Page:Where Animals Talk (West African folk lore tales).djvu/21

 were all hidden. Leopard thus often went to the forest, and came back empty-handed. There was no meat for him to eat, and he had to eat only leaves of the trees. He said to himself, "I will not sit down and look for explanation to come to me. I will myself find out the reason of this. For, I, Njĕgâ, I should eat flesh and drink blood; and here I have come down to eating the food of goats, grass and leaves."

So, in the morning. Leopard went to the great doctor Ra-Marânge, and said, "I have come to you, I, Njĕgâ. For these five or six months I have been unable to kill an animal. But, cause me to know the reason of this." Ra-Marânge took his looking-glass and his harp, and struck the harp, and looked at the glass. Then he laughed aloud, "Kĕ, kĕ, kĕ—"

Leopard asked, "Ra-Marânge, for what reason do you laugh?" He replied, "I laugh, because this matter is a small affair. You, Njĕgâ, so big and strong, you do not know this little thing!" Leopard acknowledged, "Yes: I have not been able to find it out." Ra-Marânge said, "Tell me the names of your friends." Leopard answered "I have no friends. Nkambi dislikes me, Nyare refuses me, Ngowa the same. Of all animals, none are friendly to me." Ra-Marânge said, "Not so; think exactly; think again." Leopard was silent and thought; and then said, "Yes, truly, I have one friend, Ntori." The Doctor said, "But, look! If you find a friend, it is not well to tell him all the thoughts of your heart. If you tell him two or three, leave the rest. Do not tell him all. But, you, Njĕgâ, you consider that Ntori is your friend, and you show him all the thoughts of your heart. But, do you know the heart of Ntori, how it is inside? Look what he does! If you let him know that you are going next day to kill this and that, then he starts out at night, and goes to inform those animals, "So-and-so, said Njĕgâ; but, be you on your guard." Now, look! if you wish to be able to kill other animals, first kill Ntori." Leopard was surprised, "Ngâ! (actually) Ntori lies to me?" Ra-Marânge said, "Yes."

So, Leopard returned to his town. And he sent a child to call Rat. Rat came.

Leopard said, "Ntori! these days you have not come to see me. Where have you been?" Rat replies, "I was sick."