Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 3, 1892.djvu/116

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Folk-lore Tales of Central Africa.


The Story of the Doings of Cakide.

It happened that Cakide was going about seeking food. He failed to find it.

He said, "See, the game is all very large, and as for me, I am much smaller than all; even the coney is larger than I. So, then, how can I catch game? I am much smaller than all the beasts, and I will therefore die of hunger. Where shall I go? Ah! I will go to the homes of people and search for fowls, and eat their flesh and be filled."

Having considered thus, he went to the villages of the people, and came upon one which was outside, separated from the others, where there were no bushes, but where there were many fowls. He heard the hens cackling when they laid eggs, and the cocks crowing.

He said, "Ha, ha! there they go! This village is in an open place, and how shall I catch the fowls? Let me go and seek another village."

So he went and searched for another village, and found one, but it also was in an open place, and all the fowls remained hid in the village.

Cakide wondered greatly, and said, "Is it really thus? Just so! I will see where there is a village with bushes around it."

He went on and on, and at length a cock crowed. He said, "Here a cock is crowing."

He remained quiet, and again the cock crowed. So he went in the direction of the sound, and came where the cock was. The village was surrounded by bushes, and so Cakide was happy, and said, "Now I will catch these fowls easily."

In that village there was a very great number of fowls. He went on the path and lay down there. The fowls now approached him. Cakide trembled, and the fowls were affrighted, and fled into the village and entered their houses.

Cakide wondered greatly, and said, "After this I will take