THE MAGIC ALMONDS.
Long ago there grew on the beach an almond tree, which bare fruit plentifully. And men came and climbed the tree and shook its boughs, so that much fruit fell upon the ground. And the children underneath threw stones, and hit other of the almonds, which fell and were eaten. Thus was the almond tree spoiled of her fruit. But there still hung upon the tree a cluster of three almonds, and they remained until they were very ripe. Then they fell and lay beneath the tree.
THE MAGIC ALMONDS.
walked, he saw an old woman sitting near a coco palm making a cup of coconut shell. And she, hearing his footstep, looked up and cried, "Little brother, wilt thou climb and pluck me some coconuts, for there is here no man to climb for me."
Then said he, "Yea, truly, mother, I will climb and pluck thy coconuts." And he set about to make him ready to climb. First he laid down his fish, and then looked for a wapama or loop of fibre with which to stay himself. Then having found his wapama, he put it round his ankles and clasped the palm with his arms, and so mounted to the top.
When he had thrown down to the old woman as many coconuts as she desired, he started to come down. But she, hungering for his flesh, cried, "Ah, little brother, why dost thou come down in this manner? Thy head should be first!" Then he, being but simple, did as the old woman bade him, and came down head first. And as he was now about to reach the ground, the dame beat upon his head with her husband's wooden sword, and killed him. And when she saw that he was dead, she cut up his body and cooked it, and in the evening she and her husband ate of the flesh and were full. It came to pass on the morrow that the second almond turned itself from side to side in like manner to the largest. And when it had now turned many times, it too became a young man, as had the other on the day before. And he also set forth to catch fish, and having caught them, he saw the same old woman making a cup of coconut shell. Now when she saw him she was very glad, and called to him, "Ah, little brother, wilt thou climb and pluck me some coconuts, for there is here no man to climb for me."
And the second brother climbed, and came down with his head first, as the old woman bade him, and was killed and eaten, even as his brother had been.
On the third day it was the turn of the smallest almond. It lay under the tree, and turned from side to side continually, until it became a young man, and arose and stood upright. Then he did as had done his brothers. He speared fish, and then came to where the old woman sat making her cup. And she hailed him with joy, and when she had asked him the same favour she had his brothers, he climbed up at once. When he had thrown down the nuts he started to come down, and the dame cried, as she had done before, "Ah, little brother, why dost thou come down in this manner? Let thy head be first!"
But though the lad had been long in an almond shell yet was he not a fool, and he called back with a loud voice, "Who ever came down with the head first?" and slipped quickly down and ran to the old woman, and seized the wooden sword from her hand and cut her head off. Then he cooked her body y and left it in the pot in the house, so that the husband might see it when he came back from the gardens. And he climbed into a betel palm near the house, and hid himself under the leaves and waited.
After a little the old woman's husband came home, and being hungry, he waited not to see if his wife would come, but began at once to eat what he found in the pot. While he was thus eating he heard a voice from the betel palm crying, "It is thy wife whose flesh thou art eating!" Then, hearing a voice but seeing no one, he searched to see who this might be who called to him, and soon saw the lad seated in the betel palm above him." It is thou who hast killed my wife!" he cried, and ran into the house and sharpened his stone axe that he might cut down the palm and kill the lad. But as he cut it down the lad leapt to the next, and when that was cut down to yet another, and when that fell he climbed into a bread fruit tree and sat there. The old man had destroyed his betel palms, and now cut down the bread fruit tree, hoping to slay the lad who had killed his wife. But ere the tree was cut through the lad had leapt into a chestnut tree, and the old man well nigh despaired of slaying his enemy. Nevertheless he took heart and laid his axe upon the chestnut, and with many brave strokes he cut through the great trunk. And there were near there no more trees into which the lad might climb. Therefore the man was glad, and he said in his heart, "Mine enemy is in my hand, and I shall avenge the death of my wife upon him!" But even as he put forth his hand to seize him, the lad was turned into a crab before his eyes, and burrowed swiftly into the earth. And in that form he remained even unto this day, for he became a gwagadogo, and there are many of this tribe on the beach, as thou knowest, who ever flee into their holes if a man do but draw near, for they fear lest he be about to take vengeance for the death of the old woman whom their forefather slew.