Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 22, 1911.djvu/429

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certain road, he smeared the blood over his knife, so as to make it look as if he had committed a nmrder. He met the murderer, who asked him who he was. "I am Emigaheme," he replied. "Let us make friends. I want you to receive me." The murderer saluted him, and then took him to his hut, hidden in the bush. When they got there, the murderer invited him to be seated, and offered him food. This Emigaheme accepted, but suggested that they should wash before partaking of it. For this they went to the river. Who was to wash first ? Emigaheme ! He then said to the murderer, — "It is long since I have washed, so I shall have to use soap." When he had finished, he gave the soap to the murderer, and, when the latter used it, he rubbed some into his eyes. This blinded him, and he fell into the river, where Emigaheme held him under water until the murderer was so feeble that it was easy to bind him. Thus he led him away to his house in the bush, and there took all his treasures, — pots of round beads, pots of square beads, pots of cowries. With these they went to Benin, and, when they arrived there, he said to Omada, — "Announce my arrival." When he came before the king, the king said, — "You are a brave man. I shall give you a present." But the Ezomo said, — "Do not yet reward him. There is a crocodile in Ovia. Let him bring that first." Emigaheme said he would do this, and the king gave him a spear of brass and a spear of iron. He then went home.

He went to the ferryman, and asked him to ferry him over the river ; but the ferryman was afraid of the crocodile. Emigaheme said to him, — "Have no fear, I have eome to slay the crocodile." So the ferryman fetched his canoe to put him across, and, as they were crossing, Emigaheme saw the crocodile. He approached it, and thrust both his spears, — the iron one and the brass one, — at it. The crocodile sank, and Emigaheme told the ferryman that he would follow it. Now the crocodile had gone to heaven, and there he followed it. As he proceeded, he came to a gate which was guarded by a fowl, and the fowl would not let him pass; but he gave it some corn, and it allowed him to proceed. Then he reached a gate guarded by a goat, and the goat would not let him pass ; so he gave it some yam peelings, and it allowed him to proceed. Then he came to a gate guarded by a cow ; he gave it some plantains, and it let him pass ; after this he reached a gate guarded by a lame man, to whom he gave some cassava-bread,* and he too let him pass. He then met Ehenbuda's mother, who asked him whither he was bent to go. " I am going to heaven." " Oh," she said " what for?" " I am going," he replied, "to fetch the crocodile I have killed." "But you won't recognise yours among the many that are there." He thought he might. But she said, — " You may know it because they have rubbed it with camwood and chalk ; with chalk on the side you speared it ; so, if they ask you to choose your two spears, choose those which are dyed with camwood. Do not forget this ! And, should they offer you food, by no means must you partake of it before you are gone." He said he would remember. Then she gave

^Why does Mr. Thomas use the word "fu-fu"? It is neither Edo nor English.