Page:Where Animals Talk (West African folk lore tales).djvu/214



Ngalo is a powerful fetish-charm. Sitting in a visitor's lap for a few moments, is a mode of welcome.

"Njambu" is one of their forms of spelling the name of the Creator; very commonly used also for human beings. The account of the wrestling-match is suggestive of the surroundings of a modern athletic field.

Njambu built a Town. He continued there a long time. After he had finished the town, he married very many wives. After a short time they all of them bore children. Those births were of many sons. He gave them names: Among them were, Upuma-mwa-penda (Year-of-doubt), and Njâ (Leopard).

And again, his wives, after a short time, all of them became mothers. This time, they gave birth to a large number of daughters. He gave them also names.