Free African Folk Tales by Hugh Vernon-Jackson, Yuko Green Page A

bring forked sticks, four of them, each about six feet high. This the leopard did. The tortoise then said that the leopard should bring two strong poles to be tied to the tops of the forked sticks. The leopard went into the forest again and brought back the poles, tied them to the forked sticks, and drove one end of each forked stick firmly into the ground.
    Then he allowed the tortoise to tie him to the poles and sticks.
    â€œGreetings, friend, ” the tortoise called, “please will you let me in from the rain?”
    â€œWhen will you untie me?” asked the leopard.
    â€œNever,” replied the tortoise. “You ate my cake without asking my permission to eat it. Therefore I shall not untie you. I shall leave you to your fate.”
    The tortoise then ran off and disappeared in the thick forest.
    After several hours some monkeys passed the leopard.
    â€œMonkeys,” said the leopard, “please untie me.”
    â€œNot us,” replied the monkeys, “we are too frightened of you.”
    The monkeys went on their way. The leopard became very hungry. After several more hours an old mother monkey passed the leopard.
    â€œOh, Monkey,” cried the leopard, “please untie me. I have been here for a long time.”
    The old mother monkey came back.
    â€œVery well,” she said to the leopard, “although I fear you, I will untie you.”
    The monkey freed the leopard, but she was not free from him. The leopard jumped on her and ate her up. After that, with a roar of rage, he ran into the forest to look for the tortoise.
    The leopard went through the forest, but he could not find the tortoise. The leopard went beside the forest near the river, but still he could not find the tortoise. For ever afterwards the leopard searched beside the forest, and whenever one sees a leopard beside a forest, one knows he is looking for a tortoise.

The Story of a Farmer and Four Hyenas
    O NCE UPON A TIME there was a farmer named Musa, who lived in a village five miles away from the nearest town. He was very pleased when his wife gave birth to a baby boy.
    â€œIt is the custom that you should have very good meals of meat for the next seven days,” Musa said to his wife.
    â€œWith pepper,” his wife replied.
    â€œPepper and meat I shall buy for you,” said Musa, “when I go to the town.”
    On the following day Musa walked through the forest and the high grass of the bush to the town which was well known for its market. As Musa approached the market he could hear the drums beating which told him that the butchers had fresh meat for sale.
    First of all, Musa bought a pocketful of red peppers. Next, he went to the butchers.
    â€œLet me have four legs of a cow,” Musa asked the butchers. “My wife has given birth to a baby boy and I must give her much meat that is sweet for her to eat.”
    â€œThe legs make excellent soup,” said the butchers as they gave the meat to Musa, “together with peppers.”
    Musa paid for the meat, and then spent the rest of the day visiting friends and relatives in the town. In each compound which he entered and to each friend whom he met in the street he said, “My wife has given birth to a boy.”
    Each friend and each relative replied, “I see that you have much meat to take back to her.”
    In the evening, after the priest outside the mosque had called for prayers, Musa left the town for his home. On his shoulders he carried the four legs of the cow.
    Before he had travelled two miles it became dark. Now the part of the country through which Musa was walking was infested with very fierce hyenas. Soon Musa heard their laughing, and he began to walk quickly. Suddenly, in an open space beside the path, there was a rush of feet and movement on the sandy soil, and Musa was looking into the yellow eyes of a hyena. Musa at first stood still with fright, and then suddenly started to run as fast as he could go. The