HOW ANIMALS CAME INTO THE WORLD

 

 

Famine in a strange land had lasted nearly three years. In that land lived a man called Kweku Tsin. As he was very hungry, Kweku Tsin looked daily in the forest to find food.  One day he happened to see three palm kernels on the ground. He picked up two stones with which to crack them. The first nut, however, slipped when he hit it, and rolled into a hole behind him. The same thing hap- pened to the second and to the third. This annoyed Kweku very much, and he determined to go down the hole to seek his lost palm kernels.  

When he reached the hole, however, he was surprised to learn that it was the entrance to a town, of which he had never before even heard. When he entered it he found deathlike silence everywhere. He cried aloud, “Is there nobody in this town?” And soon he heard a voice in reply. He went in that direction and found an old woman creeping along one of the streets. She stopped and asked why he had come there, and he quickly told her.  

The old woman was very kind and sympathetic; and promised to help him, if he would do as she told him. “Go into the garden and listen attentively,” said she. “You will hear the yams speak. Pass by any yam that says, ‘Dig me out, dig me out!’ But take the one that says, ‘Do not dig me out!’ Then bring it to me.”  When he brought the yam, she directed him to remove the peel from it and throw the yam away. He was then to boil the rind, and, while boiling, it would become a yam.   

It turned out as she said, and they sat down to eat some of it. Before taking the meal the old woman re- quested Kweku not to look at her while she ate. He was very polite and obedient, and kept his head turned.  In the evening the old woman sent him into the garden to get one of the drums which were there. She told him,

“If you come to a drum which says, ‘Ding-ding,’ when you touch it, take it. But be very careful not to take one which says, ‘Dong-dong.’”  

He carefully obeyed her orders. When he showed her the drum, she looked pleased and told him, to his great delight, that he had only to beat it if at any time he were hungry. That would bring him food in plenty. He thanked the old woman very much and went home.  

As soon as Kweku Tsin reached his own home, he called his household together, and then beat the drum. All at once, food of every kind came before them, and they all ate and ate until they wanted no more.  The next day Kweku Tsin called all the people of the village together in the public square, and then beat the drum once more. In this way every family received sufficient food for its wants, and all thanked Kweku Tsin very much for thus giving them what they so much needed.

At once, food of every kind came before them, and they all ate and ate until they wanted no more.  The next day Kweku Tsin called all the people of the village together in the public square, and then beat the drum once more. In this way every family received sufficient food for its wants, and all thanked Kweku Tsin very much for thus giving them what they so much needed.  

Anansi, Kweku’s father, however, was jealous of his son who was able to feed the whole village. Anansi thought he, too, should have a magic drum. The people then would be grateful to him instead of to his son.  He asked the young man, therefore, where he had found the wonderful drum. His son at first refused to tell him, but Anansi gave him no peace until he had learned the whole story.  He then immediately went off toward the hole leading to the town. He carried with him an old nut which he pretended to crack; but he threw it into the hole, and jumped in after it, and hurried along to the silent village.  

When he came to the first house, he cried, “Is there no one in this town?” The old woman answered as she did when the son came, and Anansi entered her home.  He was in too much haste to be polite and spoke to her very rudely, saying, “Hurry up, old woman, and get me something to eat.”  The woman politely asked him to go into the garden and choose the yam which should say, “Do not dig me out.”  Anansi laughed at her and said, “You surely take me for a dunce. If the yam does not want me to dig it out I would be very silly to do so. I shall take the one which wants to be dug out.” And so he did.  When he brought the yam to the old woman she told him, as she had told his son, to throw away the inside and boil the rind; but he refused to obey. 

“Who ever heard of such a silly thing as throwing away the inside and boiling the peel,” said Anansi.  He did so, and the yam turned into stones. He then saw that it was better to do as he had been told, and boil the rind. While boiling the rind turned into yam.  Anansi then turned in anger to the old woman and said, “You are a witch.” 

She took no notice of his words, but went on putting the food on the table. She placed his dinner on a small table, lower than her own, saying, “You must not look at me while I eat.”  He rudely replied, “Indeed, I will look at you if I choose. And I will have my dinner at your table, not at that small one.”  Again she said nothing, but she did not touch her dinner. Anansi ate his own and hers too.  

When he had finished eating she said, “Now go into the garden and choose a drum. Do not take the one which sounds ‘Dong-dong’; take the one which says ‘Ding-ding.’”  Anansi then said, “Do you think I will take your advice, you witch? No. I will choose the drum which says ‘Dong-dong.’ You are just trying to play a trick on me.”  He did as he wished. Having secured the drum he marched off without so much as thanking the old woman.  

No sooner had he reached home, than he thought to show off his new power to the villagers. He called all to the public square, and told them to bring dishes and trays, as he was going to supply them with food. The people in great joy rushed to the spot. Anansi took his position in the midst of them, and began to beat his drum. To his surprise and horror, instead of the abundance of foodstuffs which Kweku had summoned, Anansi saw, rushing toward him, beasts and serpents of all kinds. Such things had never been seen on the earth before.  

All the people except Anansi fled in every direction. He was too frightened to move and was quickly devoured by the animals. Thus he had been speedily punished for his disobedience.  Fortunately, Kweku, with his mother and sisters, had been at the outer edge of the crowd, and they easily escaped into shelter.

The animals then went in all directions and ever since they have roamed wild in the forests.   A man with wisdom is better off than a stupid man with any amount of charm and superstition.  No man puts new cloth into an old garment.