Reading Notes: Congo

How Nsassi (Gazelle) Got Married Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort by Richard Edward Dennett (1898):

Man had 2 wives and they each gave birth to a daughter. 

They said only the man who could tell them their names could marry them.

Suitors came with gifts but none could say the names of the 2 daughters. 

One day Nsassi came with his dog carrying gifts but did not know the names. 

Nsassi left and the dog stayed. It heard their names and went to tell the Nsassi. On the way it got hungry and forgot the names and had to go back. It learned them again and went to tell again. This time got thirsty and forgot. Had to go back once more.

Finally he was able to remember them all the way to Nsassi. They set off to the daughters together. They got their and Nsassi told the father the names and he was allowed to marry them.

The Younger Brother Who Knew More Than The Elder Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort by Richard Edward Dennett (1898):

Two brothers lived in the same town and were always fighting so the younger brother decided to take his wife and leave the town.

They stumbled upon a clearing where a man and his wife lived. The younger brother asked the man if they could live there and the man agreed.

One day they build a hole in the ground and covered it with leaves and sticks so that they could catch animals. 

In order not to fight on who got what animals they decided that the younger brother got all males and the man who had already been living there got all females.

Day after day male animals fell into the trap and the younger brother had so much meat he didn't even know what to do with it all. But definitely did not share with the man and his wife.

Then one night the brother sent his wife out to get more sticks and she never returned so he went looking for her. 

The next morning the 2 men found her in the trap and by the agreement she should belong to the man. But the younger brother demanded that she was human and could not do that. 

Then out of nowhere appeared the older brother and they told him of their dispute and he agreed that she belonged to the man. 

So the man jumped into the hole to claim the wife. Then the older brother pointed out that now the man was in the hole and technically belonged to the younger brother. 

So the younger brother agreed not to kill the man if he agreed the same for the wife. 

Congo. Jbdodane, 2014. Flickr.