Long ago, in the time when animals built towns and shared the earth with gifts from the Creator, two unlikely companions, Tortoise and Leopard, lived together in peace. They had built a thriving settlement, cleared plantations, and survived on vegetables alone. But the hunger for meat weighed heavily on them, for no matter how far their hunters roamed, they returned empty-handed. The forest seemed barren of prey, and their longing for flesh grew day by day.
One morning, as Tortoise wandered deep into the forest in search of food, he stumbled upon an astonishing sight: the enormous Goat of Njambe, the Creator. This mythical beast stood tethered among the trees, radiating a strange power. The Goat spoke, revealing its identity and purpose. It invited Tortoise to enter its body. “Mbodi, Friend of Njambe,” Tortoise cried, “open your house for me!” At once, the Goat parted an opening in its side, and Tortoise stepped inside.
Within the living chambers of the beast, Tortoise carefully sliced pieces of rich, fatty meat, tying them into two neat bundles. Once finished, he called, “Mbodi, Friend of Njambe, open your house!” The Goat obeyed, and Tortoise stepped out with his prize.
Back in his town, he ordered his wives to prepare the meat. They plucked fresh plantain leaves, wrapped the flesh into bundles called momba, and set them to cook over glowing coals. Soon soup bubbled alongside, and when all was ready, the family feasted.
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The savory aroma drifted through the town. Leopard’s children, curious and hungry, followed the scent to Tortoise’s home. Seeing the meal, they begged for a taste. One bite was enough to send them racing home, shouting to their father: “Father, Tortoise has slain a beast of great size, perhaps Hog, perhaps another! But it is meat unlike any other!”
Leopard confronted Tortoise that evening. “Friend, this hunger for meat torments us both. Tell me how shall we provide for our town?” Tortoise smiled slyly and invited Leopard to share his meal. Together they ate, but when Leopard asked the origin of the meat, Tortoise refused to tell. Leopard, suspicious and envious, vowed to discover the truth.
That night, Leopard sprinkled ashes into Tortoise’s travel bag and pricked tiny holes, ensuring a trail would betray him. At dawn, before the partridge Ngwai announced the day, Tortoise set out again. Leopard followed, tracking the fallen ashes until he reached the great Goat. As before, the creature welcomed the visitor inside. There, Leopard found Tortoise already cutting meat. Though displeased at being discovered, Tortoise shared the task, and the two returned with bundles.
The next day they went together. But Tortoise warned sternly: “Friend, take only what we need. Do not touch the heart!” Leopard, however, could not resist. He hacked at the flesh until his claws pierced the heart. At once, the Goat gave a terrible cry “Maa! Mbaa!” and collapsed dead.
The sound carried to nearby villagers, who rushed to the scene. They found the giant Goat lifeless and resolved to butcher it on the spot. Inside, panic seized Tortoise and Leopard, trapped within the carcass. They searched desperately for hiding places. Leopard claimed the stomach; Tortoise wriggled into the bladder.
When the villagers cut apart the Goat, they flung the bladder carelessly into the bushes. Tortoise crept out, feigning outrage. “Who has splashed me as I searched for mushrooms?” he scolded. The people apologized and invited him to join. Meanwhile, the stomach, containing Leopard, was thrown into the stream and pierced with spears. Leopard thrashed, but at last he died, slain by his own greed.
Tortoise calmly asked for Leopard’s skin, which he dried and hung in his house, warning his children never to let Leopard’s offspring near it.
Yet fate could not be hidden. Soon the Leopard children, unaware of their father’s death, joined Tortoise’s children in hunting rats. Entering Tortoise’s home, they discovered the skin of their father hanging from the rafters. Shocked and furious, they concealed their grief, later luring Tortoise’s children into a game on the beach. But words turned to taunts, taunts to boasts, and boasts to violence. When Tortoise’s children bragged of killing Leopard, the two families clashed.
Defeated, Tortoise and his household fled across the stream, hiding in holes and logs, never to return to the town they once shared with Leopard.
Moral of the Story
This tale teaches that greed and disobedience lead to downfall, while cunning alone cannot secure lasting peace. Leopard’s refusal to heed Tortoise’s warning cost him his life. Yet Tortoise’s deceit sowed bitterness that destroyed harmony between their families. True survival comes not from selfishness or trickery but from respect, honesty, and restraint.
Knowledge Check
Q1: Who were the main companions in the story?
Tortoise and Leopard, who built a town together and lived as friends.
Q2: What was special about the Goat of Njambe?
It was a mythical beast gifted by the Creator, providing endless meat without being slain.
Q3: Why did Tortoise warn Leopard not to touch the heart?
Because harming the heart would kill the Goat, ending its miraculous gift.
Q4: How did Leopard die?
He hid in the Goat’s stomach, which was later pierced by spears when villagers butchered the beast.
Q5: What led to conflict between the children of Tortoise and Leopard?
They discovered Leopard’s skin hanging in Tortoise’s house, sparking anger and revenge.
Q6: What lesson does the story teach?
That greed destroys blessings, and dishonesty erodes trust, leading to division and loss.
Source: Fang Folktale, Equatorial Guinea
