--- title: Xxv.--how Two Bendega Young Men Changed Their Skins., part 4 — Ikom folk stories from Southern Nigeria · full text with trees description: Xxv.--how Two Bendega Young Men Changed Their Skins., part 4, «Ikom folk stories from Southern Nigeria» by Elphinstone Dayrell: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: After this Odoggha Eyu sent to the house where the brass pans, jugs, plates and other --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg70959/21/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [Ikom folk stories from Southern Nigeria](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg70959/) / Xxv.--how Two Bendega Young Men Change… # Xxv.--how Two Bendega Young Men Changed Their Skins., part 4 Xxv.--how Two Bendega Young Men Changed Their Skins., part 4 of «Ikom folk stories from Southern Nigeria» by Elphinstone Dayrell: the whole text, 52 sentences and 1611 words. The small number after every sentence leads to its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. After this Odoggha Eyu sent to the house where the brass pans, jugs, plates and other valuables used to be kept, and opened the door, only to find that it was as empty as the other house.[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") Then he threw the keys down on the ground in despair and went away.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") He told his company what had happened, and advised them to go home at once, as he was unable to provide any more food and drink for them.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the owners of the five slaves who had been killed went to him and demanded payment, and the other people to whom he owed money worried him all day, until at last he resolved to kill himself rather than go home in shame and debt.[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") Odoggha Eyu then asked where his father was buried, and when he was shown the place he went back to the house and sat down, waiting until it became dark.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") That night he got a rope and hanged himself on the branch of a tree overhanging his father’s grave.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") His debtors, who were looking everywhere for him, could not find him, and thought he must have run away, but two days later his dead body was discovered hanging to the tree.[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") Ever since that time it has been a custom, whenever a person is absent when a sick relative dies and wishes to bury him, he first of all finds out how much property there is before he buys things for the funeral, so as to be quite certain that there will be enough to pay for all the expenses of the burial.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") If a man was poor, very few people would attend the funeral, but if he were rich many people would come.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") Hence the saying, “A small ju-ju has a small sacrifice, and a big ju-ju has a big sacrifice.”[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") Told by Abassi of Inkum.--\[1.8.7.\][11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") XXVIII.--HOW THE FROG BEAT THE BUSH BUCK IN A RACE, AND WON HIS DAUGHTER AS A WIFE.[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") Long ago, when the men, animals, and birds were living together, there was a bush buck who was fine and strong; he was also a very quick runner.[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") This bush buck had a daughter whose skin shone like a bright red stone.[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") She was much admired by all the men and animals, and many of them wanted to marry her, and spoke to her father on the subject, but he placed such a high dowry on his daughter that no one was rich enough to pay it.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") At last some of the young men, who were very anxious to possess the pretty daughter of the bush buck as a wife, asked the father to reduce the amount of dowry to such an amount as they would be able to pay.[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") As the bush buck was very fond and proud of his daughter and did not want to part with her, he refused to reduce the dowry, but told the young men and animals that he would give them all another chance of winning his daughter, and that was, if any one could beat him in a race he would hand his daughter over to the winner as his wife without any dowry at all.[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") In making this offer the bush buck thought he was perfectly safe, as it was well known that he was a faster runner than anyone in the country.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") A day was appointed for the races to be held, and a long straight course was cut.[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") It was decided that the races should be run from one end of the course to the other and back again to the starting-point, and the first one to get back would be declared the winner.[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") When the day for the race arrived a large number of men and animals met, and the course was lined with spectators on both sides as far as the eye could see.[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") Several young men who were noted for their speed and many swift-running animals competed for the bush buck’s daughter, but they were all beaten by the bush buck.[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") After several races of this kind had been held, the fame of the pretty daughter of the bush buck spread far and wide, and many other men and animals came from distant parts to try and win her, but without success.[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") One day, when the bush buck’s daughter went down to the spring to get drinking-water, she met a young frog, who fell in love with her and decided to ask her father’s consent to their marriage.[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") But before he did so the frog called all his company, who were very numerous, together, and told them that he intended to try and win the bush buck’s daughter, and that he would race her father.[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") At this all the other frogs laughed, and said that the bush buck would have finished the course before the frog had jumped one pace.[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") The young frog allowed his companions to enjoy their laugh, and when they were quiet again he said, “I have a plan, and if you will all help me I am certain to win the race, and when I have got the bush buck’s daughter for my wife I will give you a big feast, and it will be a great score to us to win her where everybody else has failed.”[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") He then said to his company, “Are we not all alike?”[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") And they answered all together, with one croak, “Yes.”[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") The young frog then told them his plan.[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") As they all knew, the conditions of the race were that the two competitors were to start together and run to the end of the course, and then return to the starting-point, and the one who returned first would be the winner.[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") All the young frogs were to go out in the early morning and hide themselves in holes at intervals along the whole of the course and one frog was to be at the turning point.[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") Whenever the bush buck called out, one of the frogs was to answer him and pretend he had been running all the time.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") All the frogs agreed that the plan was a good one, and promised to help their companion to win the race.[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") When he had thus arranged everything to his satisfaction, the young frog went to the bush buck and challenged him to race for his daughter.[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") But, although the bush buck laughed at the idea, he had to consent to run, and the race was arranged for the following day along the usual track, and the first home to be the winner.[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") Early in the morning all the frogs took up their positions along the course, and the young frog jumped on to the course where the starting-place was and waited for the bush buck to arrive.[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") By this time many people had arrived to watch the race, and soon the bush buck joined the frog, and the signal to start having been given they both jumped off together.[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") But the frog returned to his hole, and the bush buck raced off alone as fast as he could go.[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") When he had gone about half the distance the bush buck called out, “Where are you, frog?” and one of the frogs at once answered, “I am here, are you tired of running?”[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") And the bush buck said, “Yes, I am tired.[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics") Let us run back, and the first in shall be the winner.”[42](42/ "tree and pragmatics") So he turned round and started off again.[43](43/ "tree and pragmatics") When the bush buck got near the starting-place the frog came out of his hole, and directly the people saw that he had got back before the bush buck they declared the frog to be the winner, much to the disgust of many of the young men, who were watching the race, and who cursed the frog for his luck in winning such a fine wife.[44](44/ "tree and pragmatics") When the bush buck arrived he was much out of breath from running, and was greatly surprised at being beaten by the frog, but as he had passed his word that he would give his daughter to the winner, he handed her to the frog.[45](45/ "tree and pragmatics") The frog then took his beautiful wife to his house near the spring, where they had a big play; and after the dancing was over the frog gave all the members of his company who had helped him to win the race quantities of food and tombo, which had been prepared for them.[46](46/ "tree and pragmatics") The young frog then went into the water, and called upon his wife to follow him.[47](47/ "tree and pragmatics") She went into the stream until the water came up to her neck, but, being naturally very timid, she was afraid to go further, and struggled back to the bank, where she said to her husband, “If you wish to live with me you will have to come on to the land, as I cannot live in the water.”[48](48/ "tree and pragmatics") So the frog came out and joined his wife, but he only lived with her for a very short time, as the pretty bush buck walked so fast he could not keep up with her.[49](49/ "tree and pragmatics") Very soon she strayed away into the forest, where she met a fine young bush buck, and, forgetting all about the frog, went off with her young lover.[50](50/ "tree and pragmatics") One day when she went to the spring to draw water the frog called out to her to return to him, but, as she refused to do so, the frog lost his wife for ever whom he had won so cleverly.[51](51/ "tree and pragmatics") Told by Abassi of Inkum.--\[E.D., 11.8.10.\][52](52/ "tree and pragmatics") - ← previous: [Xxv.--how Two Bendega Young Men Changed Their Skins., part 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg70959/20/) - next →: [Xxix.--why a Python Never Swallows a Tortoise.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg70959/22/) - ↑ back to [Ikom folk stories from Southern 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