Reading Notes: African Stories from Lang's Fairy Books, Part A
Motikatika:
This story is about a husband who goes out fetching nourishment for his sick wife and every time he arrives with something new that she requested, she turns it away claiming that it isnt pure enough. Finally when he brings back some sugar water, she is delighted. After this, he laid down while she was getting dressed and then told his wife that he wanted the same treatment. Every time she returned to him, he would scoff at whatever it was she had brought him. On one of her trips though, she ran across a lake that was golden like honey, and when she bent down to collect the water, an ogre popped his head out of the water, and the woman immediately told him that she would give the ogre her baby if he would let her go. The ogre agreed and she was on her way. The end of the story tells us that he baby is actually a magician.
Motikatika Cont.:
This story is about how the baby was able to escape the reach of the ogre. The first time the mother and the ogre came across each other, she promised she would shave the sides of the baby's head, and drape white beads around his neck, and then the next day the ogre could call out, "Motikatia," and the baby would come running. So to escape this, the baby pulled out his magic bones and asked them what to do. They told him to do what his mother had done to him to every other baby in the village. The next day, the baby did so, and when the ogre called out the babies name, all the babies responded to the ogre, but the ogre would not dare to eat the children of people that had not harmed him. The rest of the story goes on to talk about the three other ways the baby outwits the ogre. On the last attempt to get Motikatika, the woman told the ogre that he should return to their house that evening and take the child who slept with a white bed spread. When he came back that evening though, Motikatika had already switched he and his fathers bead spread, and so the ogre took the father and ate him. When the mother realized the mistake that had been done, she got upset, but Motikatika then says the most savage thing any baby has ever said, "It is only just that he should be eaten, and not I; for it was he, and not I, who sent you to fetch the water."
Jackal and Spring:
There was an area of land where many animals lived. In that area, all the water had dried up so they had to dig another well. After countless searches they finally found a good spot and all of them began to help dig up the well. Once they finished they realized that the jackal had not helped with the searching or the digging. So they formed a treaty saying that the jackal shall never drink of the water, and then elected someone to stay at the well and guard the well from the jackal. They first picked a rabbit, which the jackal was able to distract very easily. They next picked a hare, which once again the jackal was able to distract very easily. Finally they picked a tortoise, and only he was able to stop the jackal from getting to the water.
Adventures of a Jackal:
One day, a jackal and his hedgehog friend were out eating and came across a panther. The panther took a liking to the shoes that jackal was wearing and asked the jackal if he could make a pair for himself. The jackal agreed but said the panther had to find a cow and eat it, then give the jackal the skin, so that he could use the skin for leather. The panther did as commanded, and when he found the cow he let the jackal know and they all had a feast that night. The next morning, the jackal got to work on the shoes, and within the morning had finished them. He told the panther to let them dry in the sun for a couple of hours before putting them on, otherwise they would be uncomfortable. The panther did as commanded but when he put the shoes on finally, not only was he unable to walk in them, but he could not even take them off. He began crying and some birds helped him out. They helped to soften the leather by bringing water to it, and once the shoes were comfortable, he said that he was going to get revenge on the jackal.
Bibliography: Andrew Lang, The Orange Fairy Book, Lang's Fairy Books
This story is about a husband who goes out fetching nourishment for his sick wife and every time he arrives with something new that she requested, she turns it away claiming that it isnt pure enough. Finally when he brings back some sugar water, she is delighted. After this, he laid down while she was getting dressed and then told his wife that he wanted the same treatment. Every time she returned to him, he would scoff at whatever it was she had brought him. On one of her trips though, she ran across a lake that was golden like honey, and when she bent down to collect the water, an ogre popped his head out of the water, and the woman immediately told him that she would give the ogre her baby if he would let her go. The ogre agreed and she was on her way. The end of the story tells us that he baby is actually a magician.
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| The ogre after realizing he ate a full grown man and not a baby. credit: NeedPix |
Motikatika Cont.:
This story is about how the baby was able to escape the reach of the ogre. The first time the mother and the ogre came across each other, she promised she would shave the sides of the baby's head, and drape white beads around his neck, and then the next day the ogre could call out, "Motikatia," and the baby would come running. So to escape this, the baby pulled out his magic bones and asked them what to do. They told him to do what his mother had done to him to every other baby in the village. The next day, the baby did so, and when the ogre called out the babies name, all the babies responded to the ogre, but the ogre would not dare to eat the children of people that had not harmed him. The rest of the story goes on to talk about the three other ways the baby outwits the ogre. On the last attempt to get Motikatika, the woman told the ogre that he should return to their house that evening and take the child who slept with a white bed spread. When he came back that evening though, Motikatika had already switched he and his fathers bead spread, and so the ogre took the father and ate him. When the mother realized the mistake that had been done, she got upset, but Motikatika then says the most savage thing any baby has ever said, "It is only just that he should be eaten, and not I; for it was he, and not I, who sent you to fetch the water."
Jackal and Spring:
There was an area of land where many animals lived. In that area, all the water had dried up so they had to dig another well. After countless searches they finally found a good spot and all of them began to help dig up the well. Once they finished they realized that the jackal had not helped with the searching or the digging. So they formed a treaty saying that the jackal shall never drink of the water, and then elected someone to stay at the well and guard the well from the jackal. They first picked a rabbit, which the jackal was able to distract very easily. They next picked a hare, which once again the jackal was able to distract very easily. Finally they picked a tortoise, and only he was able to stop the jackal from getting to the water.
Adventures of a Jackal:
One day, a jackal and his hedgehog friend were out eating and came across a panther. The panther took a liking to the shoes that jackal was wearing and asked the jackal if he could make a pair for himself. The jackal agreed but said the panther had to find a cow and eat it, then give the jackal the skin, so that he could use the skin for leather. The panther did as commanded, and when he found the cow he let the jackal know and they all had a feast that night. The next morning, the jackal got to work on the shoes, and within the morning had finished them. He told the panther to let them dry in the sun for a couple of hours before putting them on, otherwise they would be uncomfortable. The panther did as commanded but when he put the shoes on finally, not only was he unable to walk in them, but he could not even take them off. He began crying and some birds helped him out. They helped to soften the leather by bringing water to it, and once the shoes were comfortable, he said that he was going to get revenge on the jackal.
Bibliography: Andrew Lang, The Orange Fairy Book, Lang's Fairy Books
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