Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 27, 1916.djvu/149

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Folklore of the Banyanja.
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beasts he said, "Mjarre" and every one of them got a tail!

Then all the animals were thirsty and wanted to drink, and they went about looking for water. One of them said, "I saw an animal go up into the mountain to get water." The Hippo said he would go to ask it, so he went up the mountain singing:

"Ti, titi ba tui.
I have come to ask for water, now the sun is shining.
Ti, titi ba tui (twice).
Ti, titi ba."

He found the animal and it said, "What do you want?" He said, "We want water." It said, "There is very little water here; but if you go back to your friends and say Katcheni!" (the name of another tree) "then water will come for you all to drink." The Hippo went back; but on the way he forgot the name and when they asked him he could not remember it. Then the Elephant went; but he too forgot it; the Eland also went, and he forgot it; and so with all the other beasts. At last the little Tortoise went and he remembered it and they had plenty of water.


The Ikon Worker.

There were two brothers. One was a Man who gives advice and the other a Worker in iron. The Man who gives advice was poor and the Iron Worker was rich. The Man who gives advice told his brother, "You had better tell everyone you cannot work any more." The brother said, "No, I shall not do that." So the other said, "All right, it is your affair." Then a Chief sent a great quantity of iron and said, "It must all be made up to-day or I will kill you." The Iron Worker worked hard; but he used up all his wood and he saw he could not finish that day. So he went to his brother and said, "What shall I do? They will kill me." The brother said, "I told you so. Now,