Reading Notes: Stories from the Congo, Part B

 Stories from the Congo by various authors

-The maiden then saw that the leopard was fast dying. So she turned herself into the antelope, and thus addressed him: "My dear leopard, you thought to kill me to avoid giving your life to me, as promised, when I found you. See now how I have outdone you. I have destroyed you and your whole family."

*Tales like this one are always so intriguing to me and I don't know why. I just like the concept of being tricked and losing everything*

- BASA was my great uncle's twin brother, and a very clever fisherman.

*I'm already intrigued by the narration choice. There is someone else who isn't a part of the story telling it from what they heard*

- Then Sunga deprived him of the power of speech that he might lie no more, and bade him depart to his town. 

* I like the comeuppance evident in this story where he gets tricked into having to face the consequences*

- And the rabbit kicked the figure with his right foot, but his right foot stuck there. Then he got into a great rage and kicked the figure with his left. And his left leg stuck to the figure also. Then, overcome with rage, he bumped the figure with his head and stomach, but these parts also stuck to the figure. Then the rabbit cried with impotent rage.

*The rabbit just keeps getting himself deeper and deeper into trouble!*

- Now this is a sad but true story, for it is of recent occurrence, and many living witnesses can vouch for its truth.

*I like this introduction*

- The spirit, or fetish, has, besides this human voice, the voice of a certain bird.

*There's lots of stories about fetishes and also (not quoted here) about dancing*

- Only two men have the power of seeing this fetish in his earthly home, and they are the men appointed to carry food to him.

*Curious! Why only the two men?*

-The man told him to go to the same place he had indicated to the leopard and told him that he would there meet a dog that he would enjoy immensely.

*I liked the trick of leading the two people together to destroy each other. It was clever and peaked my interest*

Crocodile (Source: Pixabay)

Bibliography: Stories from the Congo by various authors. Website: Mythology and Folklore UN-Textbook.