Free Feather Woman of the Jungle by Amos Tutuola Page A

thrown it. Again, I went to his door, I took my gun and hunting-bag and after that I went back to him. I was threatening him with my gun to give me some of his treasures. When he agreed to do so, I dragged him to his room and he allowed me to take some of each. So I took some of the raw gold, silver, coral and many other saleable articles. After that I went out of that rock with my dogs. But if he had not agreed to give me some of his property, I would not attempt to take them for I did not like to be an extortioner.
    Having carried all these treasures to the village, the people rushed to my father’s house to witness them and were very surprised when I sold all for a lot of money, but they did notknow that I had been severely punished before I got them. But I was honoured greatly by the old people of the village because they knew that if a person was not bold and brave enough and again to be able to endure severe punishment, the savage people would kill him. So I stayed in the village with my people for six months before I went to another town, when the dry season was just started.
    *
    After the people had listened to the story of my third adventure, they beat the drums, danced, sang, and drank the palm-wine for a while before every one went back to his or her house in the midnight.

From the Town of Famine to the Town of the Water People
    The entertainment of the fifth night
    (
My fourth Journey
)
    In the fourth night, when the people gathered in the front of my house and the drinks were served as they were dancing and singing with great joy. Then I stopped them and I addressed them first as follows: “I am very happy indeed to see all of you again in front of me and I thank every one of you for the true affection you have on me, although I am the head of the village. And I wonder greatly too to see that you are increased again this night more than ninety per cent. But (all sat quietly and paid great attention to me) when I first saw the whole of you, I was afraid, but after I thought it over again my fear was expelled. Because I first thought within myself that where to get sufficient planks to make coffins for every one of you when you die because you are too many. But when I thought it over again, I remembered that not the whole of you would need coffins to bury you when you die. Because many of you would be killed and eaten up by the wild animals. Many would die in the rivers, many would be burnt into ashes by the fire, many would be kidnapped and so many of you would be fallen into the wells. So therefore, coffins would not be required for those who died such death, and so many would not die in their homes but where their people would not see their bodies to bury with coffins.” But the people were greatly annoyed when they heard like that from me. All were snapping their ringers on heads and sayingthat they would not die in the rivers or in the fire or in the wells or eaten up by the wild animals, but they would die in their homes, villages, etc., and they would be buried with coffins. But after a while, when their noises went down, I explained to them that they must not misunderstand me, because there was nobody on earth who could know the real place and real time he or she is going to die, or if anyone knew, let him or her tell me. And if anyone knew it, it meant I was guilty of what I had said. Having said so, I hesitated to hear the reply but there was none of the people who could reply but they admitted at last.
    After they danced and drank some of their palm-wine, I started to tell them the story as follows:
    One fine morning, after six months that I had returned from my third journey, I took my usual gun, hunting-bag and matchet. I bade good-bye to my father, mother, sister and brother and all my friends and my neighbours. Some of the people cautioned me very seriously not to go for any treasure again. They said that all I had brought were enough. But I told them that I must try more for we knew of today but