WEST AFRICAN FOLKLORE. 773 



The goblin said that he had no more cowries, and the little 

 girl began crying, "My mother will beat me if I go home with 

 a cowry short." 



The goblin walked away, and the little girl walked after him. 



" Go away," said the goblin ; " turn back, for no one can enter 

 the country in which I live." 



" No," said the little girl ; " wherever you go, I will follow, 

 until you pay me my cowry." 



So the little girl followed, followed a long, long way, till they 

 came to the country where the people stand on their heads in their 

 mortars, and pound yams with their heads.* 



Then they went on again a long way, till they came to a river 

 of filth. And the goblin sang : 



" young palm-oil seller, 



You must now turn back." 



And the girl sang : 



" Save I get my cowry, 



I'll not leave your track." 



Then the goblin sang again : 



" young palm-oil seller, 

 Soon will lead this track 

 To the bloody river, 

 Then you must turn back." 



And she. 

 And he. 

 And she, 

 And he, 

 And she, 



"I will not turn back." 



"See yon gloomy forest." 



" I will not turn back." 



" See yon craggy mountain." 



"I will not turn back; 

 Save I get my cowry, 

 I'll not leave your track." 



Then they walked on again, a long, long way ; and at last 

 they arrived at the land of dead people. 



The goblin gave the little girl some palm nuts with which to 

 make palm oil, and said to her, " Eat the palm oil yourself, and 

 give me the ha-ha." \ 



But when the palm oil was made the little girl gave it to the 

 goblin and ate the ha-ha herself. And the goblin said, " Very 

 well." 



* Yams are pounded into a sticky mass with a long wooden pestle, in a wooden mortar, 

 hollowed out of a section of a trunk of a tree. 



f Ha-lia^ the stringy remnant of the pulp of the palm nut after the oil has been expressed. 



