Part 25 (1/2)

”O Antelope! O Deer!

Your friend is sick; Do not shun him!

O Antelope! O Deer!

Your friend is sick; Do not shun him!

O Antelope! O Deer!

Your friend is sick; Do not shun him'”

Deer says: ”Chief, the drum, how art thou playing it? Bring it here; that I play it.” Mr. Leopard gives him it. Deer takes the drum, says:

”Not sickness; Wiliness holds thee Not sickness; Wiliness holds thee!

Not sickness; Wiliness holds thee!”

Mr. Leopard stood up from ground, said: ”Thou, Deer, knowest not how to play the drum.”

The animals all then ran away, saying, ”Mr. Leopard has a scheme to catch us.”

Elephant and Frog

I often tell of Mr. Elephant and Mr. Frog, who were courting at one house.

One day Mr. Frog spake to the sweetheart of Mr. Elephant, saying: ”Mr.

Elephant is my horse.” Mr. Elephant, when he came at night, then the girls tell him, saying: ”Thou art the horse of Mr. Frog!”

Mr. Elephant then goes to Mr. Frog's, saying: ”Didst thou tell my sweetheart that I am thy horse?” Mr. Frog says, saying: ”No; I did not say so.” They go together to find the sweetheart of Mr. Elephant.

On the way, Mr. Frog told Mr. Elephant, saying: ”Grandfather, I have not strength to walk. Let me get up on thy back!” Mr. Elephant said: ”Get up, my grandson.” Mr. Frog then goes up.

When a while pa.s.sed, he told Mr. Elephant: ”Grandfather, I am going to fall. Let me seek small cords to bind thee in mouth.” Mr. Elephant consents. Mr. Frog then does what he has asked.

When pa.s.sed a little while, he told again Mr. Elephant, saying: ”Let me seek a green twig to fan the mosquitoes off thee.” Mr. Elephant says: ”Go.” He then fetches the twig.

Then, when they were about to arrive, the girls saw them, and they went to meet them with shouting, saying: ”Thou, Mr. Elephant, art the horse indeed of Mr. Frog!”

Dog and the Kings.h.i.+p

Mr. Dog, they wanted to invest him with the kings.h.i.+p. They sought all the things of royalty: the cap, the sceptre, the rings, the skin of mulkaka. The things are complete; they say: ”The day has come to install.”

The headmen all came in full; they sent for the players of drum and marimba; they have come. They spread coa.r.s.e mats and fine mats. Where the lord is going to sit, they laid a coa.r.s.e mat; they spread on it a fine mat; they set a chair on. They say: ”Let the lord sit down.” He sat down. The people begin to divide the victuals.

He, Mr. Dog, on seeing the breast of a fowl, greed grasped him. He stood up in haste; took the breast of the fowl; ran into the bush. The people said: ”The lord, whom we are installing, has run away with the breast of the fowl into the bus.h.!.+” The people separated.

Mr. Dog, who was going to be invested with the kings.h.i.+p, because of his thievery, the kings.h.i.+p he lost it.

I have told my little tale. Finished.