Leopard agreed, and said to Njambi’s daughter, “I will dowry you only with animals.” He returned to his home for a few days; and then he called Rat to escort him to the town of his prospective father-in-law. Rat consented. And they started on their journey.
On their way, they came to a wide river; and Leopard said to Rat, “Before one crosses this river, he must throw his knife into it.” Rat threw his knife; and so (apparently) did Leopard. They crossed; went on their way, and came to a Kuda tree; and they stopped, and began to gather the nuts. Leopard drew his knife from its sheath, and splitting the nut-shells and eating the kernels, said derisively to Rat, “One who has no knife will not be able to eat kuda.” Rat, in his helplessness, made no protest. And they went on. They came to a certain “Medicine” tree; and Leopard said, “Etoli, if I shall fall sick on the way, and I tell you to go back and get the bark of a certain tree for medicine, see! this is the tree.” Finally, they came to the town of the woman whom Leopard was to marry. There, food was cooked for them. Just before they were to sit down to eat, Leopard exclaimed, “Etoli! I am sick! Go, and get that medicine for me!” While Rat was gone, Leopard ate up almost all the food, leaving only a few scraps for Rat.
At night, inside of the entrance of the house where the two strangers were to sleep, was a pit already dug. Leopard knew of it, and jumped over it; but Rat fell into it. Leopard shouted to the town’s-people, “This is the animal I brought to pay on my Dowry! Come, and take him!” The people came, caught Rat, and ate him.
The next morning, Leopard’s father-in-law had food prepared for him; he ate; and returned to his town. There, the relatives of Rat asked him, “Where is the little one you took to escort you?” Leopard replied, “He refused to return, staying there with the woman.”
Again, Leopard prepared gifts of dried fish and tobacco for his mother-in-law, and arranged for another journey. He called to his relative, “Brother” Wild-Goat, “Come, escort me to the town of my marriage.” Wild Goat consented; and they started. They came to the River; and, as in the case of Rat, Leopard said to Goat, “You will first throw away your knife, before you can cross this river.” Goat actually did so; Leopard pretending to do so. Continuing their journey, they came to that Kuda tree. Leopard was careful to stand on a side of the tree opposite to Goat, as they gathered the nuts. But, he said provokingly, “One can not eat kuda without a knife.” Wild Goat innocently replied, “But, you, Njâ, you are eating nuts! Did you bring two knives?” They journeyed on, and came to the Medicine tree. And Leopard gave to Goat the same directions about it as he had given to Rat.
When they reached the marriage town, food was set before them. But Leopard immediately began to groan and scream, “I’m dead! I’m dead! I’m dead with pain!” Wild Goat sympathisingly inquired, “What shall I do to help you?” Leopard replied, as in the case of Rat, “Go back to that tree, and get its bark as a medicine for me.” Wild Goat went; and while he was away, Leopard ate the food, leaving very little of it. On his return, Wild Goat protested at so little being given him. Leopard explained, “In my great suffering from tooth-ache, I ate nothing. Perhaps it was the town’s-people who ate up the food, leaving you only these pieces.”
After they had eaten, they were called to the reception-house, and spent the evening in conversation with the people of the town. Then, they were shown to the house in which they were to sleep. It was the one with the pit-fall inside the door-way. Leopard, of course, jumped over it; but Wild Goat fell into it. And, as in the case of Rat, Leopard called out, “People of the town! This is your dowry-goods! I have brought it to you!” The next morning, Leopard took his journey, and came back home. When the people of his town asked him, as in the case of Rat, “Where is the friend you took with you?” he made the same reply, “Don’t ask me! He is entangled off there with women.”
On a third journey, Leopard called Antelope to accompany him. Antelope agreed. They came to the River; and as before Leopard told how that river could not be crossed by travelers unless their knives were thrown away. This, Antelope did.
Then, they came to the Kuda tree. There, Antelope heard Leopard splitting the nuts, and asked him. “Did you not throw away your knife? Do you travel with two?” Leopard answered, “Yes! I always travel with two.” Then, they came to the Medicine tree. And Leopard explained about its bark being the cure for his frequent tooth-aches, when eating at his father-in-law’s town.
They came to the town. And when food was brought to them, Leopard cried out, “O! my tooth! my tooth!” Antelope asked, “Where is your medicine that you said you use?” Leopard answered, “At the tree which I showed you on the way. Go, and get it.” While Antelope was gone, Leopard ate up almost all the food. On returning, Antelope exclaimed “What! only this little food for me?” Leopard explained, “With my great tooth-ache, I ate none. Nothing happened, except that the town’s-people came, and were eating up the food; and I, in my kindness for you, begged them to leave at least a little for you.” Antelope handed him the medicine, and Leopard said, “Put it down there”; and he threw it away, while Antelope’s back was turned.