Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 22, 1911.djvu/507

 Collectanea. 47 1

to (give her) medicine." Then he (white leper) said, — "The learned men have not been able to. Are you, a wearer of rags, able to give (her) medicine?" But the chief said, — "No, no. Leave him alone. Everyone has the gifts that God has given him." Then the chief said, — " Go with the white leper to where the girl is." When he had come to the chief again, he said, — " Now, Chief, I know (have) an antidote, but my antidote is hard (to obtain)." He (chief) said, — " Tell me. However hard it is (it) will be brought, it will be obtained." Then he said, — " I wish you to get me the liver of a white leper at once. Now here is a white leper with you. Will one go to the town to look for another ? " Then the councillors beat the white leper in the hall until they killed him. He was seized (hands were put), and torn open. The liver was pulled out, and given to the boy. The boy said let some water be drawn for him, and put in a pot. When water had been poured in a new pot, it was brought to him. So he put the liver in it, and shook (it) up. Then he said, — " Give it (to) the girl to drink." When it had been given to the girl, and she had drunk, she was taken short. The discharge would have filled (was like) Birnin Gwari.^^ The snake came out in this discharge, and went away. No one saw him. Then the girl arose and said let her be given porridge to eat. She said to give her flour and water to drink. She was given (some). She was also given kola- nuts, (and) she ate (them). Immediately the chief took the boy, he brought five horses and gave him, he brought five cloaks and gave him, he brought twenty pairs of trousers and dark blue robes and gave him. Then he separated off half of the town, and gave him. Then he (Auta) said,— "As for me, I do not want to live in the town. I am going home." So he took his horses and possessions which he (the chief) had given him, and went to the forest. He overtook the Snake, and went home. Then he (Snake) said, — "O Boy, the treachery is done with. There remains only mine to you," ^^ so said the Snake. He (Snake) said, — " Now, look here, I am going to live in an ant-hill." Then he (Auta) said, — " If you live in an ant-hill, how can I pay you ? " (where is

^ A town between Zungeru and Zaria, city of the Gwari people.

^The narrator could not tell me why this phrase was inserted. It may have been to account for the fact that snakes bite men for no apparent reason.