Page:Where Animals Talk (West African folk lore tales).djvu/55



"Inkula si nyo o'kângâ 'Ngângwe."

This is a proverb expressing the obligation we all owe to some superior protecting powers.

The Hogs had cleared a space in the forest, for the building of their town. They were many; men and women and children.

In another place, a Hunter was sitting in his town. Every day, at daybreak, he went out to hunt. When he returned in the afternoons with his prey, he left it a short distance from the town, and entering his house, would say to his women and children, "Go to the outskirts of the town, and bring what animal you find I have left there."

One day, having gone hunting, he killed Elephant. The children went out to cut it up and bring it in.

Another day, he killed Gorilla.

And so, each day, he killed some animal. He never failed of obtaining something.

One day, his children said to him, "You always return with some animal; but you never have brought us Ngowa." He replied, "I saw many Ingowa today, when I was out there.