Page:Where Animals Talk (West African folk lore tales).djvu/169

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WHERE ANIMALS TALK
163

me? Well then! all you beasts, whenever and wherever I shall meet you, it will be only to eat you!"

So, leopards are always enemies to all other animals, and they kill them whenever they are able.


TALE 21

Is the Bat a Bird or a Beast?

Persons

Ndemi (Bat) and his Mother Vyâdu (Antelope)
Joba (The Sun) Hako (Ants)
Other Animals and Birds

NOTE

In Tropical Africa, it is not usual to retain a corpse unburied as long as 24 hours. Bat retained his mother's corpse too long. The "Driver" Ants of that country are natural scavengers.

A reason why bats are not seen in the day time:—Also, why they make their plaintive cry at night, as if they were calling for their mother.


Bat lived at a place by itself, with only its mother. Shortly after their settling there, the mother became sick, very near to death. Bat called for Antelope, and said to him, "Make medicine for my mother." Antelope looked steadily at her to discern her disease. Then he told Bat, "There is no one who can make the medicine that will cure your mother, except Joba." Having given this information, Antelope returned to his own place.

On another day, early in the morning. Bat arose to go to call Sun. He did not start until about seven o'clock. He met Sun on the road about eleven o'clock. And he said to