Page:Where Animals Talk (West African folk lore tales).djvu/230

 During this while, he told his errand, and was given a wife.

Gourd called him. He went out to It: and It directed him, "When you are going to eat, you must take only one piece of plantain, and a piece of the flesh of the fowl. Then you dip it into the udika-gravy, and put it into your mouth; and you will chew it; and when you have swallowed it, then you leave the remainder of the food." He disregardfully said, "Yes! Yes!" And he laughed, "kyĕ! kyĕ! kyĕ!" I do not know what this Hova means! And that 'remainder,' shall I give it to It?" And he entered the house again, and sat down.

The food was set out. Little children came; they said to each other, "Let us see how he will eat." He took up a piece of plantain, and put it in his mouth; he took a fowl's leg, put it in his mouth; and gnawed the flesh off of the bone. He took up another piece of plantain, dipped a spoon into the udika-gravy, and put it into his mouth; he took a piece of meat and a plantain, and swallowed them. The little children began to jeer at him, "He eats like a person who has never eaten before." He rose; but felt as if his stomach was empty.

He again seated himself, and he and his wife played games together. Soon he said, "My body feels exhausted with hunger"; food was again made and was set out; he ate. The result was the same. The evening meal was also prepared; he ate, and finished; and still was hungry.

In the evening, the Chief of the town called together the tribe and said to them, "Men! I see that this fellow has no sense; let him return to his place."

On another day, Njâ said to himself, "Let me try, as the Hova has advised me, about the food." They cooked; they set it on the table. He took a piece of plantain, and some flesh of the fowl; he placed them on a spoon, and dipped them into the udika, and put them into his mouth. He rose up, saying, "I have finished!" And his stomach felt replete. Then he thought to himself, "So! is it possible that this Hova knows the affairs of the Spirits?"

The next time when food was spread on the table, he did the same way; and his stomach was satisfied.

Another day broke, and his father-in-law said to him, "On