other creeping swamp and bush creatures. Duopoo runs home and tells of her misadventure. Therefore every one in her town says, even to this day, "One man must not try to follow another man's luck."

2. THE ORIGIN OF DEATH.

Sno-Nysoa1 has four sons to whom he is greatly attached. He has given them each a necklace of leopard-teeth. He sends them to visit his big friend, Earth. They fail to return, and Sno-Nysoa asks Earth to send them home. "I have told them many times to return," answers Earth; "but they say that their new home is so interesting and beautiful, they have no desire to return." Sno-Nysoa finds his sons, and expostulates. "Do you not know that your father's life is sad without you, and that his heart cannot lie down while you are away?" "Yes, we know," they answer; "but this is such a pleasant place to live, chop so plenty, Earth so kind and good, we have decided to remain here always." Sno-Nysoa warns Earth that he intends to do something that very night to get his sons back. "I beg you, SnoNysoa, I hold your foot!" cries Earth. "Do not rob me of your sons!" Sno-Nysoa only scowls. That night all the sons go to sleep as usual, but in the morning the eldest does not awake. Earth ascends the broad way to the home of Sno-Nysoa, and begs him to give over using his secret power. Sno-Nysoa tells Earth not to trouble himself about his sons; whenever one does not awake, merely to bury him. "I have simply called him home. I leave the body with you." Then Sno-Nysoa calls and shows Earth the eldest son. . . . Suddenly one morning it is found that the second son cannot be wakened. Earth again visits Sno-Nysoa, where he sees the second son alive and happy. A long time passes, but then the third son fails to awake. Earth again goes along the same wide way to Sno-Nysoa, only to find the third son well satisfied. "Perhaps you will remember, friend Earth, I told you long ago that when I really decided to have my sons again, I should get them. Well, the time has now come to fulfil my words entirely. To-morrow morning you will find my fourth son cannot be wakened. He will come to join his brothers here with me." Earth tries to keep the fourth son with him, but fails. The next day the fourth son, like his brothers before him, cannot be wakened. In his misery, Earth starts out to go to Sno-Nysoa; but Sno-Nysoa has

1 Nysoa, or Nyensoa, without prefix, may mean "God" or "fetich spirit;" with prefix, Sno-Nysoa, it means "God the Creator."

Leopard's teeth are among a man's most highly valued possessions. Only the four large incisors are prized. The value of the teeth evidently arises from the courage, skill, and risk necessary to kill a leopard. When spears are the only weapons used, the task is not slight.

The most abject of expressions of supplication.

removed the wide-open way to his home, and Earth can never find it again. To this day Sno-Nysoa uses his secret power to remove people from the world; and the way to see them afterwards is barred, because of Earth's action long ago.

3. WHY DEATH STAID IN THE WORLD.

Before Earth and Sno-Nysoa quarrelled, there was no death among the people. Afterwards sickness and suffering came, and death. The people call a meeting to consider how to get relief. An old man just back from a far country tells of a medicine-man there who "savvy too much for them sick palaver." They beg the old man to go and find the medicine-man and bring a medicine ("better pass all") to cure the sick and revive the dead. The old man refuses. He says, "I am too old, and the country too far for me to go again. Let us send Cat. He is swift, and his life be plenty strong." They agree, and Cat sets out. He finds Medicine-Man, and persuades him to prepare his most potent medicine. "Guard it well, friend Cat! it will cure the sick and revive the dead," cautions Medicine-Man. On his way back, Cat comes to a river. It is hot, and Cat is weary. He will bathe. He lays the medicine down on the stump of a tree on the bank. Coming out of the water, he forgets the medicine, and hastens home. He tells the people of his success; but, on looking for the medicine, he cannot find it, and remembers where he left it. The people beat him, and drive him forth to recover the medicine. When he reaches the stump by the river, the medicine is gone. He runs to Medicine-Man, who is outraged by his carelessness. Medicine-Man says that through the stump the medicine has crept into the boat and cannot be recovered. Henceforward, although a tree be cut, if the stump remain, the tree will grow again; but when men die, it will be the end. For losing the medicine, Medicine-Man curses Cat. "Never can the sight or smell of chop reach you without quickening a desire to steal it; and for your roguery you will be much beaten of men. Out of my sight, accursed one, and waste yourself!"

4. TRICKY HOSTS.2

Nymo and Goat are "big friends." They agree that the first to marry will be invited with his bride to the house of the other for "big play." Three days later, Goat marries, and is invited to Nymo's town. While Nymo's guests are bathing and resting, Nymo orders "chop." There is no "fresh" in the house to season the palm-butter; but Nymo tells the cooks to prepare the palm-butter as though they had "fresh," then to set it aside to cool. Nymo fills his mouth and 2 See p. 432 (No. 6).

1 Understands all about curing the sick.

hands full of pepper, and tells the cooks to bind him hand and foot with fibre-string and put him in the bowl of palm-butter, then to set the bowl before Goat and his wife, with a big bowl of rice. Before Goat and his wife begin to eat, they inquire for Nymo. "He has just gone to a near-by palm-tree to get you some palm-wine," answer the servants. Goat picks up a big knife to cut himself a helping from the meat in the palm-butter. The first cut severs the string that binds Nymo. He dashes the pepper into the eyes of Goat and his wife, jumps out of the palm-butter, washes his skin, and comes bearing to his guests a large jug of palm-wine. He feigns surprise, and says, "Why do you weep so? And look at the butter all over you!". "Don't open your mouth to me," says Goat. "Stand aside! we are leaving this place at once." Nymo marries, and is invited by Goat to visit him. In Goat's house there is no "fresh" for the palm-butter; but Goat directs the cooks to make the butter as usual. After the pot of palm-oil is boiling, Goat directs them to bind him, fill his mouth with pepper, and put him in the pot. "To-day I intend to serve crafty Nymo with a palm-butter exactly like the one he gave me as his guest." "What a delicious palm-butter our friend Goat has prepared for us!" says Nymo, slicing up the meat. "Yes, indeed!" replies his wife; "and see how well cooked the meat is!" "But where is my friend Goat?" The servants tell how they have dropped their master at his own order into the boiling palm-oil. "Trying to get even with me!" says Nymo. "This only goes to show that a man should never attempt to imitate what another does unless he knows all the details."

5. NYMO APPORTIONS.

Gorilla wants to make a big war-drum. So he goes into the bush and cuts down a large tree. Then he asks his friends to come and help him bring it into town; but the tree is too heavy for them. Gorilla goes to the river, and asks the fish to help. Nymo hears the request, and says, "My good friends, since you have no feet and the tree is not in the water, I do not see how you can help." So the fish swim away. Gorilla calls three turtles to help him. All pushing together, . they slide the tree along the ground, and bring it into town. Nymo asks the turtles how they are able to move so heavy a tree. "That's our secret," they say, "and we do not intend to tell you." Gorilla says, "Since turtles have proved to be the best men in town, I will make 'big play' for them." Gorilla kills three bullocks, and invites to the feast all the animals. Dog is asked to apportion the "chop." The first thing he does is to eat all the hearts and livers. "If you go on at this rate, there will be nothing left to divide," say the animals. They ask Cat to apportion. She begins by stealing a hind-quarter

and hiding it away for herself. "People always say you are a rogue, and now you prove it!" shout the animals. Nymo offers to apportion. He puts the part for Fish and Hook and Line in one bowl, and bids them eat together. Fish refuses, and says, "Hook and Line are my enemies. It is impossible for me to eat with them." Nymo puts in one bowl the part for Deer and Leopard, and orders them to eat together. "I cannot 'chop' with my mortal enemy," says Deer, leaving his part. The part for Rat and Cat is put in one bowl, and Rat refuses to eat. The apportioning is finished. Since Nymo has given each bowlful to animals enemy to each other, the "chop" lies untouched on the ground. So Nymo takes it all for himself. The animals are very angry. 'Possum says, "I will call Wasp and Hornet to come and sting Nymo for robbing us of our 'chop."" Wasp and Hornet go to Nymo's house, one going in by the front door, the other by the back. They sting Nymo so severely, that he rolls on the ground in pain, and cries for help. His relative, Squirrel, hears, and calls Fire to burn the house to destroy Wasp and Hornet. Cat, passing, sees the house in flames. She remembers that Nymo has got all the 'chop,' so she decides to help him, in hopes that he will share with her. She calls Rain to put out Fire. All the animals require Nymo to come and "talk the palaver." They send him into exile. Now they say in Nymo's town, "Greed should not be permitted to destroy justice."

6. NYMO AND HORNBILL.1

There is a great famine, and Nymo and Hornbill 2 have become very hungry. They are "big friends," so they decide to go into the interior together to look for food. They find a palm-tree full of ripe nuts. Nymo eats only the pulp of his nuts, and throws away the hard shells which hold the kernels. Hornbill eats pulp, shells, and kernels. On their return, Nymo calls the animals to tell them that Hornbill's belly is full of palm-nut shells with the kernels in them, and urges the animals to make Hornbill go to the river and throw up the kernels; otherwise great misfortune will come to their country. The animals declare that what Hornbill has eaten is Hornbill's own business, and they have nothing to do with it. In flying about the country,. Hornbill drops the palm-nut shells, and from them a palm-grove springs up. From these trees, Fisherman gets material to make fishline; Hunter gathers nuts to make palm-oil to trade for gun, powder, and balls; and Small-Boy gets fibre to set bird-traps. The first time Fisherman uses the line, he catches a fish. The fish calls to his brothers to come and free him. Nymo hears, and says, "Didn't I tell you that 1 See p. 418 (No. 18), p. 432 (No. 5).

2 Hornbill (ngbon) is said to be exceedingly fond of palm-nuts and to swallow the seeds.

if Hornbill did not throw up those palm-nuts, 'plenty' trouble would overtake us? It serves you right to get caught." Hunter went into the bush for game, and at his first shot he wounded a deer. The deer cried out for help. Nymo heard, and said, "When I warned the animals against Hornbill, you were in the crowd which told me that what one eats is his own business. You deserve to be shot." Small-Boy set his trap in a quiet place, and baited it well with rice. Soon some birds are caught, and cry out for help. Nymo hears, and says, "You too were present when I told about Hornbill. It is now too late for me to get you out of the trouble you have brought upon yourselves." This was the beginning of the war which fishermen, hunters, and small boys have always carried on against these animals.

7. LEOPARD'S SPOTS.

Leopard proposes to Nymo to go into the bush for wild honey. Leopard is first to spy a bee's nest, but in it there is no honey. Nymo finds a nest full of honey. They eat their bellies full, and divide the remainder. As they sit down to rest, Nymo asks Leopard what name he would select to give himself. "Strong-Man," answers Leopard. “And you?" "Iron-Bar, and that is better than 'Strong-Man,'" answers Nymo boastfully. Leopard is so angry, he seizes Nymo, ties a rope around his waist, and drags him through the bush. They meet Barking-Deer. "Why are you carrying Lion's brother in this manner?" jests Barking-Deer. "Don't ask me any questions about my own business," says Leopard. Barking-Deer asks Nymo. "Because I said the name of Iron-Bar, which I would take, was better than Leopard's name, Strong-Man."-"How foolish," said BarkingDeer, "for a little weak person like you, Nymo, to choose such a 'strong name' in the presence of Leopard! It serves you right." Leopard drags Nymo on until they arrive at Lion's town. Lion is enraged at the way Leopard is treating Nymo, and orders Leopard to set him free. Leopard obeys. Lion orders water to be brought for a bath for Nymo, and Leopard is made to stand under the bathhouse. As Nymo "washes his skin," the waste water runs over Leopard, who growls at the insult. After his bath, Nymo rests. Then Lion calls his wife and orders "chop." The scraps and bones left, Lion directs Nymo to carry to Leopard as "his part chop." Leopard threatens until Lion calls him out to fight. Every bite Leopard takes from Lion's body he swallows. The bites Lion takes from Leopard he lays on the ground. They are nearly exhausted, when an old woman. passing by parts them. They beg her for water to drink. What Lion drinks refreshes him. What Leopard drinks runs through the holes in his body bitten by Lion. The old woman, on seeing this, urges Leopard to flee before Lion kills him. So Leopard runs away and