They found trees with plenty of nuts on that day, and stopped only when they could not eat any more. The following day they went back to the pineapple land, and there met a number of nginas who had come to feast on the fruit. And as there was plenty of food for all, there was no quarrelling, and the younger nginas made love to those who were not mated.
After a few days the nginas began to get very fat. They approached the sea and wondered what the constant booming was. At first they were shy, but as the booming continued, their fear left them, and they walked toward the Atlantic. Pineapples were still plentiful even near the shore. They looked thoughtfully at the big sea. What they thought only themselves knew.
After leaving the land of the pineapples, the three nginas wandered through the forest, and got far away from the sea. At times they had trouble to find food with which to satisfy their hunger, and had to go during the day through large districts of the forest to seek it, and many a time they went to sleep hungry and with their big stomachs much shrunken. They had to separate during the day after, and each went in search of food for himself, and before sunset they met again. Sometimes when one of them came to a spot where food was abundant, he would call the others to come, telling of the lucky find.
CHAPTER XX
THE NGINAS TRAVEL TO A PLANTAIN FIELD; THEIR STRANGE ADVENTURES
One day the big ngina said to his mate: “Dear, do you remember the large field of plantain-trees that we discovered last rainy season? The trees must be big now and bearing fruit. How juicy must be the large bunches they bear! It is about time for us to travel toward them. Oh, what a feast we will have!” his face showing joy at the prospect, for he fancied he was already in the field and eating the succulent plantains. Of all the fruits growing in the forest, the ngina likes the plantain best.
“We shall have to hurry on our journey,” said the big fellow, “lest the njokoos get to the place before us.”
So the following morning they departed, the baby ngina walking close to his mother. They knew the way to the plantain field.
It was the height of the rainy season, and tornadoes were common, and these were followed by very heavy rains, accompanied by terrific thunder and lightning. “The plantain-trees,” said the ngina to his mate, “are a long way off, and if the huge njokoos, who are such great eaters, reach the place before we do, they will eat everything, and we shall have made our journey in vain. Let us hurry as fast as we can, so as to be there before their arrival, for the njokoos ramble far and wide in the forest, and some of them may have discovered the place also.” So they started on their journey.
The nginas met with many adventures on their way to the plantain fields that day. Toward sunset it began to rain very hard, and there was heavy thunder and sharp lightning. Soon they came to a place where they saw three huge boulders close together, and these were sheltered by the thick foliage of a large tree. The two nginas looked at each other, saying: “This is a good place to be in for the night. We will sleep under this tree.” They set their backs against one of the large boulders, and the baby ngina went to sleep in the lap of his mother. The rain dropped heavily from the leaves upon them. They slept with their heads hanging down on their chests. Their sleep was very light, and the falling of a leaf would have waked them. Besides, they were on the lookout for njegos, snakes, and other creatures.
When the morning came they saluted each other. The big fellow came close to his mate, and uttered certain sounds which meant, “Dear, I love you.” Then he extended his long arm and petted his little one, and soon they started again on their journey to the plantain field. Nothing unusual happened. They met two or three omembas (snakes) and some kambis (antelopes), and found enough to eat to satisfy their hunger.