NOTE

Africans cut down trees, not at the base, but some 12 or 20 feet up where the diameter is less. They sit in the circle of a rope enclosing the tree and their own body, the rope resting against their backbone at the loins, and their feet braced against the tree trunk.

The reason why Tortoise lives in brooks is his fear of Leopard.

All the Beasts were living long ago in one place, separate from the towns of Mankind; but they had friendship for and married with each other.

Among the towns of Mankind was living a man named Njambo. There was born to him a female child named Ndenga. In the town, at one end of it, there was a very large tree.

Njambo said of his daughter, “This child shall be married only with Beasts.” So when the Beasts heard of that one of them, House-Rat, said, “I’m going to marry that woman!” So he went to the father to arrange what things he should pay on the dowry. Njambo said to him, “I do not want goods. But, if any one shall be able to hew down this tree, he shall marry my child.”

At once, Rat took the axe that Njambo handed him, and began to hack at the Tree. He tried and tried, but was not able to make the axe enter at all. At last, he wearied of trying and stopped. He said to himself, “If I go to Njambo, and tell him I am unable to do the task, he will kill me.” So, he left the axe, at the foot of the tree, and fled to his town.