Ikom folk stories from Southern Nigeria

by Elphinstone Dayrell

The hare took a path which led through some farm, and after a time came across some people who were clearing the ground for their new farm. He went up to them, and having told them a long story about the cruel enemy he was running away from, begged them to hide him and cover him up with leaves and branches so that he should not be discovered. As the people were sorry for the hare, they agreed to do what he asked, and put him in a heap of rubbish where he could not be seen; they then went on with their work.

Shortly afterwards the Elephantiasis rolled himself up to where the people were working and asked them whether they had seen the hare pass that way, but the people told him that the hare had not called at their farm. Then the Elephantiasis said, “Oh, I see you want to deceive me, for I tracked him as I came along the path; but let me tell you the hare is a great friend of mine; unfortunately he has long legs and can run fast, whereas I have no legs and can only roll along slowly, and thus got left behind.” But the people still maintained that they had seen nothing of the hare. Then the Elephantiasis got angry, and said to the people, “If you do not tell me at once where the hare is, I will jump on you and you will have to carry me for the rest of your lives.” At this the people were frightened, as they knew the disease well, and did not wish to have it with them always, so they pointed out the heap of rubbish where the hare was hiding, and the Elephantiasis rolled off towards it.

Now all this time the hare had been listening, and when he saw the Elephantiasis coming towards him he jumped out of the heap and ran away as fast as he could go. He ran for some distance, and passed another farm, but did not go in, as he thought the same thing might happen to him there. He went on and on until he thought the Elephantiasis must be a long way behind, and it would be safe to stop for a time, so when he came to a small compound where the people were having their evening meal he went in and told them that he was being chased, and that the enemy were following him. When the people heard this they stopped eating, and having collected all their food they put it in the Egbo house and told the hare to stop there. They then armed themselves with bows and arrows to protect their homes from the enemy. The hare told them to go some little distance from the Egbo house, so that they should not be driven back upon him at once. He then sat down and eat the people’s food.

For some time the people stood waiting for the enemy to appear, but they saw no signs of anyone until the Elephantiasis rolled up to them, when the hare called out “The enemy has come.” At this one of the men raised his bow and arrow and was about to shoot when the Elephantiasis said, “Don’t shoot, I am not your enemy; I am looking for my friend, the hare, and I want you to show me where he is.” The people said he had not come that way, but the Elephantiasis replied that he had just heard the hare’s voice, and again threatened to jump on one of the men if they did not show him where the hare was hiding. The people then called upon the hare to come out of the Egbo house, but instead of doing so, he ran away in the opposite direction, and went down to a stream where he knew a land crab lived. When he got to the hole he found the old mother land crab at the entrance, and told her his usual story, asking her to help him, as the men always gave him up, and he promised to reward her if she drove his enemy away or killed him. The mother crab agreed, but told the hare that she had young ones in one branch of the hole, and that he might go in and sit down in another part until the fight was over. So the hare went into the hole, and the old mother crab stood at the entrance with her large claws open ready and waiting for the enemy.

Not long after this the Elephantiasis rolled himself down to the stream, where he met the mother crab, looking very fierce, and asked her if she had seen the hare.

The crab replied, “Yes, the hare is in my house, but I never give strangers up to their enemies.”

When the Elephantiasis said he was a friend of the hare, the crab said, “I don’t care whether you are a friend or an enemy, I am not going to give the hare up.” This made the Elephantiasis very angry, and he threatened to jump on the crab. But the crab said, “I am not at all afraid of you. You can try if you like, and then you will see what will happen.”

At this the Elephantiasis rolled himself back a few paces, and then went for the crab. The old crab was ready for him, and nipped him so severely with her sharp pincer-like claws that water came from his inside and he yelled with pain.

The hare then shouted out to the crab to fight well, and that when she had killed the Elephantiasis they would both make a good meal off him. When the Elephantiasis heard this he became more furious than ever, and rolled back again, and then made another attack on the crab. The crab then pinched him so severely that he burst and died, at which the hare was very glad.

When the mother crab told the hare that she had killed the Elephantiasis he told her to drag the body to the stream and wash it. Then the mother crab called for her knife, which the hare gave her out of the hole. The crab then dragged the Elephantiasis to the stream, where she cut him up and washed him properly. She then carried the meat back into the hole.