IN AFRICAN FOREST AND JUNGLE 



penetrate everywhere. The new moon is especially- 

 angry and hungry on that day. She looks down over 

 our country and seeks whom she can devour, and we 

 poor black men are very much afraid of her on that 

 account, and we hide ourselves from her sight on that 

 night." After a pause he continued: "From the 

 time of the new moon to that of the full moon many 

 people die, and many amongst those are the ones 

 whom the new moon saw on her appearance in spite 

 of all the precautions they may have taken. 



" So the night of the new moon I will go into the 

 little house I have just built, and remain silent all that 

 night, for if I spoke the new moon would know where 

 I was. I am going to bring plenty of firewood for 

 you." Then, with great earnestness and imploring 

 eyes, he said : " Please, Oguizi, put the wood yourself 

 on the fire, and do not call me out of the house, for if 

 I come out the moon is sure to see me and I shall be 

 a doomed man." And as he uttered these last words 

 he shuddered with fear, and then added : " Rogala, if 

 seen by the new moon, could not be with you the next 

 moon, for he would surely die before then." 



The following morning Rogala collected a large 



quantity of firewood, enough to last a few days. 



Towards noon he spoke to his " ogana," or idol, thus : 



" You know that I love you with all my heart. I 



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