The Antelope and the Goat Farm Together

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The Antelope and the Goat Farm Together

Bura Folktales Legend (Nigeria)

The antelope made friends with her sister the goat, and they decided to farm together. They cleared a big plot, and planted corn and beans. Each day they hoed together, and visited, for they were very good friends. But when the time came to pick beans, the antelope came with her daughter and picked them all. When the goat came and found that all the beans had been picked, she decided to ask god how to get her share of the beans. God said that he would make many more beans, so that she would have plenty. Then one day the goat came with her daughter and picked and picked. When all the beans had been brought together, the antelope came, asking the goat to divide, and the goat said, "All right."

The antelope went into the bush and begged the wildcat to come and help divide the beans. The goat begged two large wild dogs to come and hide in the grass, so that if she needed them, they would be there to help her. The wildcat said, "I will do the dividing," and she took two large baskets and got for herself and the antelope. But she got for the goat a very small basket. The goat said, "Why do you give me a little basket like this?" And the wildcat said, "What do you want, do you want me to slap you?" As the wildcat divided the beans, he would take a large basket for himself, and a large basket for the antelope, and a very small basket for the goat.

But the wildcat and the antelope did not know that the two wild dogs were watching their every move. One time when the wildcat carried back a basket of beans, he almost saw the dogs. Still the wildcat continued to curse the goat and say, "If you say another word about how we divide these beans, I will eat you right here." Out came the dogs without a moment's notice. One went after the antelope and the other after the wildcat. They ran and they ran, and finally the one dog caught the wildcat and skinned it and ate the meat on the spot, bringing the skin back to the goat. The antelope ran so fast, and he was so frightened, that he never came back to the farm again. There was nothing to do but for the goat to take all of the beans.