Nianga Dia Ngenga and Leopard

 Nianga Dia Ngenga takes up his gun, saying: "I will go a-hunting." He has reached the bush; he has hunted; he saw not game; he says: "I will go."

 

When he returns home, he finds Mr. Leopard¹, whom they have stuck up in the fork of a tree. When he sees Nianga, he says: "Father Nianga, help me out!" Nianga says: "What has done this to thee?" He says: "Unfork me first; I shall tell thee."

 

Nianga took him out; he set him on the ground. He says: "Elephant has stuck me up in the fork of the tree. Sir, to whom one has given life, one gives more. I have been two days on the tree; give me a little food." Nianga says: "Where shall I find food?" He says: "Anywhere."

 

Nianga takes up his dog; he gives it to Mr. Leopard. Mr. Leopard ate it and said, "I am not satisfied." Nianga takes up also the other dog; he gives it to Mr. Leopard. He has eaten, says, "Still I have not enough." Nianga dia Ngenga took up his cartridge-box; he gives him it. Mr. Leopard, when he had eaten it, said, "Still I have not enough."

 

Hare comes; he finds them talking; says: "Why are you quarrelling?" Nianga says: "Mr. Leopard, I found him in the fork of a tree. Says he, 'Take me out!' I took him out. Says he, 'Give me to eat!' I gave him both my dogs and my cartridge-box. He says, 'Give me more to eat.' That is what we are quarrelling about."

 

Hare says: "Mr. Leopard, let him be again on the tree, where he was; that I may see." Mr. Leopard returns to the tree, where he was. Hare moves off to a distance; he calls Nianga. He says: "Thou, Nianga, art unwise. Mr. Leopard is a wild beast, he is wont² to catch people. Thou, who didst get him out of there, he wanted to devour³ thee. Shoot him."

 

Nianga then shoots Mr. Leopard.

 

The end . . . "is with God."

 

Leopard and the Other Animals

 

Mr. Leopard lived. One day hunger grasps him. He says: "How shall I do? I will call all the animals in the world, saying, 'Come ye, let us have a medical consultation⁴.' When the animals come then I may catch and eat."

 

He sends at once to call Deer, Antelope⁵, Soko, Hare, and Philantomba. They gather, saying: "Why didst thou send for us?" He says: "Let us consult medicine, that we get health."

 

The sun is broken down. They begin the drums outside with the songs.

Mr. Leopard himself is beating the drum; he is saying, saying:

 

  "O Antelope! O Deer!

  Your friend is sick;

  Do not shun⁶ him!

  O Antelope! O Deer!

  Your friend is sick;

  Do not shun him!

  O Antelope! O Deer!

  Your friend is sick;

  Do not shun him'"

 

Deer says: "Chief, the drum, how art thou playing it? Bring it here; that I play it." Mr. Leopard gives him it. Deer takes the drum, says:

 

  "Not sickness;

  Wiliness holds thee

  Not sickness;

  Wiliness holds thee!

  Not sickness;

  Wiliness holds thee!"

 

Mr. Leopard stood up from ground, said: "Thou, Deer, knowest not how to play the drum."

 

The animals all then ran away, saying, "Mr. Leopard has a scheme to catch us."

1 leopard   

n.豹

参考例句：

• I saw a man in a leopard skin yesterday.我昨天看见一个穿着豹皮的男人。
• The leopard's skin is marked with black spots.豹皮上有黑色斑点。

2 wont   

adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯

参考例句：

• He was wont to say that children are lazy.他常常说小孩子们懒惰。
• It is his wont to get up early.早起是他的习惯。

3 devour   

v.吞没；贪婪地注视或谛听，贪读；使着迷

参考例句：

• Larger fish devour the smaller ones.大鱼吃小鱼。
• Beauty is but a flower which wrinkle will devour.美只不过是一朵，终会被皱纹所吞噬。

4 consultation   

n.咨询；商量；商议；会议

参考例句：

• The company has promised wide consultation on its expansion plans.该公司允诺就其扩展计划广泛征求意见。
• The scheme was developed in close consultation with the local community.该计划是在同当地社区密切磋商中逐渐形成的。

5 antelope   

n.羚羊；羚羊皮

参考例句：

• Choosing the antelope shows that China wants a Green Olympics.选择藏羚羊表示中国需要绿色奥运。
• The tiger was dragging the antelope across the field.老虎拖着羚羊穿过原野。

6 shun   

vt.避开，回避，避免

参考例句：

• Materialists face truth,whereas idealists shun it.唯物主义者面向真理，唯心主义者则逃避真理。
• This extremist organization has shunned conventional politics.这个极端主义组织有意避开了传统政治。