CHAPTER VI 



NORTH-EASTERN RHODESIA (CONTINUED) : 

 EQUATORIAL FABLES — THE JOYS OF FREEDOM 



The greater part of my time in 1909 was spent 

 in the Luangwa Valley, where sleeping sickness 

 is now at its fell work. Here amongst the 

 magnificent herds of great game, the tropical 

 scenery and the primitive Awisa I enjoyed many 

 an interesting week. I do not know which of 

 these I found the more engaging — perhaps the 

 natives. 



There are few more interesting studies in Africa 

 than the study of native folk-lore. The Central 

 African natives have their own fairy stories just 

 as the children of Europe have their own ingeni- 

 ous fiction of Grimm and Hans Andersen where- 

 with to while away the passing hour, and wonder- 

 fully interesting some of these Equatorial fables 

 are. All Central Africans in reality are children, 

 and all hear the anecdotes of how the rhinoceros 

 lost his third horn, or how the Chameleon brought 

 disease and death into the world, with rapt 

 attention. Nearly every village has a story-teller, 

 and on every " ulendo," or caravan, you will 

 find one who can draw forth loud grunts of 

 applause from the listeners round the camp-fire. 



No creature of creation is the subject of so 

 much romance as the Chameleon. If you have 

 been in Africa, you will have noticed that the 

 native loathes this curious insect-reptile with his 



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