Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 22, 1911.djvu/92

 66 Collectanea.

footprints of the Mouse. So he followed the prints up to his hole. Then he took a spade, opened the hole, and went and caught the Mouse eating his [toes]. Then the Mouse said, — "Who was that entering his house?" Then he (man) said, — "The thief who came and pulled off his [toes], he (it was) he was following." Then he (Mouse) said, — "Who was that coming into his house without first saluting?" He said, — "Wait for him, he was coming," so said the Mouse. Then he entered his room, and got his bow and arrows (quiver) and slung (it) on, and said they would go to the judge. So the householder said, — " Right, let us go." Then the judge said, — "What has caused you to quarrel?" Then he (man) said, — " This one came and pulled off my [toes]." He (Mouse) on his part said, — " Ask him why he entered my house without saluting." Then he (judge) said, — "Very well. If he restores your [toes] how can you compensate him for enter- ing his house without saluting?" So he said now, this is their judgment, he said the Mouse was to return one [toe] and he (man) will have compensated him for entering his house without saluting. So he said they could go, (as) they had been punished ; even out in the world one had to salute. Thus even now in the world can you enter the house of anyone without having saluted ? That was the beginning of the enmity (between) Mouse and householder.

35. The Waterfowl borrows the Dove's Beak. (B. G.)

A Sheda^^ went to a Dove, and said, — "I want the loan of your beak. I am going to the marriage feast of the Kajerini,^^ son of the King of the birds. I want to have a loan." Then the Dove said, — "Very well. But let me not give you a loan for three days and you go and make (it) three months. You know that with your mouth no one can eat food." Then the Sheda said, — " Come, Dove, if you do me a good turn, am I going to return you an evil one? Really it is (only) a loan." So then the Sheda

^1 The sheda is said to be a long-beaked water-bird, but the final sentence would seem to indicate that it is not a water-bird. The kajerini is said to be a long-tailed bird. I have not seen either, and do not know their English names, so prefer using the Hausa ones to making a guess.