Page:Where Animals Talk (West African folk lore tales).djvu/156

 They all went on their journey to find food. They searched as they walked a distance of several miles. Then they came to a plantation of Njambo's wife Ivenga. It was distant from Njambo's town about one hour's walk. It had a great deal of sugar-cane; also of yams and cassava. It had also a quantity of sweet potatoes. There also, the chickens of Njambo were accustomed to go to scratch for worms among the plants.

At once, Civet exclaimed, "I'll go no further! I like to eat sugar-cane!" So he went to the plot of cane.

Antelope also said, "I too! I'll not go any further. I like to eat leaves of potato and cassava." So he went to the plot of cassava.

And Genet said, "Yes! I see Kuba here! I like to eat Kuba! I'll go no further!" So, he went after the chickens.

But first, the three had asked Tortoise, "Kudu! what will you do? Have you nothing to eat?" Tortoise answered, "I have nothing to eat. But, I shall await you even two days, and will not complain." So, Civet remarked, "Yes! I will not soon leave here, till I eat up all this cane. Then I will go back to town." Antelope also said, "Yes! the same. I will remain here with the potato leaves till I finish them, before I go back." Genet also said, "Yes! I see many Kuba here. I will stay and finish them."

Tortoise only said, "I have nothing to say."

In that plantation was a large tree; and Tortoise went to lie down at its foot.

They were all there about four days, eating and eating. On the fifth day, Njambo's wife Ivenga in the town said to herself, "I'll go today, and see about my plantation, how it is."

She came to the plantation, and when she saw the condition in which it was, she lifted up her voice, and began to wail a lamentation. She saw that but little cane was left, and not much of potatoes. Looking in another part of the plantation, she saw lying there, very many feathers of chickens.

She ran back rapidly to town to tell her husband. But, she was so excited she could scarcely speak. He asked her, "What's the matter, Ivenga?" She answered, "I have no words to tell you. For, the Plantation is left with no food." Then, the Man called twenty men of the town; and he said