Feather Woman of the Jungle by Amos Tutuola Page A

people of my village were gathered in the front of my house. They were even increased by seventy-five per cent, because news had reached almost all the rest villages which were near, that I was telling the stories of my past adventures in form of entertainments. When some of the people had seated and those who had no chairs stood round us. Then everyone was served with the palm-wine and the biggest keg was in front of me. So after the drums were beaten and the people danced for about one hour as they were drinking the palm-wine. Then I started to tell the story of my third adventure as follows:
    After a few days that I had returned from my second journey to the village with a lot of valuable treasures, I bought three puppies and I started to tame them in such a way that within a few days they had become as wild as a tiger. I bought those dogs in respect of my journeys for I had needed dogs’ help greatly in all of my past journeys. The names were given to each of them according to its action and cleverness. The name of the first was “Sweeper” because it always ate without any remnant, the name of the second was “Cutter” because it was so bold, fast and wild that it always cut its victim or any dangerous animals into pieces and the name of the third was “Swallower” because it never chew neither bones nor anything before swallowing them.
    Then with my dogs, gun and matchet, I started to hunt inthe forests which were not so far away from the village. With the help of my dogs, I used to kill several animals in one day. So my father, mother, sister and my junior brother, Alabi, were enjoying our lives with the every animal that I killed. But for that enjoyment, I determined not to go to another journey until after one year. Of course, I had forgotten that all the monies which I had saved would soon finish if I did not work hard for more.
    During the period that I was in the village, almost all the people of the village were coming to my house to eat and drink from the morning till the late hour in the night. And many of the people told me that they would follow me to my next journey but they were discouraged when I told them the punishment, hardships, danger, etc. of it.
    In the very month that I completed one year since when I had returned from my second journey. One fine night, at about eight o’clock I took my usual gun, matchet and after I hung my hunting-bag on my shoulder. Then I bade good-bye to my father, mother, sister and brother and then I left the village for the town of the savage people. That town was far away and I had been hearing from the old people that the people were very rich in all things but no man who would go there and return. They said that the savage people were so cruel that even none of the animals in their bush could be killed or taken away by any hunter, however he might be bold and strong.
    But of course, since when I had heard that the people were very rich, I made up my mind that night to go there, not for animals but for the treasures. But I had made a great mistake, I left my three dogs in the village. I thought they would not be able to see well as it was in the night. Of course, my mother had advised me to take them along with me but I rejected her advice.
    Having travelled in the darkness till about two o’clock inthe morning, I came to the forest in the middle of which that savage people lived. Having travelled deeply in it, then I stopped behind a rock. I sat down and I was resting for I was very tired before reaching there. As I was still resting and thinking in mind of what to do before I could get some of the treasures of that savage people, I did not know when I leaned on that rock and I fell asleep at the same time. But as I was dreaming of the man who had been transformed into half-snake by his wife, the man that I had saved when I went my second journey. There I felt suddenly a heavy knock on my forehead. The knock was so painful that I dazed and fell down at the same