Page:Where Animals Talk (West African folk lore tales).djvu/48

 The native custom among polite tribes, is to leave a guest to eat without being watched.

The twitching of a muscle of an arm, or any other part of the body (called okalimambo) is regarded as a sign of coming evil. Compare Macbeth, Act 4, Scene 1.

The absurd and the unreasonable (e. g., the swallowing of a wife, goats, servants, etc.) are a constant feature of the native legends in their use of the impossible.

All native Africans have more than one name, and often change their names to suit circumstances. But, while all their names have a meaning (just as our English names, "Augustus," "Clara," etc.) those meanings are not thought of when denominating an individual; e. g., "Bwalo" which means canoe.

Leopards do not like to wet their feet.

Leopard wanted a new wife. So he sought for a young woman of a far country, of whom he heard as a nice girl, a daughter of one of the Kings of that country. He did not go himself, but sent word, and received answer by messenger. Neither the woman nor her father had ever seen Leopard. They knew of him only by reputation.

The King was pleased with the proposed alliance, and assented, saying, "Yes! I am willing. Go! get yourself ready, and come with your marriage company." So Leopard went around and invited many other beasts, "Come! and help me get a new one!" They all replied, "Yes!" And they all started together for the King's town.

When they had gone half-way, one of their number, a big forest Rat said, "Brothers! let us begin here to change our names, so that when we get to the town, we shall not be known by our usual names." But Leopard refused, "No! I won't! I stick by my old name. My name is Njĕgâ." All the others said the same, and retained their own names.

But Rat insisted for himself, "I will not be called Ntori. I will be called 'Strangers.' My name is Agĕnda," (the plural of ogĕnda which means "stranger").