Imagining that the man before him was the stranger’s servant, and never dreaming that it was the stranger himself, he roused the sleeper and promised him a large reward if he would give him the solution to the riddle.
The young man replied that he would tell the answer if the Omanhene would bring him the costume which he always wore at the Assembly.
The ruler was only too pleased to go and fetch it for him. When the young man had the garments quite safely, he explained the riddle fully to the crafty Omanhene. He said that as they were leaving home, the mother of his master made him cankey. In order to find out if the cankey were good, they gave half to a vulture. The latter died. Three panthers [[175]]which tasted the vulture also died. A little of the panthers’ roasted flesh killed seven robbers.
The Omanhene was delighted to have found out the answer. He warned the supposed servant not to tell his master what had happened.
In the morning all the villagers assembled together again. The Omanhene proudly gave the answer to the riddle as if he himself had found it out. But the young man asked him to produce his ceremonial dress, which he ought to be wearing in Assembly. This, of course, he was unable to do, as the young man had hidden it carefully away.
The stranger then told what had happened in the night, and how the ruler had got the answer to the riddle by cheating.
The Assembly declared that the Omanhene had failed to find out the riddle and must die. Accordingly he was beheaded—and the young man was appointed Omanhene in his place. [[177]]
XXXV. HOW MUSHROOMS FIRST GREW
Long, long ago there dwelt in a town two brothers whose bad habits brought them much trouble. Day by day they got more deeply in debt. Their creditors gave them no peace, so at last they ran away into the woods. They became highway robbers.