Where Animals Talk; West African Folk Lore Tales/Part 1/Tale 7
"Nuts Are Eaten Because of Angângwe"; A Proverb
Place
Kingdom of the Hogs; The Forest; and Towns
Persons
| Angângwe, King of Hogs | Njina (Gorilla) |
| A Hunter | Nyare (Ox) |
| Ingowa (Hogs; singular Ngowa) | Nkambi (Antelope) |
| Njâgu (Elephant) |
NOTE
"Inkula si nyo o'kângâ 'Ngângwe."
This is a proverb expressing the obligation we all owe to some superior protecting powers.
The Hogs had cleared a space in the forest, for the building of their town. They were many; men and women and children.
In another place, a Hunter was sitting in his town. Every day, at daybreak, he went out to hunt. When he returned in the afternoons with his prey, he left it a short distance from the town, and entering his house, would say to his women and children, "Go to the outskirts of the town, and bring what animal you find I have left there."
One day, having gone hunting, he killed Elephant. The children went out to cut it up and bring it in.
Another day, he killed Gorilla.
And so, each day, he killed some animal. He never failed of obtaining something.
One day, his children said to him, "You always return with some animal; but you never have brought us Ngowa." He replied, "I saw many Ingowa today, when I was out there. But, I wonder at one thing; that, when they are all together eating, and I approach, they run away. As to Ingowa, they eat nkula nuts and I know where the trees are. Well, then, I ambush them; but, when I go nearer, I see one big Ngowa not eating, but going around and around the herd. Whether it sees me or does not see, sure when I get ready to aim my gun, then they all scatter. The reason that Ingowa escape me, I do not know."
The Hogs, when they had finished eating, and were returning to their own town, as they passed the town of Elephant, heard mourning; and they asked, "Who is dead?" The answer was, "Njâgu is dead! Njâgu is dead!" They inquired, "He died of what disease?" They were told, "Not disease; Hunter killed him." Then another day, when Ox was killed, his people were heard mourning for him. Another day, Antelope was killed; and his people were mourning for him. All these animals were dying because of Hunter killing them.
At first, the Hogs felt pity for all these other Beasts. But, when they saw how they were dying, they began to mock at them, "These are not people! They only die! But, as to us Ingowa, Hunter is not able to kill us. We hear only the report that there is such a person as Hunter, but he is not able to kill us."
When Hogs were thus boasting, their King, Angângwe, laughed at them, saying, "You don't know, you Ingowa! You mock others, that Hunter kills them?" They answered, "Yes, we mock at them; for, we go to the forest as they do, but Hunter does not touch us." Angângwe asked, "When you thus in the forest eat your inkula-nuts, you each one eat them by his own strength and skill?" They answered, "Yes; ourselves we go to the forest on our own feet; we ourselves pick up and eat the inkula. No one feeds us." Angângwe said, "It is not so. Those inkula you eat si nyo o'kângâ wa oma (they are eaten because of a person)." They insisted, "No, it is not so. Inkula have no person in particular to do anything about them." Thus they had this long discussion, the Hogs and their King; and they got tired of it, and lay down to sleep.
In the morning, when daylight came, the King said, "A journey for nuts! But, today, I am sick. I am not able to go to gather nuts with you. I will stay in town." The Hogs said, "Well! we do not mistake the way. It is not necessary for you to go."
When they went, they were jeering about their King, "Angângwe said, 'Inkula si nyo o'kângâ w' oma'; but we will see today without him." They went to the nkula trees, and found great abundance fallen to the ground during the night. The herd of Hogs, when they saw all these inkula, jumped about in joy. They stooped down to pick up the nuts, their eyes busy with the ground. They ate and ate. No one of them thought of Hunter, whether he was out in the forest.
But, that very morning, Hunter had risen, taken his gun and ammunition-box, and had gone to hunt. And, after awhile, he had seen the Hogs in the distance. They were only eating and eating, not looking at anything but nuts.
Hunter said in his heart, "These Hogs, I see them often, but why have I not been able to kill them?" He crept softly nearer and nearer. Creeping awhile then he stood up to spy; and again stooping, and again standing up to spy. He did not see the big Hog which, on other days, he had always observed going around and around the herd. Hunter stooped close to the ground, and crept onward. Then, as he approached closer, the Hogs still went on eating. He bent his knee to the earth, and he aimed his gun! Ingowa still eating! His gun flashed! and ten Hogs died!
The Hogs fled; some of them wounded. Those who were not wounded, stopped before they reached their town, and said, "Let us wait for the wounded." They waited. When the hindmost caught up and joined the others, they showed them their wounds, some in the head, some in the legs. These wounded ones said, "As we came, we saw none others behind us. There are ten of us missing; we think they are dead." So, they all returned toward their Town; and, on their way, began to mourn.
When they had come clear on to the town, Angângwe asked, "What news, from where you come?" They answered, "Angângwe! evil news! But we do not know what is the matter. Only we know that the words you said are not really so, that 'nuts are eaten because of a certain person.' Because, when we went, each one of us gathered by his own skill, and ate by his own strength, and no one trusted to anyone else. And when we went, we ate abundantly, and everything was good. Except that. Hunter has killed ten of us. And many others are wounded."
The King inquired, "Well! have you brought nuts for me who was left in Town?" They replied, "No; when Hunter shot us, we feared, and could no longer wait." Then Angângwe said, "I told you that inkula are eaten because of a person, and you said, 'not so.' And you still doubt me."
Another day, the Hogs went for inkula; and the King, remained in town. And, as on the other day. Hunter killed them. So, for five successive days, they went, the King staying in town; and Hunter killing them.
Finally, Angângwe said to himself, "Ingowa have become great fools. They do not consent to admit that nuts are eaten by reason of a certain person. They see how Hunter kills them; and they still doubt my words. But, I pity them. Tomorrow, I will go with them to the nuts. I will explain to them how Hunter kills them."
So, in the morning, the King ordered, "Come all to nuts! But when we go for the nuts, if I say, 'Ngh-o-o!' then every one of you who are eating them must start to town, and not come back, because then I have seen or smelt Hunter; and I grunt to let you know." All the Hogs agreed. They went on clear to the nkula trees, and ate, they stooping with eyes to the ground. But Angângwe, not eating, kept looking here and there. He sniffed wind from south to north, and assured them, "Eat you all! I am here!" He watched and watched; and presently he saw a speck far away. He passed around to sniff the wind. His nose uplifted, he caught the odor of Hunter. He returned to the herd, grunted "Ngh-o-o." And he and they all fled. They arrived safely at town.
Then he asked them, "Who is dead? who is wounded?" They assured, "None." He said, "Good!"
Thus they went nutting, for five consecutive days, they and their King, Angângwe only keeping watch. And none of them died by Hunter.
Then Angângwe said to them, "Today let us have a conversation." And he began, "I told you, inkula si nyo o'kângâ w' oma; you said, 'Not so!' But, when you went by yourselves to eat nuts, did not Hunter kill you? And these five days that we have gone, you and I together, and you obeyed my voice, who has died?"
They then replied, "No one! no one! Indeed, you spoke truly. You are justified. Inkula si nyo o'kângâ wa 'Ngângwe. It is so!"