In the time when animals lived and spoke like people, three companions shared a village deep in the forests of Equatorial Guinea: Ka the Snail, Ngambi the Iguana, and Kudu the Tortoise. They lived together peacefully until one day, curiosity drew Tortoise far into the forest. There he discovered a great Evenga tree, tall and heavy with branches. Looking at its wide trunk and the space around its roots, he decided, “I will remain here at the foot of this tree and wait for its fruit to fall.”
For two full days, Kudu stayed alone in a hole near the tree, watching, waiting, and listening to the forest. On the third day, Ngambi grew concerned. He turned to Snail and said, “I must go in search of our friend Kudu. It has been two days, and he has not returned.”
Ngambi journeyed until he reached the Evenga tree. There, in a hollow at its base, he found Tortoise. “Chum! For two days I have not seen you!” Ngambi cried.
Kudu answered firmly, “I will not return to the village. I shall remain here beneath this tree.”
Ngambi thought for a while and said, “Very well, let us sit here together in this same place.”
But Kudu objected, “No! I will keep my hole.” So Ngambi climbed a short distance up the trunk and clung tightly to the bark.
Two more days passed. Snail, now left alone, finally declared, “I must follow my friends. I cannot remain in the village without them.” He set out and soon reached the Evenga tree, where he found Kudu and Ngambi. Looking up at its branches, Snail exclaimed, “What a fine tree under which to rest!”
The others nodded. “Yes, stay here with us.”
Turning to Ngambi, Snail said, “I will sit beside you, Chum.”
But Ngambi refused, “No, I am already placed.”
Then Snail noticed a vine that hung down from the treetop to the ground. Slowly, he climbed up until he was halfway to the top. At last, the three companions were arranged, Kudu at the base of the tree, Ngambi clinging to the trunk, and Snail on the vine, swaying in the air.
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Ngambi, however, was half deaf, and he did not always hear well. This weakness would soon matter.
Two more days passed, and the Evenga tree burst forth with fruit. Branches bent under the weight as they ripened all at once. The scent drew countless creatures, small birds flitted down, big birds swooped in, monkeys leapt from branch to branch, from tiny ones to great ones, all gathering in noisy crowds. They ate, chattered, and played, their noise echoing through the forest.
Kudu, uneasy at the commotion, whispered up to Ngambi, “Ngambi! Tell Ka to speak to those at the top. Tell them to eat quietly and not with such noise!” He did not dare call loudly himself, for fear of adding to the din. Instead, he spoke softly and added a warning in proverb: ‘Iwedo a yalakendi na moto umbaka “Death begins by one person.” By this he meant that carelessness by a few could bring danger to them all.
But Ngambi, pressed against the bark and partly deaf, did not hear a word.
Kudu repeated the warning a second time. Again, Ngambi was silent. A third time, a fourth time, Tortoise called, urging him to pass the message. Still no answer. At last Kudu muttered, “I will say no more.”
That very day, a man from Njambo’s town had gone out to hunt. He carried bow and arrow, a machete, and a gun. As he roamed, he came near the Evenga tree. Hearing the racket above, he looked up and marveled, “So many monkeys and birds gathered in one tree! I have never seen the like.”
He notched an arrow and shot. Three monkeys fell. He fired his gun and seven birds dropped. The rest scattered in terror, wings and tails vanishing into the forest.
The hunter’s eyes then fell on the ground. At the base of the tree, he spied Kudu hiding in his hole. With a laugh he dragged him out and shoved him into his hunting bag. Circling the trunk, he spotted Ngambi clinging not far from reach. “Ah! Iguana too!” he exclaimed. With a swing of his machete, he struck, and Ngambi fell dead.
Finally, tugging at the hanging vine, the hunter pulled Snail down. “So, this is Ka!” he cried.
The hunter gathered his prizes, monkeys, birds, Snail, Iguana, and Tortoise, and prepared to return home.
From inside the hunting bag, Kudu groaned and spoke mournfully to his dead companions, “Did I not say, ‘Tell Ka to warn Kema the Monkeys and Lonani the Birds to eat quietly’? But you did not, and now death has come to us all. If Kema and Lonani had not made so much noise, Man would never have found us. This misfortune has come from them.”
Thus, Man carried his load back to Njambo’s town. There he divided the meat among his people, and the animals became food for the villagers. The proverb proved true: death begins by one person, but it sweeps away many.
Moral Lesson
This tale teaches that carelessness and noise can endanger not only the reckless but also the innocent. The proverb “Death begins by one person” reminds us that a single act of negligence can bring disaster upon a whole community. Caution, unity, and listening to wise counsel are essential for survival.
Knowledge Check
Q1: Who were the three companions at the start of the story?
A: Kudu the Tortoise, Ngambi the Iguana, and Ka the Snail.
Q2: What tree did Tortoise choose to stay under?
A: The Evenga tree, where he waited for fruit to fall.
Q3: Why did Tortoise want Ngambi to pass a message?
A: To warn the birds and monkeys to eat quietly and avoid drawing danger.
Q4: What does the proverb “Death begins by one person” mean in the tale?
A: That the careless actions of a few can bring ruin to many.
Q5: How did the hunter capture or kill the animals?
A: He shot monkeys with an arrow, birds with a gun, struck Iguana with a machete, pulled Snail from the vine, and bagged Tortoise.
Q6: What is the central moral of this folktale?
A: Carelessness and noise can destroy many; vigilance and caution protect communities.
Source: Folktale from Equatorial Guinea.
