A Fowl’s deceptive claim of selling its leg for wealth leads a greedy Hippopotamus to sell its own leg, resulting in its death. Blaming the Fowl, Hippopotami enlist Hawks, Kites, and wildcats to attack Fowls, prompting retaliation involving Crocodiles and humans. This tale explains how deceit introduced lasting enmity, violence, and death among animals and birds, weaving a cautionary lesson on honesty and greed.
Source
Among Congo Cannibals
by John H. Weeks
Seeley, Service & Co.,London, 1913
► Themes of the story
Cunning and Deception: The Fowl deceives the Hippopotamus by pretending to have sold its leg for wealth, leading the Hippopotamus to a fatal decision.
Conflict with Nature: The tale depicts the ensuing strife between different animal species, highlighting the disruption of natural harmony due to individual actions.
Origin of Things: This narrative explains the cause of the enduring enmity among birds and animals, providing a mythological origin for observed natural hostilities.
► From the same Region or People
Learn more about Bantu peoples
A Fowl, on returning from a trading journey, hid one of his legs under his wing and said: “I sold my leg for two thousand brass rods in the towns I have been visiting.” A greedy hippopotamus, hearing this, said: “If the Fowl could receive two thousand brass rods for his small leg, how much shall I receive for mine?” So calling some of his friends they entered a canoe and paddled down-river to the towns. On arriving, the leg of the Hippopotamus was cut off, carried ashore, and sold for a large number of brass rods.
► Continue reading…
When the Hippopotami returned to the canoe, after selling the leg, they discovered that their friend had bled to death, so they picked up their paddles in great anger and returned to their town.
On arriving at their town they sought out the Fowl and charged him with the death of their friend, for they said, “Because of your lying deception he went and sold his leg.”
In their anger they called on the Hawks and Kites to swoop down and carry off the chickens belonging to the Fowls; and they told the wild bush-cat that whenever he found the door of the Fowl-house open he was to creep in and kill the Fowls.
In this way so many Fowls were killed, that in defence the Fowls called on the Crocodiles to bite the Hippopotami and wound them to death; and they asked Man whenever he saw a Hippopotamus to hurl his spear at it and kill it. Thus, through the Fowl’s one deception, enmity, quarrels, and death were first introduced among the birds and animals.
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