Page:Where Animals Talk (West African folk lore tales).djvu/117

 swallow them. Or, father of Ihende, only to eat him; or mother of Ihende, only to eat her!" Then he sat down.

But, Squirrel exclaimed, "Ha! my friend! you saw how I drank my share of the medicine, and I have not spoken thus as you. For what reason have you thus spoken?" Adder answered, "Yes! I said so; and I will not alter my words."

They dispersed from the medicine ordeal, and went each to his house. Then that day darkened into night. And they all went to their sleep.

Soon the next day broke. Squirrel and his wife prepared for a journey to the forest to seek food. He said to his wife, "Leave the children in the house." So the woman shut them in, and closed the doors tight. And he and she went off to the forest.

Later on in the morning. Adder arose from his place, and he said to himself, "I'm going to stroll over to the house of my friend Ihende." So he came to Squirrel's house, and found no one there. He tried to break in the door; finally, he succeeded in opening it; and he entered the house. He found the two children of Squirrel lying together asleep. He shook them, and they awoke. He asked them, "Where is my friend?" They answered, "Our father and mother have gone to the forest."

Then Adder suddenly joined the two children together and swallowed them. (They were both of them lads.) Then he went out of the house, and closed the door. His stomach being distended with what he had swallowed, he went back to his house, and laid down on his bed.

Off in the forest, Squirrel said to his wife, "My heart beats so strangely! I have eaten nothing here; what should disturb my heart?" His wife replied, "Well! let us hasten back to town. Perhaps some affair has happened in our house!"

They hastily gathered their food, to go back rapidly to town. On their arrival, they went at once to their house. Looking at the door, the wife exclaimed, "I did not leave this door so! Who has been at it?" Her husband urged, "Quickly! Open the door! Let us enter at once!" They opened the door; and found no one in the house.

Then Squirrel, fearing evil, said to her, "Stay you here! I will go over to Pe's house. I know that fellow!" He came