XXIX.—Why a Python Never Swallows a Tortoise.
In the days when the elephant was king over all the beasts of the forest, it was the custom for all the animals to go once a year and make the elephant’s farm for him. They cleared all the bush and planted his yams and plantains. On these occasions the elephant always entertained the animals, and when the work was finished the elephant gave them food. Now, although the python never did any work on the farm, he always attended the feasts and, being very greedy, eat more than his share of the food. This annoyed the tortoise so much that he stood up at the feast and abused the python before all the people, saying that he did not work, and then came and eat a large quantity of the food which had been provided by the king for the people who made his farm and planted his yams. The python was therefore compelled to leave the food and go home as he was unable to work, but he made a vow to revenge himself upon all the people. When the next season arrived and it was time for the farms to be made, all the people went as usual to make the elephant’s farm and plant his yams, &c., but as the elephant had had such a very bad crop the previous year, he told the people he was very sorry, but that he was unable to supply them with food that year as he had no yams or plantains to give them. But in the evening, when the work was done, he gave them tombo to drink, and then told them to go. When the python heard this he said, “Now the time is come when I can revenge myself upon the tortoise and the other people who would not let me eat the king’s food last year.” So he went off into the bush, taking his wife with him, and together they gathered large numbers of soft palm nuts. They also collected other nuts and fruit and made them into heaps by the wayside where they knew all the people would pass on their way home from working on the elephant’s farm. Just before it got dark the animals began to arrive at the spot where the python had collected his nuts and fruit, and, being very hungry, they asked the python to allow them to eat some of his palm nuts. The python said, “Certainly, you can help yourselves, but remember if you do, when I am hungry I shall follow you and swallow you up when I catch you.” When the animals heard this they were frightened, and although they were very hungry, they passed on and left the fruit untouched. The tortoise was the last to arrive, and when he saw the palm nuts he shouted out, “Hallo, python, I am hungry, may I have some of your fruit?” The python then reminded him how he had been insulted at the king’s feast, but added, “If you are hungry you may take some palm nuts, but when I am hungry I shall swallow you.”
So the tortoise, not liking the idea of being swallowed by the python, passed along as the other animals had done. But he had not gone far when his hunger tempted him to return and eat the fruit. When he saw the python the tortoise said, “I want to eat the fruit as I am hungry, but, if you swallow me, my body is small and mostly shell so that your hunger will not be satisfied. If you will give me the palm nuts I will allow you to eat all the other animals except our king the elephant.” So the python replied, “How can you give me all the animals for food, seeing that they do not belong to you?” The tortoise then told the python that he would go and stay with the different animals, and he would expect him every morning after rain had fallen during the night; he would then go off into the bush, so that when the python came to swallow him he would not be there, and he could satisfy his hunger with the animal he, the tortoise, had been staying with. The python agreed to this arrangement and allowed the tortoise to eat the palm nuts. When he had satisfied his appetite, the tortoise told the python he was going to stay the night with his friend the bush buck, and then went away. That night there was heavy rain. So in the morning the tortoise went off into the bush, leaving the bush buck to be eaten by the python. After this the tortoise went from one animal to another, and many of them were swallowed by the python, but the tortoise always escaped. And that is why pythons do not eat tortoises now.
Told by Abassi of Inkum.—[E.D., 11.8.10.]
XXX.—The Game of Hide-and-seek as Played by the Hawk and the
Bush Cow.
In the days when all the animals and birds lived together they were always on friendly terms, even the eagles and hawks did not molest the hens and ducks. At that time the eagle was king over all the birds, and a very small grey-coloured antelope was made king of the animals. This antelope was appointed king because he was so cunning, and always knew when danger was near, having a very fine sense of smell and keen eyesight. The hunters were never able to kill him, because when they saw him, which was very seldom, it would be when he went to a pool to drink; then they would wait for the antelope to put his head down to the water, but this he never did, as he drank through small holes in his feet. He would then smell the hunters while they were watching him, and run away before they could kill him.
The eagle was elected king of the birds because he lived higher up in the air than any of the other birds, and could thus direct them better. One day the eagle went to the antelope and challenged him to play at a game of hiding between the birds and animals. He chose the hawk to represent the birds, and the antelope selected the bush cow on the animals’ side. They arranged that one should hide himself in the bush and the other should try to find him, but that if he failed to do so, the one hiding would be considered the winner and the loser would have to pay a large number of rods as a forfeit.
The first day the hawk was told to hide in the forest and the bush cow had to find him. So in the early morning the hawk flew off to where he knew there was a very tall tree covered with creepers. He then hid himself in the densest part and went to sleep. All day long the bush cow wandered about trying to find the hawk, but without success, and when the evening came he was quite tired and went home and reported his bad luck to the antelope. Later in the evening the eagle took the hawk to the antelope’s house and said that as the bush cow had been unable to find him, he was the winner, to which the antelope agreed and paid over the rods to the eagle. The antelope was not satisfied, so they arranged to have another match; but the same thing happened and the antelope had to pay again.
On the third day the antelope said to the eagle, “It seems to be very easy to hide; let the bush cow go and hide and the hawk look for him.” The eagle agreed to this, and the match was for the same number of rods. As soon as it was light enough to see, the bush cow went off into the forest until he came to a favourite swamp of his where he lay down and wallowed in the mud, leaving only a little of his head and back exposed to view. The hawk circled round and round and, knowing the habits of the bush cow and having very sharp sight, he very soon caught sight of the bush cow, so he swooped down and took a mouthful of hair and flew back to the eagle and reported that he had found the bush cow, and produced the hair as proof. That night the antelope had to pay again, and by this time he had lost quite a lot of money, so he arranged with the eagle that the hawk should hide the next day and the bush cow should try again. When the eagle had gone, the antelope told the bush cow that he was very angry indeed with him, and that if he failed to find the hawk again he would make him repay all the money he had lost to the eagle. The hawk flew off the next morning, and very shortly afterwards the bush cow dashed off into the forest to look for him. As the hawk had always won so easily, he thought he would have some fun with the bush cow, so he left the shelter of his tree and circled up high in the air. The hawk very soon caught sight of the bush cow rushing about through the forest, so he flew down very quietly behind the bush cow and perched himself on the horns of the bush cow quite softly. For some time the bush cow ran about in all directions searching for the hawk, until at last, as he could not find him, he thought the hawk must have gone home, so he charged back again through the bush to the hawk’s house and at times the hawk had to follow him by flying as the bush was so thick, but when the country was open he quickly settled quite softly on the bush cow’s horns again. As the bush cow went through the town he saw several different birds, and asked each of them as he passed whether they had seen the hawk about anywhere, but although they could all see the hawk perched on the bush cow’s horns, no one answered him. When he reached the hawk’s house, the bush cow searched everywhere for him, but finding he was not there, he rushed out again and went round another part of the town to see if he could find him. On his way he passed several cocks and hens, and asked them where the hawk was, but they only laughed at him. The bush cow then asked them again, but they continued to laugh. At last he became so angry that he threatened to trample on them if they did not tell him. So the cock said, “What you are looking for is sitting on your head; if you wave one of your arms over your head you will find what you want.” The bush cow would not believe the cow at first, and all the birds continued to laugh at him. At last, however, the bush cow did as the cock suggested, to find out if what he had said was true, and at once the hawk flew up and was seen by the bush cow who at once galloped off and told the antelope that he had found the hawk and had very nearly caught him with his hoof. The eagle was then sent for, and, although he grumbled very much, had to pay the amount of the bet.
That night the hawk told the eagle that it was the cock and hens who told the bush cow to wave his arm over his horns, otherwise he never would have been found. So the eagle sent for them and said, “It was you who told the bush cow where the hawk was hiding and in consequence I have had to pay a large amount to the antelope as a punishment; for the future I shall allow the hawk to always kill your children whenever he can catch them.” Now at this time the cocks and hens, who were related to the bush fowls, used to live with them in the same place, and when the eagle told them that the hawk would kill their chickens, they made up their minds to go and live with the men. When the bush fowls heard this they begged the cock and hen not to do so, and told them that the men would kill and eat them, but the cocks and hens replied that they would rather take their chance with the men than have their chickens killed by the hawk in the bush. The following morning, therefore, the cocks and hens set off with their children, carrying a piece of bark with them and told the other people they were going to get some fire. When they got to the men’s houses they looked about and found that there was so much to eat and they were so comfortable that they at once decided to stay, and have lived with the men ever since, while their cousins the bush fowls live in the bush. The hawks still continue to kill the chickens, but the cocks and hens always run and take shelter when they see the hawk coming. In the early morning before the sun rises you can always hear the bush fowls calling to the cocks and hens to come back and live with them, and shortly afterwards you can hear the cocks answering them, saying that they prefer to live in safety with the men.
Told by Abassi of Inkum.—[E.D., 4.1.11.]