Page:Swahili tales.djvu/313

Rh they said, "You are the tick which sticks to the ox, and the ox drinks the water, and the water puts out the fire, and the fire consumes the knife, and the knife cuts the rope, and the rope ties the cat, and the cat eats the rat, and the rat bores through the mud wall, and the mud wall stops the south wind, and the south wind threw down the calabash, and it struck our teacher Goso: you should not do it." And the tick said, "If I were the chief should I be eaten by the gazelle?"

And they went and searched for the gazelle, and when they found it they took it and beat it. And the gazelle said, "I am the gazelle, do you beat me? what have I done?" And they said, "You are the gazelle which eats the tick, and the tick sticks to the ox, and the ox drinks the water, and the water puts out the fire, and the fire consumes the knife, and the knife cuts the rope, and the rope ties the cat, and the cat eats the rat, and the rat bores through the mud wall, and the mud wall stops the south wind, and the south wind threw down the calabash, and it struck our teacher Goso: you should not do it."

The gazelle held its tongue, without saying a word. And they said, "This is the one that threw down the calabash, and it struck our teacher Goso, and we will kill him." And they took the gazelle and they killed it.