Congo life and folklore

by John H. Weeks

Poor Tunga was so filled with fear that he did not know what to do; but by and by a Squirrel arrived, and after exchanging greetings he asked for some of the palm-wine, and as Tunga was going to pour it out the Squirrel said: “What! Have you no respect for me? I carry my own mug,” and putting his hand into his bag, he brought out the head of a Leopard, and said: “There, I have eaten nine Leopards, and this one here will be the tenth,” and as he repeated the words again and again very fiercely the Leopard began to tremble, and go backwards until he was in the road, and then he turned tail and fled with the Squirrel after him.

Tunga waited, and at last he and the Imp started again on their journey. He was now glad that he had been kind to the Squirrel and had saved his life.

On reaching the town, Tunga and the Imp were welcomed by the people, a good house was given to them, and they were well feasted. After resting there some days, Tunga and his wife started on their return journey home, but before leaving the town Mrs. Tunga’s family gave them a goat as a parting present.

When they reached the cross-roads Tunga said to the Imp: “I will kill the goat here, and give you your half.”

“All right,” said the Imp; “but you must also give me half of the woman.”

“No,” replied Tunga; “the woman is my wife, but you shall have half the goat.”

The Imp became very angry and called to his friends, and a great crowd of Imps came to fight Tunga.

While they were wrangling, the Squirrel arrived and asked what was the cause of the row. They told him, and he said: “If we divide the goat and the woman, how are you going to cook them? You have neither firewood nor water. Some of you fetch water, and others go for firewood.”

He opened his box and gave to some of them a calabash in which to fetch water, but while the water was running into the calabash it sung such a magic tune that the Imps began to dance, and could not stop dancing.

Then the Squirrel opened his box again and let loose a swarm of bees that stung the other Imps so badly that they all bounded away and never returned again to trouble Tunga. Then the Squirrel said to Tunga: “You now see that if you had not been merciful to me I should not have been able to save you from the Leopard and the Imps. Your kindness to me has saved your own life and your wife’s.” Tunga thanked him for his help and went his way home.