VIII The Leopard Sticks to the Nkondi (Wooden Image)
In the long ago both the Leopard and the Gazelle made new maize farms. When the ground was ready for planting, the Gazelle put some maize in a saucepan to boil, and hid the rest of his maize in another place. While the pot was on the fire the Leopard arrived, and asked: “Friend Gazelle, what are you boiling?”
“Some maize,” said the Gazelle, “and when it is cooked I am going to plant maize in my farm.”
The Leopard exclaimed, “Indeed! do you plant boiled maize?”
“Yes,” answered the Gazelle. “I boil all my maize, for then it grows better.”
The Leopard returned home at once and rubbed all his maize off their cobs, and boiled the maize. The next morning they both went and planted their maize in their farms. During the following night, however, the Gazelle went and planted some unboiled maize in the Leopard’s farm.
After a few days they went to have a look at their farms, and in the Gazelle’s the whole of the maize was sprouting well, but in the Leopard’s only the raw maize the Gazelle had planted was growing. The Leopard could not understand it, for he said: “I well boiled all my maize, and yet it does not grow.”
By and by the maize was ripe for plucking, and the Gazelle and Leopard went and pulled what they wanted and returned home. For several nights after that the Leopard went stealing maize in the Gazelle’s farm, and one day the Gazelle said to him: “Friend Leopard, who is stealing maize from my farm?”
“I don’t know,” replied the Leopard. The Gazelle carved a wooden fetish called the Nkondi, and put it in his farm.
The next night the Leopard went and stole some more maize, and as he was leaving the farm the Nkondi said: “Oh, you are the thief, are you?”
“If you talk like that,” growled the Leopard, “I will hit you.”
“Hit me,” said the Nkondi. The Leopard hit him, and his paw stuck to the image.
“Let go,” cried the Leopard, “or I will hit you with my other hand.”
“Hit me,” repeated the Nkondi. The Leopard hit him with the other hand, and that stuck also to the image.
“Let go,” angrily cried the Leopard, “or I will kick and bite you.” Which he at once did, as the Nkondi would not let him go, and his feet and mouth stuck to the image; then both the Leopard and the Nkondi fell to the ground together.
By and by the Gazelle arrived, and when he saw the Leopard sticking to the Nkondi he said: “Oh, you are the thief,” and, having punished him, he cut some leaves and made a charm to set the Leopard free. After that the Leopard never again went stealing in the Gazelle’s maize farm.