88 THE BONDS OF AFRICA 



great staring eyes and the fickle glories of his 

 skin, and if you have ever picked one up and 

 put it on your shoulder or your hat, you may 

 have observed that your " boys " gazed on you 

 with mixed expressions of fear and disgust. 

 For the Chameleon is to them what the serpent 

 in the garden of Eden is to us — a perpetual 

 reminder of the great error made by mankind 

 in the beginnings of things, an error which has 

 irrevocably changed the first laws of the Creator 

 and has brought sickness, suffering and sin into 

 this world of sorrows. 



The story of the Chameleon, the third chapter 

 of the Bantu Genesis, is known over a great 

 portion of Africa, although there are varying 

 versions in different parts of the Continent. But 

 the most universally accepted tale is that in the 

 beginning of things man only died in war, in 

 battle with man or wild beasts. Sickness was 

 unknown, and the people multiplied and multi- 

 plied so that the crops of the world were in- 

 sufficient to feed them. Then the rulers of 

 mankind joined together, and in solemn and 

 secret conference agreed to send the Lizard on 

 a mission to the Deity, praying that death should 

 come about by means other than those of violence. 

 " There will be more food for the survivors," 

 said the sages of first government. And so the 

 Lizard went his way. 



But there was one member of that secret 

 gathering wiio, like some members of secret 

 conferences in our own day, was unable to 

 respect the mighty trust reposed in him. He 

 talked, and a furious and amazed populace held 

 an indignation meeting, at which it was decided 

 to appeal against the unauthorized petition 

 carried by the Lizard. 



