“Yes,” said all the ngooboos, “it would not be pleasant to be impaled and get those big tusks between our ribs.”
The ngooboos went back to the river as fast as they could, their leader hurrying them on. But the scent of the njokoos became stronger and stronger, and thus showed the ngooboos that the njokoos were nearing them, and they did their best to run still faster. At last they came to the river and plunged into its water and in the course of time reached their different shoals.
There they felt strong. They all laughed and said, “Now we are at home in the water and can fight the njokoos.” But they added sadly, “What a pity that we did not get our full night meal, the grass tasted so good!”
It is the custom of the ngooboos living in this river to cross the prairie and bathe in the Atlantic Ocean two or three times a year. The prairie was bounded on one side by the river and on the other by the sea.
One day it was agreed among all the families of ngooboos that they should go to the beach the following night, and enjoy themselves swimming in the surf if the sea was not too rough. So when night came the ngooboos landed and began their journey toward the seashore.
“How they enjoyed their sea bath”
It was full moon and the journey to the ocean was made without mishaps. One family after another arrived on the beach. The ngooboos were greatly excited. They talked among themselves. There was great rejoicing among them. They sniffed the sea breeze and looked at the surf and at the broad sea before them and wondered why there was not a shore on the other side as on the river. They tramped around on the beach for quite a while.
Then the leaders of the different families said to their followers, “Let us go into the sea.” They grunted and snorted on the way, walked slowly through the surf, and losing their footing began to swim, though they did not dare to go far. They grunted loudly and threw water several feet high through their nostrils, as they did on the river.
They had a grand time. How they enjoyed their sea bath! How they laughed! Their loud snorts and grunts were heard by all the creatures in the neighborhood.