Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 21, 1910.djvu/236

 200 Collectanea.

think has never been published, tells us that almost all of the tales had " sung parts," and of some of these even they who sang them could scarcely explain the meaning." I often found that, although several men would give the sentences in exactly the same way, not one could explain their meaning, and I had to ask the assistance of the Alcali, or native judge, — as being the best educated man in Jemaa, — to help me out of the difficulty. Even now there are one or two words which I have been unable to translate, and rather than make a guess I have left them in the Hausa, so that others may see and perhaps be able to explain them.

The following selection comprises only one-third of the stories, namely those about animals. Many of the other tales refer to the unfaithfulness of wives, and are hardly fit for publication.

To summarise the stories. With the Hausas the Lion seems to be the King of Beasts as with us, though the Spider is in one story said to be so, and the Lion is no match for that insect in cunning. He has a special Kirrare or form of address, — Gaddanga Wan Dawa, ("Oh Strong One, Big Brother of the Forest "). The Spider is known as Maiwayo (" The Crafty One "), because it remains so long in one place apparently studying intently all around it. The Spider is shown here as outwitting the Hygena (who is the buffoon of the animal world), the Hippopotamus, and the Elephant, and as being stronger than these two beasts, the Snake, the Jackal, the Lamb, all the animals, and even Man, but he does not seem equal to an old woman, and males very often pay him out, as do certain of the animals, such as the Tortoise, the Jackal, and the Goat, but he usually escapes owing to his having a charm for popularity. There is no sense of proportion; e.g., the Spider carries a boy on his back, and can lift any animal and eat it.

The Hysena, as mentioned above, is often the victim of the Spider's craftiness, and is less sharp even than the Goat, who is by no means the senseless animal that he is with us, for he can deceive even the Lion. The Hysena is taken in by the Jerboa, the Ostrich, the Jackal, the Scorpion, the Dog, of course Man, and even the Donkey, but he sometimes manages to revenge himself on Man and the Donkey. We have seen that the Goat and Donkey are not types of foolishness with the Hausas. Strangely enough the Dog is seldom regarded as being