Tortoise and the Bojabi Tree
Place
Country of All-The-Beasts
Persons
| Mbâmâ (Boa Constrictor) | Njâku (Elephant) |
| Kudu (Tortoise) | Ihĕli (Gazelle) |
| Etoli (House Rat) | Ngomba (Porcupine) |
| Vyâdu (Antelope) | Nyati (Ox) |
| And the Bojabi Tree | |
NOTE
African natives hesitate to eat of an unknown fruit or vegetable, unless they see it first partaken of by some lower animal.
All the tribes of Beasts were living in one region, except one beast, which was staying in its separate place. Its name was Boa Constrictor. His place was about thirty miles away from the others.
In the region of all those Beasts, there was a very large tree. Its name was Bojabi. But none of those beasts knew that that was its name.
There fell a great famine on that Country-of-all-the-Beasts. In their search for food, they looked at that tree; and they said, "This tree has fine-looking fruit; but, we do not know its name. How then shall we know whether it is fit to be eaten?" After some discussion, they said, "We think our Father Mbâmâ will be able to know this tree's name." So they agreed, "Let us send a person to Mbâmâ to cause us to know the name of the tree." They selected Rat, and
