Follow Your Leader J' 
ISN'T that the name of a game you sotnetimes 
play ? At any rate we did, when I went to 
school. And if — as sometimes happened — our 
leader in the game was full of daring and tricks 
he gave us a hard time of it, and our clothes suf- 
fered as well as our hands. The West African 
children have their own set of games, but I don't 
know of one which quite matches this English otie. 
But if not in play, then in real earnest they will 
do almost anything to try and follow their leader. 
They are born copyists. Their eagerness to imitate 
reminds me of the old fable of the mother-crab who 
chided her offspring and said: Walk straight, 
my clear.'* You go first and show me the way," 
came the reply as quick as a flash of lightning. 
All the Nigerians believe in the creed of the junior 
crab. In the early days of the Mission, there were 
several who were quite ready to throw off heathen 
customs and discard heathen practices that were 
wrong, and dedicate their lives to Jesus Christ, but 
they didn't. They opened their minds to me and 
told me they strongly desired to serve Jesus Christ 
'\good fashion," but — — . What do you think 
the trouble was ? They felt it would never do to 
take the lead from their Ete," or leader. As soon 
as he was ready to become Christian they would 
gladly follow, but not before. That is one of the 
big difficulties the missionaries are up against all 
