Long ago, in the days when beasts lived apart from mankind yet kept bonds of friendship, there was a man named Njambo who lived in a great town. He had a daughter, Ndenga, whose beauty and grace were known across the land. At the far end of the town stood a massive tree, so thick and tall that no one had ever managed to bring it down. Njambo, wishing to test the strength and worthiness of those who sought his daughter’s hand, declared, “My daughter shall not be married by men. Only among the Beasts will her husband be found. And whoever can fell that mighty tree will take her as his wife.”
Word of Njambo’s challenge spread quickly. The first to step forward was Etoli, the House Rat. Confident, he strode into Njambo’s home and announced his wish to marry Ndenga. Njambo handed him an axe and said, “No goods will I accept as dowry. Cut down that tree, and the woman shall be yours.”
Etoli tried and tried, but the axe would not bite into the tree’s bark. Frustrated and fearful that Njambo would kill him if he admitted defeat, the rat abandoned the axe at the tree’s foot and fled. When Njambo later checked, he found only the axe lying there. Disappointed, he returned home.
In the forest, the Beasts mocked Etoli. “You sneak into houses to nibble scraps,” they jeered, “but you cannot even win yourself a wife!”
Shamed, Etoli fell silent, and Ko, the Forest Rat, declared boldly, “I will succeed where he failed!” He went to Njambo, who welcomed him and promised him the same task. Ko spent the night as a guest, and at dawn he set out with ropes and axe. Climbing halfway up the tree, he struck with all his strength, but the bark yielded nothing. Exhausted, he gave up, leaving the axe behind just as Etoli had. Returning home, he admitted, “The woman would be easy to marry, but that tree is impossible.”
Leopard came next, then Elephant, then Ox, each certain of their strength. One after another, they failed. None could make the tree tremble, nor even loosen a single chip of wood.
Among them all, only Tortoise, Kudu, had not yet tried. “I will marry Ndenga,” he declared. At once, Ox struck him in scorn. “You? If we could not do it, how could you?” But Elephant silenced Ox: “Let him try. Let us see.”
That evening, Tortoise reached Njambo’s home and politely asked for Ndenga’s hand. Njambo agreed but told him, “First, let her speak for herself.” When Ndenga entered, Tortoise asked, “Do you love me?” Without hesitation, she answered, “Yes, I love you with all my heart.” Overjoyed, Tortoise promised to cut the tree at dawn.
The next morning, he studied the tree carefully. Unlike the others, he noticed that one side was softer than the rest. Climbing with his rattan ropes, he struck at that spot. Chips began to fly at once. With steady blows he worked from sunrise until midmorning, when at last the giant tree creaked, groaned, and crashed to the ground with a thunderous nji-i!
Njambo, hearing the sound, rushed to see. Amazed, he said, “You have done well, Kudu. Finish the task by cutting away the top and branches, for I need the trunk to make a canoe.” Tortoise obeyed, and soon the tree lay bare. Satisfied, Njambo presented Ndenga to him, along with food as a bridal gift.
On their journey home, Tortoise and his bride met Leopard on the path. “This wife is not for you, Kudu,” Leopard snarled. “She belongs with me. Take another in her place.” Before Tortoise could resist, Leopard seized Ndenga and ran to his own town.
Grief-stricken, Tortoise reached his home weeping. Elephant and the others asked what had happened. When he explained, they trembled. “We fear Nja, the Leopard,” they admitted. “We dare not challenge him. You must give her up.” But Tortoise refused. “I will never abandon my wife. If it costs my life, so be it.”
Resolute, Tortoise left the town of Beasts and built a small village beside a busy road. There he set a trap: a large stone, a bench, a bowl of water, and a secret medicine smeared upon the bench. “Let any who sit here rise freely,” he charmed, “but if it be Leopard, let him remain bound.”
The next day, Elephant passed by, sat, sharpened his machete, and rose unharmed. Ox did the same. But when Leopard arrived with his nine wives, including Ndenga, he sat down to sharpen his blade, and at once he found himself stuck fast.
Shocked, Leopard struggled, but the magic stung him like a swarm of bees. Tortoise came out, calm and firm. “You will not rise, Nja, until you return my wife.” Leopard, in pain and shame, called for Ndenga. “Go back to your husband,” he said. “And fetch the food I took as well.”
Once Tortoise had both his wife and his goods, he fled into the water with her. Only then did he shout back, “Let Leopard be free!” The spell broke, and Leopard rose, but his pride and victory were gone.
Moral Lesson
This tale reminds us that true strength is not measured by size or might but by patience, wisdom, and resolve. The Tortoise triumphed where stronger beasts failed because he observed carefully, worked diligently, and held firmly to what was rightfully his. Even when abandoned by others, he refused to give up, showing that perseverance and cleverness often outlast brute force.
Knowledge Check
Q1: Who was Ndenga, and why was she sought after?
Ndenga was Njambo’s beautiful daughter, offered in marriage only to the Beast able to cut down a mighty tree.
Q2: Why did Rat and Forest Rat fail in their attempts?
Both could not penetrate the tree’s bark, proving that size alone was not enough for the task.
Q3: What made Tortoise succeed where stronger animals failed?
He studied the tree carefully, chose the softer side, and used persistence rather than force alone.
Q4: How did Leopard try to take Ndenga from Tortoise?
Leopard ambushed them on the path, seized Ndenga, and claimed her as his own wife.
Q5: What trick did Tortoise use to defeat Leopard?
He enchanted a bench with medicine that trapped Leopard until he returned Ndenga and the stolen food.
Q6: What is the central lesson of the story?
Cleverness, patience, and determination are stronger than brute force or intimidation.
Source: Folktale from Equatorial Guinea.
