Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 1 1883.djvu/242

234 human and half beast, a man-eating creature, and with a frightfully sharp tail.) "Oh dear, if here isn't Itrìmobè! Who is the prettiest of us three sisters?" But with a snarl he answered just as the old woman and old man had answered.

So the sisters were beside themselves with anger because Ifàra was prettier than they were, and they said, "If we were to kill Ifara, perhaps father and mother would hear of it and kill us, so let us go and get some of Itrìmobè's vegetables, so that he may eat her." So the sisters said to her, "Come, Ifàra, let us see who can find the nicest vegetables." "Come along then," she said, "let us take some of those yonder" (meaning those of Itrìmobè). "Shall we get the ripe or the young ones?" said Ifàra. "Get those just sprouting," said they. Then they went to get them, but the two sisters took the full-grown ones. So when the three shewed theirs to each other Ifàra's were the worst. "Oh dear!" cried she, "why yours are the full-grown, you've cheated me." " It's yourself, girl, who would take the unripe," said the two; "go along and fetch some full-grown ones."

So Ifara went off to get them; but while she was gathering them she was caught by Itrìmobè. "I've got you, my lass," said he, "for you are taking my vegetables; I'll eat you, my lass." Then Ifàra cried, "I am sorry, Itrìmobè, but take me for your wife." "Come along, then," said he (but it was that he might take her home to be fattened, and after that eat her).

The sisters were exceedingly glad at this, and went away to tell their father and mother, saying, "Ifàra stole Itrìmobè's vegetables, so he has eaten her." Then the old people wept profusely for sorrow. So Itrìmobè fed up Ifara at his house, and would not let her go out of doors, but covered her with mats; while he went into the country hunting things to fatten her, so that Ifàra became very fat, and the time approached for Itrìmobè to devour her.

But one day, when Itrìmobè happened to have gone abroad hunting, a little mouse wearing plantain fibre cloth jumped by Ifàra's side and said, "Give me a little white rice, Ifàra, and I'll give you advice." "What advice can you give me?" said Ifara. "Well then, let Itrìmobè devour you to-morrow." "But what is the advice you can give me?" said Ifàra, "for I'll give you the rice." So she gave some white rice to the little mouse clothed in cloth of plantain fibre; and it said to her, "Be off with you, and take an egg, a broom, a small cane, and a smooth round stone, and escape southwards."