🧚 Xxxi.--chief Kekong’s Daughter ’ndere Who Married a Python., part 2

This was done for two days, and on the third day ’Ndere said she would like to go to the farm to see the people working, but the python would not let her, so she sent a word to Chief Kaku that the python went to the farm every day.1 The chief then sent four of his young men, who hid themselves at the place where ’Ndere brought the food for her husband.2 When she had shaken the string of snail shells, the python soon appeared, and the men who were ready sprang up, whereupon ’Ndere ran away, in order to deceive her husband.3 The four men then attacked the python with sticks, and soon killed him; they then cut off his head and his tail, and carried them back to Chief Kaku, leaving the food on the ground where ’Ndere had placed it.4 The other pythons who were working on the farm, missing their companion very soon, went to see what had become of him, and found his dead body with the head and tail missing, near the food.5 As they could not discover who had killed the python, they met together and decided that for the future they would not make any more farms or live in the towns, as the men were jealous of them on account of the python having married ’Ndere.6 They therefore now live in the bush and hide themselves.7

When ’Ndere appeared before Chief Kaku, he received her quite calmly, without any feasting or dancing, as he did not wish his people to suspect that he had murdered her husband.8 But after a few days had passed, Chief Kaku sent privately to Chief Kekong and told him that he had caused the python to be killed, and intended to marry ’Ndere.9 He also sent a large amount of dowry to the chief.10 Now in Chief Kaku’s country there was a stream full of cat-fish (Akpambi), but no one ever caught them, and when the people went to the stream to get water the fish would look at them without any fear. ’11 Ndere, hearing of this, went to the stream with a basket, and the fish seeing her, came close, so she began to sing softly to them, when more fish came.12 Then ’Ndere caught two of the fish with her basket, and took them home and cooked them for food, but none of the girls in the house would eat them, as they all said that if they did so they would die. ’13 Ndere, however, was not afraid, and eat the fish, which she found to be good food, and the soup was very sweet.14 She also took some to Chief Kaku, and said, “If you love me, you will eat my fish; but if you refuse, then I shall know that you do not care for me, and I shall not marry you, but will return at once to my father at Okuni.”15 But the chief said, “No one ever eats that fish, as it has a smooth skin and is part of the water ju-ju.16 If anyone eats that fish, he will surely die.”17 Then ’Ndere said, “Yes, my parents also will not eat this fish, but there is always one man who starts back first from the farm, and then the other people follow.18 I have eaten the fish and found it good, and have not died.19 If you eat it with me you will not die, and if we live to see the next sunrise to-morrow, all the people will follow our example and will eat the fish.”20 The chief then agreed, and said, “I will eat the fish with you, and if we die we shall be treated as husband and wife in the spirit.”21 They then sat down together and eat the cat-fish.22

When the chief had finished his share he prepared himself for death, and having called his people together, told them what should be done in case he should die. ’23 Ndere and the chief then retired for the night, and the chief slept quietly, without any trouble, until the morning.24 When he woke up and found that he was quite well, he sent ’Ndere out again with her basket to catch more of the fish, as the soup was so sweet.25 So ’Ndere went down to the stream once more and caught a lot of fish, which she brought back to the house and cooked as before.26 Then the chief called his friends together, and told them about the cat-fish and what good food it was.27 When the people heard that the chief had eaten the cat-fish and had not died, they thought they would like to try some for themselves, so they all had some of the fish which ’Ndere had cooked.28 When they had eaten it they found it so good that when they returned home they at once sent their wives out with baskets to catch some of the fish.29 And thus it became the custom for the women to go out in the dry season with their fishing-baskets to catch the cat-fish.30 This custom was started by ’Ndere.31

Told by Ennenni, an Okuni woman.--[E.D., 5.1.11.]32

XXXII.--HOW AGBOR ADAM BROKE THE HUNTING LAW OF OKUNI, AND HOW HE WAS PUNISHED.33

In the dry season, many years ago, Chief Akum Alobi of Okuni ordered all his people to go out hunting.34 They were to surround a certain portion of the forest and set fire to the bush, then, as the animals came out, they were killed.35 At the same time, the women were sent to bale out the pools in the streams and to catch the fish.36

The hunting law was that, during the hunting time, the men might eat the meat of the animals they killed, but they were not allowed to eat any fish, and the women might eat fish only, and not eat any meat from animals killed hunting.37

While the hunting was going on, a man called Agbor Adam went to his wife, Iza Kakem, and asked her to give him some fish to eat, as he was tired of nothing but meat.38 The woman refused to do so, saying that the hunting law was so strong that, if they broke it, they would certainly be killed.39 But Agbor Adam, seeing that there was no one within sight, told his wife that it would be quite safe, as no one would know, and that, if she gave him some of her fish, he would give her one of the animals he had killed.40 The woman then gave her husband a fish, and he told her to go to the place where he kept the animals he had killed and take whichever she fancied.41 So Iza Kakem, having looked over all the animals, selected a monkey, and took it to the bush shelter where she was sleeping, and cooked and eat it.42 Her husband also eat the fish.43

Now, all that had passed between these two people had been observed by a bird called Aictor, who was sitting in a tree and could see everything that happened.44

Aictor was a native of the Ingor country, and could not speak the Okuni language, and, at that time, the Okuni people could not understand Ingor, as they were not on friendly terms with them, so that, when the bird sang in the Ingor language, no one could understand what he said.45

After Agbor Adam had eaten the fish, he returned to the hunting shelter, where the men were all sitting down, not noticing that the bird had been following him all the time.46