Yoruba Folk Tales. Rotimi Ogunjobi

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СКАЧАТЬ that Leopard should not fail to make the traveler its dinner on that very day.

      With Leopard licking his lips hungrily behind him, they finally came to a Fox and the traveler’s last hope of remaining alive. Tearfully the traveler knelt and pleaded with Fox to save him

      “Dear Fox, I know that you are a truthful animal, I plead with to judge with truth. I was minding my business and going on a journey, and then I saw this Leopard in a steel cage. When I saw him I hastened away, but he called me and pleaded with me to have pity on him and release him from the cage. I first refused to do as he wished because I feared that after he has been let loose, he might think to eat me. And it is as if I knew what was on his mind for immediately he was free from the cage he leapt at me and held me by the neck and would have torn me to pieces and eaten me. But I pleaded with him to let this story be heard first by five persons and that is why you find both of us standing before you. Please save me from this predicament."

      After the traveler had said this, Fox looked at him angrily.

      "What was that all about?" Fox said. "I didn’t even understand a word of it all. Don’t you know that you are standing before the great Leopard? Are you not afraid to be in his presence? If you want me to pass any judgment at all, you must carefully and patiently tell me the story once more, because we are both standing before the great Leopard.”

      And so the traveler again told Fox the story. When he got to the part about the steel cage, Fox stopped him.

      "One moment, what is a steel cage?" Fox asked.

      “A cage made of steel", the traveler replied”.

      “Again I ask you what a steel cage is” Fox impatiently asked. With hopes fading away the traveler said:

      “Fox I know you are very wise, and I know for certain that If you do not know what a steel cage is, you do know what a chicken cage looks like, because you love eating chicken. Even before all this misfortune came upon me I had said to myself that on the day that I do meet Fox, I shall give him a gift of two or three fat chicken, because all the animals never stop saying good things about you like. “Fox is a very good person.” But still, my promise will still one day be fulfilled; and even if Leopard kills me today you will certainly get your three fat chickens. What do you want, hens or cockerels? The choice is yours. A steel cage and a chicken cage are not so different; but the steel cage is made of steel and it is a lot bigger than a chicken cage. I hope that you now understand, and I plead with you to have mercy and be fair in your judgment".

      But Fox did not appear impressed by the traveler’s long story.

      “What do you take me for then, a chicken thief?” Fox sneered; ”That is all you human beings think I am; a chicken thief. You are a foolish fellow, a nitwit a buffoon, and an idiot. If you do not take me to the place where the steel cage is, I will not let you go away alive, because you are a liar and there was never any steel cage.”

      Again, Fox turned to Leopard and said to him:

      “Hail, hail O great one. Anyone who has no respect for you should be forever known as a fool. Please do not think this an affront if I ask that you come with us while this foolish fellow shows me where the steel cage can be found I want him to see what a liar he is so that when I finally pass judgment that you should eat him there will be no doubt that I have been fair. And then I shall personally ensure that you eat him for dinner today.”

      And Leopard nodded in satisfaction.

      “Thank you Fox” Leopard said “Let him lead and I will follow behind".

      When they got to the place where the steel cage was, Fox turned to the traveler and sternly asked him.

      “Where were you standing at that time?”

      “There”; the man replied pointing away from the cage.

      “Okay stand there once again”, Fox said to him.

      Then he turned to Leopard and also asked

      “Where were you at that time sir?”, and Leopard pointed at the cage.

      “Inside there”; he told Fox. But Fox looked quite puzzled.

      "Sir, I am sure that you do know how much of nincompoop I am, and I never understand anything easily. If you do not stand where you were at that time, I am completely unable to understand.” So Leopard walked into the cage.

      “Now it is becoming a little clear to me” Fox said.

      “You liar, I thought you said you set him free? Tell me what prevents him from coming out of the cage by himself as the door is wide open?", he said to the traveler

      “It was locked at that time”, the traveler desperately tried to explain.

      "Locked? I am not very wise, what do you mean by locked?” Fox scolded. And so the traveler took the door of the cage, slammed it shut and locked it.

      “Locked like that”, he turned to Fox

      “Good, I now completely understand. Do you mean that Leopard cannot come out again now?” Fox asked. And so the traveler took the door of the cage, shook it with all his might and saw that it was fast.

      “No, Leopard cannot come out by himself unless someone releases him”, he affirmed.

      Fox looked at Leopard in the cage and burst into laughter.

      “Now who the fool, Leopard? “Fox taunted.” Again you are caught and this time there will be no escape because you have been unjust".

      And Leopard roared with rage and shook the steel cage with all his might but he was truly trapped.

      “Go on your way good man” Fox said to the traveler “But do not forget my chickens; and when you get to the nearest village, tell them that their enemy Leopard has been caught in a cage and they should make haste to come kill him.”

      And the traveler thanked Fox very well, and went away to do as Fox had advised. Soon the villagers came and put Leopard to death, and while he died he thought: “I should have lived more wisely; else I wouldn’t have died so unwisely”

      THE LION’S FOOD

      In a certain forest, there lived a lion, and he was the only lion in the forest. As he was getting too old this lion has the thought that going to hunt for food was not a wise thing to do any more. Therefore, he called all the animals in the forest together and addressed them.

      “I thank you all for coming, and it shows that you love me and respect me as the king. I am sure that you also know that I am not a wicked king, because even if I have killed some of your relations for dinner you know that it was for no other reason than you are all my food, even as some of you are created to eat leaves, some to eat fruits, some to eat nuts.. Undoubtedly all of you know that I must eat from amongst you everyday but even so I also love you all. I thought it a good idea to ask you all to put heads together and to come to me one at a time, one after the other to be eaten. In this way each of you will know which day they would die, and anyone whose death is near will know how best to spend the rest of their life. Again, you know how loudly I roar when I am hungry, and I am sure that this always makes you all afraid. If you come to me to be eaten my roaring will be unnecessary and there will be peace in the forest”

      After Lion had finished there was a long silence. But Wolf soon stood and addressed them all again, saying.

      “I СКАЧАТЬ