In the Ancient days, there were Mankind and all the Tribes of the Animals living together in one country. They built their towns, and they dwelt together in one place. In the country of King Maseni, Tortoise and Leopard occupied the same town; the one at one end of the street, and the other at the other.
Leopard married two women; Tortoise also his two.
It happened that a time of famine came, and a very great hunger fell on the Tribes covering that whole region of country. So, King Maseni issued a law, thus:—“Any person who shall be found having a piece of food, he shall he brought to me.” (That is, for the equal distribution of that food.) And he appointed police as watchmen to look after that whole region.
The famine increased. People sat down hopelessly, and died of hunger. Just as, even today, it destroys the poor; not only of Africa, but also in the lands of Manga-Manĕne (White Man’s Land). And, as the days passed, people continued sitting in their hopelessness.
One day, Tortoise went out early, going, going and entering into the jungles, to seek for his special food, mushrooms. He had said to his wife, “I am going to stroll on the beach off down toward the south.” As he journeyed and journeyed, he came to a river. It was a large one, several hundred feet in width. There he saw a coco-nut tree growing on the river-bank. When he reached the foot of the tree, and looked up at its top, he discovered that it was full of very many nuts. He said to himself. “I’m going up there, to gather nuts; for, hunger has seized me.” He laid aside his traveling-bag, leaving it on the ground, and at once climbed the tree, expecting to gather many of the nuts. He plucked two, and threw them to the ground. Plucking another, and attempting to throw it, it slipped from his hand, and fell into the stream running below.
Then he exclaimed, “I’ve come here in hunger; and does my coco-nut fall into the water to be lost?” He said to himself, “I’ll leave here, and drop into the water, and follow the nut.” So, he plunged down, splash! into the water. He dove down to where the nut had sunk, to get it. And he was carried away by the current. Following the nut where the current had carried it, he came to the landing-place of a strange Town, where was a large House. People were there in it. And other people were outside, playing. They called to him. From the House, he heard a Voice, saying “Take me! take me! take me!” (It was a Drum that spoke.)
At the landing-place was a woman washing a child. The woman said to him, “What is it that brought you here? And, Kudu, where are you going?” He replied, “There is great hunger in our town. So, on my way, I came seeking for my mushrooms. Then it was that I saw a coco tree; and I climbed it; for, I am hungry and have nothing to eat. I threw down the nuts. One fell into the river. I followed it; and I came hither.” Then the woman said, “Now then, you are saved.” And she added, “Kudu! go to that House over there. You will see a Thing there. That Thing is a Drum. Start, and go at once to where the Drums are.”
Others of those people called out to him, “There are many such Things there. But, the kind that you will see which says, ‘Take me! take me!’ do not take it. But, the Drum which is silent and does not speak, but only echoes, ‘wo-wo-wo,’ without any real words, you must take it. Carry it with you, and tie it to that coco tree. Then you must say to the Drum, ‘Ngâmâ! speak as they told to you!’ ” So, Tortoise went on, and on, to the House, and took the Drum, and, carrying it, came back to the river bank where the Woman was. She said to him, “You must first try to learn how to use it. Beat it!” He beat it. And, a table appeared with all kinds of food! And, when he had eaten, he said to the Drum, “Put it back!” And the table disappeared.
He carried the Drum with him clear back to the foot of the coco tree. He tied it with a rattan to the tree, and then said to the Drum, “Ngâmâ! do as they said!” Instantly, the Drum set out a long table, and put on all sorts of food. Tortoise felt very glad and happy for the abundance of food. So he ate and ate, and was satisfied. Again he said, “Ngâmâ! do as they said!” And Drum took back the table and the food to itself up the tree, leaving a little food at the foot; and then came back to the hand of Tortoise. He put this little food in his traveling-bag, and gathered from the ground the coco-nuts he had left lying there in the morning, and started to go back to his town. He stopped at a spot a short distance in the rear of the town. So delighted was he with his Drum that he tested it again. He stood it up, and with the palm of his hand struck it, tomu! A table at once stood there, with all kinds of food. Again he ate, and also filled his traveling-bag. Then he said to a tree that was standing near by, “Bend down!” It bowed; and he tied the Drum to its branch; and went off into the town. The coco-nuts and the mushrooms he handed to his women and children. After he had entered his house, his chief wife said to him, “Where have you been all this long while since the morning?” He replied evasively, “I went wandering clear down to the beach to gather coco-nuts. And, this day I saw a very fine thing. You, my wife, shall see it!” Then he drew out the food from the bag, potatoes, and rice, and beef. And he said, “The while that we eat this food, no one must show any of it to Njâ.” So, they two, and his other wife and their family of children ate.