ALL THE GIRLS of the town had assembled and had gone to the forest to pick herbs. While they were doing this, it began to rain; from the east it came, and they ran and got inside the hollow of a baobab tree, and the devil closed it up. When the rain had ceased, the devil said that each must give him her necklace and cloth before he would release her, and all gave them to him except one girl who refused to do so. So she had to remain, but the others went off home.

Now the tree had a small hole at the top, and girls who had returned told the girl’s mother, so she started off and came to see the place where her daughter was. Then she returned home and prepared food, and in the evening she went back to the tree and said, “Daughter, daughter, stretch out your hand and take this food.” So she stretched out her hand through the hole, and the girl got it and ate it, and then the mother went home again.

Now it happened, a hyena had heard all this and, later on, he returned and said, “Daughter, daughter, stretch out your hand and take this food.” But she replied, “That is not my mother’s voice,” and she would not. So the hyena went to a blacksmith and said, “Alter my voice for me, so that it will resemble that of a human being,” and the other said, “If I do improve your voice for you, even before you have arrived at the foot of the tree you will have eaten whatever you have found. However,” he continued, “I’ll do it for you,” and he did so. But as the hyena was returning, he saw a centipede, and he said, “Does one ignore what he finds in the morning?” So he took the centipede and ate it. Then he went to the tree and said, “Daughter, daughter, stretch out your hand and take this food.” But she replied, “That is not my mother’s voice.”

So the hyena became angry, and he returned to the blacksmith and was about to eat him, but the other said, “Stop, stop, stop, you must not eat me,” and he continued, “Why do you want to eat me?” Then the hyena replied, “Because you did not alter my voice properly.” Then the smith said, “Stop, I will do it properly.” So he altered the hyena’s voice and then the hyena returned to where the girl was and said, “Daughter, daughter, stretch out your hand and take this food.” This time she stretched out her hand, and, when she had done so, the hyena seized it and pulled the girl out of the tree and ate her, leaving only the bones. Then he went away.

Now the girl’s mother brought the food in the evening. But when she came, she saw her daughter’s bones, and she burst out crying there. Then she went home and got a basket, and she returned and collected the bones and took the road to the city where men were mended.

She travelled on and on, and after a time she came to a place where food was cooking itself, and she said, “O food, show me the road to the city where men are mended.” Then the food said, “Stay here and eat me,” but she replied, “I have no appetite, I do not wish to eat you.” So the food said, “When you have gone a certain distance, take the road on the right hand and leave that on the left.”

After a time she came upon meat which was grilling itself, and she said, “O meat, show me the road to the city where men are mended.” Then the meat said, “Stay here and eat me,” but she replied, “I have no appetite, I do not wish to eat you.” So the meat said, “When you have gone so far, take the road on the righthand and leave that on the left.”

So she started again, and as she was traveling, she came upon fura which was mixing itself in a pot, and she said, “O fura, show me the road to the city where men are mended.” Then the fura said, “Stay here and eat me,” but she replied, “I have no appetite, I do not wish to eat you.” So the fura said, “When you have gone a certain distance, take the road on the right hand and leave that on the left.”

She traveled on again and, at last, there she was in the city where men were mended. Then the people said, “What has brought you here?” And she replied, “The hyena has eaten my child.” “Where are the bones?” they asked. And she put down her basket and said, “See, here they are.” So they said, “Very well, tomorrow your daughter will be mended.”

When morning broke, they said to her, “Go out and tend the cattle,” so she unloosed the cattle and took them off to feed. Now these cattle had no food except the fruits of the adduwa tree, and when she had picked off the fruits above and had thrown them down, she picked out the ripe ones and gave them to the cattle, but she herself chose the green ones to eat. She fed them thus until the evening, and then they returned home, and as they reached the enclosure, the bigger bull began bellowing:

“This woman has a good heart,

Mend her daughter well.”

So the daughter was mended well, and the mother returned to her hut, for the people said to her, “Sleep here, and tomorrow you will go home.” So next day the daughter was brought and restored to her mother, and they went home.

Now the mother had a rival wife, who also had a daughter, but a very ugly one, and when the mother had returned home, the rival said that she too would kill her daughter, and go to the city where men were mended.

So took her daughter, and put her in a mortar, and began to pound her up. Then the daughter cried out, “O Mother, are you going to kill me?” But she went on pounding , and at last she took out the bones, and she brought a basket and put the bones into it, and then she took the road to the city where men were mended.

She traveled on and on, and after a time she came to a place where food was cooking itself, and she said, “O food, show me the road where men are mended.” Then the food said, “Stay here and eat me,” but she replied, “Opp, do you need to invite me to eat you?” So she stayed and ate the food.

After a time she came upon meat which was grilling itself, and she said, “O meat, show me the road to the city where men are mended.” Then the meat said, “Stay here and eat me,” and she replied, “Opp, do you need to invite me to eat you?” So she stayed and ate up the meat.

She started again, and as she was traveling, she came upon fura which was mixing itself in a pot, and she said, “O fura, show me the road to the city where men are mended.” Then the fura said, “Stay here and eat me.” and she replied, “Opp, do you need to invite me to eat you?” So she stayed and ate up the fura.

So on she traveled again and, at last, there she was in the city where men are mended. Then the people said, “What has brought you here?” And she replied, “The hyena has eaten my child.” “Where are the bones?” they asked. And she put down her basket and said, “See, here they are.” So they said, “Very well, tomorrow your daughter will be mended.”

When morning broke, they said to her, “Go out and tend the cattle,” so she unloosed the cattle and took them off to feed. Now when she had picked off the fruits of the adduwa tree, and had thrown them down, she picked out the green ones, and gave them to the cattle, and she herself choose the ripe ones to eat. She fed them thus until the evening, and then they returned home, and as they reached the enclosure, the biggest bull began bellowing:

“This woman has a bad heart,

Mend her daughter ill.”

So she tied up the cattle, and went to her hut, for the people said to her, “Sleep here, and tomorrow you will go home.” In the morning, the daughter was created with one leg, one buttock, one hand, the whole consisted of only one side. Half a nose was there, the other half was missing. And when the mother came and said that she was going home, the daughter was brought out to her, and they went off along the road.

When they had emerged from the forest, the mother said, “I am not your mother,” and she started off at a run, and went on and hid in some grass. But the daughter followed the footprints, and went on and on until she had found her, and said, “Arise, let us go on.” “Ah, it is you who are not my mother.”

Once more the mother started off at a run and entered their own town and went into her hut and shut the door. But the daughter came to the door and called out, “O Mother, I have come.” But the other remained silent. “O Mother, I have come,” said the daughter again, and she opened the door, and went to her mother. So they lived together, and the rival wife had to put up with the fact that the other’s daughter was beautiful while her own was hideous.

[ HAUSA }