Long ago, in a quiet village of Equatorial Guinea, two unlikely friends lived at opposite ends of the settlement, Ngambi the Igwana and Nja the Leopard. Both had large households; Ngambi had six wives and eight children, while Leopard had six wives and twenty children. Despite their differences, they often gathered with their families in the evenings, sharing laughter and stories beneath the dim glow of the moon. One night, as their children played nearby, Leopard leaned toward Igwana and said, “Ngambi! I have a word to say to you.” Igwana replied calmly, “Speak, my friend.”
Leopard, his voice smooth yet firm, proposed, “Let us share our meals. For two months, you will come and eat at my house, and then, for two months, I shall dine at yours.” Igwana nodded, agreeing to the plan, and they parted for the night.
The next morning, Leopard rose early and went into the forest, returning with a freshly killed antelope. He and Igwana’s families feasted for four days. Later, Leopard hunted a gazelle, and again they feasted for four days. Then came a red antelope, eaten in the same manner. For two full months, Leopard hunted tirelessly, feeding both households with game from the forest.
At the end of this arrangement, Leopard declared, “Ngambi! Now it is your turn to provide food.” Igwana lowered his head and admitted, “I have no wild meat, only vegetables and salt.” The next day, Igwana served Leopard these humble offerings. Leopard frowned, saying, “When I began, I gave meat. How can I eat only vegetables?” Igwana explained, “I do not know how to hunt. If I begin, my method will be dreadful.” Leopard laughed, dismissing the warning: “Good! Begin then!”
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The following morning, Igwana set out. He tied himself loosely to a tree with a cord, then cried out as though in distress. A young leopard cub, wandering through the forest, heard the cries and approached. “Uncle, shall I untie you?” the cub asked innocently. Igwana smiled with false gratitude. As soon as the cub drew close, Igwana thrust his sharp, forked tongue into the nostrils of the young leopard, pulling out its brains. The cub died instantly.
Igwana skinned the cub, cut the meat, and wrapped it in leaves. He brought it home, handing it to his wife to cook. The skin he hid in his bedroom. Later, he invited Leopard to dine. As they ate, Leopard exclaimed, “Friend! You said you could not hunt, yet this meat is delicious!” Igwana deflected, “Do not ask. Just eat.” For two weeks, Igwana continued this scheme, luring young leopards and killing them one by one.
Leopard, however, began to notice. One evening he counted his children and realized ten were missing. “Where are your brothers?” he asked the remaining cubs. “We do not know,” they replied, “perhaps they were lost in the forest.” All the while, Igwana secretly kept the skins of the slain cubs hidden in his room.
One day, Igwana and Leopard traveled together on a long journey, leaving their homes for seven days. Before departing, Igwana warned his children, “Do not allow anyone into my bedroom while I am away.” Yet hunger struck the village during their absence, for without Leopard’s hunting, there was little meat. Leopard’s children chased rats, which fled into Igwana’s locked house. Despite protests from Igwana’s children, they broke down the door. Inside, they discovered the skins of their slain brothers hanging on the walls.
When the fathers returned, Igwana’s children confessed, “The young leopards broke into your room and saw the skins.” Meanwhile, Leopard’s children told him, “Father, Ngambi killed our brothers, we saw their skins.” Leopard asked quietly, “Truly?” They swore it was so. He replied with cold restraint, “Well, let it be.”
But vengeance burned in his heart. Soon after, Leopard whispered to his wives, “Tonight, I will kill Ngambi and all his children.” Igwana’s wife overheard and warned her husband. Terrified, Igwana gathered his wives and children and fled into a nearby stream, hiding in the water where they could not be reached.
At dawn, Leopard stormed into Igwana’s house, finding it empty. Only the skins of his children hung as a grim reminder of betrayal. Roaring with rage, he declared, “Wherever I see Ngambi, I will kill and eat him. We are no longer friends.” Since that day, igwanas have lived near water, where leopards dare not tread, and leopards bear eternal hatred for them.
Moral Lesson
This folktale teaches that betrayal, even when born of fear or cunning, destroys trust and friendship. Igwana’s deceit led not only to the loss of Leopard’s children but also to the permanent enmity between their kinds. True strength lies not in trickery but in honesty and fairness. The story warns us that treachery, though clever for a moment, breeds endless conflict and sorrow.
Knowledge Check
1. Why did Igwana and Leopard agree to share meals?
They made a pact to alternate hosting meals for two months each, strengthening their friendship.
2. How did Igwana trick and kill Leopard’s children?
He tied himself to a tree, pretended to be trapped, and killed cubs with his forked tongue.
3. What role did the hidden leopard skins play in the story?
They revealed Igwana’s betrayal when Leopard’s children found them during the famine.
4. Why do igwanas live near water according to this tale?
They hide near streams to escape leopards, who dislike water.
5. What does the story teach about betrayal?
It shows that deceit destroys trust and turns friends into enemies.
6. What is the cultural origin of this tale?
It is an Equatorial Guinean folktale.
Source: Equatorial Guinean folktale
