The reason they could not understand each other was because the ngozos in the village of the human beings had been captured in their nests when their bodies were covered with down, and had only learned the language of the human beings. They had no ngozos to teach them the language of their kin living in the forest. They had invented a jargon of their own, which they used when they did not speak the human language.
Some flocks advised others not to go where they had been, for there was very little food to be found; others told where monkeys were numerous, or where they were not.
It was getting late, near sunset, and all the flocks ought to have arrived; but the ngozos noticed that two were still absent. They were very much excited, and began to be afraid some great misfortune had happened to the missing ones, and talked loudly to one another. They wondered why no stragglers had arrived.
Suddenly they heard voices above them. It was one of the flocks arriving. “We are coming!” said the belated ones; “we are coming!” and they alighted. “Welcome!” said all the ngozos at the same time.
“What makes you so late?” cried all the ngozos.
“Well, we have come from a long way off, and our wings are tired. We had great trouble to find food enough to-day to satisfy our hunger, for the monkeys had been there before us this morning. We went a great distance, and, guided by our leader, we came to a region in which food was plentiful, and which the monkeys had not found out. Several flocks can find plenty of food there to-morrow, provided the ugly monkeys do not find the place.”
“Horrid monkeys!” chattered all the ngozos at once.
The ngozos waited anxiously for the only flock missing. They were much distressed. Had the flock left them to go to another place? The sun had set, and it was fast growing dark, for in the forest darkness comes soon after sunset. Soon, to their great joy, they heard above their heads the voices of the missing ones, and a great cry arose among them. “Welcome!” they shouted with one voice.
The flock alighted. “What makes you so late? It is almost dark,” cried the ngozos together.
“Don’t speak of it,” cried the belated flock. “Don’t speak of it. We had an awful fight with the monkeys, and we are lucky to have escaped with our lives from their clutches.”