Where Animals Talk; West African Folk Lore Tales/Part 2/Tale 30
The Story of a Panic
Persons
| Edubu (Adder) | Njâku (Elephant) |
| Ikingi (Fly) | Ngubu (Hippopotamus) |
| Ko (Wild-Rat) | Nyati (Ox) |
| Ngomba (Porcupine) | Bejaka (Fishes) |
| Ngando (Crocodile) | |
NOTE
Native Africans after bathing, rub more or less of some oil, either native palm, or foreign pomade, on their bodies.
In the Dry Seasons, when the rivers are low, fish are caught by building dams across the streams, and then bailing out the water from the enclosed spaces. Observe flies, as carriers of disease.
Adder went to bathe. He returned, and anointed himself with nyimba oil (oil of bamboo-palm nuts), and then climbed out on to a branch of a cayenne-pepper bush.
Fly came and settled upon Adder's back. Adder, being annoyed, drove Fly away. Then Fly said to Adder, in anger, "Know you not that it is I who cause even Njâku, with his big tusks, to rot? And that I can cause Nyati and Ngubu to rot? And I can cause Mankind to rot! Then how much more you, this Thing who has only ribs and ribs!"
When Adder heard this, he was alarmed, and he entered into the hole of Wild-Rat. Wild-Rat asked him, "Chum Adder! where do you come from in such haste?" He answered, "I have seen a Being which does not hesitate to cause Beasts and even Mankind to rot. Therefore, I am fled, by reason of fear of Ikingi."
Whereupon Wild-Rat, frightened, arose, and entered hastily into the town of Porcupine. Porcupine, alarmed, asked Wild-Rat, "What is it?" He answered, "I'm afraid of Ikingi; Edubu says that it is he who causes both Mankind and Beasts to rot."
Then Porcupine, in fear went out, running, going to the town of Hog. Whereupon Hog, being startled, asked him, "Chum! what is it?" He answered him, "I'm afraid of Ikingi. Ngomba says that he is the one who causes both Beasts and Mankind to rot."
Hog at once ran out in terror, and went to a river with all his family. And the water of the river was promptly crowded out, leaving its channel dry.
Then the Fishes (mistaking this motion of the water) arose in haste, saying, "The people who bail the river have come!" And they fled.
Then Crocodile opened his mouth wide; and the fishes in their flight began to enter into his stomach. Among them was ingongo-Kenda (a young kenda; a fish with spines like a catfish). When Crocodile was about to swallow, the spines caught fast in his throat. And Crocodile died at once.
Then the Fishes sang a song of rejoicing.
"Ngando, with stealing,
Ngando died by a sting in his throat."
Such was the death that Crocodile died, on account of his attempt to swallow Fishes, who had rushed into his open mouth, as they fled, alarmed by the confusion raised by the panic of the other animals.