Page:Where Animals Talk (West African folk lore tales).djvu/231

 the morrow will be your journey." When the next day dawned, the Chief brought out the chests containing his daughters, and said, "Now, then! choose the one that you will take with you."

The Gourd whispered to him, "Do not take the fine-looking one; you must take the one you see covered with filth." He responded, "Not I!" The one he chose was the fine one. He took it up, and carried it away. The town's-people began to cry out (in pretence), "Oh! he has taken from us that fine maiden of ours!" He was full of gladness that at last he was married. But, really, he was carrying a woman, crooked-nosed, and all of whose body was nothing but skin-disease, and pus oozing all over her.

He went on his journey, on, on, on, on, until the town of the Tooth. Said he, "Here's your Hova!" The Tooth requested, "Tell me the news from there." The Gourd whispered to Tooth, "Let this worthless fellow be! Let him go! He did not marry a real woman. So, he is not a person."

The man at once went on with his journey, continuously, until he came to the spring by his own town. Said he, "Let me bathe!" He put down the chest, and threw his body with a plunge, into the water. He bathed himself thoroughly, and emerged on the bank. Then he said to himself, "Now, then, let me open the chest!" The key clicked, and the chest opened. A sick woman stepped out! He demanded, "Who brought you here?" She replied, "You." Said he in astonishment, "I?" "Yes," answered she. He, in anger, said, "Go back! Do not come at all to the town!" He at once started to go to the town; and the woman slowly followed.

There were two children who were going to the spring. As they went, they met with her; and they cried out in fear, "Ayĕ! ayĕ! ayĕ! a Ghost! ayà!" And they went back together in haste to the town. The town's-people asked them, "What's the matter?" They said, "Come! there's a Ghost at the spring!" The woman continued slowly coming. Other children said, "Let us go! Does a Ghost come in the daytime? That is not so!"

As they came on the path, they met her. They asked her, "Who has married you?" She replied, "Isn't it Njâ?"