The Native Races of East Africa by Wilfrid D. Hambly - HTML preview

CHAPTER VIII
 STORIES TOLD BY THE BAGANDA

At one time cats were servants of fowls, to whom they had to pay tribute in the form of flying ants, done up in small packets. This duty became very irksome, and on several occasions the cats were very much inclined to rebel, but were afraid to do so when the fowls threatened to burn them with their red combs. At one time, when the cats’ fire had gone out a mother cat sent her young one to make fire by placing some dry grass near to the red comb of an old rooster who was very drunk and fast asleep.

Presently the kitten returned with the report that he could not get a light from the red comb of the sleeping cock. This aroused the curiosity of the mother cat, and at once she went and convinced herself that the cock’s comb, though red, was quite cold. She then wakened the rooster, and along with other cats declared that never again would she serve the fowls. The fowls saw that their deception was no longer of any use, so they came to the nearest village and asked man for his protection against the cats.

A lion and a crocodile had a quarrel during which each claimed to be the stronger animal. The former said: “I can kill the fiercest buffalo,” to which the latter replied: “And I can kill the hippopotamus in the water.” The crocodile was basking on the mud near to the river’s bank where the lion was devouring a buffalo. Very quickly the crocodile seized the leg of the buffalo and pulled both that creature and the lion into the river, where they were drowned. This incident filled the crocodile with confidence, so that he soon began to boast of his strength, especially to the young son of the lion he had killed. Naturally the young lion was very angry, and ever in search of revenge, which he took one day when the crocodile attempted to play his old trick of pulling the young lion and his prey into the river. On this occasion the lion proved stronger, for not only did he haul out the crocodile on to the mud flats, but quickly settled him with blows from his powerful paws. Now the Baganda people declare that the lion and the crocodile are of equal strength, the former being king of beasts on land, and the latter sovereign of the river.

Now we come to the closing scenes in the life of this interesting Baganda tribe. Sickness is never put down to natural causes, such as chills, overeating, or heavy drinking. It is always supposed that an enemy has worked magic against the sick man, and the medicine man of the tribe will usually bleed the patient in order to let out the evil magic. The body of the king is embalmed and buried with great reverence, and even for the most humble people there is respectful interment; methods which are very different from those adopted by the Masai and Akikuyu, who leave their dead to be devoured by hyenas.