Utigebode replied evasively, “Since I set the snares, I have not caught even a Inâni.” The father said, “Well! if it is true that you have not killed any Beast or Bird, I will know tomorrow.”
The next day broke; and the father went to the village of Prophet Njambi. The Prophet saluted him, “What have you come for?” Njambo replied, “I come to you for you to tell me about my son, whether in his hunting he kills beasts, or whether he does not.” Njambi answered, “He snares them constantly; but, because of the name you gave him, he saves the lives of the people of the tribes of Beasts.”
The prophet added, “If there be a doubt, I will show you a way to prove my words. When you go back to town you will meet Ihĕli at the end of the village. When you meet with him, call for the people to set nets to catch him. But, yourself shall stand and watch what the Beast does before your eyes.”
Njambo arose to go, and bade goodbye, saying, “This is my return journey to my village.”
And it was so that, on nearing the end of the village, he met with Gazelle. Njambo shouted, “Men! spread your nets! Here is a Beast! Let us catch it!” His men brought their nets, and began to surround Gazelle. And the son Utigebode came to assist. The men were shouting, “Hâ-hâ! Hâ-hâ!” to frighten the animal towards the nets. Gazelle looked forward, watching Utigebode closely; and it said to itself, “If I go toward the nets, I shall be caught; but, I will go toward Utigebode and shall be saved.”
So, Gazelle ran toward Utigebode, and he caught it as if to kill it. But Gazelle cried out, “Eh! Utigebode! you, the savior, will you be the one to kill me?” So, Utigebode said, “Pass on! for, it is true that I am The-One-Who-Saves.” And Gazelle fled to the forest.
Then Njambo was very angry, and said to Utigebode, “Ah! my child! I have found you in your falsehood! Was it not you who said you caught no Beast? So! you have been releasing them!”
Then the company all went back to their village with their nets. They arrived there during the daytime. And the father ordered his son, “Go! climb that coco tree, and bring me a nut.” The son began to climb the tree. But, as he climbed, the father, by Magic-Power, caused the tree to grow rapidly upward. When, finally, Utigebode reached the top, he was unable to come down the excessively long tree-trunk. He began to call to his father for help, “My father!” But the father was still very angry, and replied, “Call your friends, the Beasts and Birds, to save you. I will not help you.” And Njambo went to sit down in his village, leaving his son in the treetop.
The son saw Eagle passing, and he called to it, “Yungu! Help me!” Eagle replied, “I am not able to carry a Man; you are heavy;” so, Eagle passed on. Utigebode saw many Beasts one after another passing below, and he called to them, “Save me!” But, they said, “We have no wings with which to go up to you. How can we get you down? We are not Birds that could let you down. We Beasts are unable to help you. Do not expect us.”
He was left there in the tree-top a period of two weeks, living only on the coconuts; and then he died, and his body fell to the earth. Njambo came out to see the corpse, and he said to it, “You have died through lack of obedience. You disobeyed me; and your beasts did not help you.”