Page:Where Animals Talk (West African folk lore tales).djvu/192

 In the morning, very early, Savulaka starts on a journey. He went stepping very quickly, on, still with his journey; and, as he went, he talked to himself. He said, "This thing which has been done to me, now, what is it?" He still went on with the journey, until, at night, he lay down in the forest. Early in the morning, he starts again for his journey. As he was going in the forest he met with a Person (a brother of his mother, who belonged to a town of the Mekuku). This Person inquired, "Where are you going to?" (Savulaka was still eating the mekima, even its leaves going into his mouth.) This Person also said to him, "Stop at once!" Then he stood still.

The Person said, "I, your Uncle, the brother of your mother, am the one who is inquiring of you." Savulaka answered him, saying, "I'm not able to tell you." But presently he did tell all the matter to him. So, the Uncle said to him, "Come, to my town."

Then both of them returned on the path. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, they are at the town. The Uncle said, "My child, you are cured!" He put for him a medicine in a syringe, and gave him an injection. When he withdrew the syringe, here, at once, a net began to come out quick as ever it could move from the bowels! Then his Uncle spoke and told him, "It is thy father's wife who put the net into your bowels."

Food was cooked for him; he began to eat a little as people usually eat. His Uncle said unto him, "You shall go tomorrow."

On the morrow, early in the morning, his Uncle took all kinds and sorts of vegetables; and he took also a Spear; and malagetta pepper ("Guinea-grains," a species of cardomom), and handed them to him; and told him, "When you reach home, you must plant a garden."

The Uncle said to him, "Close your eyes!" He closed his eyes tight. On opening his eyes, he at once found himself near his home, and his mother on the path, her form bent stooping down seeking for him. He then entered their house, and sat down, and his mother greeted him to her satisfaction.

The mother took food, and boiled it; it was cooked; she removed it from the fire; she sat the food before Savulaka.