Page:Where Animals Talk (West African folk lore tales).djvu/114

 the fowl. In the meanwhile, Dog and Squirrel sat in the ikenga conversing. Presently Squirrel said to Dog, "Excuse me, I am going. I will return."

Squirrel went out into his garden, and climbed up a banana stalk, and began eating the ripe fruit at the top of the bunch. After awhile, he came down again. And he went into the ikenga to prepare the table for the food. When it was ready, Dog sat up at the table. With him were his wife, and Squirrel and Squirrel's wife.

Presently, Dog inquired of Squirrel, "My friend! when you left me sitting here alone, where did you go to?" Squirrel answered, "My friend! you know I like to eat bananas. So, I was up the tree," Then Dog said, "My friend! you love bananas too much; some day, you will die with them."

When they had finished their food, Dog said, "I am on my return to my village." So he returned thither. But he was arrived there only two days when he happened to fall into the fire-place. And he died in the fire. The news was carried to his friend Squirrel, "Your friend Mbwa is dead by fire." Squirrel replied, "Yes, I said so; for he loved fire too much."

On another day, in Man's town, a person went to look for food at his banana tree. And he saw that the fruit was eaten at the top, by some animal. So, that Man made a snare at the Banana tree. On the next day, Squirrel said to himself, "I'm going to eat my banana food wherever I shall find it."

He came to the town of Man, and climbed the tree. The snare caught and killed him; and he died there. The Man came and found the body of Squirrel; and he exclaimed "Good!"

The news was carried to the village of Squirrel's children, "Your father is dead, at a banana tree."

And they said, "Yes; for our father loved bananas very much. He had said that Mbwa would die by fire because he loved fire. And himself also loved bananas. "