A Squirrel and an Elephant debate their abilities, leading to an eating contest of palm nuts. The Squirrel cleverly enlists friends to secretly rotate during the contest, leaving the Elephant to eat alone. Eventually, the Elephant concedes defeat, learning humility and respect for smaller beings. The tale underscores the value of avoiding arrogance and rudeness, reflecting cultural norms against belittling others.
Source
Among Congo Cannibals
by John H. Weeks
Seeley, Service & Co.,London, 1913
► Themes of the story
Trickster: The squirrel employs cunning and deception to outsmart the elephant during their eating contest.
Good vs. Evil: The narrative contrasts the squirrel’s cleverness and humility with the elephant’s initial arrogance, highlighting the triumph of wit over pride.
Conflict with Authority: The smaller, seemingly powerless squirrel challenges the larger, authoritative elephant, demonstrating that size and strength do not always determine the outcome.
► From the same Region or People
Learn more about Bantu peoples
The Squirrel and the Elephant met one day in the forest and had a big discussion about forest matters. At last the Elephant sneeringly said: “You are a Squirrel, you are only a little bit of a thing. Can you hold either my foot or my leg? No, you are too small to touch even one of my legs!”
“You may be a big thing,” retorted the Squirrel, “but can you keep on eating palm nuts as long as I can?”
► Continue reading…
After much talk they decided to collect bunches of palm nuts, and when all was ready they sat down to the eating contest. Before beginning, however, the Squirrel had secreted a number of his friends in the forest near by.
The Elephant began the contest by putting a bunch of palm nuts into his mouth; but the Squirrel took the nuts one by one and ate them. And when the Squirrel was full he made some excuse and slipped away, and another squirrel took his place. In this way Squirrel after Squirrel exchanged places with each other unnoticed by the Elephant, who continued to eat all the morning, and the big pile of palm nuts grew smaller and smaller.
At last the Elephant asked: “Are you full, friend Squirrel?”
“No,” answered the last Squirrel, “I feel as though I had only just begun.”
“Is that so?” grunted the Elephant. “Well, you are a wonderful little thing. Why, I am getting fuller and fuller,”
After that they went on eating again.
In the afternoon the Elephant asked again: “Friend Squirrel, are you full yet?”
“No,” rephed the last Squirrel, “I have not eaten half enough yet.” And he took up some more nuts to eat.
The Elephant had not room for more than a sigh; and towards sunset he said: “I am full, and cannot eat any more palm nuts.”
Thus the Elephant confessed he was beaten, and ever after that he refrained from annoying and ridiculing his friends and neighbours because they were smaller than himself. The natives are very careful not to taunt slaves about their condition, or to twit a person about poverty or lowly birth. It is considered to be the acme of rudeness to remind another that he is not so fine a fellow as you are, or as he thinks he is. Of course, folk often lost their temper and said bitter things to each other.
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