Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 45.djvu/800

778 this narrow place, husband? Wait at least until we reach the next village."

And the husband replied, "You need never cook for me, wife, for I eat my food raw."

Then the young woman was frightened, and began to have doubts about the man she had married. But she told the two slaves to put the calabashes down on the ground and asked her husband if he would eat some yam.

And he said, "I am not one who eats roots," and he took the fowls and ate them raw. He ate them all.

Then they went again along the path, farther into the forest, and presently the husband said again: "Wife, I am hungry. Is there anything to eat?"

The young woman was very much frightened; she did not know what to do, but she said, "Here are some sheep," and the husband took the sheep and ate them all up.

Then they went again on their way, and, after a little, the husband said, "Wife, I am hungry." And she said, "There are goats." And he took the goats and ate them.

After he had eaten the goats they went on once more, and soon the husband said again: "Wife, I am hungry. Give me something to eat."

And she said: "Is not everything finished? Have you not eaten the fowls and the sheep and the goats that my dear parents gave me? And now there is nothing more in my hand."

And he said, "All is not finished, for there are these two persons."

Then the young woman wept, she wept bitterly, and she cried, "Take them, then, and eat them, if it must be so."

Now, in order to bring down this flesh so that he might eat it, the husband had to turn himself back into a leopard. And he sprang upon the two slaves, and tore them and killed them, and ate them up.

When he had finished eating he again turned himself into a young man, and took his wife's hand and led her along the path. She wished to run away, but she did not know the way out of the forest, and fear had weakened her legs.

Presently the husband said again: "Wife, I am hungry. Give me something to eat."

Then the young woman threw herself on the ground and wept and lamented, for everything was finished, and there was nothing more to give him.

And the husband came and stood near her, looking sideways, and she was plump and soft, and he began to lick his lips.

Now, there was a hunter in the bush near by, and he heard