And Boa said to Rat, “Begin your journey, Etoli! The name of the tree is Bojabi. Do not forget it!”
Rat stepped into his canoe, and began to paddle. He reached his country late in the afternoon. He landed. And he remained a little while on the beach, dragging the canoe ashore. So occupied was he in doing this, that he forgot the tree’s name. Then he went up into the town. The tribes of All-the-Beasts met him, exclaiming, “Tell us! tell us!” Rat confessed, “I have forgotten the name just this very now.” Then, in their disappointment, they all beat him.
On another day, they said to Porcupine, “Ngomba! go you!” But they warned Rat, “If Ngomba brings the name, you, Etoli, shall not eat of the fruit.”
Porcupine made his journey also by sea, and came to the town of Boa. When Porcupine had stated his errand, Boa told him, “The tree’s name is Bojabi. Now, go!”
Porcupine returned by sea, and kept the name in his memory, until he was actually entering the town of his home; and, then, he suddenly forgot it. The tribes of All-the-Beasts called out to him, as they saw him coming, “Ngomba! tell us! tell us!” When he informed them that he had forgotten it, they beat him, as they had done to Rat.
They had also in that country, another plant which was thought not proper to be eaten. They did not know that its leaves were really good for food.
On another day, they said to Antelope, “Go you; and tell Mbâmâ, and ask him which shall we eat, this fruit or these leaves. What shall we Beasts do?”
Antelope went by sea; and came to Boa’s town. And he asked Boa, “What do you here eat? Tell us.” Boa replied, “I eat leaves of the plants, and I drink water; that is all I do. And the name of the tree that bears that fruit is Bojabi. You, all the Beasts, what are you to eat? I have told you.”
Antelope slept there that night. And the next day, he started on his return journey. At his journey’s end, as he was about to land on the beach, a wave upset the canoe, and he fell into the sea. In the excitement, he forgot the name. The anxious tribes of All-the-Beasts had come down to the beach to meet him, and were asking, “What is the name? Tell us!” He replied, “Had I not fallen into the water, I would not have forgotten the name.” Then, in their anger, they beat him.
Almost all the beasts were thus tried for that journey; and they all failed in the same way, with the name forgotten, even the big beasts like Ox and Elephant. There was no one of them who had succeeded in bringing home the name.