Where Animals Talk; West African Folk Lore Tales/Part 2/Tale 25
Dog and His False Friend Leopard
Persons
| Mbwa (Dog) | Ngiya (Gorilla) |
| Njâ (Leopard) | |
NOTE
The origin of the hatred between dogs and leopards. Friends should not have arguments. An argument separates a company.
Dog and Leopard built a town. Dog then begot very many children. Leopard begot his many also. They had one table together. They conversed, they hunted, they ate, they drank.
One day, they were arguing: Leopard said, "If I hide myself, you are not able to see me." Dog replied, "There is no place in which you can hide where I cannot see you."
The next day, at the break of the day. Leopard emerged from his house at Batanga, and he went north as far as from there to Bahabane near Plantation. Dog, in the next morning, emerged. He asked, "Where is chum Njâ?" The women and children answered, "We do not know." Dog also started, and went: and as he went, smelling, until he arrived at Plantation (about 15 miles). He came and stood under the tree up which Leopard was hidden; and he said, "Is not this you?"
Both of them returned, and came to their town. Food had been prepared; and they ate. Leopard said, "Chum! you will not see me here tomorrow." When the next day began to break, Leopard started southward, as far as to Lolabe (about 15 miles). Next day, in the morning, Dog stood out in the street, lifted up his nose, and smelled. He also went down southward, clear on till he came to Lolabe; and standing at the foot of a tree, he said, "Is not this you?"
Leopard came down from the top of the tree; they stood; and then they returned to their town. Food was cooked for them; they ate, and finished.
Leopard said, "Chum! you will not see me tomorrow again, no matter what may take place." Dog asked, "True?" Leopard replied, "Yes!"
In the morning, Leopard started southward, for a distance like from Batanga to Campo River (about 40 miles).
At the opening of the next day, Dog emerged, and, standing and smelling, he said, looking toward the south, "He went this way." Dog also went to Campo. He reached Leopard, and said, "Is not this you?"
They came back to their town; they were made food; and they ate.
The next day, Leopard emerged early. He went northward, as far as from Batanga to Lokonje (about 40 miles). Dog sniffed the air, and followed north also. In a steady race, he was soon there; and he reached Leopard. So, Leopard said, "It is useless, I will not attempt to hide myself again from Mbwa."
Thereupon, Dog spoke to Leopard and said, "It is I, whom, if I hide myself from you, you will not see." Leopard replied, "What! even if you were able to find me, how much more should I be able to find you!" So, Dog said to him, "Wait, till daybreak."
When the next day broke, Dog passed from his house like a flash unseen, vyu! to Leopard's. And, underneath the bed of Leopard in his public Reception-house, he lay down. Then Leopard (who had not seen him) came to the house of Dog; he asked the women, "Where is Mbwa?" They said, "Thy friend, long ago, has gone out hence, very early." Leopard returned to his house, and he said to his children, "That fellow! if I catch him! I do not know what I shall do to him!"
He started southward on the journey, as far as Lolabe; and did not see Dog. So he returned northward a few miles, as far as Boje, and did not see him. Down again south to Campo; and he did not see him. That first day, he did not find him at all. Then he returned toward Batanga, and went eastward to Nkâmakâk (about 60 miles); and he did not see him. He went on northward to Ebaluwa (about 60 miles); did not see him. Up north-west to Lokonje; he did not see him. And Leopard, wearied, went back to his town.
Coming to the bed (not knowing Dog was there) he lay down very tired. He said to his people, "If I had met him today, then you would be eating a good meat now." All these words were said in the ears of Dog, the while that Dog was underneath the bed.
Then Dog leaped out, pwa! Leopard asked, "Where have you been?" Dog answered, "I saw you when you first passed out." Leopard said, "True?" And Dog says, "Yes!"
Then Dog went out far to his end of the town. And, knowing that Leopard intended evil toward him, he said to his children, "Let us go and dig a pit." So they went and dug a pit in the middle of the road.
Then Dog told his wives and children, "Go ye before, at once!" He also said, "I and this little Mbwa, which can run so fast, we shall remain behind." Then the others went on in advance.
(Before that, Leopard, observing some movements of the Mbwa family, had been speaking to himself, "I do not know the place where Mbwa and his children will go today.")
Dog warned this young one, "When you are pursued, you must jump clear across that pit."
Then Dog, to cover the retreat of his family, came alone to Leopard's end of the town. He and his children chased after him. Dog ran away rapidly, and escaped.
When Leopard's company arrived at the house of Dog, they found there only that little dog. So they said, "Come ye! for there is no other choice than that we catch and eat this little thing."
Thereupon, Leopard chased after the little dog; but it leaped away rapidly, and Leopard after him. When the little Dog was near the pit, it made a jump. (Leopard did not know of the pit, nor why the Dog jumped.) When Leopard was come to the pit, he fell inside, tumbling, volom!
His enemy Gorilla was following after Leopard, also in pursuit of Dog. He also fell into the pit, headlong, volom! Finding Leopard there. Gorilla said, "What is this?" Leopard stood at one side, and Gorilla at the other. When the one would be about to go near the other, if the other attempted to go near him, he would begin to growl, saying, "You must not approach here!"
Dog, standing at the edge above, was laughing at them, saying, "Fight ye your own fight! Did you want only me?"
But Leopard and Gorilla were not fighting in the pit. If the one approached, the other retreated.
Dog spoke to them and said in derision. "I have no strength; but as to your fight, was it seeking only me?"