Page:Where Animals Talk (West African folk lore tales).djvu/223

 Gourd called him, and said to him, "It is not only for wrestling. You know the part of the village where is the Wrestling-Ground. There is a big pit there. You will take care if you are near that pit; and you must push them in."

In the evening, food was made, and soon it was ready. He and his wife ate, and finished. They engaged in conversation. They took pleasure over their love that night.

The next day, in the morning, very early, the drums, both the elimbi and the common, began promptly to tell things in the street. (The Elimbi is a specially made drum used to transmit information by a system of signal strokes. News is thus carried very far and very rapidly.) The Gourd called him, and handed him a leaf of magic-medicine, to hold in his hand, saying, "Go; fear not!"

The townspeople began to shout back and forth a song (to arouse enthusiasm). Two companies ranged on each side of the street, singing. "Engolongolo! hâ! hâ! Engolongolo! hâ! hâ!"

Hearing their song as a challenge, the young man went out of the house into the street. Up to this point, the strongest wrestler of the town, named Ekwamekwa, was not with them; he was out in the forest, felling trees.

When the towns-people saw the young man standing in the street, they advanced as many as a hundred all at once. He laid his hands upon them, and they all went back; he also went back. Soon he advanced again, and his single opponent advanced. They two laid their hands on each other's shoulders. The townspeople began another song, as if in derision. "O! O! A! O! O! A! O! O! A!"

At once, he seized his opponent, and threw him into the pit. Thereupon, his father-in-law shouted in commendation, "Iwâ!"

Another one came forward; Mbuma-tyĕtyĕ advanced; and as they met together, he took him, and threw him into the pit. Again the shout, "Iwâ!"

The sisters of the two men in the pit began to cry. The others said to the girls, "What are you doing? He shall die today! It is we who shall eat those entrails today!" (Among cannibals, a choice portion.)