When the chief heard his son’s voice he went back to the town and got all the animals and birds as quickly as possible, and having brought them down to the water-side, sacrificed them to the river ju-ju. When the sacrifice was completed, the chief told all his young men to go into the river with a net; in case his son should not be able to get out of the water, they could then fish him out.
Very shortly the river ju-ju threw Ode up, and he tried to swim, but one of the men in a canoe pulled him out of the water and brought him to the bank. The people then beat drums and escorted the chief and his son back to the town, singing as they went.
As soon as they arrived, the whole of the townspeople came out with presents of various articles and gave them to Ode. Chief Okim then gave a great feast, and killed many cows and goats, and there was a big play and dancing in the town. When the play was over Chief Okim asked his son what he had found out while he was with the river ju-ju, and Ode replied that the river ju-ju made him understand that it was his sister Essama who stole the goat, but, as the ordeal found the scent of the goat on him, he disappeared in the water. Then Chief Okim called out Essama’s mother and told her what her daughter had done, nearly causing him to lose his son altogether. The chief and his wife had a quarrel, which ended in his fining her 1,200 rods, which was the price of a slave, and said that the whole of her family would have to help to pay. The rods were brought to the chief, and half the amount was given to Ode. The people then decided that it was because Essama was kept so long in the fatting-house which caused her to kill the goat, and they agreed that for the future girls should only stay in the fatting-house for a few days, as they would then not be tempted to steal and bring shame upon their families.
Told by Ennenni, a dancing-woman of Okuni.—[E. Dayrell, 14.1.11.]
Quomodo evenit ut Penis primum cum Vagina coiit.
Penis autem olim rure solus habitabat, hand procul a Testiculis, amico ejus, qui magus erat valde peritus, atque fundum proximum incolebat. Ultra tamen praedia Penis villam parvam habebat Vagina. Penis forte ad villam Vaginae vagatus, et fame afflictus, illam palmae nuces, quas nuper in horto collegerat, rogavit, scilicet quod ipse totam diem in agro laborasset nec sibi cibum parare potuisset. Nec abnuit Vagina, sed se pauperem esse dicebat, et Penem debitum reddere alio tempore opportere. Quo pacto Penis cum nucibus abiit. Paullo postea Vagina haud procul ab aedibus Penis ligna capite ferebat, et, debiti memor, domum ejus aggressa, “Esurio” inquit “O Penis, cum totam diem haec ligna collegi, nec mihi cibum parare potui. Redde igitur nuces quas debes.” Penis tamen noluit, et Vagina iterum vehementius nuces postulabat; deinde, cum se nihil profiteri sentiret, ligna in terram irata dejecit, seque insuper prostravit. Unum autem e lignis quod peracutum erat Vaginam inter crura altius vulneravit, gravique dolore afflixit. Quod visum Penis aegre ferebat, atque ligno extracto et vulnere aqua perluto Vaginam domum duxit. Haec tamen interdum, magno dolore pressa, lamentari non desinebat, quod maxime Penem pigebat, qui eam penitus amabat, etiamsi nuces debitas reddere noluerat. Itaque Penis domum regressus servum jussit in villam Vaginae properare atque vulneri medicamenta adhibere. Quo facto servus, cum Vagina nihilominus inter gemitus vociferabat se vehementer dolentem sanari a Pene opportere, qui causa malorum fuisset, ad Penem regressus ea quae dixerat Vagina nuntiavit. Quae audita Penis diu meditatus statim ire amicum suum, Testiculos, consultum statuit, qui maxime sapiens diceretur. At Testiculi, de Vaginae vulnere certior factus, dixit Penem Vaginam sanare posse si verbis suis obtemperet; et Penis laetus se velle omnia facere quae necesse essent asseverabat. Eo autem tempore Penis nunquam erectus fiebat. Itaque Testiculi “Liquore” inquit “te implebo ita ut erectus fias; deinde i ad Vaginam teque in vulnus insere; quo facto te paene foras extractum iterum atque iterum in vulnus impelle, dum tandem liquorem quo te implevi in vulnus vomes.” “At si quidam” inquit Penis “inimicus mihi gladio instabit jam in vulnere condito, inopinantem interficere poterit.” “Bono animo es” inquit Testiculi “ego enim a tergo vigilabo pro te ne quid infaustum accidat.” Itaque Penis ad Vaginam properavit et omnia quae amicus jusserat perfecit. At Vagina medicinam sibi magnopere profuisse dixit, et Penem precata est ut omni quaque nocte veniret eodem modo vulnus sanaturus. Paucis itaque diebus Vagina convaluit, sed rima alta in corpore manebat. Ex eo tempore etiam Testiculi et Penis in uno juncti sunt, ita ut Testiculi, quoties Penis Vaginam videat, eum liquore implet per quem validus fit. At si quid incommodi Vagina habeat, vel alio sit qui vehementius rixetur, tum Penis erectus non fit, nec rimam intrare potest.
(Told by Ennenni, a singing and dancing girl of Okuni. May 18th, 1911.)
Plate I. (click image to enlarge)