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| Preface | vii |
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| PART I |
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| CHAPTER I |
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| EN ROUTE TO CONGO |
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| I am packed in a box--Sent to Congoland--My journey on the ocean steamer--Curious names of the Kroo boys--Landed at Banana--Thrown on the deck of a river steamer | [1] |
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| CHAPTER II |
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| MY JOURNEY UP THE CONGO |
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| Our captain and tyrant--River scenes--We camp at a trading-station--Native riddles | [6] |
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| CHAPTER III |
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| MY OVERLAND JOURNEY BEGINS |
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| The white man’s fetish--I am exchanged with others for rubber and ivory--My new companions express freely their opinions about the white men--Why the white men are on the Congo--Native suspicions and prejudices | [12] |
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| CHAPTER IV |
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| WE REACH THE TOWN OF MY OWNER |
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| Crossing the Mpalabala hills--The head man knocks his toes--It is an evil omen--He visits the “medicine man”--Finds his brother dying--Last hours of the dying chief | [19] |
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| CHAPTER V |
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| A FUNERAL ORGY |
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| Satu becomes chief--Preparations for the funeral feast--My box is opened--I become a neck ornament--Bakula, my new owner, is smart, but superstitious--The mourners assemble and present their gifts--The toilet before eating--Drunkenness and quarrelling--Corpse is carried to the grave--A white man wants to steal the ivory trumpets--He is shaved and sent about his business | [24] |
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| CHAPTER VI |
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| OUR TOWN LIFE |
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| Streets are irregular--Houses small and draughty--Their reception, dining, and drawing rooms are in the open air--Their many charms and fetishes--Routine of the day--Bakula tells a story: “How the Sparrow set the Elephant and the Crocodile to pull against each other”--Tumbu, a slave, relates the tale of “The Four Fools”--And Bakula tells: “How the Squirrel won a Verdict for the Gazelle” | [34] |
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| CHAPTER VII |
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| THE SEARCH FOR THE WITCH |
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| People believe their chief died by witchcraft--They send for the witch-finder--His arrival and antics--The ceremony of discovering the witch--Satu’s brother, Mavakala, is accused--Why was Mavakala accused?--He takes the ordeal--Proves his innocence--Other tests are forced on him--He is done to death | [49] |
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| CHAPTER VIII |
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| VISITORS ARRIVE |
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| The dulness and pettiness of native life--Arrival of two visitors--Bakula questions them about the white man--They relate the little they know about him--Old Plaited-Beard stirs the people up against the white man--They exchange their views about him--They agree to oppose him--The white man is seen approaching--He is driven from the town and has to sleep in the bush | [58] |
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| CHAPTER IX |
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| SOME CUSTOMS, GAMES, AND A JOURNEY |
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| The Luck-giver is called to bring prosperity on the town--His mode of procedure--Satu and some of his people go on a visit to a great chief--Good and bad omens--The game at “Antelope”--Bakula narrates a story: “How the Fox saved the Frog’s Life”--Another lad tells why inquiry should come before anger--The difficult road--Bakula and his friends dress themselves--Their mixed wardrobes | [69] |
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| CHAPTER X |
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| OUR RECEPTION AND ENTERTAINMENT |
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| The welcome of Tonzeka and his people--A case judged--We find the white man in Tonzeka’s town--Tonzeka defends the white man--He complains of the effect of the white man’s preaching--A drunken bout | 89 |
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| CHAPTER XI |
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| SATU VISITS THE WHITE MAN |
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| Bakula goes to the white man to have his wound dressed--White man puts in a good word for the traders--Bakula is touched by the white man’s kindness--A native dance--An exhibition of native pride--A long talk with the white man--We gain many new ideas from our conversation--Bakula has another interview with the white man and they become good friends | [100] |
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| CHAPTER XII |
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| NATIVE GAMES AND PASTIMES |
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| Make-believe games--“Biti” and needle--Game with canna seeds--Hoop game--“Mbele,” or Knife game--The story of “The Four Wonders,” or a puzzle story--Conundrums--“The Adventures of the Twins” | [114] |
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| CHAPTER XIII |
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| BAKULA ACCOMPANIES AN EMBASSY |
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| A title reverts to Satu--He sends Old Plaited-Beard to the King with a present--The embassy arrives at the King’s town--Has an audience in the King’s house--King promises to send a deputy to install Satu--King dines with the white man and sees a magic lantern--Bakula and the white man renew their acquaintance--He sleeps on the Mission Station and hears all about the King’s household | [131] |
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| CHAPTER XIV |
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| BAKULA STAYS WITH THE WHITE MAN |
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| The working of a Mission Station--Buying food--The school--Bakula is afraid to enter the school--Repairing the station--Boys work in the gardens--A quarrel, and how it was settled--An evening’s chat with the white man--Rubbing evil spirits out of a man--Sunday service--Congregation--Sermon--Visit to a near town--Religious talk with the King--Boys pray for their white teacher--Witch-doctor’s trick exposed | [148] |
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| CHAPTER XV |
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| SATU RECEIVES A TITLE |
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| The King sends for medicine--He is told to apply to St. Catherine--The King’s promise--Bakula bids farewell to his white friend--King’s deputy goes with us to Satu’s town--Ceremony of conferring the title--Killing a leopard--Satu redeems his brother--Releases his niece from a hateful marriage--A story: “Appearances are sometimes Deceptive”--A chief asks for Satu’s niece in marriage--Marriage money is paid--The wedding--Satu gains a new slave | [167] |
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| CHAPTER XVI |
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| HUNTING AND BUSH-BURNING |
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| Manner of bush-burning--Witch-doctor makes a hunting charm--Ceremony is carefully performed--Blazing bush and rushing animals--Satu arranges with another chief to burn the bush--Dimbula breaks the law and insults Satu--War is declared--Old Plaited-Beard being unsuccessful accuses Bakula of bewitching him--He tries to restore his luck | [194] |
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| CHAPTER XVII |
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| SATU AND HIS PEOPLE GO TO WAR |
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| Satu as the insulted party makes the first move--He sends an embassy to Dimbula--He asks for an apology or offers a bullet--The apology is refused, but the bullet is accepted--The witch-doctor makes a war charm--Mode of fighting--The ridge-pole of chief’s house is captured--Dimbula sues for peace with a white goat--Pays homage to Satu--Blood brotherhood is made | [212] |
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| CHAPTER XVIII |
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| GOVERNING, MARKETING, AND TRADING CUSTOMS |
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| The making and enforcing of laws--Fines imposed--Division of fines--Congo week of four days probably named after their markets--Raids and robberies--Preparing a caravan for the road--Rules of the road--Arriving at a trading-station--Mode of trading--Goods given and received | [223] |
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| CHAPTER XIX |
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| AN ACCUSATION AND THE ORDEAL |
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| Old Plaited-Beard charges Bakula with stealing--The accusation is denied--Bakula declares his disbelief in charms and witch-doctors--Satu saves him from immediate death--The missing cloth is found in Bakula’s house--Tumbu exposes the accuser’s trickery--He is ridiculed--Bakula submits to the ordeal of the boiling oil--His arm is badly scalded--During the night Bakula escapes to the Mission Station | [240] |
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| CHAPTER XX |
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| BAKULA AT SCHOOL |
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| After much nursing Bakula recovers--He becomes a school-boy--He struggles with the alphabet--He learns to understand pictures--Routine life--Bakula itinerates with his white man--He does not relish sleeping in the wet bush--He is convicted of sin--He inquires the way of salvation--The lads play a trick on a witch-doctor--Bakula is received into the Church--He returns to his town | [252] |
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| CHAPTER XXI |
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| BAKULA’S WORK CHECKED |
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| The conservatism of the Congo people--Bakula and his scholars build a school-house--A missionary visits his town--He encourages Bakula in his work--A “luck fowl” dies--Its death is put to the credit of the missionary’s visit and teaching--The school-house is pulled down--Satu is afraid to interfere--Native way of punishing an unpopular chief | [267] |
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| CHAPTER XXII |
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| BAKULA FALSELY ACCUSED AND MURDERED |
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| Failure of various remedies--Witch-doctor engaged--Diagnosing a case--Different “medicine men” are called in--Bakula denounces their trickery--Suspicion of witchcraft falls on Bakula--Native attempts to rid themselves of death, sickness, etc.--Preparing a corpse for the grave--Bakula is accused of bewitching his mother to death--He is guarded by Old Plaited-Beard through the night--He is taken to the hill-top--He falls and is done to death--Tumbu buries the mangled body of his friend | [274] |
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| CHAPTER XXIII |
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| I FIND MANY CHANGES |
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| Mikula while digging the foundations for a brick house discovers me--The town is changed--There is daily worship--Observance of the sabbath--Sunday service--Collections for support of teachers--Christian funeral--Visit to the Mission Station--Teaching teachers--Martyrs for the cause | [294] |
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| CHAPTER XXIV |
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| A MARRIAGE AND A HARVEST FESTIVAL |
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| A Christian wedding--Grateful offerings--Christianity a great boon to the women--Reunion--Various meetings--Lady missionaries conduct services--Auction sale of the gifts--Changed lives--Mikula instructs a stranger in the way of Salvation--Rules for candidates and for Church fellowship | [307] |
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| CHAPTER XXV |
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| MIKULA AT THE CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL |
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| Months glide quickly by while working hard--Deacon’s meeting--Church-meeting--The kind of candidates who were rejected--Baptismal service--The great meeting of the Church--Election of deacons--The balance sheet--A deficit--Native Christians wipe out the debt--Local missionary meeting--The great communion service | [326] |
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| Notes to Part I | [341] |
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| PART II |
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| NATIVE STORIES TOLD AROUND THE EVENING FIRES IN CONGOLAND |
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| Introduction | [361] |
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| I |
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| How the Fowl evaded his Debt | [371] |
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| II |
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| Why the Small-ant was the Winner | [374] |
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| III |
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| How the Animals imitated the Gazelle and brought Trouble upon Themselves | [376] |
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| IV |
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| Why the Fowls never shut their Doors | [379] |
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| V |
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| Why the Dog and the Palm-rat hate each other | [382] |
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| VI |
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| The Leopard boils his Mother’s Teeth | [384] |
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| VII |
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| How the Ants saved the Partridge’s Eggs | [386] |
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| VIII |
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| The Leopard sticks to the Nkondi (wooden image) | [388] |
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| IX |
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| How the Mouse won his Wife | [391] |
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| X |
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| The Gazelle outwits the Leopard | [396] |
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| XI |
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| The Gazelle punishes the Palm-rat for breaking his promise | [399] |
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| XII |
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| How the Crow cheated the Dove and got into Difficulty through it | [401] |
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| XIII |
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| How the Civet and the Tortoise lost their Friendship for each other | [403] |
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| XIV |
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| The Water-Fairies save a Child | [406] |
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| XV |
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| How the Squirrel repaid a Kindness | [410] |
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| XVI |
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| The King-fisher deceives the Owl | [415] |
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| XVII |
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| How the Tortoise was punished for his Deceit | [416] |
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| XVIII |
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| How the Frog collected his Debt from the Hawk | [419] |
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| XIX |
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| How a Child saved his Mother’s Life | [422] |
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| XX |
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| How the Gazelle won his Wife | [425] |
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| XXI |
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| The Gazelle is at last punished | [429] |
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| XXII |
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| The Leopard pays Homage to the Goat | [433] |
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| XXIII |
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| Why the Owls and the Fowls never speak to each other | [436] |
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| XXIV |
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| How the Elephant punished the Leopard | [439] |
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| XXV |
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| How the Leopard tried to deceive the Gazelle | [441] |
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| XXVI |
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| The Story of two Young Women | [443] |
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| XXVII |
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| Why the Chameleon cut off his own Head | [445] |
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| XXVIII |
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| Why the Congo Robin has a Red Breast | [447] |
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| XXIX |
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| The Leopard tries to steal the Gazelle’s Wife | [449] |
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| XXX |
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| The Gazelle kills the Flies and Mosquitoes, and outwits the Leopard | [451] |
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| XXXI |
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| The Leopard is badly tricked by the Gazelle, Rat, and Frog | [454] |
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| XXXII |
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| Why the Small-ants live in the Houses | [460] |
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| XXXIII |
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| The Son who tried to outwit his Father | [462] |
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| Index | [463] |