African Folk Tales Read online
African Folk Tales
African Folk Tales
YOTI LANE
WITH DRAWINGS BY BLAIR HUGHES-STANTON
DOVER PUBLICATIONS, INC.
Mineola, New York
DOVER THRIFT EDITIONS
GENERAL EDITOR: MARY CAROLYN WALDREP
EDITOR OF THIS VOLUME: JANET B. KOPITO
Bibliographical Note
African Folk Tales, first published by Dover Publications, Inc., in 2015, is an unabridged republication of the work originally published by Peter Lunn Publishers Limited, London, in 1946. The illustration plates that appeared in color in that edition are included here as black and white.
International Standard Book Number
eISBN-13: 978-0-486-80303-6
Manufactured in the United States by Courier Corporation
79198X01 2014
www.doverpublications.com
Contents
Foreword
I. The Animals Go to Earth
II. The Quest for the Ivory Horn
III. The Lost Sister
IV. The Piping Bird
V. Why Sheep Say “Maa-a”
VI. Sing, Cricket, Sing
VII. The Fisherman
VIII. How the Dogs Came
IX. The Boy and the Genii
X. How Enemies Are Made
XI. The Tortoise and His Mother
XII. The Snake in the Forest
XIII. The Greedy Monkey
XIV. The Leopard Has No Friends
XV. The Man Who Was Too Clever
XVI. The Bees and the Buffalo
XVII. Why Pigs Dig
XVIII. The Lame and the Blind
XIX. Bush Baby
XX. The Victorious Tortoise
XXI. The Ambitious Ants
XXII. The Vain Girl
XXIII. The Man-in-the-Moon and His Wife
XXIV. Bats Don’t Belong
XXV. Never Angry
FOREWORD
THESE ARE TALES told round the fires in West Africa when the day’s work is done. In their original form they are rather like our operas, as they are told through the medium of music and dancing as well as in words. None of them have been written down before. Some are old, and some are quite modern, because the Africans have new stories just as we have.
I wish to thank Egbert Udo Udomo for providing me with the material for a number of these stories which he heard as a child in Calabar.
YOTI LANE
To Lynn
who loves animals
African Folk Tales
THE ANIMALS GO TO EARTH
THERE WAS ONCE a wise old tortoise who became very tired of life in the bush. There had been droughts, and quarrels, and feuds ever since he could remember, and the tortoise began to wonder if there was not some peaceful spot to which he could migrate with his family. He was sitting on the river bank when the hare came by and stopped to chat.
“I had a very curious adventure this morning,” said the hare.
“What happened to you?” asked the tortoise.
“I noticed a hole under the roots of that big tree near where the palm nuts grow. I went down it, and found myself in a tunnel. I went a very long way, and still didn’t reach the end. I thought it wiser to return as I was alone, but I believe that tunnel leads somewhere.”
“That’s interesting,” said the tortoise. “If you care to come back and explore I’ll go with you.”
The hare looked a bit doubtful. His only means of defending himself was to run away as fast as he could if any danger arose. The tortoise on the other hand could protect himself but he couldn’t protect any one else, and anything might happen in this strange tunnel. Then the hare remembered the mongoose. The mongoose usually has a sweet and gentle disposition, but he can put up a good fight if he is provoked.
“I’ll go back, if I may bring the mongoose along. He’s a useful fellow in trouble,” replied the hare.
“All right,” said the tortoise. “You go get him, and I’ll meet you both at the foot of the tree.”
So the tortoise set off at a stately pace, and the hare loped away through the bush to find the mongoose. He went a long way before he heard the queer squeaky, chirruping voice of his friend. The mongoose and his wife were having a lunch of bananas. The hare told them of his strange discovery, and suggested that the mongoose should come and explore the tunnel.
“If you go I’m coming also,” announced Mrs. Mongoose.
“But it may be dangerous,” said her husband.
“I don’t mind that, you know I hate being left alone,” she replied. Her husband knew this to be true. No mongoose likes to be alone. They are very friendly, lovable creatures, and pine away unless they have company.
“All right, come along then, but don’t say I didn’t warn you if we run into trouble!”
So off they went, keeping up with the hare without much difficulty, despite their short legs.
They reached the tree just as the tortoise arrived, and the hare pointed out the opening of the tunnel. The mongoose went first, the hare second, the tortoise followed, and Mrs. Mongoose brought up in the rear, the idea being that if anything followed them down the tunnel she would make good use of her teeth and claws. Down, and down they went. They were all a little nervous but no one liked to admit it. Finally the tunnel became steep, and they lost their footing, and tumbled down one after the other, until they slid into a brightly lighted place.
They found themselves in a beautiful valley, well wooded, and with a river running through it. There was no sound of any living thing. Hastily scuttling into the shade of a large tree they took council.
“We seem to be in another world,”exclaimed Mrs. Mongoose.
“But how can we be in another world when we haven’t died?” asked the hare.
“Be reasonable, friends,” hissed the tortoise. “This is simply some hidden valley that no one has discovered. Or perhaps they have. It doesn’t mean nobody is here because we can’t see them at this moment.”
“You mean spirits?” squeaked the hare.
“Of course I don’t, but if people are here they might have heard us coming, and now be hiding, just as we are. Hare, you had better scout round while we stay here. Come back and report if you can see anyone.”
So the hare set off, running from shadow to shade, and listening and watching intently, but he heard nothing but the rustle of leaves, and the gentle gurgle of the stream, and he saw nothing, but trees, and grass, and flowers, and vegetation that made his mouth water. After he had made a long detour he returned to his friends.
“The place seems like a dream,” he told them.
“But it’s quite deserted. There isn’t an animal, or a bird, or even an insect.”
“And no men?” asked Mrs. Mongoose.
“No, certainly no men. I couldn’t have failed to see them.”
After this there was a long silence while everyone did some thinking.
“You know,” said the tortoise at last, “it’s curious you should have found this place today, because only this morning I was reflecting how nice it would be to go somewhere where life was always pleasant and peaceful. This certainly seems to be so.”
“I have never seen so much food,” said the hare.
“It’s a beautiful place to bring up a family,” Mrs. Mongoose squeaked wistfully.
“It’s a great improvement on where we’ve come from,” her husband agreed.
“Do you propose we stay here?” asked the hare.
“I think we should try it. There may be some danger we know nothing about of course, but it’s worth the risk,” replied the tortoise.
“But won’t it be lonely?” asked Mrs. Mongoose. “Just us four in this vast place.”
“I would o
f course bring my family—at least some members of it,” said the tortoise.
“So should I,” said the hare.
“But if we let everyone in,” said the mongoose. “won’t the place soon become as full of troubles as the world we have left. You know some mongooses are quarrelsome most of the time.”
“And there are our enemies the snakes,” his wife reminded him. “I get so tired having to kill snakes, but everyone expects us to do it. Now if we lived in a place where there were no snakes I could be so happy.”
“If I lived in a place where there were no snares I could be so happy,” put in the hare.
“We had better draw up a list and decide just whom we shall allow here,” said the tortoise.
“But how can we keep the others out if the news gets round.”
“This place is very well hidden,” said the hare. “We must see that the news doesn’t get round. We shall only tell people we can trust, and they will have to agree to come with us right away. They must not be given a chance to talk to anyone else. Then we shall lead them into the glade above, blindfold them, and bring them down the tunnel. Once here they must never return to the world above.”
“I’m sure they wouldn’t want to,” exclaimed Mrs. Mongoose. “I for one am prepared to stay here for ever.”
“Then,” said the tortoise, “we had better decide now whom we shall have here.”
“I feel that my people have a big claim,” said the mongoose. “Ever since we can remember we have been hunted and trapped by man. Our numbers are declining rapidly, and soon we shall have vanished unless man stops his stupid habit of trying to catch us, and hunt us. We are harmless, quiet people. We only destroy snakes when they get in our way.”
“That is true,” said the tortoise. “We grant that your people have a big claim. I leave it to your discretion to pick the best ones and bring them here.”
“I feel we hares have a big claim too.”
“I’m not too sure,” said the tortoise. “You have very large families, and you eat recklessly. Not even this valley could support a large number of hares. No, you must bring only a few, and you must make it clear that they can’t eat recklessly. If they want to do that they had better stay in the upper world.”
“All right,” agreed the hare. “I’ll only bring the ones who are prepared to abide by the rules.”
“As regards my own folk,” went on the tortoise. “They don’t take to new ways, and they won’t care to move. A few of the young, and enterprising ones will come, but that’s all.”
“But we’ll want more people than that,” said Mrs. Mongoose. “Who else shall we have?”
“We don’t want animals who kill and eat each other, and we don’t want people with nasty dispositions,” said the hare firmly.
“I agree,” said the mongoose. “The buffalo, the lions, the leopard, and the crocodile are definitely out.”
“I agree,” said the hare. “Now what about the bush pigs. They have their points, you know.”
“They are very unsociable,” wheezed Mrs. Mongoose.
“Suppose we leave them aside for the time being,” suggested the tortoise. “I propose we let some deer in; a few of each species.”
This was passed unanimously.
“And the zebra,” put in the hare. “I know they aren’t sociable either, but no one is better at sensing danger, or intruders, and they are quite harmless.”
“All right, a few zebra,” conceded Mrs. Mongoose.
“That goes for the giraffe also,” said the mongoose. So they decided to have a giraffe family.
“No jackals, no hyenas, no vultures,” said the hare firmly, and everyone agreed.
“What about birds?” asked Mrs. Mongoose.
“We’d better make a separate list of them,” said the tortoise. “There are so many varieties.” So this was agreed.
“What about the monkeys?” asked the mongoose.
At this everyone talked at once. There was a most serious division of opinion on monkeys. The tortoise believed that there were good, bad and indifferent monkeys. The mongoose considered all of them mischievous and greedy. Mrs. Mongoose had some great friends among certain species, but disliked nearly all the others. The hare believed monkeys were not to be trusted. In the end it was decided that a few monkeys might be admitted on their own merits.
After this exhausting discussion the four had a good meal and a rest.
“Oh dear, I wish I didn’t have to go up that tunnel again,” said Mrs. Mongoose.
“Well, you needn’t,” said the tortoise. “You and your husband may stay here. Hare will take messages, and bring the first batch of your relatives here tomorrow.”
“That’s very decent of you,” said the mongoose. “We’ll be glad to stay.”
“Be cautious,” the hare warned them. “Keep very quiet.” “You can rely on us,” said the mongoose. “We’ll make no move until you return.”
So off went the hare and the tortoise up the tunnel, and hare went off further still as soon as they reached the top, so that by evening he had taken many messages, and people began to come from all over the bush to talk to the tortoise.
It was surprising how few of them really were willing to set off on an adventure to a new country. The old deer, robust creatures, were willing to take a chance, and some of their young sons were of like mind, but the female deer needed a good deal of persuasion from their husbands and sons. The mongooses who are inquisitive creatures were willing, but only a few of the tortoises wanted to move. However a small band was eventually got together, and very early next morning they met in the glade near the big tree. There the hare bound their eyes, and leading the mongooses, made his way down the tunnel. As soon as he arrived at the bottom he saw the two mongooses who had stayed waiting eagerly.
They helped to untie the bandages from the eyes of their relatives, and they all set up an absolute babel of exclamations, greetings, and mutual enthusiasm.
“How did you pass the night?” asked the hare.
“Well, naturally we didn’t sleep much, I watched and listened most of the time, but there were no strange sounds. I’m quite sure no one lives here,” said the mongoose.
“Very well,” said the hare. “I’ll go back, and fetch some more people. You look after your relatives and get them settled down comfortably.”
So back he went for the deer.
Of course, the disappearance of a number of people soon began to arouse great interest in the bush. The monkeys in particular were almost out of their minds with curiosity. But the tortoise had very wisely decided that even the monkeys who were to be allowed to come down should be the very last to be told anything, so that they would not be tempted to chatter. The leopard also gave them trouble, because he was abroad both in daylight and at night, and he moved noiselessly, and was very cunning. On several occasions whole bands of selected candidates had to be sent home because they found the leopard had trailed them.
The crocodile also got wind of something strange and came to see the tortoise in order to try and gain information.
“You seem to be very busy lately,” he said. “You are scarcely ever at home.”
“It’s a busy time of year,” replied the tortoise.
“Is it?” asked the crocodile. “I wondered if you were thinking of moving?”
“I may,” said the tortoise. “I should be glad of a change.”
“Indeed, and where were you thinking of going?” asked the crocodile.
“Some distance from here,” answered the tortoise.
“You know I’ll miss you if you go,” said the crocodile. “We’ve been neighbours for so many years. I’ve half a mind to come along.”
“I don’t think you’d like it,” the tortoise told him. “The place I’m moving to is a sort of settlement, and we are all vegetable eaters. You would probably become flatulent on our diet.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” replied the crocodile. “I expect I’d find a bit of meat somehow.”
The crocodile lashed his tail.
“What are you suggesting?” he cried.
“Nothing,” said the tortoise pacifically. “Nothing at all.” With that he closed his eyes and pretended to doze. This was an old trick which never failed to irritate the crocodile. He snapped his jaws angrily, and wished for the thousandth time that the tortoise hadn’t got a shell that not even a crocodile could digest.
At last the animals who had been approached, and decided to migrate, all moved down to the new settlement.
“It’s strange,” remarked the hare. “How few came really, yet practically all of them used to complain about the life in the bush.”
“That’s their nature,” the tortoise reminded him. “Most people like grousing but few of them have the courage to make a change.”
“Shall we allow any more to come down in future?” asked the hare.
“A few unusual ones, but they will have to wait till they’re asked.” “
What if someone comes down by accident?” asked the hare.
“Unless we know them very well, and can vouch for them being suitable, we can’t let them stay. This place is too tempting, and we should have no law and order if the wrong people got in.”
“When are you moving down?” asked the hare.
The tortoise sighed.
“I’m not sure that I shall ever move down permanently. You see so many of our people are rather foolish. I think I’ll have to stay and keep an eye on them. If the crocodile and the leopard got too much of their own way I don’t know what would happen.”
“I don’t see why you should bother about other people,” the hare shrilled.
“I couldn’t be comfortable if I didn’t,” the tortoise replied. “We are the lucky ones down here, but we must not forget about the others in the world above.”
“A lot of thanks you’ll get,” scoffed the hare.
“That doesn’t matter,” said the tortoise, and turned away, and started slowly up the tunnel.
Years passed, and still the tortoise divided his time between the upper and the lower world.
African Folk Tales