The Tortoise with a Pretty Daughter Long ago, there was a powerful king who ruled over men and even had influence over the wild animals. Among all creatures, the tortoise was known to be the wisest of them all. The king had a son named Ekpenyon, and he gave him fifty wives. But the prince did not like any of them. This made the king so angry that he made a strict law: if any girl in the land was found to be more beautiful than the prince’s wives, both the girl and her parents would be killed. At that time, the tortoise and his wife had a daughter who was very beautiful. Her mother feared for her safety and suggested they get rid of the child. But the tortoise loved his daughter too much and hid her away until she grew older. One day, when the tortoise and his wife were away, the prince came hunting near their home. A bird landed on the fence, and when the prince shot it, his servant went inside to fetch it. Instead of the bird, the servant found the tortoise’s little daughter. She was so beautiful that when the prince saw her, he immediately fell in love. The prince spoke kindly to the girl and asked her to marry him when she was old enough. The next day, he sent gifts of cloth and rods to the tortoise as a sign of his promise. The tortoise, frightened of what the king might do, warned the prince that if the king discovered the truth, he would kill not just the tortoise but his whole family. But the prince said he would rather die himself than let harm come to them. After much thought, the tortoise agreed that when the girl was grown, she would marry the prince. The prince’s mother, the queen, was worried too, but she wanted her son to be happy. She secretly gave more gifts—clothes, food, and palm oil—to the tortoise to secure the marriage. For years, the prince spent time with the tortoise’s daughter, whose name was Adet. When Adet was ready for marriage, the prince told his father, the king, about his choice. The king was furious and called all the people of the land to gather at the marketplace to settle the matter. When the day came, the people filled the square. The king and queen sat on their special stones, and Adet was brought before them. The king was amazed by her beauty. Although he had been angry at first, he now saw that his son had chosen wisely. The people also admired her and begged the king to cancel the cruel law he had made. The king agreed. He called the elders of the land and told them the law was cancelled forever. Then he declared that Adet would marry the prince immediately. A grand feast was held that lasted fifty days. There was music, dancing, palm wine, and food for everyone. The king gave the tortoise half of his kingdom and many workers, making him one of the richest men alive. The prince and Adet lived happily for many years. When the old king died, Prince Ekpenyon became king, and Adet became queen. The tortoise, once poor and worried for his child, became honored and powerful. And so, the story shows us that wisdom and patience can turn even the hardest troubles into joy. How a Hunter obtained Money from his Friends the Leopard, Goat, Bush Cat, and Cock, and how he got out of repaying them Many years ago, in the land of Calabar, there lived a famous hunter named Effiong. He was strong and skilled, and everyone knew him because he killed many animals and made much money. But Effiong was careless with his wealth. He spent it all on food, drink, and parties with his friends, until at last he became very poor. He tried to hunt again, but his luck was gone, and he could not catch a single animal. One day, Effiong grew so hungry that he went to his good friend, Okun, and borrowed two hundred rods, promising to repay him on a certain day. Effiong also asked Okun to bring his gun along when he came for the money. But even after borrowing, Effiong still had no idea how he would repay the debt. Now, Effiong had made friends with some unusual creatures during his travels: a leopard and a bush cat he met in the forest, and a goat and a cock from a nearby farm. So, he thought of a plan. He went to each of them one by one, borrowed two hundred rods, and told them the same thing: if they came on the day of repayment and found him away, they could eat anything they saw in his compound. When the day came, Effiong spread corn on the ground outside his house and left the place empty. Early in the morning, the cock arrived first. He saw no one at home, but he did see the corn. Hungry and happy, he began to peck at the grains. Soon after, the bush cat came. Not finding Effiong, he spotted the cock instead, crept up quietly, and pounced. The cock was caught and eaten! As the bush cat was busy with his meal, the goat came looking for Effiong. Angry at not finding him, the goat charged at the bush cat and knocked him down. The bush cat, too small to fight back, snatched up what was left of the cock and ran off into the bush, losing his chance to get his money back. The goat stayed behind, bleating loudly. The noise of the goat attracted the leopard, who was also on his way to collect payment. The smell of fresh goat was too much to resist. The leopard crept closer and closer until, with one great leap, he sprang on the goat and killed him. The leopard began to eat, enjoying the meal alone in the hunter’s compound. Not long after, Okun arrived with his gun to collect his rods. He heard crunching sounds and peered over the fence. There he saw the leopard feasting on the goat. Carefully, he aimed his gun and fired. The leopard fell dead. At that moment Effiong, who had been hiding all along, rushed out and accused Okun of killing his “dear friend” the leopard. Effiong threatened to report Okun to the king, and poor Okun, frightened, begged him to keep quiet. In the end, Okun agreed to forgive Effiong’s debt of two hundred rods if only he would not tell the king. Effiong pretended to forgive his friend, but as soon as Okun left, he dragged the leopard’s body inside, skinned it, and sold the skin in the market for a large sum of money. In the end, Effiong became rich again, but he never repaid any of the animals. And to this day, whenever a bush cat sees a cock, it always kills it—still claiming the payment it never received. The Woman with Two Skins A long time ago, in Calabar, there was a mighty king named Eyamba. He was feared in battle and had many wives, but none of them gave him a son. His people grew worried because the king was getting older, and they begged him to marry the daughter of the wise spider, since spider’s children were always many. At first, the king refused because she looked ugly, but he did not know she carried a secret. Each night, when darkness fell and the cock had not yet crowed, the spider’s daughter removed her ugly skin. Beneath it, she was the most beautiful woman the king had ever seen. The king was delighted, but before sunrise she always put her skin back on and returned to her home. After some time, to everyone’s surprise, she gave birth to a single baby boy. The king’s other wives, jealous of her, plotted against her with the help of a wicked Ju Ju man. They gave the king a potion that made him sick and forgetful. Tricked into believing his son was dangerous, the king threw the child into the river. The spider’s daughter, Adiaha, wept bitterly, but what no one knew was that the Water Ju Ju saved the boy and raised him in secret. Years later, Adiaha had a baby girl, but jealousy struck again. The head wife tricked the king once more, and he cast the child into the river too. Once again, the Water Ju Ju rescued the little girl and cared for her alongside her brother, who grew up strong, handsome, and wise. When the time was right, the Water Ju Ju sent the boy to the marketplace to wrestle. All the strongest men laughed at him, but one by one he threw them to the ground with ease. The people were amazed, for he looked so much like the king. The boy won every match and became a hero in the eyes of the land. The king, impressed, invited the boy to dine at his palace. Neither he nor the jealous wife knew the truth—that this strong young man was the king’s own son. The jealous wife tried to charm him, but the boy, knowing her tricks, kept his distance and returned to the Water Ju Ju, who told him the time had come to reveal all. At a great gathering, the boy stood before the king and all the people. He brought out his sister, beautiful and graceful, and his mother, who removed her ugly skin and shone in her true beauty. The crowd gasped with joy. Then the boy told the story of how his mother had been wronged, and how he and his sister had been saved by the Water Ju Ju. The people listened, and the truth could no longer be denied. The king was overjoyed to learn the wrestler was his son. The jealous wife was punished for her wickedness, and Adiaha was honored as the true queen. At last, the family was together again, and they celebrated with feasts and music. From then on, King Eyamba ruled with his wife, his son, and his daughter by his side—and peace and happiness returned to the land of Calabar. The King's Magic Drum A long time ago, in Calabar, there lived a kind and peaceful king named Efriam Duke. He did not like war and always found clever ways to keep his land safe. He had a very special drum. Whenever he beat it, delicious food and sweet palm wine appeared—enough for everyone. So, when enemies came to fight, he simply called them together, beat his drum, and served a feast. With full stomachs and happy hearts, his enemies always went home peacefully. The king was rich and blessed with many farms, wives, and children. Every few months, he invited all his people—and even the animals—to a great feast. Elephants, leopards, and antelopes sat together with the people, and no one fought, because the magic drum gave them plenty to eat. Everyone admired the king’s drum and wished they could have it. One day, the king’s wife, Ikwor Edem, went to the spring with her little daughter. A tortoise, high up in a palm tree, dropped a nut by accident. The child cried for it, and her mother gave it to her. But the tortoise climbed down and accused the queen of stealing his food. He demanded to see the king, hoping to use this quarrel to get the magic drum. The tortoise refused money, cloth, or palm oil as payment. Instead, he pointed at the drum and said that was the only thing he wanted. The king, tired of his complaints, agreed and gave it to him—but he did not tell the tortoise about the dangerous curse the drum carried. The tortoise was overjoyed. He brought the drum home, beat it, and food appeared at once. For days, he and his family feasted happily. He grew so proud that he even invited people and animals to a big feast. Everyone was amazed at his new wealth, and the tortoise was treated with respect. But one day, after drinking too much palm wine, the tortoise stumbled on a stick in the path. The curse was awakened, though he did not notice at first. The next morning, when he beat the drum for food, instead of a feast, three hundred Egbo men appeared with sticks and whips. They beat him and his family terribly. The tortoise was angry and decided that if he suffered, others should too. He invited the people to another feast. This time, when he beat the drum, the Egbo men came again and beat all the guests until they ran away in pain. At last, tired and ashamed, the tortoise returned the drum to the king. The king refused to take the drum back but, feeling sorry for the tortoise, gave him another gift—a magic foo-foo tree. Each day, the tree dropped foo-foo and soup, but only once a day. If anyone took food more than once, the magic would disappear. For a while, the tortoise’s family was happy. But one greedy son secretly followed his father and learned the tree’s secret. He and his brothers gathered food twice in one day. The Ju Ju broke, and the foo-foo tree vanished, leaving only a prickly tie-tie palm. From that day on, tortoises lived under the prickly palm, remembering the feast they had lost through greed. Ituen and the King's Wife Ituen was a young man from Calabar. He was the only child of his parents, and though they were poor, they loved him dearly. Each day, because they had so little, Ituen would carry an empty bag to the market and gather leftover food that people had dropped after trading. Even though life was hard, Ituen was handsome, kind, and hardworking, and his parents were proud of him. At that time, King Offiong ruled the land. He was old but had many wives. One of his young wives, Attem, was very beautiful. She grew unhappy with her old husband and secretly longed for a young, handsome man to keep her company. So, she sent her servant into the town to find someone. The servant searched all day and nearly gave up, until she saw Ituen in the market picking up scraps of corn. She noticed his strength and fine appearance, and thought he was just the man her mistress wanted. She invited him to meet the queen, but at first Ituen was afraid—he knew it was dangerous to be seen with the king’s wife. Still, after much persuasion, he agreed to visit her by night. When Ituen came, Queen Attem welcomed him warmly. She gave him clean clothes and food, and told him how much she admired him. She kept him hidden in her house for many days, and even sent gifts to his poor mother so she would be happy and proud. Ituen’s mother loved the gifts but worried about the danger her son was in. Time passed, and Ituen returned to the queen again. But secrets are hard to keep. Some of the king’s servants heard about the visits and told the king. One night, they caught Ituen with the queen. The king was furious and called his people together to judge what had happened. The king declared that Ituen had broken the law by taking what belonged to the king. In those days, the punishments were very harsh, and Ituen was taken away. The queen and her servant were also caught, and the people said they, too, must share the punishment. Ituen, the queen, and her servant were never seen again. After this, the king made a new rule. He declared that no one from Ituen’s family would ever again be allowed to collect food scraps in the market. Only the scavenger animals—the dog and the vulture—were allowed to do so. That is why, even today, dogs and vultures are often seen in marketplaces, cleaning up the leftovers. And so the story of Ituen reminds children that while beauty and gifts can be tempting, making secret choices against what is right can bring great danger. It also teaches that greed and disobedience can lead to sorrow, while honesty and patience keep one safe. Of the Pretty Stranger who Killed the King A long time ago, in Old Town, Calabar, there lived a great king named Mbotu. He was brave, strong, and clever, and he never lost a battle. Because of this, his town became rich and filled with many people. But even though King Mbotu was admired, not everyone liked him. The people of Itu, his rivals, grew jealous and angry. They wanted to defeat him but were not strong enough in battle. In Itu, there lived an old woman who was known to have magical powers. She could change her form into whatever she wished. The people of Itu went to her and asked for help. She agreed, promising that she would find a way to stop Mbotu. The witch then turned herself into a young and beautiful woman and set off for Old Town, carrying a secret plan in her heart. When she arrived, there was a grand festival with dancing, music, and feasting. Everyone admired her beauty, saying she shone like the evening sun. Word reached King Mbotu about the mysterious visitor, and since he loved meeting new people, he invited her to his palace. He was so charmed by her beauty that he declared she could become his wife. The woman, whose name was Oyaikan, smiled politely and agreed. She prepared a special meal for the king, hiding inside it a sleeping potion from her magic. When the king tasted the food, he grew very sleepy and lay down to rest. By the time night fell, he was fast asleep. Quietly, Oyaikan slipped away. She left the palace and hurried back to Itu, where she told her people that King Mbotu would trouble them no more. The people of Itu cheered, thinking they had won with cleverness instead of swords. Their king quickly gathered his warriors, planning to surprise Old Town at dawn. The next morning, the people of Old Town were confused when their king did not come out as usual. His servants knocked, but he did not answer. Sadness filled the palace when they realized their strong and wise leader was gone. While the town was still mourning and unprepared, the warriors of Itu attacked. Without their leader, the people of Old Town could not defend themselves and were defeated. From that day, the people of Old Town remembered how quickly things had changed because of a stranger they knew nothing about. They realized that not all beauty and kindness can be trusted at first sight, and that caution is sometimes just as important as courage. And so the story of King Mbotu teaches children to be wise when meeting strangers, no matter how charming they may appear. It reminds us that true friends show care, honesty, and patience, while those who hide their hearts may bring trouble. Why the Bat flies by Night A bush rat called Oyot was a great friend of Emiong, the bat; they always fed together, but the bat was jealous of the bush rat. When the bat cooked the food it was always very good, and the bush rat said, "How is it that when you make the soup it is so tasty?" The bat replied, "I always boil myself in the water, and my flesh is so sweet, that the soup is good." He then told the bush rat that he would show him how it was done; so he got a pot of warm water, which he told the bush rat was boiling water, and jumped into it, and very shortly afterwards came out again. When the soup was brought it was as strong and good as usual, as the bat had prepared it beforehand. The bush rat then went home and told his wife that he was going to make good soup like the bat's. He therefore told her to boil some water, which she did. Then, when his wife was not looking, he jumped into the pot, and was very soon dead. When his wife looked into the pot and saw the dead body of her husband boiling she was very angry, and reported the matter to the king, who gave orders that the bat should be made a prisoner. Every one turned out to catch the bat, but as he expected trouble he flew away into the bush and hid himself. All day long the people tried to catch him, so he had to change his habits, and only came out to feed when it was dark, and that is why you never see a bat in the daytime. The Disobedient Daughter who Married a Skull Long ago in Cobham Town lived a kind man named Effiong Edem. He had a daughter named Afiong, who was so beautiful that all the young men wanted to marry her. But Afiong was very proud of her beauty. She refused every suitor her parents suggested, saying she would only marry the most handsome man in the land—one who was young, strong, and perfect in every way. Far away, in the spirit land, a Skull heard about Afiong’s beauty and became curious. He wanted her for himself, but he knew she would never marry him as he was. So, he borrowed the best parts of the body from his friends—a fine head, strong arms, strong legs, and a tall body. When he was done, he looked like the most handsome man anyone had ever seen. The Skull, now disguised, came to Cobham market, and when Afiong saw him, she was amazed. At once she fell in love, for he was more handsome than any man she had ever seen. She brought him home to meet her parents. At first they hesitated, for he was a stranger, but when Afiong insisted, they agreed to the marriage. Soon after, the Skull told Afiong he wished to take her to his own country, and though her parents warned her not to go, she stubbornly followed him. They traveled far until they crossed into the spirit land. There, one by one, the borrowed body parts were claimed back by their owners. The handsome man disappeared, and only the bare Skull remained. Afiong was terrified and wanted to go home, but it was too late. The Skull took her to his mother, an old woman who could hardly walk. Afiong, though afraid, was kind. She fetched water, cooked food, and cared for the old woman every day. The Skull’s mother grew fond of Afiong and decided to help her. She told Afiong that the people of the spirit land were unkind and would harm her if they discovered her. Because Afiong had been so gentle and respectful, the old woman promised to send her home. She called the clever spider to braid Afiong’s hair beautifully and gave her anklets and gifts. Then she summoned the winds. A wild storm came first, but she sent it away. At last a soft, gentle breeze arrived, and she told it to carry Afiong safely back to her parents. The breeze lifted Afiong and carried her gently across rivers and forests until she landed right outside her family’s home. Her parents were overjoyed, for they had thought her lost forever. Her father laid soft animal skins on the ground so her feet would not touch the bare earth as she walked back into the house. The whole town rejoiced, and there was dancing and feasting for eight days and nights. From that day on, Afiong changed. She learned to listen to her parents and to value kindness over appearances. She later married a good man her father chose, and together they lived happily, raising many children. And so, the people of Cobham Town remembered the lesson: never let pride lead you astray, and never rush to trust strangers, no matter how fine they may appear. The King who Married the Cock's Daughter King Effiom of Duke Town in Calabar loved beautiful maidens. Whenever he heard of a girl who was especially pretty, he sent for her and made her one of his wives. He was very rich and could pay any dowry asked by the parents. Even though he already had many wives—two hundred and fifty—he was never satisfied and always wanted the finest women in the land. One day, Effiom’s friends told him about the Cock’s daughter, a lovely young maiden named Adia Unen. They said she was more beautiful than any of his wives. The king immediately sent for the Cock, who, being poor, could not refuse. He brought his daughter to the king. Before leaving her, the Cock warned, “Remember, she has the nature of a hen. Do not be surprised if she picks up corn when she sees it.” The king laughed and replied that he did not care, as long as he could have her. The king married Adia Unen and soon loved her more than all his other wives. She made him laugh, played with him, and brought him joy every day. The king spent all his time with her and ignored his other wives completely. This made the other wives very jealous. They hated one another, but they all agreed that they hated Adia Unen the most. One of the older wives remembered the Cock’s warning and said, “She cannot resist corn! If we throw corn in front of her, she will surely embarrass herself before the king and the people.” The wives agreed to this plan, hoping to disgrace Adia Unen and send her away. Soon, it was time for the great festival when people brought gifts of yams, goats, and corn to the king. The palace was full of feasting, dancing, and music. When everyone had gathered, a servant girl, following the jealous wives’ plan, threw some corn on the ground in front of Adia Unen. As soon as Adia Unen saw the corn, she forgot herself and quickly picked it up to eat. All the people laughed loudly, and the king felt embarrassed. “What manners are these, to eat corn from the ground in front of the chiefs and people?” the king scolded. Ashamed and angry, he sent Adia Unen back to her father’s house. That night, one of the kinder wives explained to the king that it was all a trick by the jealous head wife. She told him how the whole plan had been set to disgrace Adia Unen. The king realized his mistake and grew furious. He sent the jealous head wife away from the palace with nothing. But by then it was too late—Adia Unen was gone, and the king’s heart was broken. The next year, King Effiom grew weaker and weaker, grieving for the wife he had lost. Finally, he died of a broken heart. When the people saw this, they made a new law: from that day on, no one in the land was allowed to marry any bird or animal again. The Woman, the Ape, and the Child Long ago, in the land of Calabar, there lived a hunter named Okun Archibong. He was a hardworking man who hunted antelopes and monkeys in the forest. From their skins, he made mats and drums, and from their meat, he made food to sell at the market. Though he did not earn much money, he was content with his simple life. Okun had a wife named Nkoyo, whom he loved dearly. After some time, they had a baby boy. Nkoyo often took the baby with her to the farm when Okun went out hunting. She would place her little one under a shady tree while she worked, and something magical began to happen—each day, a great ape from the forest came to play with the baby. The gentle creature held the child, carried him carefully, and always returned him safely when Nkoyo was ready to go home. This strange friendship between the baby and the ape continued for many days, and Nkoyo began to trust the creature’s kindness. But nearby lived a hunter named Effiong Edem, who secretly wished to marry Nkoyo. When she refused him, his heart grew jealous, and when he learned about the ape, he decided to use it to cause trouble. Effiong went to Okun and told him that his wife was allowing a wild ape to carry their baby. At first, Okun did not believe it, but when he went to the farm the next day, he saw it with his own eyes. Fear filled his heart, for he thought the ape might one day harm the child. So Okun took up his bow and arrow and shot at the ape. The ape, startled and wounded, cried out in pain and fled into the forest, never to return. But in the panic of that moment, great sorrow fell on the family, and Okun, overcome with anger and confusion, quarreled with Nkoyo. When the news spread, it reached King Archibong and King Duke, two powerful rulers who already had many disagreements. This incident soon became the spark for a quarrel between them. King Duke demanded that Okun be punished, while King Archibong stood by his servant. The two kings gathered their warriors, and a fierce fight broke out in the market square. Many were hurt, and both sides suffered. The people were weary of the battle and begged for peace. At last, the Egbo chiefs, wise elders of the land, called everyone together to settle the matter fairly. After listening carefully, the chiefs discovered that Effiong Edem had spread lies out of jealousy and had caused the terrible misfortune. For this, he was judged guilty and punished, so that others would learn not to cause trouble between families and villages. From that time forward, a new law was made: slaves from different houses could no longer marry without permission, for such unions often led to quarrels and fights. And so the story of Okun Archibong’s family became a lesson for the people of Calabar. It taught them that jealousy brings only sorrow, but truth and fairness bring peace. From that day, it is said, monkeys and apes grew fearful of people, even of little children, and kept far away from farms and villages. And children, as they heard this tale at night, learned to always choose kindness and honesty in their hearts. Why the Fish lives in the Water Many years ago, when King Eyo was ruler of Calabar, the fish used to live on the land; he was a great friend of the leopard, and frequently used to go to his house in the bush, where the leopard entertained him. Now the leopard had a very fine wife, with whom the fish fell in love. And after a time, whenever the leopard was absent in the bush, the fish used to go to his house and make love to the leopard's wife, until at last an old woman who lived near informed the leopard what happened whenever he went away. At first the leopard would not believe that the fish, who had been his friend for so long, would play such a low trick, but one night he came back unexpectedly, and found the fish and his wife together; at this the leopard was very angry, and was going to kill the fish, but he thought as the fish had been his friend for so long, he would not deal with him himself, but would report his behaviour to King Eyo. This he did, and the king held a big palaver, at which the leopard stated his case quite shortly, but when the fish was put upon his defence he had nothing to say, so the king addressing his subjects said, "This is a very bad case, as the fish has been the leopard's friend, and has been trusted by him, but the fish has taken advantage of his friend's absence, and has betrayed him." The king, therefore, made an order that for the future the fish should live in the water, and that if he ever came on the land he should die; he also said that all men and animals should kill and eat the fish whenever they could catch him, as a punishment for his behaviour with his friend's wife. Why the Bat is Ashamed to be seen in the Daytime Once upon a time, there was an old mother sheep who had seven lambs. One day, a bat asked her if he could borrow one of her lambs to carry his load while he went to visit his father-in-law. At first, the mother sheep refused, but one young lamb begged to go, excited to see the world. At last, she agreed, and in the morning, the bat and the little lamb set out together, with the lamb carrying the bat’s drinking-horn. When they reached halfway, the bat told the lamb to leave the horn under a bamboo tree. Then, when they reached the house, the bat sent the lamb back to fetch it. While the lamb was gone, the bat’s father-in-law gave him food, but the greedy bat ate every bite. When the lamb returned, the bat simply said, “Oh, you’re too late—the food is finished!” The poor lamb went to bed hungry. This trick went on for four days. Each time, the bat sent the lamb away for the horn at mealtime, and each time he ate all the food himself. By the time they returned home, the lamb was weak and thin. He told his mother everything, crying about his empty belly. The old mother sheep was very sad and angry. She decided to ask the wise tortoise for help. The tortoise listened carefully to the story. After thinking for a while, he said, “Leave this matter to me. I will teach the bat a lesson.” Not long after, the bat again came to borrow one of the lambs. But this time, the tortoise stepped forward and offered to carry the load himself. The bat agreed, not knowing the tortoise had a clever plan. On the journey, the bat tried the same trick again, telling the tortoise to leave the horn under the bamboo tree. But the tortoise secretly hid it in his own bag instead. At the house, when the bat asked him to fetch the horn, the tortoise calmly handed it over, surprising the bat. When food arrived, the bat refused to eat out of anger, so the tortoise ate everything. This continued for four days until the greedy bat grew thin and hungry. Desperate, the bat secretly begged his mother-in-law to bring him food while the tortoise wasn’t looking. But the tortoise overheard. When the bat fell asleep, the tortoise gently moved him, took the food himself, and smeared a little palm-oil and foo-foo on the bat’s lips. In the morning, the bat angrily accused his mother-in-law of not feeding him. To solve the quarrel, the people made both the bat and the tortoise rinse their mouths with water. When the bat’s water showed traces of food, everyone knew the truth. Ashamed, the bat ran away and has hidden during the day ever since, only coming out at night. The tortoise returned to the old mother sheep and told her all that had happened. She thanked him warmly and spread the news of his cleverness. From then on, everyone respected the tortoise for his wisdom, while the bat lived in disgrace, hiding from the world. Why the Worms live Underneath the Ground When Eyo III. was ruling over all men and animals, he had a very big palaver house to which he used to invite his subjects at intervals to feast. After the feast had been held and plenty of tombo had been drunk, it was the custom of the people to make speeches. One day after the feast the head driver ant got up and said he and his people were stronger than any one, and that no one, not even the elephant, could stand before him, which was quite true. He was particularly offensive in his allusions to the worms (whom he disliked very much), and said they were poor wriggling things. The worms were very angry and complained, so the king said that the best way to decide the question who was the stronger was for both sides to meet on the road and fight the matter out between themselves to a finish. He appointed the third day from the feast for the contest, and all the people turned out to witness the battle. The driver ants left their nest in the early morning in thousands and millions, and, as is their custom, marched in a line about one inch broad densely packed, so that it was like a dark-brown band moving over the country. In front of the advancing column they had out their scouts, advance guard, and flankers, and the main body followed in their millions close behind. When they came to the battlefield the moving band spread out, and as the thousands upon thousands of ants rolled up, the whole piece of ground was a moving mass of ants and bunches of struggling worms. The fight was over in a very few minutes, as the worms were bitten in pieces by the sharp pincer-like mouths of the driver ants. The few worms who survived squirmed away and buried themselves out of sight. King Eyo decided that the driver ants were easy winners, and ever since the worms have always been afraid and have lived underground; and if they happen to come to the surface after the rain they hide themselves under the ground whenever anything approaches, as they fear all people. The Elephant and the Tortoise; or, Why the Worms are Blind and Why the Elephant has Small Eyes When Ambo was king of Calabar, the elephant was not only a very big animal, but he had eyes in proportion to his immense bulk. In those days men and animals were friends, and all mixed together quite freely. At regular intervals King Ambo used to give a feast, and the elephant used to eat more than any one, although the hippopotamus used to do his best; however, not being as big as the elephant, although he was very fat, he was left a long way behind. As the elephant ate so much at these feasts, the tortoise, who was small but very cunning, made up his mind to put a stop to the elephant eating more than a fair share of the food provided. He therefore placed some dry kernels and shrimps, of which the elephant was very fond, in his bag, and went to the elephant's house to make an afternoon call. When the tortoise arrived the elephant told him to sit down, so he made himself comfortable, and, having shut one eye, took one palm kernel and a shrimp out of his bag, and commenced to eat them with much relish. When the elephant saw the tortoise eating, he said, as he was always hungry himself, "You seem to have some good food there; what are you eating?" The tortoise replied that the food was "sweet too much," but was rather painful to him, as he was eating one of his own eyeballs; and he lifted up his head, showing one eye closed. The elephant then said, "If the food is so good, take out one of my eyes and give me the same food." The tortoise, who was waiting for this, knowing how greedy the elephant was, had brought a sharp knife with him for that very purpose, and said to the elephant, "I cannot reach your eye, as you are so big." The elephant then took the tortoise up in his trunk and lifted him up. As soon as he came near the elephant's eye, with one quick scoop of the sharp knife he had the elephant's right eye out. The elephant trumpeted with pain; but the tortoise gave him some of the dried kernels and shrimps, and they so pleased the elephant's palate that he soon forgot the pain. Very soon the elephant said, "That food is so sweet, I must have some more"; but the tortoise told him that before he could have any the other eye must come out. To this the elephant agreed; so the tortoise quickly got his knife to work, and very soon the elephant's left eye was on the ground, thus leaving the elephant quite blind. The tortoise then slid down the elephant's trunk on to the ground and hid himself. The elephant then began to make a great noise, and started pulling trees down and doing much damage, calling out for the tortoise; but of course he never answered, and the elephant could not find him. The next morning, when the elephant heard the people passing, he asked them what the time was, and the bush buck, who was nearest, shouted out, "The sun is now up, and I am going to market to get some yams and fresh leaves for my food." Then the elephant perceived that the tortoise had deceived him, and began to ask all the passers-by to lend him a pair of eyes, as he could not see, but every one refused, as they wanted their eyes themselves. At last the worm grovelled past, and seeing the big elephant, greeted him in his humble way. He was much surprised when the king of the forest returned his salutation, and very much flattered also. The elephant said, "Look here, worm, I have mislaid my eyes. Will you lend me yours for a few days? I will return them next market-day." The worm was so flattered at being noticed by the elephant that he gladly consented, and took his eyes out—which, as every one knows, were very small—and gave them to the elephant. When the elephant had put the worm's eyes into his own large eye-sockets, the flesh immediately closed round them so tightly that when the market-day arrived it was impossible for the elephant to get them out again to return to the worm; and although the worm repeatedly made applications to the elephant to return his eyes, the elephant always pretended not to hear, and sometimes used to say in a very loud voice, "If there are any worms about, they had better get out of my way, as they are so small I cannot see them, and if I tread on them they will be squashed into a nasty mess." Ever since then the worms have been blind, and for the same reason elephants have such small eyes, quite out of proportion to the size of their huge bodies Why a Hawk kills Chickens In the olden days there was a very fine young hen who lived with her parents in the bush. One day a hawk was hovering round, about eleven o'clock in the morning, as was his custom, making large circles in the air and scarcely moving his wings. His keen eyes were wide open, taking in everything (for nothing moving ever escapes the eyes of a hawk, no matter how small it may be or how high up in the air the hawk may be circling). This hawk saw the pretty hen picking up some corn near her father's house. He therefore closed his wings slightly, and in a second of time was close to the ground; then spreading his wings out to check his flight, he alighted close to the hen and perched himself on the fence, as a hawk does not like to walk on the ground if he can help it. He then greeted the young hen with his most enticing whistle, and offered to marry her. She agreed, so the hawk spoke to the parents, and paid the agreed amount of dowry, which consisted mostly of corn, and the next day took the young hen off to his home. Shortly after this a young cock who lived near the hen's former home found out where she was living, and having been in love with her for some months—in fact, ever since his spurs had grown—determined to try and make her return to her own country. He therefore went at dawn, and, having flapped his wings once or twice, crowed in his best voice to the young hen. When she heard the sweet voice of the cock she could not resist his invitation, so she went out to him, and they walked off together to her parent's house, the young cock strutting in front crowing at intervals. The hawk, who was hovering high up in the sky, quite out of sight of any ordinary eye, saw what had happened, and was very angry. He made up his mind at once that he would obtain justice from the king, and flew off to Calabar, where he told the whole story, and asked for immediate redress. So the king sent for the parents of the hen, and told them they must repay to the hawk the amount of dowry they had received from him on the marriage of their daughter, according to the native custom; but the hen's parents said that they were so poor that they could not possibly afford to pay. So the king told the hawk that he could kill and eat any of the cock's children whenever and wherever he found them as payment of his dowry, and, if the cock made any complaint, the king would not listen to him. From that time until now, whenever a hawk sees a chicken he swoops down and carries it off in part-payment of his dowry. Why the Sun and the Moon live in the Sky Many years ago the sun and water were great friends, and both lived on the earth together. The sun very often used to visit the water, but the water never returned his visits. At last the sun asked the water why it was that he never came to see him in his house, the water replied that the sun's house was not big enough, and that if he came with his people he would drive the sun out. He then said, "If you wish me to visit you, you must build a very large compound; but I warn you that it will have to be a tremendous place, as my people are very numerous, and take up a lot of room." The sun promised to build a very big compound, and soon afterwards he returned home to his wife, the moon, who greeted him with a broad smile when he opened the door. The sun told the moon what he had promised the water, and the next day commenced building a huge compound in which to entertain his friend. When it was completed, he asked the water to come and visit him the next day. When the water arrived, he called out to the sun, and asked him whether it would be safe for him to enter, and the sun answered, "Yes, come in, my friend." The water then began to flow in, accompanied by the fish and all the water animals. Very soon the water was knee-deep, so he asked the sun if it was still safe, and the sun again said, "Yes," so more water came in. When the water was level with the top of a man's head, the water said to the sun, "Do you want more of my people to come?" and the sun and moon both answered, "Yes," not knowing any better, so the water flowed on, until the sun and moon had to perch themselves on the top of the roof. Again the water addressed the sun, but receiving the same answer, and more of his people rushing in, the water very soon overflowed the top of the roof, and the sun and moon were forced to go up into the sky, where they have remained ever since.