become very rich—but his father Anansi was still very -poor. He was obliged to go to Kweku’s house every day for food. -</p> -<p>When the famine was over, Kweku gave a great feast and invited the entire village. -While all were gathered together, Kweku told the story of his father’s cunning and -how it had been overcome. This caused great merriment among the villagers. Anansi -was so ashamed that he readily promised Kweku to refrain from his evil tricks for -the future. This promise, however, he did not long keep. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb55">[<a href="#pb55">55</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch7" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e236">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main"><span class="divNum">VII.</span> WHY WHITE ANTS ALWAYS HARM MAN’S PROPERTY</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">There came once such a terrible famine in the land that a grain of corn was worth -far more than its weight in gold. A hungry spider was wandering through the forest -looking for food. To his great joy he found a dead antelope. -</p> -<p>Knowing that he would not be allowed to reach home in safety with it, he wrapped it -up very carefully in a long mat and bound it securely. -</p> -<p>Placing it on his head, he started for home. As he went, he wept bitterly, telling -every one that this was his dead grandfather’s body. Every one he met sympathized -heartily with him. -</p> -<p>On his way he met the wolf and the leopard. These two wise animals suspected that -this was one of Spider’s tricks. They knew that he was not to be trusted. Walking -on a little way, they discussed what they could do to find out what was in the bundle. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb56">[<a href="#pb56">56</a>]</span></p> -<p>They agreed to take a short cut across the country to a tree which they knew Cousin -Spider must pass. When they reached this tree they hid themselves very carefully behind -it and waited for him. -</p> -<div class="figure p056width" id="p056"><img src="images/p056.png" alt="WOLF AND LEOPARD DISCOVER THE FLESH OF THE ANTELOPE" width="720" height="485"><div class="figAnnotation p056width"><span class="figTop"> </span><span class="figBottomRight">56</span></div> -<p class="figureHead">WOLF AND LEOPARD DISCOVER THE FLESH OF THE ANTELOPE</p> -</div><p> -</p> -<p>As he passed the place they shook the tree and uttered frightful noises. This so frightened -Mr Spider that he dropped his load and ran away. -</p> -<p>The two gentlemen opened the bundle and, to their great joy, discovered the flesh -of the antelope in it. They carried it off to their own home and began to prepare -supper. -</p> -<p>When Mr Spider recovered from his fear he began to wonder who could have been at the -tree to make the noises. He decided that his enemies must be Wolf and Leopard. He -made up his mind he would get his meat back from them. -</p> -<p>He took a small lizard and filed his teeth to fine, sharp points. He then sent him -to spy upon the wolf and leopard—by begging fire from them. He was to get the fire -and quench it as soon as he left their cottage. He could then return and ask a second -time. If they asked him questions, he must smile and show his teeth. -</p> -<p>The lizard did as he was told, and everything <span class="pageNum" id="pb57">[<a href="#pb57">57</a>]</span>turned out just as Spider had expected. Wolf and Leopard eagerly asked the lizard -where he had had his teeth filed so beautifully. He replied that “Filing Spider” had -done it for him. -</p> -<p>Wolf and Leopard discussed the matter and decided to have their teeth filed in the -same way. They could then easily break the bones of their food. -</p> -<p>Accordingly, they went to the house of the disguised spider and asked him to make -their teeth like Lizard’s. Spider agreed, but said that, to do it properly, he would -first have to hang them on a tree. They made no objection to this. -</p> -<p>When he had them safely hung, Spider and his family came and mocked them. Spider then -went to their cottage and brought away the body of the antelope. The whole village -was invited to the feast, which was held in front of the two poor animals on the tree. -During this festival every one made fun of the wolf and leopard. -</p> -<p>Next morning White Ant and his children passed the place on their way to some friends. -Mr Leopard begged them to set him and his friend free. White Ant and his family set -to work, destroyed the tree and set them at liberty. Leopard and Wolf promised <span class="pageNum" id="pb58">[<a href="#pb58">58</a>]</span>the ants that on their return they would spread a feast for them. -</p> -<p>Unfortunately, Spider heard the invitation and made up his mind to benefit by it. -On the third day (which was the very time set by the wolf and leopard) Spider dressed -up his children like the ants. They set out, singing the ants’ chorus, in order to -deceive Leopard. -</p> -<p>Wolf and Leopard welcomed them heartily and spread a splendid feast for them, which -the spiders thoroughly enjoyed. -</p> -<p>Soon after their departure the real ants arrived. The two hosts, thinking these must -be Spider and his family, poured boiling water over them and killed them all except -the father. -</p> -<p>White Ant, on reaching home again, in great anger, vowed that he would never again -help any one. He would take every opportunity to harm property. From that day to this -white ants have been a perfect pest to man. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb59">[<a href="#pb59">59</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch8" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e246">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main"><span class="divNum">VIII.</span> THE SQUIRREL AND THE SPIDER</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">A hard-working squirrel had, after much labour, succeeded in cultivating a very fine -farm. Being a skilful climber of trees, he had not troubled to make a roadway into -his farm. He used to reach it by the trees. -</p> -<p>One day, when his harvests were very nearly ripe, it happened that Spider went out -hunting in that neighbourhood. During his travels, he arrived at Squirrel’s farm. -Greatly pleased at the appearance of the fields, he sought for the roadway to it. -Finding none, he returned home and told his family all about the matter. The very -next day they all set out for this fine place, and set to work immediately to make -a road. When this was completed Spider—who was very cunning—threw pieces of earthenware -pot along the pathway. This he did to make believe that his children had dropped them -while working to prepare the farm. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb60">[<a href="#pb60">60</a>]</span></p> -<p>Then he and his family began to cut down and carry away such of the corn as was ripe. -Squirrel noticed that his fields were being robbed, but could not at first find the -thief. He determined to watch. Sure enough Spider soon reappeared to steal more of -the harvest. Squirrel demanded to know what right he had on these fields. Spider immediately -asked him the same question. “They are my fields,” said Squirrel. “Oh, no! They are -mine,” retorted Spider. “I dug them and sowed them and planted them,” said poor Squirrel. -“Then where is your roadway to them?” said crafty Spider. “I need no roadway. I come -by the trees,” was Squirrel’s reply. Needless to say, Spider laughed such an answer -to scorn, and continued to use the farm as his own. -</p> -<p>Squirrel appealed to the law, but the court decided that no one had ever had a farm -without a road leading to it, therefore the fields must be Spider’s. -</p> -<p>In great glee Spider and his family prepared to cut down all the harvest that remained. -When it was cut they tied it in great bundles and set off to the nearest market-place -to sell it. When they were about half-way there, a terrible storm came on. They were -<span class="pageNum" id="pb61">[<a href="#pb61">61</a>]</span>obliged to put down their burdens by the roadside and run for shelter. When the storm -had passed they returned to pick up their loads. -</p> -<p>As they approached the spot they found a great, black crow there, with his broad wings -outspread to keep the bundles dry. Spider went to him and very politely thanked him -for so kindly taking care of their property. “Your property!” replied Father Crow. -“Who ever heard of any one leaving bundles of corn by the roadside? Nonsense! These -loads are mine.” So saying, he picked them up and went off with them, leaving Spider -and his children to return home sorrowful and empty-handed. Their thieving ways had -brought them little profit. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb63">[<a href="#pb63">63</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch9" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e256">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main"><span class="divNum">IX.</span> WHY WE SEE ANTS CARRYING BUNDLES AS BIG AS THEMSELVES</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">Kweku Anansi and Kweku Tsin—his son—were both very clever farmers. Generally they -succeeded in getting fine harvests from each of their farms. One year, however, they -were very unfortunate. They had sown their seeds as usual, but no rain had fallen -for more than a month after and it looked as if the seeds would be unable to sprout. -</p> -<p>Kweku Tsin was walking sadly through his fields one day looking at the bare, dry ground, -and wondering what he and his family would do for food, if they were unable to get -any harvest. To his surprise he saw a tiny dwarf seated by the roadside. The little -hunchback asked the reason of his sadness, and Kweku Tsin told him. The dwarf promised -to help him by bringing rain on the farm. He bade Kweku fetch two small sticks and -tap him lightly on the hump, while he sang: -<span class="pageNum" id="pb64">[<a href="#pb64">64</a>]</span></p> -<div class="lgouter"> -<p class="line">“O water, go up, O water, go up, -</p> -<p class="line">And let rain fall, and let rain fall.”</p> -</div> -<p class="first">To Kweku’s great joy rain immediately began to fall, and continued till the ground -was thoroughly well soaked. In the days following the seeds germinated, and the crops -began to promise well. -</p> -<p>Anansi soon heard how well Kweku’s crops were growing—whilst his own were still bare -and hard. He went straightway to his son and demanded to know the reason. Kweku Tsin, -being an honest fellow, at once told him what had happened. -</p> -<p>Anansi quickly made up his mind to get his farm watered in the same way, and accordingly -set out toward it. As he went, he cut two big, strong sticks, thinking, “My son made -the dwarf work with little sticks. I will make him do twice as much with my big ones.” -He carefully hid the big sticks, however, when he saw the dwarf coming toward him. -As before, the hunchback asked what the trouble was, and Anansi told him. “Take two -small sticks, and beat me lightly on the hump,” said the dwarf. “I will get rain for -you.” -</p> -<p>But Anansi took his big sticks and beat so hard <span class="pageNum" id="pb65">[<a href="#pb65">65</a>]</span>that the dwarf fell down dead. The greedy fellow was now thoroughly frightened, for -he knew that the dwarf was jester to the King of the country, and a very great favourite -of his. He wondered how he could fix the blame on some one else. He picked up the -dwarf’s dead body and carried it to a kola-tree. There he laid it on one of the top -branches and sat down under the tree to watch. -</p> -<p>By and by Kweku Tsin came along to see if his father had succeeded in getting rain -for his crops. “Did you not see the dwarf, father?” he asked, as he saw the old man -sitting alone. “Oh, yes!” replied Anansi; “but he has climbed this tree to pick kola. -I am now waiting for him.” “I will go up and fetch him,” said the young man—and immediately -began to climb. As soon as his head touched the body the latter, of course, fell to -the ground. “Oh! what have you done, you wicked fellow?” cried his father. “You have -killed the King’s jester!” “That is all right,” quietly replied the son (who saw that -this was one of Anansi’s tricks). “The King is very angry with him, and has promised -a bag of money to any one who would kill him. I will now go and get the reward.” “No! -No! <span class="pageNum" id="pb66">[<a href="#pb66">66</a>]</span>No!” shouted Anansi. “The reward is mine. I killed him with two big sticks. <i>I</i> will take him to the King.” “Very well!” was the son’s reply. “As you killed him, -you may take him.” -</p> -<div class="figure p066width" id="p066"><img src="images/p066.png" alt="MR ANT TAKES THE BOX FROM ANANSI" width="720" height="487"><div class="figAnnotation p066width"><span class="figTop"> </span><span class="figBottomRight">66 </span></div> -<p class="figureHead">MR ANT TAKES THE BOX FROM ANANSI</p> -</div><p> -</p> -<p>Off set Anansi, quite pleased with the prospect of getting a reward. He reached the -King’s court, only to find the King very angry at the death of his favourite. The -body of the jester was shut up in a great box and Anansi was condemned—as a punishment—to -carry it on his head for ever. The King enchanted the box so that it could never be -set down on the ground. The only way in which Anansi could ever get rid of it was -by getting some other man to put it on his head. This, of course, no one was willing -to do. -</p> -<p>At last, one day, when Anansi was almost worn out with his heavy burden, he met the -Ant. “Will you hold this box for me while I go to market and buy some things I need -badly?” said Anansi to Mr Ant. “I know your tricks, Anansi,” replied Ant. “You want -to be rid of it.” “Oh, no, indeed, Mr Ant,” protested Anansi. “Indeed I will come -back for it, I promise.” -</p> -<p>Mr Ant, who was an honest fellow, and always kept <span class="pageNum" id="pb67">[<a href="#pb67">67</a>]</span>his own promises, believed him. He took the box on his head, and Anansi hurried off. -Needless to say, the sly fellow had not the least intention of keeping his word. Mr -Ant waited in vain for his return—and was obliged to wander all the rest of his life -with the box on his head. That is the reason we so often see ants carrying great bundles -as they hurry along. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb69">[<a href="#pb69">69</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch10" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e266">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main"><span class="divNum">X.</span> WHY SPIDERS ARE ALWAYS FOUND IN THE CORNERS OF CEILINGS</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">Egya Anansi was a very skilful farmer. He, with his wife and son, set to work one -year to prepare a farm, much larger than any they had previously worked. They planted -in it yams, maize, and beans—and were rewarded by a very rich crop. Their harvest -was quite ten times greater than any they had ever had before. Egya Anansi was very -well pleased when he saw his wealth of corn and beans. -</p> -<p>He was, however, an exceedingly selfish and greedy man, who never liked to share anything—even -with his own wife and son. When he saw that the crops were quite ripe, he thought -of a plan whereby he alone would profit by them. He called his wife and son to him -and spoke thus: “We have all three worked exceedingly hard to prepare these fields. -They have well repaid us. We will now gather in the harvest and pack it away in our -barns. When that is <span class="pageNum" id="pb70">[<a href="#pb70">70</a>]</span>done, we shall be in need of a rest. I propose that you and our son should go back -to our home in the village and remain there at your ease for two or three weeks. I -have to go to the coast on very urgent business. When I return we will all come to -the farm and enjoy our well-earned feast.” -</p> -<div class="figure p070width" id="p070"><img src="images/p070.png" alt="EGYA ANANSI BUILT HIMSELF A VERY COMFORTABLE HUT" width="720" height="486"><div class="figAnnotation p070width"><span class="figTop"> </span><span class="figBottomRight">70 </span></div> -<p class="figureHead">EGYA ANANSI BUILT HIMSELF A VERY COMFORTABLE HUT</p> -</div><p> -</p> -<p>Anansi’s wife and son thought this a very good, sensible plan, and at once agreed -to it. They went straight back to their village, leaving the cunning husband to start -on his journey. Needless to say he had not the slightest intention of so doing. -</p> -<p>Instead, he built himself a very comfortable hut near the farm—supplied it with all -manner of cooking utensils, gathered in a large store of the corn and vegetables from -the barn, and prepared for a solitary feast. This went on for a fortnight. By that -time Anansi’s son began to think it was time for him to go and weed the farm, lest -the weeds should grow too high. He accordingly went there and worked several hours -on it. While passing the barn, he happened to look in. Great was his surprise to see -that more than half of their magnificent harvest had gone. He was greatly disturbed, -thinking robbers had been at <span class="pageNum" id="pb71">[<a href="#pb71">71</a>]</span>work, and wondered how he could prevent further mischief. -</p> -<p>Returning to the village, he told the people there what had happened, and they helped -to make a rubber-man. When evening came they carried the sticky figure to the farm, -and placed it in the midst of the fields, to frighten away the thieves. Some of the -young men remained with Anansi’s son to watch in one of the barns. -</p> -<p>When all was dark, Egya Anansi (quite unaware of what had happened) came, as usual, -out of his hiding-place to fetch more food. On his way to the barn he saw in front -of him the figure of a man, and at first felt very frightened. Finding that the man -did not move, however, he gained confidence and went up to him. “What do you want -here?” said he. There was no answer. He repeated his question with the same result. -Anansi then became very angry and dealt the figure a blow on the cheek with his right -hand. Of course, his hand stuck fast to the rubber. “How dare you hold my hand?” he -exclaimed. “Let me go at once or I shall hit you again.” He then hit the figure with -his left hand, which also stuck. He tried to disengage himself by pushing <span class="pageNum" id="pb72">[<a href="#pb72">72</a>]</span>against it with his knees and body, until, finally, knees, body, hands, and head were -all firmly attached to the rubber-man. There Egya Anansi had to stay till daybreak, -when his son came out with the other villagers to catch the robber. They were astonished -to find that the evil-doer was Anansi himself. He, on the other hand, was so ashamed -to be caught in the act of greediness that he changed into a spider and took refuge -in a dark corner of the ceiling lest any one should see him. Since then spiders have -always been found in dark, dusty corners, where people are not likely to notice them. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb73">[<a href="#pb73">73</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch11" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e276">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main"><span class="divNum">XI.</span> ANANSI THE BLIND FISHERMAN</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">Anansi, in his old age, became a fisherman. Very soon after that his sight began to -fail. Finally, he grew quite blind. However, still being very strong, he continued -his fishing—with the help of two men. The latter were exceedingly kind to him, and -aided him in every possible way. They led him, each morning, to the beach and into -the canoe. They told him where to spread his net and when to pull it in. When they -returned to land they told him just where and when to step out, so that he did not -even get wet. -</p> -<p>Day after day this went on, but Anansi—instead of being in the least grateful to them—behaved -very badly. When they told him where to spread his net, he would reply sharply, “I -know. I was just about to put it there.” When they were directing him to get out of -the boat, he would say, “Oh, I know perfectly well we are at the beach. I was just -getting ready to step out.” -<span class="pageNum" id="pb74">[<a href="#pb74">74</a>]</span></p> -<p>This went on for a long time, Anansi getting ruder and ruder to his helpers every -day, until they could bear his treatment no longer. They determined when opportunity -offered to punish him for his ingratitude. -</p> -<p>The next day, as usual, he came with them to the beach. When they had got the canoe -ready, they bade him step in. “Do you think I am a fool?” said he. “I know the canoe -is there.” They made no answer, but got in and patiently pulled toward the fishing-place. -When they told him where to spread his net, he replied with so much abuse that they -determined, there and then, to punish him. -</p> -<p>By this time the canoe was full of fish, so they turned to row home. When they had -gone a little way they stopped and said to him, “Here we are at the beach.” He promptly -told them that they were very foolish—to tell him a thing he knew so well. He added -many rude and insulting remarks, which made them thoroughly angry. He then jumped -proudly out, expecting to land on the beach. To his great astonishment he found himself -sinking in deep water. The two men rowed quickly away, leaving him to struggle. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb75">[<a href="#pb75">75</a>]</span></p> -<p>Like all the men of that country he was a good swimmer, but, of course, being blind, -he was unable to see where the land lay. So he swam until he was completely tired -out—and was drowned. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb77">[<a href="#pb77">77</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch12" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e287">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main"><span class="divNum">XII.</span> ADZANUMEE AND HER MOTHER</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">There once lived a woman who had one great desire. She longed to have a daughter—but -alas! she was childless. She could never feel happy, because of this unfulfilled wish. -Even in the midst of a feast the thought would be in her mind—“Ah! if only I had a -daughter to share this with me.” -</p> -<p>One day she was gathering yams in the field, and it chanced that she pulled out one -which was very straight and well shaped. “Ah!” she thought to herself, “if only this -fine yam were a daughter, how happy I should be.” To her astonishment the yam answered, -“If I were to become your daughter, would you promise never to reproach me with having -been a yam?” She eagerly gave her promise, and at once the yam changed into a beautiful, -well-made girl. The woman was overjoyed and was very kind to the girl. She named her -Adzanumee. The latter was exceedingly useful to her mother. She <span class="pageNum" id="pb78">[<a href="#pb78">78</a>]</span>would make the bread, gather the yams, and sell them at the market-place. -</p> -<div class="figure p078width" id="p078"><img src="images/p078.png" alt="THE BIRD CALLS TO ADZANUMEE" width="484" height="720"><div class="figAnnotation p078width"><span class="figTop"> </span><span class="figBottomRight">78 </span></div> -<p class="figureHead">THE BIRD CALLS TO ADZANUMEE</p> -</div><p> -</p> -<p>She had been detained, one day, longer than usual. Her mother became impatient at -her non-appearance and angrily said, “Where can Adzanumee be? She does not deserve -that beautiful name. She is only a yam.” -</p> -<p>A bird singing near by heard the mother’s words and immediately flew off to the tree -under which Adzanumee sat. There he began to sing: -</p> -<div class="lgouter"> -<p class="line">“Adzanumee! Adzanumee! -</p> -<p class="line">Your mother is unkind—she says you are only a yam, -</p> -<p class="line">You do not deserve your name! -</p> -<p class="line">Adzanumee! Adzanumee!”</p> -</div> -<p class="first">The girl heard him and returned home weeping. When the woman saw her she said, “My -daughter, my daughter! What is the matter?” Adzanumee replied: -</p> -<div class="lgouter"> -<p class="line">“Oh, my mother! my mother! -</p> -<p class="line">You have reproached me with being a yam. -</p> -<p class="line">You said I did not deserve my name. -</p> -<p class="line">Oh, my mother! my mother!”</p> -</div> -<p class="first">With these words she made her way toward the yam-field. Her mother, filled with fear, -followed her, wailing: -<span class="pageNum" id="pb79">[<a href="#pb79">79</a>]</span></p> -<div class="lgouter"> -<p class="line">“Nay, Adzanumee! Adzanumee! -</p> -<p class="line">Do not believe it—do not believe it. -</p> -<p class="line">You are my daughter, my dear daughter -</p> -<p class="line">Adzanumee!”</p> -</div> -<p class="first">But she was too late. Her daughter, still singing her sad little song, quickly changed -back into a yam. When the woman arrived at the field there lay the yam on the ground, -and nothing she could do or say would give her back the daughter she had desired so -earnestly and treated so inconsiderately. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb81">[<a href="#pb81">81</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch13" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e298">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main"><span class="divNum">XIII.</span> THE GRINDING-STONE THAT GROUND FLOUR BY ITSELF</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">There had been another great famine throughout the land. The villagers looked thin -and pale for lack of food. Only one family appeared healthy and well. This was the -household of Anansi’s cousin. -</p> -<p>Anansi was unable to understand this, and felt sure his cousin was getting food in -some way. The greedy fellow determined to find out the secret. -</p> -<p>What had happened was this: Spider’s cousin, while hunting one morning, had discovered -a wonderful stone. The stone lay on the grass in the forest and ground flour of its -own accord. Near by ran a stream of honey. Kofi was delighted. He sat down and had -a good meal. Not being a greedy man, he took away with him only enough for his family’s -needs. -</p> -<p>Each morning he returned to the stone and got sufficient food for that day. In this -manner he and his family kept well and plump, while the <span class="pageNum" id="pb82">[<a href="#pb82">82</a>]</span>surrounding villagers were starved and miserable-looking. -</p> -<div class="figure p082width" id="p082"><img src="images/p082.png" alt="THE WONDERFUL GRINDING STONE" width="720" height="485"><div class="figAnnotation p082width"><span class="figTop"> </span><span class="figBottomRight">82 </span></div> -<p class="figureHead">THE WONDERFUL GRINDING STONE</p> -</div><p> -</p> -<p>Anansi gave him no peace till he promised to show him the stone. This he was most -unwilling to do—knowing his cousin’s wicked ways. He felt sure that when Anansi saw -the stone he would not be content to take only what he needed. However, Anansi troubled -him so much with questions that at last he promised. He told Anansi that they would -start next morning, as soon as the women set about their work. Anansi was too impatient -to wait. In the middle of the night he bade his children get up and make a noise with -the pots as if they were the women at work. Spider at once ran and wakened his cousin, -saying, “Quick! It is time to start.” His cousin, however, saw he had been tricked, -and went back to bed again, saying he would not start till the women were sweeping. -No sooner was he asleep again than Spider made his children take brooms and begin -to sweep very noisily. He roused Kofi once more, saying, “It is time we had started.” -Once more his cousin refused to set off—saying it was only another trick of Spider’s. -He again returned to bed and to sleep. This time Spider slipped into his <span class="pageNum" id="pb83">[<a href="#pb83">83</a>]</span>cousin’s room and cut a hole in the bottom of his bag, which he then filled with ashes. -After that he went off and left Kofi in peace. -</p> -<p>When morning came the cousin awoke. Seeing no sign of Spider he very gladly set off -alone to the forest, thinking he had got rid of the tiresome fellow. He was no sooner -seated by the stone, however, than Anansi appeared, having followed him by the trail -of ashes. -</p> -<p>“Aha!” cried he. “Here is plenty of food for all. No more need to starve.” “Hush,” -said his cousin. “You must not shout here. The place is too wonderful. Sit down quietly -and eat.” -</p> -<p>They had a good meal and Kofi prepared to return home with enough for his family. -“No, no!” cried Anansi. “I am going to take the stone.” In vain did his friend try -to overcome his greed. Anansi insisted on putting the stone on his head, and setting -out for the village. -</p> -<div class="lgouter"> -<p class="line">“Spider, spider, put me down,” said the stone. -</p> -<p class="line">“The pig came and drank and went away, -</p> -<p class="line">The antelope came and fed and went away: -</p> -<p class="line">Spider, spider, put me down.”</p> -</div> -<p class="first">Spider, however, refused to listen. He carried the <span class="pageNum" id="pb84">[<a href="#pb84">84</a>]</span>stone from village to village selling flour, until his bag was full of money. He then -set out for home. -</p> -<p>Having reached his hut and feeling very tired he prepared to put the stone down. But -the stone refused to be moved from his head. It stuck fast there, and no efforts could -displace it. The weight of it very soon grew too much for Anansi, and ground him down -into small pieces, which were completely covered over by the stone. That is why we -often find tiny spiders gathered together under large stones. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb85">[<a href="#pb85">85</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch14" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e308">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main"><span class="divNum">XIV.</span> “MORNING SUNRISE”</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">A man in one of the villages had a very beautiful daughter. She was so lovely that -people called her “Morning Sunrise.” Every young man who saw her wanted to marry her. -Three, in particular, were very anxious to have her for their wife. Her father found -it difficult to decide among them. He determined to find out by a trick which of the -three was most worthy of her. -</p> -<p>He bade her lie down on her bed as if she were dead. He then sent the report of her -death to each of the three lovers, asking them to come and help him with her funeral. -</p> -<p>The messenger came first to “Wise Man.” When he heard the message, he exclaimed, “What -can this man mean? The girl is not my wife. I certainly will not pay any money for -her funeral.” -</p> -<p>The messenger came next to the second man. His name was “Wit.” The latter at once -said, “Oh dear, no! I shall not pay any money for her funeral <span class="pageNum" id="pb86">[<a href="#pb86">86</a>]</span>expenses. Her father did not even let me know she was ill.” So he refused to go. -</p> -<p>“Thinker,” the third young man—when he received the message—at once got ready to start. -“Certainly I must go and mourn for Morning Sunrise,” said he. “Had she lived, surely -she would have been my wife.” So he took money with him and set out for her home. -</p> -<p>When he reached it her father called out, “Morning Sunrise, Morning Sunrise. Come -here. This is your true husband.” -</p> -<p>That very day the betrothal took place, and soon after the wedding followed. “Thinker” -and his beautiful wife lived very happily together. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb87">[<a href="#pb87">87</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch15" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e318">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main"><span class="divNum">XV.</span> WHY THE SEA-TURTLE WHEN CAUGHT BEATS ITS BREAST WITH ITS FORE-LEGS</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">Many centuries ago, the people of this earth were much troubled by floods. The sea -used at times to overflow its usual boundaries and sweep across the low, sandy stretches -of land which bordered it. Time and again this happened, many lives being lost at -each flood. Mankind was very troubled to find an escape from this oft-repeated disaster. -He could think of no way of avoiding it. -</p> -<p>Fortunately for him the wise turtle came to his help. “Take my advice,” said she, -“and plant rows of palms along the sea-coast. They will bind the sand together and -keep it from being washed so easily away.” He did so, with great success. The roots -of the palms kept the sand firmly in its place. When the time came again for the sea -to overflow, it washed just to the line of trees and came no farther. <span class="pageNum" id="pb88">[<a href="#pb88">88</a>]</span>Thus many lives were saved annually by the kind forethought of the turtle. -</p> -<p>In return—one would think—mankind would protect and cherish this poor animal. But -no! Each time a turtle comes to the seashore to lay her eggs among the sand, she is -caught and killed for the sake of her flesh. It is the thought of the ingratitude -of mankind to her, which makes her beat her breast with her fore-legs when she is -caught. She seems to be saying, “Ah! this is all the return I get for my kindness -to you.” -<span class="pageNum" id="pb89">[<a href="#pb89">89</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch16" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e328">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main"><span class="divNum">XVI.</span> HOW BEASTS AND SERPENTS FIRST CAME INTO THE WORLD</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">The famine had lasted nearly three years. Kweku Tsin, being very hungry, looked daily -in the forest in the hope of finding food. One day he was fortunate enough to discover -three palm-kernels lying on the ground. He picked up two stones with which to crack -them. The first nut, however, slipped when he hit it, and fell into a hole behind -him. The same thing happened to the second and to the third. Very much annoyed at -his loss, Kweku determined to go down the hole to see if he could find his lost nuts. -</p> -<p>To his surprise, however, he discovered that this hole was really the entrance to -a town, of which he had never before even heard. When he reached it he found absolute -silence everywhere. He called out, “Is there nobody in this town?” and presently heard -a voice in answer. He went in its direction and found an old woman sitting in one -of the houses. <span class="pageNum" id="pb90">[<a href="#pb90">90</a>]</span>She demanded the reason of his appearance—which he readily gave. -</p> -<p>The old woman was very kind and sympathetic, and promised to help him. “You must do -exactly as I tell you,” said she. “Go into the garden and listen attentively. You -will hear the yams speak. Pass by any yam that says, ‘Dig me out, dig me out!’ But -take the one that says, ‘Do not dig me out!’ Then bring it to me.” -</p> -<p>When he brought it, she directed him to remove the peel from the yam and throw the -latter away. He was then to boil the rind, and, while boiling, it would become yam. -It did actually do so, and they sat down to eat some of it. Before beginning their -meal the old woman requested Kweku not to look at her while she ate. Being very polite -and obedient, he did exactly as he was told. -</p> -<p>In the evening the old woman sent him into the garden to choose one of the drums which -stood there. She warned him: “If you come to a drum which says ‘Ding-ding’ on being -touched—take it. But be very careful not to take one which sounds ‘Dong-dong.’ ” He -obeyed her direction in every detail. When he showed her the drum, she looked pleased -<span class="pageNum" id="pb91">[<a href="#pb91">91</a>]</span>and told him, to his great delight, that he had only to beat it if at any time he -were hungry. That would bring him food in plenty. He thanked the old woman very heartily -and went home. -</p> -<p>As soon as he reached his own hut, he gathered his household together, and then beat -the drum. Immediately, food of every description appeared before them, and they all -ate as much as they wished. -</p> -<p>The following day Kweku Tsin gathered all the people of the village together in the -Assembly Place, and then beat the drum once more. In this way every family got sufficient -food for their wants, and all thanked Kweku very much for thus providing for them. -</p> -<p>Kweku’s father, however, was not at all pleased to see his son thus able to feed the -whole village. Anansi thought he, too, ought to have a drum. Then the people would -be grateful to him instead of to Kweku Tsin. Accordingly, he asked the young man where -the wonderful drum had come from. His son was most unwilling to tell him, but Anansi -gave him no peace until he had heard the whole story. He then wasted no time, but -set off at once toward the entrance hole. He had taken the <span class="pageNum" id="pb92">[<a href="#pb92">92</a>]</span>precaution to carry with him an old nut which he pretended to crack. Then throwing -it into the hole, he jumped in after it and hurried along to the silent village. Arrived -at the first house, he shouted, “Is there no one in this town?” The old woman answered -as before, and Anansi entered her house. -</p> -<div class="figure p092width" id="p092"><img src="images/p092.png" alt="ANANSI SAW, RUSHING TOWARD HIM, BEASTS AND SERPENTS OF ALL KINDS" width="720" height="488"><div class="figAnnotation p092width"><span class="figTop"> </span><span class="figBottomRight">92 </span></div> -<p class="figureHead">ANANSI SAW, RUSHING TOWARD HIM, BEASTS AND SERPENTS OF ALL KINDS</p> -</div><p> -</p> -<p>He did not trouble to be polite to her, but addressed her most rudely, saying, “Hurry -up, old woman, and get me something to eat.” The woman quietly directed him to go -into the garden and choose the yam which should say, “Do not dig me out.” Anansi laughed -in her face and said, “You surely take me for a fool. If the yam does not want me -to dig it out I will certainly not do so. I will take the one which wants to be gathered.” -This he did. -</p> -<p>When he brought it to the old woman she told him, as she told his son, to throw away -the inside and boil the rind. Again he refused to obey. “Who ever heard of such a -silly thing as throwing away the yam? I will do nothing of the sort. I will throw -away the peel and boil the inside.<span class="corr" id="xd31e1364" title="Not in source">”</span> He did so, and the yam turned into stones. He was then obliged to do as she first -suggested, and boil the rind. The latter while boiling turned into yam. Anansi turned -angrily to <span class="pageNum" id="pb93">[<a href="#pb93">93</a>]</span>the old woman and said, “You are a witch.” She took no notice of his remark, but went -on setting the table. She placed his dinner on a small table, lower than her own, -saying, “You must not look at me while I eat.” He rudely replied, “Indeed, I will -look at you if I choose. And I will have my dinner at your table, not at that small -one.” Again she said nothing—but she left her dinner untouched. Anansi ate his own, -then took hers and ate it also. -</p> -<p>When he had finished she said, “Now go into the garden and choose a drum. Do not take -one which sounds ‘Dong-dong’; only take one which says ‘Ding-ding.’ ” Anansi retorted, -“Do you think I will take your advice, you witch? No, I will choose the drum which -says ‘Dong-dong.’ You are just trying to play a trick on me.” -</p> -<p>He did as he wished. Having secured the drum he marched off without so much as a “Thank -you” to the old woman. -</p> -<p>No sooner had he reached home, than he longed to show off his new power to the villagers. -He called all to the Assembly Place, telling them to bring dishes and trays, as he -was going to provide them with food. The people in great delight hurried to the <span class="pageNum" id="pb94">[<a href="#pb94">94</a>]</span>spot. Anansi, proudly taking his position in the midst of them, began to beat his -drum. To his horror and dismay, instead of the multitude of food-stuffs which Kweku -had summoned, Anansi saw, rushing toward him, beasts and serpents of all kinds. Such -creatures had never been seen on the earth before. -</p> -<p>The people fled in every direction—all except Anansi, who was too terrified to move. -He speedily received fitting punishment for his disobedience. Fortunately, Kweku, -with his mother and sisters, had been at the outer edge of the crowd, so easily escaped -into shelter. The animals presently scattered in every direction, and ever since they -have roamed wild in the great forests. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb95">[<a href="#pb95">95</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch17" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e338">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main"><span class="divNum">XVII.</span> HONOURABLE MINŪ</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">It happened one day that a poor Akim-man had to travel from his own little village -to Accra—one of the big towns on the coast. This man could only speak the language -of his own village—which was not understood by the men of the town. As he approached -Accra he met a great herd of cows. He was surprised at the number of them, and wondered -to whom they could belong. Seeing a man with them he asked him, “To whom do these -cows belong?” The man did not know the language of the Akim-man, so he replied, “Minū” -(I do not understand). The traveller, however, thought that Minū was the name of the -owner of the cows and exclaimed, “Mr Minū must be very rich.” -</p> -<p>He then entered the town. Very soon he saw a fine large building, and wondered to -whom it might belong. The man he asked could not understand his question so he also -answered, “Minū.” “Dear me! <span class="pageNum" id="pb96">[<a href="#pb96">96</a>]</span>What a rich fellow Mr Minū must be!” cried the Akim-man. -</p> -<p>Coming to a still finer building with beautiful gardens round it, he again asked the -owner’s name. Again came the answer, “Minū.” “How wealthy Mr Minū is,” said our wondering -traveller. -</p> -<p>Next he came to the beach. There he saw a magnificent steamer being loaded in the -harbour. He was surprised at the great cargo which was being put on board and inquired -of a bystander, “To whom does this fine vessel belong?” “Minū,” replied the man. “To -the Honourable Minū also! He is the richest man I ever heard of!” cried the Akim-man. -</p> -<p>Having finished his business, the Akim-man set out for home. As he passed down one -of the streets of the town he met men carrying a coffin, and followed by a long procession, -all dressed in black. He asked the name of the dead person, and received the usual -reply, “Minū.” “Poor Mr Minū!” cried the Akim-man. “So he has had to leave all his -wealth and beautiful houses and die just as a poor person would do! Well, well—in -future I will be content with my tiny house and little money.” And the Akim-man went -home quite pleased to his own hut. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb97">[<a href="#pb97">97</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch18" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e348">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main"><span class="divNum">XVIII.</span> WHY THE MOON AND THE STARS RECEIVE THEIR LIGHT FROM THE SUN</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">Once upon a time there was great scarcity of food in the land. Father Anansi and his -son, Kweku Tsin, being very hungry, set out one morning to hunt in the forest. In -a short time Kweku Tsin was fortunate enough to kill a fine deer—which he carried -to his father at their resting-place. Anansi was very glad to see such a supply of -food, and requested his son to remain there on guard, while he went for a large basket -in which to carry it home. An hour or so passed without his return, and Kweku Tsin -became anxious. Fearing lest his father had lost his way, he called out loudly, “Father, -father!” to guide him to the spot. To his joy he heard a voice reply, “Yes, my son,” -and immediately he shouted again, thinking it was Anansi. Instead of the latter, however, -a terrible dragon appeared. This monster breathed fire from his great nostrils, <span class="pageNum" id="pb98">[<a href="#pb98">98</a>]</span>and was altogether a dreadful sight to behold. Kweku Tsin was terrified at his approach -and speedily hid himself in a cave near by. -</p> -<p>The dragon arrived at the resting-place, and was much annoyed to find only the deer’s -body. He vented his anger in blows upon the latter and went away. Soon after, Father -Anansi made his appearance. He was greatly interested in his son’s tale, and wished -to see the dragon for himself. He soon had his desire, for the monster, smelling human -flesh, hastily returned to the spot and seized them both. They were carried off by -him to his castle, where they found many other unfortunate creatures also awaiting -their fate. All were left in charge of the dragon’s servant—a fine, white cock—which -always crowed to summon his master, if anything unusual happened in the latter’s absence. -The dragon then went off in search of more prey. -</p> -<p>Kweku Tsin now summoned all his fellow-prisoners together, to arrange a way of escape. -All feared to run away—because of the wonderful powers of the monster. His eyesight -was so keen that he could detect a fly moving miles away. Not only that, but he could -move over the ground so <span class="pageNum" id="pb99">[<a href="#pb99">99</a>]</span>swiftly that none could outdistance him. Kweku Tsin, however, being exceedingly clever, -soon thought of a plan. -</p> -<p>Knowing that the white cock would not crow as long as he had grains of rice to pick -up, Kweku scattered on the ground the contents of forty bags of grain—which were stored -in the great hall. While the cock was thus busily engaged, Kweku Tsin ordered the -spinners to spin fine hempen ropes, to make a strong rope ladder. One end of this -he intended to throw up to heaven, trusting that the gods would catch it and hold -it fast, while he and his fellow-prisoners mounted. -</p> -<p>While the ladder was being made, the men killed and ate all the cattle they needed—reserving -all the bones for Kweku Tsin at his express desire. When all was ready the young man -gathered the bones into a great sack. He also procured the dragon’s fiddle and placed -it by his side. -</p> -<p>Everything was now ready. Kweku Tsin threw one end of the ladder up to the sky. It -was caught and held. The dragon’s victims began to mount, one after the other, Kweku -remaining at the bottom. -</p> -<p>By this time, however, the monster’s powerful eyesight <span class="pageNum" id="pb100">[<a href="#pb100">100</a>]</span>showed him that something unusual was happening at his abode. He hastened his return. -On seeing his approach, Kweku Tsin also mounted the ladder—with the bag of bones on -his back, and the fiddle under his arm. The dragon began to climb after him. Each -time the monster came too near the young man threw him a bone, with which, being very -hungry, he was obliged to descend to the ground to eat. -</p> -<div class="figure p100width" id="p100"><img src="images/p100.png" alt="KWEKU TSIN PLAYED ON THE WONDERFUL FIDDLE" width="485" height="720"><div class="figAnnotation p100width"><span class="figTop"> </span><span class="figBottomRight">100 </span></div> -<p class="figureHead">KWEKU TSIN PLAYED ON THE WONDERFUL FIDDLE</p> -</div><p> -</p> -<p>Kweku Tsin repeated this performance till all the bones were gone, by which time the -people were safely up in the heavens. Then he mounted himself, as rapidly as possible, -stopping every now and then to play a tune on the wonderful fiddle. Each time he did -this, the dragon had to return to earth, to dance—as he could not resist the magic -music. When Kweku was quite close to the top, the dragon had very nearly reached him -again. The brave youth bent down and cut the ladder away below his own feet. The dragon -was dashed to the ground—but Kweku was pulled up into safety by the gods. -</p> -<p>The latter were so pleased with his wisdom and bravery in giving freedom to his fellow-men, -that <span class="pageNum" id="pb101">[<a href="#pb101">101</a>]</span>they made him the sun—the source of all light and heat to the world. His father, Anansi, -became the moon, and his friends the stars. Thereafter, it was Kweku Tsin’s privilege -to supply all these with light, each being dull and powerless without him. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb103">[<a href="#pb103">103</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -</div> -<div id="pt2" class="div0 part"> -<h2 class="main"><span class="divNum">II.</span> MISCELLANEOUS TALES</h2> -<p><span class="pageNum" id="pb105">[<a href="#pb105">105</a>]</span></p> -<div id="ch19" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e367">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main"><span class="divNum">XIX.</span> OHIA AND THE THIEVING DEER</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">There once lived upon the earth a poor man called Ohia, whose wife was named Awirehu. -This unfortunate couple had suffered one trouble after another. No matter what they -took in hand misfortune seemed to lie in wait for them. Nothing they did met with -success. They became so poor that at last they could scarcely obtain a cloth with -which to cover themselves. -</p> -<p>Finally, Ohia thought of a plan which many of his neighbours had tried and found successful. -He went to a wealthy farmer who lived near, and offered to hew down several of his -palm-trees. He would then collect their sap to make palm wine. When this should be -ready for the market, his wife would carry it there and sell it. The proceeds would -then be divided equally between the farmer, Ohia, and Awirehu. -</p> -<p>This proposal having been laid before the farmer, he proved quite willing to agree -to it. Not only so, <span class="pageNum" id="pb106">[<a href="#pb106">106</a>]</span>but he granted Ohia a supply of earthen pots in which to collect the sap, as the miserable -man was far too poor to buy any. -</p> -<div class="figure p106width" id="p106"><img src="images/p106.png" alt="OHIA CUT DOWN THE TREES AND PREPARED THEM" width="720" height="487"><div class="figAnnotation p106width"><span class="figTop"> </span><span class="figBottomRight">106 </span></div> -<p class="figureHead">OHIA CUT DOWN THE TREES AND PREPARED THEM</p> -</div><p> -</p> -<p>In great delight Ohia and his wife set to work. They cut down the trees and prepared -them—setting the pots underneath to catch the sap. Before cock-crow on market-day, -Ohia set off, with a lighted torch, to collect the wine and prepare it for his wife -to take into the town. She was almost ready to follow. -</p> -<p>To his great distress, on arriving at the first tree, instead of finding his earthen -pot filled with the sweet sap, he saw it lying in pieces on the ground—the wine all -gone. He went on to the second and third trees—but there, and at all the others, too, -the same thing had happened. -</p> -<p>His wife, in high spirits and ready for market, joined him at this moment. She saw -at once by his face that some misfortune had again befallen them. Sorrowfully, they -examined the mischief, and agreed that some wicked person had stolen the wine and -then broken the pots to hide the theft. Awirehu returned home in despair, but Ohia -set to work once more. He fetched a second supply of pots and placed them all ready -to catch the sap. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb107">[<a href="#pb107">107</a>]</span></p> -<p>On his return next morning, he found that the same behaviour had been repeated. All -his wine was again stolen and his pots in fragments. He had no resource but to go -to the farmer and tell him of these fresh misfortunes. The farmer proved to be very -kind and generous and gave orders that Ohia might have as many pots as he should require. -</p> -<p>Once more the poor fellow returned to the palm-trees, and set his pots ready. This -third attempt, however, met with no better result than the two previous. Ohia went -home in despair. His wife was of the opinion that they should give up trying to overcome -their evil fortunes. It was quite evident that they could never attain success. The -husband, however, determined that, at least, he would find and punish the culprit, -if that were possible. -</p> -<p>Accordingly, he bravely set his pots in order for the last time. When night came, -he remained on guard among the trees. Midnight passed and nothing happened, but toward -two o’clock in the morning a dark form glided past him to the nearest palm-tree. A -moment after he heard the sound of a breaking pot. He stole up to the form. On approaching -it he found that the thief was a bush-deer, carrying on its head a <span class="pageNum" id="pb108">[<a href="#pb108">108</a>]</span>large jar, into which it was pouring the wine from Ohia’s pots. As it emptied them -it threw them carelessly on the ground, breaking them in pieces. -</p> -<p>Ohia ventured a little nearer, intending to seize the culprit. The latter, however, -was too quick for him and escaped, dropping his great pot on the ground as he ran. -The deer was very fleet, but Ohia had fully determined to catch him—so followed. The -chase continued over many miles until mid-day arrived, at which time they had reached -the bottom of a high hill. The deer immediately began to climb, and Ohia—though almost -tired out—still followed. Finally, the summit of the hill was reached, and there Ohia -found himself in the midst of a great gathering of quadrupeds. The deer, panting, -threw himself on the ground before King Tiger.<a class="noteRef" id="xd31e1460src" href="#xd31e1460">1</a> His Majesty commanded that Ohia should be brought before him to be punished for this -intrusion into such a serious meeting. -</p> -<p>Ohia begged for a hearing before they condemned him. He wished to explain fully his -presence there. King Tiger, after consulting with some of the other animals, agreed -to listen to his tale. Thereupon <span class="pageNum" id="pb109">[<a href="#pb109">109</a>]</span>Ohia began the story of his unfortunate life. He told how one trial after another -had failed, and how, finally, he had thought of the palm wine. He described his feelings -on discovering the first theft—after all his labour. He related his second, third, -and fourth attempts, with the result of each. He then went on to tell of his chase -after the thief, and thus explained his presence at their conference. -</p> -<p>The quadrupeds listened very attentively to the recital of Ohia’s troubles. At the -conclusion they unanimously agreed that the deer was the culprit and the man blameless. -The former was accordingly sentenced to punishment, while the latter received an apology -in the name of the entire conference. King Tiger, it appeared, had each morning given -Deer a large sum of money wherewith to purchase palm wine for the whole assembly. -The deer had stolen the wine and kept the money. -</p> -<p>To make up to Ohia for his losses, King Tiger offered him, as a gift, the power of -understanding the conversation of all animals. This, said he, would speedily make -Ohia a rich man. But he attached one condition to the gift. Ohia must never—on pain -of instant death—tell any one about his wonderful power. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb110">[<a href="#pb110">110</a>]</span></p> -<p>The poor man, much delighted, set off for home. When it was reached, he lost no time -in setting to work at his palm-trees again. From that day his troubles seemed over. -His wine was never interfered with and he and Awirehu became more and more prosperous -and happy. -</p> -<p>One morning, while he was bathing in a pool quite close to his house, he heard a hen -and her chickens talking together in his garden. He listened, and distinctly heard -a chicken tell Mother Hen about three jars of gold buried in Ohia’s garden. The hen -bade the chicken be careful, lest her master should see her scraping near the gold, -and so discover it. -</p> -<p>Ohia pretended to take no notice of what they were saying, and went away. Presently, -when Mother Hen and her brood had gone, he came back and commenced digging in that -part of the garden. To his great joy, he soon found three large jars of gold. They -contained enough money to keep him in comfort all his life. He was careful, however, -not to mention his treasure to any one but his wife. He hid it safely inside his house. -</p> -<p>Soon he and Awirehu had become one of the <span class="pageNum" id="pb111">[<a href="#pb111">111</a>]</span>richest couples in the neighbourhood, and owned quite a large amount of property. -Ohia thought he could afford now to keep a second wife, so he married again. Unfortunately, -the new wife did not at all resemble Awirehu. The latter had always been a good, kind, -honest woman. The new wife was of a very jealous and selfish disposition. In addition -to this she was lame, and continually imagined that people were making fun of her -defect. She took the idea into her head that Ohia and Awirehu—when together—were in -the habit of laughing at her. Nothing was further from their thoughts, but she refused -to believe so. Whenever she saw them together she would stand and listen outside the -door to hear what they were saying. Of course, she never succeeded in hearing anything -about herself. -</p> -<p>At last, one evening, Ohia and Awirehu had gone to bed. The latter was fast asleep -when Ohia heard a conversation which amused him very much. A couple of mice in one -corner of the room were arranging to go to the larder to get some food, as soon as -their master—who was watching them—was asleep. Ohia, thinking this was a good joke, -laughed outright. <span class="pageNum" id="pb112">[<a href="#pb112">112</a>]</span>His lame wife heard him, and rushed into the room. She thereupon accused him of making -fun of her again to Awirehu. The astonished husband, of course, denied this, but to -no purpose. The jealous woman insisted that, if he were laughing at an innocent joke, -he would at once tell it to her. This Ohia could not do, without breaking his promise -to King Tiger. His refusal fully confirmed the lame woman’s suspicions and she did -not rest till she had laid the whole matter before the chief. He, being an intimate -friend of Ohia, tried to persuade him to reveal the joke and set the matter at rest. -Ohia naturally was most unwilling to do anything of the sort. The persistent woman -gave the chief no peace till he summoned her husband to answer her charge before the -assembly. -</p> -<p>Finding no way of escape from the difficulty, Ohia prepared for death. He first called -all his friends and relatives to a great feast, and bade them farewell. Then he put -his affairs in order—bequeathed all his gold to the faithful Awirehu, and his property -to his son and servants. When he had finished, he went to the Assembly Place where -the people of the neighbourhood were gathered together. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb113">[<a href="#pb113">113</a>]</span></p> -<p>He first took leave of the chief, and then commenced his tale. He related the story -of his many misfortunes—of his adventure with the deer, and of his promise to King -Tiger. Finally, he explained the cause of his laughter which had annoyed his wife. -In so speaking he fell dead, as the Tiger had warned him. -</p> -<p>He was buried amid great mourning, for every one had liked and respected him. The -jealous woman who had caused her husband’s death was seized and burnt as a witch. -Her ashes were then scattered to the four winds of heaven, and it is owing to this -unfortunate fact that jealousy and selfishness are so widespread through the world, -where before they scarcely existed. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb115">[<a href="#pb115">115</a>]</span></p> -</div> -<div class="footnotes"> -<hr class="fnsep"> -<div class="footnote-body"> -<div class="fndiv" id="xd31e1460"> -<p class="footnote"><span class="fnlabel"><a class="noteRef" href="#xd31e1460src">1</a></span> ‘Tiger’ in West African stories is a leopard. <a class="fnarrow" href="#xd31e1460src" title="Return to note 1 in text.">↑</a></p> -</div> -</div> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch20" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e377">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main"><span class="divNum">XX.</span> HOW THE TORTOISE GOT ITS SHELL</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">A few hundred years ago, the chief Mauri (God) determined to have a splendid yam festival. -He therefore sent his messengers to invite all his chiefs and people to the gathering, -which was to take place on Fida (Friday). -</p> -<p>On the morning of that day he sent some of his servants to the neighbouring towns -and villages to buy goats, sheep, and cows for the great feast. Mr Klo (the tortoise), -who was a tall and handsome fellow, was sent to buy palm wine. He was directed to -the palm-fields of Koklovi (the chicken). -</p> -<p>At that time Klo was a very powerful traveller and speedily reached his destination, -although it was many miles distant from Mauri’s palace. -</p> -<p>When he arrived Koklovi was taking his breakfast. When they had exchanged polite salutations -Koklovi asked the reason of Klo’s visit. He replied, “I was sent by His Majesty Mauri, -the ruler of the world, <span class="pageNum" id="pb116">[<a href="#pb116">116</a>]</span>to buy him palm wine.” “Whether he’s ruler of the world or not,” answered Koklovi, -“no one can buy my wine with money. If you want it you must fight for it. If you win -you can have it all and the palm-trees too.” -</p> -<p>This answer delighted Klo as he was a very strong fighter. Koklovi was the same, so -that the fighting continued for several hours before Klo was able to overcome Koklovi. -He was at last successful, however, and securely bound Koklovi before he left him. -</p> -<p>Then, taking his great pot, he filled it with wine. Finding that there was more wine -than the pot would hold, Klo foolishly drank all the rest. He then piled the palm-trees -on his back and set out for the palace with the pot of wine. The amount which he had -drunk, however, made him feel so sleepy and tired that he could not walk fast with -his load. Added to this, a terrible rain began to fall, which made the ground very -slippery and still more difficult to travel over. -</p> -<p>By the time Klo succeeded in reaching his master’s palace the gates were shut and -locked. Mauri, finding it so late, had concluded that every one was inside. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb117">[<a href="#pb117">117</a>]</span></p> -<p>There were many people packed into the great hall, and all were singing and dancing. -The noise of the concert was so great that no one heard Klo’s knocking at the gate, -and there he had to stay with his great load of wine and palm-trees. -</p> -<p>The rain continued for nearly two months and was so terrible that the people all remained -in the palace till it had finished. By that time Klo had died, under the weight of -his load—which he had been unable to get off his back. There he lay, before the gate, -with the pile of palm-trees on top of him. -</p> -<p>When the rain ceased and the gates were opened the people were amazed to see this -great mound in front of the gate, where before there had been nothing. They fetched -spades and began to shovel it away. -</p> -<p>When they came to the bottom of the pile there lay Klo. His earthenware pot and the -dust had caked together and formed quite a hard cover on his back. -</p> -<p>He was taken into the palace—and by the use of many wonderful medicines he was restored -to life. But since that date he has never been able to stand upright. He has been -a creeping creature, with a great shell on his back. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb119">[<a href="#pb119">119</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch21" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e387">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main"><span class="divNum">XXI.</span> THE HUNTER AND THE TORTOISE</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">A village hunter had one day gone farther afield than usual. Coming to a part of the -forest with which he was unacquainted, he was astonished to hear a voice singing. -He listened; this was the song: -</p> -<div class="lgouter"> -<p class="line">“It is man who forces himself on things, -</p> -<p class="line">Not things which force themselves on him<span class="corr" id="xd31e1525" title="Not in source">.</span>”</p> -</div> -<p class="first">The singing was accompanied by sweet music—which entirely charmed the hunter’s heart. -</p> -<p>When the little song was finished, the hunter peeped through the branches to see who -the singer could be. Imagine his amazement when he found it was none other than a -tortoise, with a tiny harp slung in front of her. Never had he seen such a marvellous -thing. -</p> -<p>Time after time he returned to the same place in order to listen to this wonderful -creature. At last he persuaded her to let him carry her back to his hut, that he might -enjoy her singing daily in comfort. <span class="pageNum" id="pb120">[<a href="#pb120">120</a>]</span>This she permitted, only on the understanding that she sang to him alone. -</p> -<div class="figure p120width" id="p120"><img src="images/p120.png" alt="THE HUNTER AND THE TORTOISE" width="487" height="720"><div class="figAnnotation p120width"><span class="figTop"> </span><span class="figBottomRight">120 </span></div> -<p class="figureHead">THE HUNTER AND THE TORTOISE</p> -</div><p> -</p> -<p>The hunter did not rest long content with this arrangement, however. Soon he began -to wish that he could show off this wonderful tortoise to all the world, and thereby -thought he would gain great honour. He told the secret, first to one, then to another, -until finally it reached the ears of the chief himself. The hunter was commanded to -come and tell his tale before the Assembly. When, however, he described the tortoise -who sang and played on the harp, the people shouted in scorn. They refused to believe -him. -</p> -<p>At last he said, “If I do not speak truth, I give you leave to kill me. To-morrow -I will bring the tortoise to this place and you may all hear her. If she cannot do -as I say, I am willing to die.” “Good,” replied the people, “and if the tortoise can -do as you say, we give you leave to punish us in any way you choose.” -</p> -<p>The matter being then settled, the hunter returned home, well pleased with the prospect. -As soon as the morrow dawned, he carried tortoise and harp down to the Assembly Place—where -a table had been <span class="pageNum" id="pb121">[<a href="#pb121">121</a>]</span>placed ready for her. Every one gathered round to listen. But no song came. The people -were very patient, and quite willing to give both tortoise and hunter a chance. Hours -went by, and, to the hunter’s dismay and shame, the tortoise remained mute. He tried -every means in his power to coax her to sing, but in vain. The people at first whispered, -then spoke outright, in scorn of the boaster and his claims. -</p> -<p>Night came on and brought with it the hunter’s doom. As the last ray of the setting -sun faded, he was beheaded. The instant this had happened the tortoise spoke. The -people looked at one another in troubled wonder: “Our brother spoke truth, then, and -we have killed him.” The tortoise, however, went on to explain. “He brought his punishment -on himself. I led a happy life in the forest, singing my little song. He was not content -to come and listen to me. He had to tell my secret (which did not at all concern him) -to all the world. Had he not tried to make a show of me this would never have happened. -</p> -<div class="lgouter"> -<p class="line">“It is man who forces himself on things, -</p> -<p class="line">Not things which force themselves on him.”</p> -</div> -<p><span class="pageNum" id="pb123">[<a href="#pb123">123</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch22" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e397">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main"><span class="divNum">XXII.</span> THE TAIL OF THE PRINCESS ELEPHANT</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">There once lived a woman who had three sons. These sons were very much attached to -their mother and always tried to please her. She at last grew very old and feeble. -The three sons began to think what they could do to give her great pleasure. The eldest -promised that when she was dead he would cut a fine sepulchre in stone for her. The -second said he would make a beautiful coffin. The youngest said, “I will go and get -the tail of the princess elephant and put it in the coffin with her.” This promise -was by far the hardest one to keep. -</p> -<p>Soon after this their mother died. The youngest son immediately set out on his search, -not knowing in the least where he would be likely to find the tail. He travelled for -three weeks, and at the end of that time he came to a little village. There he met -an old woman, who seemed very much surprised to see <span class="pageNum" id="pb124">[<a href="#pb124">124</a>]</span>him. She said no human creature had ever been there before. The boy told the tale -of his search for the princess elephant. The old woman replied that this village was -the home of all the elephants, and the princess slept there every night. But she warned -him that if the animals saw him they would kill him. The young man begged her to hide -him—which she did, in a great pile of wood. -</p> -<p>She also told him that when the elephants were all asleep he must get up and go to -the eastern corner. There he would find the princess. He must walk boldly over, cut -off the tail and return in the same manner. If he were to walk stealthily, the elephants -would waken and seize him. -</p> -<p>The animals returned as it was growing dark. They said at once that they smelt a human -being. The old woman assured them that they were mistaken. Their supper was ready, -so they ate it and went to bed. -</p> -<p>In the middle of the night the young man got up and walked boldly across to where -the princess slept. He cut off the tail and returned as he had come. He then started -for home, carrying the tail very carefully. -</p> -<p>When daylight came the elephants awoke. One <span class="pageNum" id="pb125">[<a href="#pb125">125</a>]</span>said he had dreamed that the princess’s tail was stolen. The others beat him for thinking -such a thing. A second said he also had had the dream, and he also was beaten. The -wisest of the elephants then suggested that they might do well to go and see if the -dream were true. This they did. They found the princess fast asleep and quite ignorant -of the loss of her tail. They wakened her and all started off in chase of the young -man. -</p> -<p>They travelled so quickly that in a few hours they came in sight of him. He was afraid -when he saw them coming and cried out to his favourite idol (which he always carried -in his hair), “O my juju Depor! What shall I do?” The juju advised him to throw the -branch of a tree over his shoulder. This he did and it immediately grew up into a -huge tree, which blocked the path of the elephants. They stopped and began to eat -up the tree—which took them some little time. -</p> -<p>Then they continued their way again. Again the young man cried, “O my juju Depor! -What shall I do?” “Throw that corn-cob behind you,” answered the juju. The lad did -so, and the corn-cob immediately grew into a large field of maize. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb126">[<a href="#pb126">126</a>]</span></p> -<p>The elephants ate their way through the maize, but when they arrived at the other -side they found that the boy had reached home. So they had to give up the chase and -return to their village. The princess, however, refused to do so, saying, “I will -return when I have punished this impudent fellow.” -</p> -<div class="figure p126width" id="p126"><img src="images/p126.png" alt="THE PRINCESS CHANGED INTO AN ELEPHANT" width="720" height="484"><div class="figAnnotation p126width"><span class="figTop"> </span><span class="figBottomRight">126 </span></div> -<p class="figureHead">THE PRINCESS CHANGED INTO AN ELEPHANT</p> -</div><p> -</p> -<p>She thereupon changed herself into a very beautiful maiden, and taking a calabash -cymbal in her hand approached the village. All the people came out to admire this -lovely girl. -</p> -<p>She had it proclaimed through the village that whoever succeeded in shooting an arrow -at the cymbal should have her for a bride. The young men all tried and failed. An -old man standing by said, “If only Kwesi—the cutter of the princess elephant’s tail—were -here, he could hit the cymbal.” “Then Kwesi is the man I will marry,” replied the -maiden, “whether he hit the cymbal or not.” -</p> -<p>Kwesi was quickly fetched from the field where he was ploughing, and told of his good -luck. He, however, was not at all delighted to hear of it, as he suspected the maiden -of some trick. -</p> -<p>However, he came and shot an arrow which struck the centre of the cymbal. The damsel -and he were <span class="pageNum" id="pb127">[<a href="#pb127">127</a>]</span>accordingly married. She was all the time preparing to punish him. -</p> -<p>The night following their marriage she turned into an elephant, while Kwesi was asleep. -She then prepared to kill him, but Kwesi awoke in time. He called, “O my juju Depor! -Save me!” The juju turned him into a grass mat lying on the bed and the princess could -not find him. She was most annoyed and next morning asked him where he had been all -night. “While you were an elephant I was the mat you lay on,” replied Kwesi. The damsel -took all the mats from the bed and burned them. -</p> -<p>Next night the princess again became an elephant and prepared to kill her husband. -This time the juju changed him into a needle and his wife could not find him. She -again asked him in the morning where he had been. Hearing that the juju had helped -him again she determined to get hold of the idol and destroy it. -</p> -<p>Next day Kwesi was going again to his farm to plough a field. He told his wife to -bring him some food to the resting-place. This time she had fairly made up her mind -that he should not escape. When he had had his food she said, “Now lay your head <span class="pageNum" id="pb128">[<a href="#pb128">128</a>]</span>in my lap and sleep.” Kwesi quite forgot that his juju was hidden in his hair and -did as she bid. As soon as he was asleep she took the juju out of his hair and threw -it into a great fire which she had prepared. Kwesi awoke to find her an elephant once -more. In great fear he cried out, “O my juju Depor! What am I to do?” All the answer -he got, however, came from the flames. “I am burning, I am burning, I am burning.” -Kwesi called again for help and the juju replied, “Lift up your arms as if you were -flying.” He did so and turned into a hawk. -</p> -<p>That is the reason why hawks are so often seen flying in the smoke of fires. They -are looking for their lost juju. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb129">[<a href="#pb129">129</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch23" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e407">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main"><span class="divNum">XXIII.</span> KWOFI AND THE GODS</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">Kwofi was the eldest son of a farmer who had two wives. Kwofi’s mother had no other -children. -</p> -<p>When the boy was three years old his mother died. Kwofi was given to his stepmother -to mind. After this she had many children. Kwofi, of course, was the eldest of all. -</p> -<p>When he was about ten years old his father also died. Kwofi had now no relative but -his stepmother, for whom he had to work. -</p> -<p>As he grew older, she saw how much more clever and handsome he was than her own children, -and grew very jealous of him. He was such a good hunter that day after day he came -home laden with meat or with fish. -</p> -<p>Every day she treated him in the same way. She cooked the meat, then portioned it -out. She gave to each a large helping, but when it came to Kwofi’s turn she would -say, “Oh, my son Kwofi, there <span class="pageNum" id="pb130">[<a href="#pb130">130</a>]</span>is none left for you! You must go to the field and get some ripe paw-paw.” Kwofi never -complained. Never once did he taste any of the meat he had hunted. At every meal the -others were served, but there was never enough for him. -</p> -<div class="figure p130width" id="p130"><img src="images/p130.png" alt="EACH RECEIVED A LARGE HELPING EXCEPT KWOFI" width="720" height="483"><div class="figAnnotation p130width"><span class="figTop"> </span><span class="figBottomRight">130 </span></div> -<p class="figureHead">EACH RECEIVED A LARGE HELPING EXCEPT KWOFI</p> -</div><p> -</p> -<p>One evening, when the usual thing had happened, Kwofi was preparing to go to the field -to fetch some paw-paw for his supper. All at once one of the gods appeared in the -village, carrying a great bag over his shoulder. He summoned all the villagers together -with these words: “Oh, my villagers, I come with a bag of death for you!” -</p> -<p>Thereupon he began to distribute the contents of his bag among them. When he came -to Kwofi he said: “Oh, my son Kwofi, there was never sufficient meat for you, neither -is there any death.” -</p> -<p>As he said these words every one in the village died except Kwofi. He was left to -reign there in peace, which he did very happily. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb131">[<a href="#pb131">131</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch24" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e417">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main"><span class="divNum">XXIV.</span> THE LION AND THE WOLF</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">A certain old lady had a very fine flock of sheep. She had fed and cared for them -so well that they became famous for their fatness. In time a wicked wolf heard of -them and determined to eat them. -</p> -<p>Night after night he stole up to the old dame’s cottage and killed a sheep. The poor -woman tried her best to save her animals from harm—but failed. -</p> -<p>At last there was only one sheep left of all the flock. Their owner was very sad. -She feared that it, too, would be taken away from her, in spite of all she could do. -While she was grieving over the thought of this a lion came to her village. -</p> -<p>Seeing her sad face, he asked the reason of it. She soon told him all about it. He -thereupon offered to do his best to punish the wicked wolf. He himself went to the -place where the sheep was generally kept—while the latter was removed to another place. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb132">[<a href="#pb132">132</a>]</span></p> -<p>In the meantime the wolf was on his way to the cottage. As he came he met a fox. The -fox was somewhat afraid of him and prepared to run away. The wolf, however, told him -where he was going, and invited him to go too. The fox agreed and the two set off -together. They arrived at the cottage and went straight to the place where the sheep -generally slept. The wolf at once rushed upon the animal, while Fox waited a little -behind. Just as Fox was deciding to enter and help Wolf there came a bright flash -of lightning. By the light of it the fox could see that the wolf was attacking—not -a sheep—but a lion. He hastily ran away, shouting as he went: “Look at his face! Look -at his face!” -</p> -<p>During the flash Wolf did look at the pretended sheep. To his dismay he found he had -made a great mistake. At once he began to make humble apologies—but all in vain. Lion -refused to listen to any of his explanations, and speedily put him to death. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb133">[<a href="#pb133">133</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch25" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e427">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main"><span class="divNum">XXV.</span> MAKU MAWU AND MAKU FIA</h2> -<h2 class="sub">OR</h2> -<h2 class="sub"><span class="sc">‘I will die God’s death’ and ‘I will die the King’s death’</span></h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">Once upon a time there were two men who were such great friends that they were almost -always together. If one was seen the other was sure to be near. They had given one -another special names, which were to be used only by themselves. One name, Maku Mawu, -meant, ‘I will die God’s death,’ and the other, Maku Fia, ‘I will die the King’s death.’ -</p> -<p>By and by, however, the other villagers heard these names and gradually every one -got into the habit of calling the two friends by the nicknames in preference to the -real ones. Finally, the King of the country heard of them and wished to see the men -who had chosen such strange titles. He sent for them to Court, and they came together. -He was much pleased with the one who had chosen the name of <span class="pageNum" id="pb134">[<a href="#pb134">134</a>]</span>‘Maku Fia,’ but he was annoyed at the other man’s choice and sought a chance of punishing -him. -</p> -<p>When he had talked to them a little while, he invited both to a great feast which -he was to give in three days’ time. As they went away he gave a fine large yam to -Maku Mawu and only a small round stone to his own favourite. The latter felt somewhat -aggrieved at getting only a stone, while his friend got such a fine yam. Very soon -he said, “Oh, dear! I do not think it is any use carrying this stone home. How I wish -it were a yam! Then I could cook it for dinner.” Maku Mawu—being very generous—immediately -replied, “Then change with me, for I am quite tired of carrying my great yam.” They -exchanged, and each went off to his own home. Maku Fia cut up his yam and cooked it. -Maku Mawu broke his stone in half and found inside some beautiful ornaments which -the King had hidden there. He thought that he would play a trick on the King, so told -nobody what had been in the stone. -</p> -<p>On the third day they dressed to go to the King’s feast. Maku Mawu put on all the -beautiful ornaments out of the stone. Maku Fia dressed himself just as usual. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb135">[<a href="#pb135">135</a>]</span></p> -<p>When they reached the palace the King was amazed to see the wrong man wearing his -ornaments, and determined to punish him more effectually next time. He asked Maku -Fia what he had done with the stone, and the man told him he had exchanged it for -his friend’s yam. -</p> -<p>At first the King could not think of any way to punish Maku Mawu, as, of course, the -latter had not done anything wrong. He soon had an idea, however. He pretended to -be very pleased with the poor man and presented him with a beautiful ring from his -own finger. He then made him promise to come back in seven days and show the ring -to the King again, to let the latter see that it was not lost. If by any chance he -could not produce the ring—he would lose his head. This the King did, meaning to get -hold of the ring in some way and so get the young man killed. -</p> -<p>Maku Mawu saw what the King’s design was, so determined to hide the ring. He made -a small hole in the wall of his room, put the ring in it, and carefully plastered -over the place again. No one could see that the wall had been touched. -</p> -<p>After two days the King sent for the wife of Maku Mawu and asked her to find the ring. -He promised <span class="pageNum" id="pb136">[<a href="#pb136">136</a>]</span>her a large sum of money for it—not telling her, of course, what would happen to her -husband if the ring were lost. The woman went home and searched diligently but found -nothing. Next day she tried again—with no better success. Then she asked her husband -what he had done with it. He innocently told her it was in the wall. Next day, when -he was absent, she searched so carefully that at last she found it. -</p> -<div class="figure p136width" id="p136"><img src="images/p136.png" alt="MAKU MAWU CATCHES A FISH" width="720" height="492"><div class="figAnnotation p136width"><span class="figTop"> </span><span class="figBottomRight">136 </span></div> -<p class="figureHead">MAKU MAWU CATCHES A FISH</p> -</div><p> -</p> -<p>Delighted, she ran off to the King’s palace and gave the ring to him. She got the -promised money and returned home, never dreaming that she had really sold her husband’s -life. -</p> -<p>On the sixth day the King sent a message to Maku Mawu, telling him to prepare for -the next day. The poor man bethought himself of the ring and went to look if it were -still safe. To his despair the hole was empty. He asked his wife and his neighbours. -All denied having seen it. He made up his mind that he must die. -</p> -<p>In the meantime the King had laid the ring in one of the dishes in his palace and -promptly forgot about it. When the seventh morning had arrived he sent messengers -far and wide, to summon the people to <span class="pageNum" id="pb137">[<a href="#pb137">137</a>]</span>come and see a man punished for disobeying the King’s orders. Then he commanded his -servants to set the palace in order, and to take the dishes out of his room and wash -them. -</p> -<p>The careless servants—never looking to see if the dishes were empty or not—took them -all to a pool near by. Among them was the dish containing the ring. Of course, when -the dish was being washed, out fell the ring into the water—without being noticed -by the servants. -</p> -<p>The palace being all in readiness, the King went to fetch the ring. It was nowhere -to be found and he was obliged to go to the Assembly without it. -</p> -<p>When every one was ready the poor man, Maku Mawu, was called to come forward and show -the ring. He walked boldly up to the king and knelt down before him, saying, “The -ring is lost and I am prepared to die. Only grant me a few hours to put my house in -order.” At first the king was unwilling to grant even that small favour, but finally -he said, “Very well, you may have four hours. Then you must return here and be beheaded -before the people.” The innocent man returned to his home and put everything in order. -Then, feeling hungry, he <span class="pageNum" id="pb138">[<a href="#pb138">138</a>]</span>thought, “I may as well have some food before I die. I will go and catch a fish in -the pool.” -</p> -<p>He accordingly took his fish-net and bait, and started off to the very pool where -the King’s dishes had been washed. Very soon he caught a fine large fish. Cutting -it open, to clean it, his delight may be imagined at finding the lost ring inside -it. -</p> -<p>At once he ran off to the palace crying: “I have found the ring! I have found the -ring!” When the people heard him, they all shouted in joy: “He named himself rightly -‘Maku Mawu,’ for see—the death God has chosen for him, that only will he die.” So -the King had no excuse to harm him, and he went free. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb139">[<a href="#pb139">139</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch26" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e437">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main"><span class="divNum">XXVI.</span> THE ROBBER AND THE OLD MAN</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">In a big town lived a very rich gentleman. The fame of his wealth soon spread. A clever -thief heard of it and determined to have some for himself. -</p> -<p>He managed to hide himself in a dark corner of the gentleman’s room—while the latter -was counting his bags of money. As soon as the old gentleman left the room to fetch -something, the thief caught up two of the bags and escaped. -</p> -<p>The owner was astonished, on his return a few minutes later, to find two bags short. -He could find no trace of the thief. -</p> -<p>Next morning, however, he chanced to meet the robber just outside the house. The dishonest -man looked so confused that the rich man at once suspected he was the thief. He could -not, however, prove it, so took the case before the judge. -</p> -<p>The thief was much alarmed when he heard this. He sought a man in the village and -asked his advice. <span class="pageNum" id="pb140">[<a href="#pb140">140</a>]</span>The wise man undertook to help him—if he would promise to pay him half the money when -he got off. This the robber at once said he would do. -</p> -<p>The old man then advised him to go home and dress in rags. He must ruffle his hair -and beard and behave as if he were mad. If any one asked a question he must answer -“Moo.” -</p> -<p>The thief did so. To every question asked by the judge he said, “Moo, moo.” The judge -at last grew angry and dismissed the court. The thief went home in great glee. -</p> -<p>Next day, the wise man came to him for his half of the stolen money. But he could -get no answer but “Moo” from the thief, and at last, in despair, he had to go home -without a penny. The ungrateful robber kept everything for himself. The wise man regretted -very much that he had saved the thief from his just punishment—but it was now too -late. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb141">[<a href="#pb141">141</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch27" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e447">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main"><span class="divNum">XXVII.</span> THE LEOPARD AND THE RAM</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">A ram once decided to make a clearing in the woods and build himself a house. A leopard -who lived near also made up his mind to do the very same thing. -</p> -<p>Unknown to each other they both chose the same site. Ram came one day and worked at -the clearing. Leopard arrived after Ram had gone and was much surprised to find some -of his work already done. However, he continued what Ram had begun. Each was daily -surprised at the progress made in his absence, but concluded that the fairies had -been helping him. He gave them thanks and continued with his task. -</p> -<p>Thus the matter went on—the two working alternately at the building and never seeing -one another. At last the house was finished to the satisfaction of both. -</p> -<p>The two prepared to take up their abode in the new home. To their great astonishment -they met. <span class="pageNum" id="pb142">[<a href="#pb142">142</a>]</span>Each told his tale, and after some friendly discussion, they decided to live together. -</p> -<div class="figure p142width" id="p142"><img src="images/p142.png" alt="YOUNG LEOPARD SPRANG TOWARD THE STEM AND TORE IT" width="720" height="484"><div class="figAnnotation p142width"><span class="figTop"> </span><span class="figBottomRight">142 </span></div> -<p class="figureHead">YOUNG LEOPARD SPRANG TOWARD THE STEM AND TORE IT</p> -</div><p> -</p> -<p>Both Leopard and Ram had sons. These two young animals played together while their -parents hunted. The leopard was very much surprised to find that every evening his -friend Ram brought home just as much meat or venison from the hunt as he himself did. -He did not dare, however, to ask the other how he obtained it. -</p> -<p>One day, before setting out to hunt, Leopard requested his son to find out, if possible, -from young Ram, how his father managed to kill the animals. Accordingly while they -were at play, little Leopard inquired how Father Ram, having neither claws nor sharp -teeth, succeeded in catching and killing the beasts. Ram refused to tell unless young -Leopard would promise to show his father’s way also. The latter agreed. Accordingly -they took two large pieces of plantain stem and set out into the woods. -</p> -<p>Young Leopard then took one piece and placed it in position. Then, going first to -the right, then to the left—bowing and standing on his hind legs and peeping at the -stem just as his father did—he took aim, sprang toward the stem and tore it. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb143">[<a href="#pb143">143</a>]</span></p> -<p>Young Ram then took the other piece and placed it in position. Wasting no time he -went backward a little way, took aim, then ran swiftly forward—pushing his head against -the stem and tearing it to pieces. When they had finished they swept the place clean -and went home. -</p> -<p>In the evening the leopard obtained all the information about the hunt from his son. -The latter warned him that he must always be careful when he saw the ram go backward. -He kept this in mind, and from that day watched the ram very closely. -</p> -<p>Some time afterward it rained, making the floor of the house very slippery. The leopard -called the ram, as usual, to dine with him. As he was coming, the ram slipped backward -on the wet floor. The leopard, seeing this, thought the other was about to kill him. -Calling to his son to follow, he sprang with all his might over the wall of the house -and fled to the woods. The ram called him back, but he did not listen. From that time -leopards have made their abode in the woods while rams have remained at home. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb145">[<a href="#pb145">145</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch28" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e457">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main"><span class="divNum">XXVIII.</span> WHY THE LEOPARD CAN ONLY CATCH PREY ON ITS LEFT SIDE</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">At one time leopards did not know how to catch animals for food. Knowing that the -cat as very skilful in this way, Leopard one day went to Cat and asked very politely -if she would teach him the art. Cat readily consented. -</p> -<p>The first thing Leopard had to learn was to hide himself among the bushes by the roadside, -so that he would not be seen by any animal passing by. Next, he must learn how to -move noiselessly through the woods. He must never allow the animal he chased to know -that he was following it. The third great principle was how to use his left paws and -side in springing upon his prey. -</p> -<p>Having taught him these three things, Cat requested him to go and practise them well. -When he had learnt them thoroughly he could return to her and she would give him more -lessons in hunting. -</p> -<p>Leopard obeyed. At first he was very successful <span class="pageNum" id="pb146">[<a href="#pb146">146</a>]</span>and obtained all the food he wanted. One day, however, he was unable to catch anything -at all. -</p> -<p>Being very hungry, he bethought himself what he could have for dinner. Suddenly he -remembered that the cat had quite a large family. He went straight to her home and -found her absent. -</p> -<p>Never thinking of her kindness to him—Leopard only remembered that he was hungry—he -ate all her kittens. Puss, on discovering this dreadful fact, was so angry that she -refused to have anything more to do with the great creature. -</p> -<p>Consequently the leopard has never been able to learn how to catch animals that pass -him on the right side. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb147">[<a href="#pb147">147</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch29" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e468">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main"><span class="divNum">XXIX.</span> QUARCOO BAH-BONI</h2> -<h2 class="sub">(<span class="sc">The Bad Boy</span>)</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">Once upon a time in a certain village lived a man and his wife who were childless. -One day, however, when the husband was away hunting, the woman had a baby son. She -was greatly troubled at her husband’s absence, because she was unable to let him know -of the child’s arrival. In that country it is the custom for the father to give the -baby its name when it is a week old. As the time approached for the naming, the woman -wondered to herself what name she could give the child if her husband did not return -in time. To her amazement, the child himself answered, “My name is Quarcoo Bah-boni.” -As he was only a week old she was astonished to hear him talk. The next day she got -a greater surprise. She had been grumbling because her husband was not there to go -to the farm for her and fetch food. The baby announced, “I will go to the farm”—which -he did. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb148">[<a href="#pb148">148</a>]</span></p> -<p>When he was a few weeks old, she was one day very busy. She laid him down on the bed -while she went on with her task. In a few minutes several boys came up to her in great -anger. “Your son has been beating us and ill-treating us in the street,” said they. -“My son!” she cried. “Why, my son is only a tiny baby. He is lying asleep on my bed.” -To convince them she went indoors to show them the baby. Imagine her surprise when -he was nowhere to be seen! She had to apologize to the boys and beg them to forgive -the child. Shortly after, he came in and put himself to bed. -</p> -<p>He continued these mischievous tricks till his mother could no longer endure them. -So she turned him out of the house and forbade him to return. He departed in great -glee. -</p> -<p>After walking a few miles, he came to a building where a goat, wolf, tiger, lion, -and elephant lived very happily together. These animals were all sitting round their -fire when he approached. After many polite speeches, he begged their permission to -stay and be their servant, as he was motherless. The animals, after a little discussion, -agreed to this, thinking that he would be able to help them in <span class="pageNum" id="pb149">[<a href="#pb149">149</a>]</span>many ways. He was given a seat and some food, which he ate with great relish. -</p> -<p>These five animals usually took it in turns to go out to their farm—a few miles away—every -morning, to bring home food for the day. It being Goat’s turn, he asked Quarcoo to -come with him to carry back the load. -</p> -<p>The basket was accordingly handed to the little boy and he set off meekly after the -goat. When they reached the farm, Quarcoo set down the basket and ran off to play. -He paid no heed at all to the goat’s calls for assistance, but went on quietly playing. -At last the goat was so annoyed that he came up to Quarcoo and boxed his ears. To -his great astonishment, the boy gave him such a blow that he fell to the ground. Quarcoo -then proceeded to beat him till he cried for mercy. Nor would he stop his blows till -the goat had promised to finish the work, carry home the load, and tell no one what -had happened. Having promised this, the goat was allowed to go free. By this time -the poor animal’s face was bruised and swollen. -</p> -<p>When the time came to go home the goat had to pack up the load and put it on his head. -Then they set out. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb150">[<a href="#pb150">150</a>]</span></p> -<p>As soon as they came in sight of their cottage, Quarcoo took the basket from the goat -and he himself carried it into the cottage. -</p> -<p>The other animals all exclaimed in wonder when they saw the goat’s face, and asked -him how it had happened. “I was unfortunate enough to get into a swarm of bees when -I was working. They stung me,” answered the poor goat. -</p> -<p>Next day it was the wolf’s turn to go to the farm. He also returned, much bruised -and swollen. Goat (guessing what had happened) listened with a smile to the excuses -made by Wolf to the others. -</p> -<p>Goat and Wolf afterward talked the matter over and wondered much at the strength of -the little boy. -</p> -<p>Each day another animal took his turn at the farm, and each day he returned in the -same condition as his friends had done. At last all the animals had been, and all -now came together to discuss how best they might get rid of Quarcoo Bah-boni. -</p> -<p>They made up their minds that, early the following morning, they would start off together -and leave the boy in possession of the house. They prepared a big basket of food and -set it ready. -</p> -<p>Unfortunately for them, Quarcoo had heard their <span class="pageNum" id="pb151">[<a href="#pb151">151</a>]</span>discussion and decided that he also would go with them. He quietly got himself a large -leaf, rolled it round him (for he was very tiny) and laid himself down in the basket -of food. -</p> -<p>At dawn the animals got up very quietly. Goat, being the youngest, was given the basket -to carry. They started, feeling very thankful to get away from the tiresome boy—never -dreaming that they were carrying him along with them. -</p> -<p>When they had gone a fair distance Goat, feeling very hot and tired, sat down to rest -for a little while. As soon as the others had gone out of sight, he opened the basket, -meaning to have some food unknown to his friends. His greed was rewarded, however, -by a terrible blow on the face. He then heard the words, “Shut the basket at once, -and say nothing to the others.” He obeyed and hurried after the others in fear of -this terrible boy. -</p> -<p>As soon as he reached them he called out, “Wolf, Wolf, it is your turn now to take -the basket. I am very tired.” Wolf took the load at once. -</p> -<p>They had not gone far when Wolf began to think of all the nice things in the basket -and he also said he was going to rest a little while in the shade. <span class="pageNum" id="pb152">[<a href="#pb152">152</a>]</span>Having got rid of the others in this way, he hastily opened the basket. He was greeted -by Quarcoo in the same way as Goat had been, and speedily closed the basket and followed -the others. In this way each animal got his turn of carrying the basket, and each -was punished for his greed. -</p> -<div class="figure p152width" id="p152"><img src="images/p152.png" alt="THEY SCATTERED IN ALL DIRECTIONS" width="720" height="492"><div class="figAnnotation p152width"><span class="figTop"> </span><span class="figBottomRight">152 </span></div> -<p class="figureHead">THEY SCATTERED IN ALL DIRECTIONS</p> -</div><p> -</p> -<p>Finally, Elephant’s turn came. When he rejoined the others and asked some one to relieve -him of his load they cried out, “If you do not want to carry it any farther, throw -it away.” He did so, and they all took to their heels. They ran for several miles -and only stopped when they came to a huge tree, in whose shade they sat down to rest, -being quite breathless. -</p> -<p>Quarcoo, however, had got there before them. He had quietly stepped out of the basket, -taken a short cut across country and arrived at the tree some time before them. He -guessed that they would probably rest there—so he climbed up into the branches. There -he remained, hidden among the leaves, while the animals sat on the ground below. -</p> -<p>There they discussed Quarcoo and all the trouble he had caused them. They blamed Goat -for having been the one to persuade them to take the boy as a <span class="pageNum" id="pb153">[<a href="#pb153">153</a>]</span>servant. Goat being the youngest of the company had the domestic work to do and he -had welcomed the idea of help. Goat indignantly denied being the cause of all their -troubles, saying: “If I am really to blame for the admission of Quarcoo—let him appear -before us.” Quarcoo promptly jumped down from the tree and stood in front of them. -They were so alarmed at his appearance they scattered in all directions. The wolf -ran to the woods—the tiger into the heart of the forest, the elephant to Nigeria, -the lion to the desert, and the goat to the abode of human beings. That is the reason -why they live now in these various places instead of all together as they did previously. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb155">[<a href="#pb155">155</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch30" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e479">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main"><span class="divNum">XXX.</span> KING CHAMELEON AND THE ANIMALS</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">In the olden days all the animals of the world lived together in friendship. They -had no one to rule over them and judge them. In consequence, many very wicked deeds -were constantly being done, as no one needed to fear any punishment. -</p> -<p>At last they all met together to discuss this bad state of affairs, and, as a result, -they decided to choose a king. The great difficulty was how to choose him. -</p> -<p>Lion was the first animal suggested. But all opposed him because, they said, he was -too fierce. Wolf was next named—but the sheep and goats refused to have him because -he was their foe. They knew they would have bad treatment if he were chosen. -</p> -<p>As it was impossible to please every one by choice, they decided in another way. Two -miles away was a great stool, placed under a very ancient tree which they believed -to be the abode of some of their gods. <span class="pageNum" id="pb156">[<a href="#pb156">156</a>]</span>They would have a great race. The animal which reached and sat down first on the stool -should be chosen king. -</p> -<p>The day of the race arrived. All animals, great and small, prepared to take part in -it. The signal being given, they started off. The hare—being a very fine runner—speedily -outdistanced the others. He reached the stool quite five hundred yards ahead of the -next animal. You may judge of his annoyance when, just as he was going to sit down, -a voice came from the stool saying, “Take care, Mr Hare, take care. I was here first.” -This was the chameleon. He, being able to change his colour to suit his surroundings, -had seized Mr Hare’s tail just as the race began. Having made his colour match the -hare’s, no one had noticed him. He had held on very tightly, and when the hare turned -round to take his seat Chameleon dropped off and landed on the stool. -</p> -<p>The hare saw how he had been tricked and was very angry. The other animals, however, -arrived before he could harm the chameleon. According to the agreement they had made, -they had no choice but to make Chameleon king. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb157">[<a href="#pb157">157</a>]</span></p> -<p>But none of the animals were satisfied with the choice. So as soon as the meeting -was over, all scattered in every direction and left Chameleon quite alone. -</p> -<p>He was so ashamed that he went and made his home at the top of a very high tree on -a mountain. In the dead of night you may hear him calling his attendants to come and -stay with him. But he is left quite alone. “A king without subjects is no king.” -<span class="pageNum" id="pb159">[<a href="#pb159">159</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch31" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e489">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main"><span class="divNum">XXXI.</span> TO LOSE AN ELEPHANT FOR THE SAKE OF A WREN IS A VERY FOOLISH THING TO DO</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">In the olden times there stood in the King’s town a very great tree. This tree was -so huge that it began to overshadow the neighbouring fields. The King decided to have -it cut down. He caused his servants to proclaim throughout the country that any one -who succeeded in cutting down the tree with a wooden axe should have an elephant in -payment. -</p> -<p>People thought it would be impossible to cut down such a great tree with an axe of -wood. Spider, however, decided to try by cunning to gain the elephant. He accordingly -presented himself before the King and expressed his readiness to get rid of the tree. -</p> -<p>A servant was sent with him to keep watch and to see that he only used the wooden -axe given him. Spider, however, had taken care to have another, made of steel, hidden -in his bag. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb160">[<a href="#pb160">160</a>]</span></p> -<p>He now began to fell the tree. In a very few minutes, he said to the servant, “See, -yonder is a fine antelope. If you are quick, you will be able to hit it with a stone. -Run!” The lad did as he was bid, and ran a long way—but could see no sign of the antelope. -In his absence, Spider seized the sharp axe and hastened to cut as much of the tree -as he could, carefully hiding the axe in his bag before the servant’s return. -</p> -<p>This trick he repeated several times, till finally the tree was cut down. Spider went -to the King to get the elephant, and took the servant to prove that he had used only -the wooden axe. He got his promised reward, and started for home in great glee. On -the way, however, he began to think over the matter. “Shall I take this animal home?” -thought he. “That would be foolish, for then I would be obliged to share it with my -family. No! I will hide it in the forest, and eat it at my leisure. In that way I -can have the whole of it for myself. Now what can I take home for the children’s dinner?” -</p> -<p>Thereupon he looked around, and, a little distance away, saw a tiny wren sitting on -a tree. “Exactly what I want,” he said to himself. “That will be <span class="pageNum" id="pb161">[<a href="#pb161">161</a>]</span>quite sufficient for them. I will tie my elephant to this tree while I catch the bird.” -</p> -<p>This he did, but when he tried to seize the latter, it flew off. He chased it for -some time, without success. “Well! well!” said he. “My family will just have to go -without dinner. I will now go back and get my elephant.” He returned to the spot where -he had left the animal, but to his dismay the latter had escaped. Spider was obliged -to go home empty-handed, and he, as well as his family, went dinnerless that day. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb163">[<a href="#pb163">163</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch32" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e499">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main"><span class="divNum">XXXII.</span> THE UNGRATEFUL MAN</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">A hunter, who was terribly poor, was one day walking through the forest in search -of food. Coming to a deep hole, he found there a leopard, a serpent, a rat, and a -man. These had all fallen into the trap and were unable to get out again. Seeing the -hunter, they begged him to help them out of the hole. -</p> -<p>At first he did not wish to release any but the man. The leopard, he said, had often -stolen his cattle and eaten them. The serpent very frequently bit men and caused their -death. The rat did no good to any one. He saw no use in setting them free. -</p> -<p>However, these animals pleaded so hard for life that at last he helped them out of -the pit. Each, in turn, promised to reward him for his kindness—except the man. He, -saying he was very poor, was taken home by the kind-hearted hunter and allowed to -stay with him. -</p> -<p>A short time after, Serpent came to the hunter <span class="pageNum" id="pb164">[<a href="#pb164">164</a>]</span>and gave him a very powerful antidote for snake-poison. “Keep it carefully,” said -Serpent. “You will find it very useful one day. When you are using it, be sure to -ask for the blood of a traitor to mix with it.” The hunter, having thanked Serpent -very much, took great care of the powder and always carried it about with him. -</p> -<div class="figure p164width" id="p164"><img src="images/p164.png" alt="THE HUNTER AND THE SERPENT" width="720" height="481"><div class="figAnnotation p164width"><span class="figTop"> </span><span class="figBottomRight">164 </span></div> -<p class="figureHead">THE HUNTER AND THE SERPENT</p> -</div><p> -</p> -<p>The leopard also showed his gratitude by killing animals for the hunter and supplying -him with food for many weeks. -</p> -<p>Then, one day, the rat came to him and gave him a large bundle. “These,” said he, -“are some native cloths, gold dust, and ivory. They will make you rich.” The hunter -thanked the rat very heartily and took the bundle into his cottage. -</p> -<p>After this the hunter was able to live in great comfort. He built himself a fine new -house and supplied it with everything needful. The man whom he had taken out of the -pit still lived with him. -</p> -<p>This man, however, was of a very envious disposition. He was not at all pleased at -his host’s good fortune, and only waited an opportunity to do him some harm. He very -soon had a chance. -</p> -<p>A proclamation was sounded throughout the <span class="pageNum" id="pb165">[<a href="#pb165">165</a>]</span>country to say that some robbers had broken into the King’s palace and stolen his -jewels and many other valuables. The ungrateful man instantly hurried to the King -and asked what the reward would be if he pointed out the thief. The King promised -to give him half of the things which had been stolen. The wicked fellow thereupon -falsely accused his host of the theft, although he knew quite well that he was innocent. -</p> -<p>The honest hunter was immediately thrown into prison. He was then brought into Court -and requested to show how he had become so rich. He told them, faithfully, the source -of his income, but no one believed him. He was condemned to die the following day -at noon. -</p> -<p>Next morning, while preparations were being made for his execution, word was brought -to the prison that the King’s eldest son had been bitten by a serpent and was dying. -Any one who could cure him was begged to come and do so. -</p> -<p>The hunter immediately thought of the powder which his serpent friend had given him, -and asked to be allowed to use it. At first they were unwilling to let him try, but -finally he received permission. <span class="pageNum" id="pb166">[<a href="#pb166">166</a>]</span>The King asked him if there were anything he needed for it and he replied, “A traitor’s -blood to mix it with.” His Majesty immediately pointed out the wicked fellow who had -accused the hunter and said: “There stands the worst traitor—for he gave up the kind -host who had saved his life.” The man was at once beheaded and the powder was mixed -as the serpent had commanded. As soon as it was applied to the prince’s wound the -young man was cured. In great delight, the King loaded the hunter with honours and -sent him happily home. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb167">[<a href="#pb167">167</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch33" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e509">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main"><span class="divNum">XXXIII.</span> WHY TIGERS NEVER ATTACK MEN UNLESS THEY ARE PROVOKED</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">A man, hunting one day in the forest, met a tiger. At first each was afraid of the -other; but after some talking they became quite friendly. They agreed to live together -for a little time. First the man would live with the tiger in his forest home for -two weeks. Then the tiger would come and live in the man’s home. -</p> -<p>The tiger behaved so well to the man during his visit that the man felt he had never -been so well treated in all his life. Then came the time for the tiger to return home -with the man. As they were going the tiger was somewhat afraid. He asked the man if -he really thought he would be safe. “What if your friends do not like my face and -kill me?” he asked. “You need fear nothing,” said his host; “no one will touch you -while I am there.” The tiger therefore came to the man’s house and stayed with him -three weeks. He had brought his male <span class="pageNum" id="pb168">[<a href="#pb168">168</a>]</span>cub with him, and the young tiger became very friendly with the man’s son. -</p> -<p>Some months later the man’s father died. When Tiger heard of his friend’s great loss, -he and his cub set out at once to see and condole with him. They brought a large sum -of money to help the man. -</p> -<p>As Tiger was going home again two of the man’s friends lay in hiding for him and shot -him. Fortunately he was not killed, but he was very much grieved lest these men had -shot him at his friend’s wish. He determined to find out if the man had known anything -at all about the shot. -</p> -<p>Accordingly he went to the place in the forest where he had first met his friend. -There he lay down as if he were dead, after telling his cub to watch and see what -would happen. -</p> -<p>By and by the man came along. When he saw the tiger lying, as he thought, dead, he -was terribly troubled. He began to cry and mourn for his friend, and sat there all -night long with Tiger’s cub, to watch that no harm should befall the body. -</p> -<p>When morning came and Tiger was quite assured that his friend had had nothing at all -to do with the shot, he was very glad. He got up, then, to the <span class="pageNum" id="pb169">[<a href="#pb169">169</a>]</span>man’s great astonishment, and explained why he had pretended to be dead. -</p> -<p>“Go home,” said Tiger, “and remember me always. In future for your sake I will never -touch a man unless he first meddles with me.” -<span class="pageNum" id="pb171">[<a href="#pb171">171</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch34" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e519">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main"><span class="divNum">XXXIV.</span> THE OMANHENE WHO LIKED RIDDLES</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">The Omanhene is the chief of a village. A certain Omanhene had three sons, who were -very anxious to see the world. They went to their father and asked permission to travel. -This permission he readily gave. -</p> -<p>It was the turn of the eldest to go first. He was provided with a servant and with -all he could possibly require for the journey. -</p> -<p>After travelling for some time he came to a town where lived an Omanhene who loved -riddles. Being a stranger the traveller was, according to custom, brought by the people -before the chief. -</p> -<p>The latter explained to him that they had certain laws in their village. One law was -that every stranger must beat the Omanhene in answering riddles or he would be beheaded. -He must be prepared to begin the contest the following morning. -</p> -<p>Next day he came to the Assembly Place, and found <span class="pageNum" id="pb172">[<a href="#pb172">172</a>]</span>the Omanhene there with all his attendants. The Omanhene asked many riddles. As the -young man was unable to answer any of them, he was judged to have failed and was beheaded. -</p> -<div class="figure p172width" id="p172"><img src="images/p172.png" alt="HE THREW HALF THE CAKE TO THE VULTURE" width="720" height="486"><div class="figAnnotation p172width"><span class="figTop"> </span><span class="figBottomRight">172 </span></div> -<p class="figureHead">HE THREW HALF THE CAKE TO THE VULTURE</p> -</div><p> -</p> -<p>After some time the second son of the Omanhene started on his travels. By a strange -chance he arrived at the same town where his brother had died. He also was asked many -riddles, and failed to answer them. Accordingly he too was put to death. -</p> -<p>By and by the third brother announced his intention of travelling. His mother did -all in her power to persuade him to stay at home. It was quite in vain. -</p> -<p>She was sure that if he also reached the town where his brothers had died, the same -thing would happen to him. Rather than allow this, she thought she would prefer him -to die on the way. -</p> -<p>She prepared for him a food called cankey—which she filled with poison. Having packed -it away in his bag, he set off. Very soon he began to feel hungry. Knowing, however, -that his mother had not wished him to leave home, and therefore might have put some -poison in the food, he thought he would test it <span class="pageNum" id="pb173">[<a href="#pb173">173</a>]</span>before eating it himself. Seeing a vulture near by, he threw it half the cake. -</p> -<p>The bird ate the cankey, and immediately fell dead by the roadside. Three panthers -came along and began to eat the vulture. They also fell dead. -</p> -<p>The young man cut off some of the flesh of the panthers and roasted it. He then packed -it carefully away in his bundle. -</p> -<p>A little farther on he was attacked by seven highway robbers. They wanted to kill -him at once. He told them that he had some good roast meat in his bundle and invited -them to eat with him first. They agreed and divided up the food into eight parts. -</p> -<p>While they were eating the young man carefully hid his portion. Soon all the seven -robbers fell ill and died. The young man then went on his way. -</p> -<p>At last he reached the town where his brothers had died. Like them, he was summoned -to the Assembly Place to answer the riddles of the Omanhene. For two days the contest -proved equal. At the end of that time, the young man said, “I have only one riddle -left. If you are able to answer that, you may put me to death.” He then gave this -riddle to the Omanhene: -<span class="pageNum" id="pb174">[<a href="#pb174">174</a>]</span></p> -<div class="lgouter"> -<p class="line">Half kills one— -</p> -<p class="line">One kills three— -</p> -<p class="line">Three kills seven.</p> -</div> -<p class="first">The ruler failed to answer it that evening, so it was postponed till the next day. -</p> -<p>During the night the Omanhene disguised himself and went to the house where the stranger -was staying. There he found the young man asleep in the hall. -</p> -<p>Imagining that the man before him was the stranger’s servant, and never dreaming that -it was the stranger himself, he roused the sleeper and promised him a large reward -if he would give him the solution to the riddle. -</p> -<p>The young man replied that he would tell the answer if the Omanhene would bring him -the costume which he always wore at the Assembly. -</p> -<p>The ruler was only too pleased to go and fetch it for him. When the young man had -the garments quite safely, he explained the riddle fully to the crafty Omanhene. He -said that as they were leaving home, the mother of his master made him cankey. In -order to find out if the cankey were good, they gave half to a vulture. The latter -died. Three panthers <span class="pageNum" id="pb175">[<a href="#pb175">175</a>]</span>which tasted the vulture also died. A little of the panthers’ roasted flesh killed -seven robbers. -</p> -<p>The Omanhene was delighted to have found out the answer. He warned the supposed servant -not to tell his master what had happened. -</p> -<p>In the morning all the villagers assembled together again. The Omanhene proudly gave -the answer to the riddle as if he himself had found it out. But the young man asked -him to produce his ceremonial dress, which he ought to be wearing in Assembly. This, -of course, he was unable to do, as the young man had hidden it carefully away. -</p> -<p>The stranger then told what had happened in the night, and how the ruler had got the -answer to the riddle by cheating. -</p> -<p>The Assembly declared that the Omanhene had failed to find out the riddle and must -die. Accordingly he was beheaded—and the young man was appointed Omanhene in his place. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb177">[<a href="#pb177">177</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch35" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e529">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main"><span class="divNum">XXXV.</span> HOW MUSHROOMS FIRST GREW</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">Long, long ago there dwelt in a town two brothers whose bad habits brought them much -trouble. Day by day they got more deeply in debt. Their creditors gave them no peace, -so at last they ran away into the woods. They became highway robbers. -</p> -<p>But they were not happy. Their minds were troubled by their evil deeds. At last they -decided to go home, make a big farm, and pay off their debts gradually. -</p> -<p>They accordingly set to work and soon had quite a fine farm prepared for corn. As -the soil was good, they hoped the harvest would bring them in much money. -</p> -<p>Unfortunately, that very day a bushfowl came along. Being hungry, it scratched up -all the newly planted seeds and ate them. -</p> -<p>The two poor brothers, on arriving at the field next day, were dismayed to find all -their work quite <span class="pageNum" id="pb178">[<a href="#pb178">178</a>]</span>wasted. They put down a trap for the thief. That evening the bushfowl was caught in -it. The two brothers, when they came and found the bird, told it that now all their -debts would be transferred to it because it had robbed them of the means of paying -the debts themselves. -</p> -<div class="figure p178width" id="p178"><img src="images/p178.png" alt="HOW THE ANTS PAID THE DEBT" width="720" height="489"><div class="figAnnotation p178width"><span class="figTop"> </span><span class="figBottomRight">178 </span></div> -<p class="figureHead">HOW THE ANTS PAID THE DEBT</p> -</div><p> -</p> -<p>The poor bird—in great trouble at having such a burden thrust upon it—made a nest -under a silk-cotton tree. There it began to lay eggs, meaning to hatch them and sell -the young birds for money to pay off the debt. -</p> -<p>A terrible hurricane came, however, and a branch of the tree came down. All the eggs -were smashed. As a result, the bushfowl transferred the debts to the tree, as it had -broken the eggs. -</p> -<p>The silk-cotton tree was in dismay at having such a big sum of money to pay off. It -immediately set to work to make as much silk cotton as it possibly could, that it -might sell it. -</p> -<p>An elephant, not knowing all that had happened, came along. Seeing the silk cotton, -he came to the tree and plucked down all its bearings. By this means the debts were -transferred to the poor elephant. -</p> -<p>The elephant was very sad when he found what <span class="pageNum" id="pb179">[<a href="#pb179">179</a>]</span>he had done. He wandered away into the desert, thinking of a way to make money. He -could think of none. -</p> -<p>As he stood quietly under a tree, a poor hunter crept up. This man thought he was -very lucky to find such a fine elephant standing so still. He at once shot him. -</p> -<p>Just before the animal died, he told the hunter that now the debts would have to be -paid by him. The hunter was much grieved when he heard this, as he had no money at -all. -</p> -<p>He walked home wondering what he could do to make enough money to pay the debts. In -the darkness he did not see the stump of a tree which the overseers had cut down in -the road. He fell and broke his leg. By this means the debts were transferred to the -tree-stump. -</p> -<p>Not knowing this, a party of white ants came along next morning and began to eat into -the tree. When they had broken it nearly to the ground, the tree told them that now -the debts were theirs, as they had killed it. -</p> -<p>The ants, being very wise, held a council together to find out how best they could -make money. They <span class="pageNum" id="pb180">[<a href="#pb180">180</a>]</span>decided each to contribute as much as possible. With the proceeds one of their young -men would go to the nearest market and buy pure linen thread. This they would weave -and sell and the profits would go to help pay the debts. -</p> -<p>This was done. From time to time all the linen in stock was brought and spread out -in the sunshine to keep it in good condition. When men see this linen lying out on -the ant-hills, they call it ‘mushroom,’ and gather it for food. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb181">[<a href="#pb181">181</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch36" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e539">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main"><span class="divNum">XXXVI.</span> FARMER MYBROW AND THE FAIRIES</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">Farmer Mybrow was one day looking about for a suitable piece of land to convert into -a field. He wished to grow corn and yams. He discovered a fine spot, close to a great -forest—which latter was the home of some fairies. He set to work at once to prepare -the field. -</p> -<p>Having sharpened his great knife, he began to cut down the bushes. No sooner had he -touched one than he heard a voice say, “Who is there, cutting down the bushes?” Mybrow -was too much astonished to answer. The question was repeated. This time the farmer -realized that it must be one of the fairies, and so replied, “I am Mybrow, come to -prepare a field.” Fortunately for him the fairies were in great good humour. He heard -one say, “Let us all help Farmer Mybrow to cut down the bushes.” The rest agreed. -To Mybrow’s great delight, the bushes were all rapidly cut down—with <span class="pageNum" id="pb182">[<a href="#pb182">182</a>]</span>very little trouble on his part. He returned home, exceedingly well pleased with his -day’s work, having resolved to keep the field a secret even from his wife. -</p> -<div class="figure p182width" id="p182"><img src="images/p182.png" alt="MYBROW’S WIFE PLUCKED ONE OF THE YAMS" width="720" height="492"><div class="figAnnotation p182width"><span class="figTop"> </span><span class="figBottomRight">182 </span></div> -<p class="figureHead">MYBROW’S WIFE PLUCKED ONE OF THE YAMS</p> -</div><p> -</p> -<p>Early in January, when it was time to burn the dry bush, he set off to his field, -one afternoon, with the means of making a fire. Hoping to have the fairies’ assistance -once more, he intentionally struck the trunk of a tree as he passed. Immediately came -the question, “Who is there, striking the stumps?” He promptly replied, “I am Mybrow, -come to burn down the bush.” Accordingly, the dried bushes were all burned down, and -the field left clear in less time than it takes to tell it. -</p> -<p>Next day the same thing happened. Mybrow came to chop up the stumps for firewood and -clear the field for digging. In a very short time his faggots and firewood were piled -ready, while, the field was bare. -</p> -<p>So it went on. The field was divided into two parts—one for maize and one for yams. -In all the preparations—digging, sowing, planting—the fairies gave great assistance. -Still, the farmer had managed to keep the whereabouts of his field a secret from his -wife and neighbours. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb183">[<a href="#pb183">183</a>]</span></p> -<p>The soil having been so carefully prepared, the crops promised exceedingly well. Mybrow -visited them from time to time, and congratulated himself on the splendid harvest -he would have. -</p> -<p>One day, while maize and yams were still in their green and milky state, Mybrow’s -wife came to him. She wished to know where his field lay, that she might go and fetch -some of the firewood from it. At first he refused to tell her. Being very persistent, -however, she finally succeeded in obtaining the information—but on one condition. -She must not answer any question that should be asked her. This she readily promised, -and set off for the field. -</p> -<p>When she arrived there she was utterly amazed at the wealth of the corn and yam. She -had never seen such magnificent crops. The maize looked most tempting—being still -in the milky state—so she plucked an ear. While doing so she heard a voice say, “Who -is there, breaking the corn?” “Who dares ask me such a question?” she replied angrily—quite -forgetting her husband’s command. Going to the field of yams she plucked one of them -also. “Who is there, picking the yams?” came the question again. “It is I, Mybrow’s -wife. This is <span class="pageNum" id="pb184">[<a href="#pb184">184</a>]</span>my husband’s field and I have a right to pick.” Out came the fairies. “Let us all -help Mybrow’s wife to pluck her corn and yams,” said they. Before the frightened woman -could say a word, the fairies had all set to work with a will, and the corn and yams -lay useless on the ground. Being all green and unripe, the harvest was now utterly -spoiled. The farmer’s wife wept bitterly, but to no purpose. She returned slowly home, -not knowing what to say to her husband about such a terrible catastrophe. She decided -to keep silence about the matter. -</p> -<p>Accordingly, next day the poor man set off gleefully to his field to see how his fine -crops were going on. His anger and dismay may be imagined when he saw his field a -complete ruin. All his work and foresight had been absolutely ruined through his wife’s -forgetfulness of her promise. -</p> -</div> -</div> -</div> -</div> -<div class="back"> -<div class="transcriberNote"> -<h2 class="main">Colophon</h2> -<h3 class="main">Availability</h3> -<p class="first">This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project -Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at <a class="seclink xd31e46" title="External link" href="https://www.gutenberg.org/" rel="home">www.gutenberg.org</a>. -</p> -<p>This eBook is produced by the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at <a class="seclink xd31e46" title="External link" href="https://www.pgdp.net/">www.pgdp.net</a>. -</p> -<h3 class="main">Metadata</h3> -<table class="colophonMetadata"> -<tr> -<td><b>Title:</b></td> -<td>West African folk-tales</td> -<td></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><b>Author:</b></td> -<td>William Henry Barker (1882–1929)</td> -<td><a href="https://viaf.org/viaf/107402140/" class="seclink">Info</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><b>Author:</b></td> -<td>Cecilia Sinclair</td> -<td><a href="https://viaf.org/viaf/236870032/" class="seclink">Info</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><b>Illustrator:</b></td> -<td>Cecilia Sinclair</td> -<td><a href="https://viaf.org/viaf/236870032/" class="seclink">Info</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><b>Language:</b></td> -<td>English</td> -<td></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><b>Original publication date:</b></td> -<td>1917</td> -<td></td> -</tr> -</table> -<h3 class="main">Revision History</h3> -<ul> -<li>2021-10-23 Started. -</li> -</ul> -<h3 class="main">External References</h3> -<p>This Project Gutenberg eBook contains external references. These links may not work -for you.</p> -<h3 class="main">Corrections</h3> -<p>The following corrections have been applied to the text:</p> -<table class="correctionTable"> -<tr> -<th>Page</th> -<th>Source</th> -<th>Correction</th> -<th>Edit distance</th> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="width20"><a class="pageref" href="#xd31e1364">92</a></td> -<td class="width40 bottom"> -[<i>Not in source</i>] -</td> -<td class="width40 bottom">”</td> -<td class="bottom">1</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="width20"><a class="pageref" href="#xd31e1525">119</a></td> -<td class="width40 bottom"> -[<i>Not in source</i>] -</td> -<td class="width40 bottom">.</td> -<td class="bottom">1</td> -</tr> -</table> -</div> -</div> -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WEST AFRICAN FOLK-TALES ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following -the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use -of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for -copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very -easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation -of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project -Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away--you may -do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected -by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark -license, especially commercial redistribution. -</div> - -<div style='margin:0.83em 0; font-size:1.1em; text-align:center'>START: FULL LICENSE<br> -<span style='font-size:smaller'>THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE<br> -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK</span> -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project -Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg™ License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; font-size:1.1em; margin:1em 0; font-weight:bold'> -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg™ -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg™ electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person -or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg™ electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg™ electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg™ -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the -Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg™ -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg™ name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg™ License when -you share it without charge with others. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg™ work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country other than the United States. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg™ License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg™ work (any work -on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the -phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: -</div> - -<blockquote> - <div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most - other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions - whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms - of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online - at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you - are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws - of the country where you are located before using this eBook. - </div> -</blockquote> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project -Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg™ -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg™ License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg™ -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg™. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg™ License. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg™ work in a format -other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg™ website -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain -Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg™ License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg™ works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works -provided that: -</div> - -<div style='margin-left:0.7em;'> - <div style='text-indent:-0.7em'> - • You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg™ works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation.” - </div> - - <div style='text-indent:-0.7em'> - • You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™ - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™ - works. - </div> - - <div style='text-indent:-0.7em'> - • You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - </div> - - <div style='text-indent:-0.7em'> - • You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works. - </div> -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of -the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set -forth in Section 3 below. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.F. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™ -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right -of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™ -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg™ work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg™ work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; font-size:1.1em; margin:1em 0; font-weight:bold'> -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg™ -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Project Gutenberg™ is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg™’s -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg™ collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg™ and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; font-size:1.1em; margin:1em 0; font-weight:bold'> -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -The Foundation’s business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, -Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up -to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website -and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact -</div> - -<div style='display:block; font-size:1.1em; margin:1em 0; font-weight:bold'> -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread -public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state -visit <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/donate/">www.gutenberg.org/donate</a>. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate -</div> - -<div style='display:block; font-size:1.1em; margin:1em 0; font-weight:bold'> -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg™ electronic works -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg™ concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg™ eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Project Gutenberg™ eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Most people start at our website which has the main PG search -facility: <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -This website includes information about Project Gutenberg™, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. -</div> - -</div> diff --git a/old/66923-h/images/cover.jpg b/old/66923-h/images/cover.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 6d9e02b..0000000 --- a/old/66923-h/images/cover.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/66923-h/images/frontispiece.jpg b/old/66923-h/images/frontispiece.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 65824c6..0000000 --- a/old/66923-h/images/frontispiece.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/66923-h/images/p030.png b/old/66923-h/images/p030.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index cba0284..0000000 --- a/old/66923-h/images/p030.png +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/66923-h/images/p034.png b/old/66923-h/images/p034.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 4626322..0000000 --- a/old/66923-h/images/p034.png +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/66923-h/images/p040.png b/old/66923-h/images/p040.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 8bdb0da..0000000 --- a/old/66923-h/images/p040.png +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/66923-h/images/p046.png b/old/66923-h/images/p046.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 74137da..0000000 --- a/old/66923-h/images/p046.png +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/66923-h/images/p052.png b/old/66923-h/images/p052.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index ca91a04..0000000 --- a/old/66923-h/images/p052.png +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/66923-h/images/p056.png b/old/66923-h/images/p056.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 3b360f7..0000000 --- a/old/66923-h/images/p056.png +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/66923-h/images/p066.png b/old/66923-h/images/p066.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index dfd7e67..0000000 --- a/old/66923-h/images/p066.png +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/66923-h/images/p070.png b/old/66923-h/images/p070.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index d6550db..0000000 --- a/old/66923-h/images/p070.png +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/66923-h/images/p078.png b/old/66923-h/images/p078.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index b475cf1..0000000 --- a/old/66923-h/images/p078.png +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/66923-h/images/p082.png b/old/66923-h/images/p082.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 34d80c8..0000000 --- a/old/66923-h/images/p082.png +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/66923-h/images/p092.png b/old/66923-h/images/p092.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index ff404cb..0000000 --- a/old/66923-h/images/p092.png +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/66923-h/images/p100.png b/old/66923-h/images/p100.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 8ccf78c..0000000 --- a/old/66923-h/images/p100.png +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/66923-h/images/p106.png b/old/66923-h/images/p106.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 88dec71..0000000 --- a/old/66923-h/images/p106.png +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/66923-h/images/p120.png b/old/66923-h/images/p120.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 683e1f3..0000000 --- a/old/66923-h/images/p120.png +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/66923-h/images/p126.png b/old/66923-h/images/p126.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index fb2aa7e..0000000 --- a/old/66923-h/images/p126.png +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/66923-h/images/p130.png b/old/66923-h/images/p130.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index d0a98e2..0000000 --- a/old/66923-h/images/p130.png +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/66923-h/images/p136.png b/old/66923-h/images/p136.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index caac627..0000000 --- a/old/66923-h/images/p136.png +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/66923-h/images/p142.png b/old/66923-h/images/p142.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 1aed2a6..0000000 --- a/old/66923-h/images/p142.png +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/66923-h/images/p152.png b/old/66923-h/images/p152.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index c89d9d2..0000000 --- a/old/66923-h/images/p152.png +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/66923-h/images/p164.png b/old/66923-h/images/p164.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 979f1eb..0000000 --- a/old/66923-h/images/p164.png +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/66923-h/images/p172.png b/old/66923-h/images/p172.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index f830f53..0000000 --- a/old/66923-h/images/p172.png +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/66923-h/images/p178.png b/old/66923-h/images/p178.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 68447f2..0000000 --- a/old/66923-h/images/p178.png +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/66923-h/images/p182.png b/old/66923-h/images/p182.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index f9bbca0..0000000 --- a/old/66923-h/images/p182.png +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/66923-h/images/titlepage.png b/old/66923-h/images/titlepage.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 0464df7..0000000 --- a/old/66923-h/images/titlepage.png +++ /dev/null |
